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Industry News

Ford Reveals Fuel Consumption for Six Vehicles

Ford came out today with revised fuel consumption for six vehicles after doing further testing and realizing they made a error in the original specs.

The decision was made after Ford identified an error through its own internal testing. The Ford and Lincoln vehicles that are affected by the fuel ratings change are the C-Max Hybrid, C-Max Energi, Fiesta, Fusion Energi, Fusion Hybrid, and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

Ford has estimated that close to 13,000 vehicles from the 2013-14 year have been sold in Canada (200,000 in the U.S.) under these erroneous fuel consumption numbers. Ford intends to rectify the problem with customers by compensating leased and purchase customers with a monetary gesture between the ranges of $125-$1,800.

The issue would be found in its “Total Road Load Horsepower” (TRLHP), a resistance level used in vehicle dynamometer testing. The TRLHP testing for some of their model didn’t match the values applied for the dynamometer testing.

After assessing the problem and going through the tests again, Ford notified the EPA on their newly-known data and provided them with the new fuel economy numbers for five of their vehicles, including one Lincoln. All of the other vehicles had no change in fuel economy. Further, Ford has now implemented an enhanced validation test to prevent this error from reoccurring in other future vehicles.  Ford has had a rough couple of months with the recall of last month and now the error in fuel economy.

Read full article here 

Toyota Recall More Than 500,000 Vehicles in Canada

 

Toyota Motor Corp. recently had an international recall, affecting a large number of Canadians.  The recall is for a variety of problems spanning nearly 30 models in Japan, North America, Europe and other places.  Some vehicles were recalled for more than one problem. The recall cases total 6.76 million vehicles for 27 Toyota models, the Pontiac Vibe and the Subaru Trezia, produced from April 2004 through August 2013.

Toyota Canada issued two separate recall notices affecting a total of 513,401 vehicles on Wednesday as part of the global initiative. One of the recalls affects 360,963 cars and SUVs with a spiral cable assembly that can be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and then, potentially, prevent the driver’s airbag from deploying in a crash.

The spiral cable assembly is in a large range of models, including the Corolla, RAV4, Matrix, Yaris, Highlander, and Tacoma, that were from various model years.

No injuries or crashes have been reported related to the recalls announced Wednesday. But two reports of fires are linked to one of the problems, a defective engine starter that can keep the motor running. The engine starter wasn’t named in either of Toyota Canada’s recalls.

The Pontiac Vibe, which is a General Motors Co. model, is also involved because Toyota and GM made cars at the same plant in California and the recalled model is the same as the Toyota Matrix. It was recalled for a problem with a spiral cable attached to an air-bag. It is unrelated to a separate GM recall over ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths.  This is one of the biggest recalls in the car companies history, and will affect their next quarters sales.

 

To read the full article go to:  www.ctvnews.com 

Mark Fields Becomes New CEO of Ford

 

The deal is complete, Ford Named Mark Fields to replace Alan Mulally as CEO starting July 1st.  Fields, currently Ford’s chief operating officer, had long been seen as Mulally’s heir apparent. He was centre stage at this year’s Detroit auto show unveiling the aluminium model of Ford’s best-selling F-150 pickup and a limited edition Mustang GT.

Fields, 53, is a Harvard Business School graduate who joined Ford in 1989 and ran its North American operations through the depth of the recession. Ford was the only major US automaker not to file for bankruptcy.

Mulally, 68, a long-time Boeing executive, was hired by Ford in 2006 to turn around a company making massive losses and facing declining market share. He slashed costs and mortgaged all of Ford’s assets in a move that allowed the company to steer clear of bankruptcy and government-ownership.

Fields becomes the second insider in recent months to take over one of the big American auto manufacturers. Last December General Motors named Mary Barra as its new chief executive, succeeding Dan Akerson, a turnaround specialist appointed by the US Treasury.  Will Fields be able to complete the turn around that Mulally started, we will have to wait and see.

 

To read the full article checkout:  www.thegurdian.com 

Nascars Rating Struggle, Who Will Save the Day?

May 4th is one of the biggest stock car events, the Talladega Super Speedway, the problem?  No one cares.  It’s no secret that Nascar racing has had plenty of trouble recently holding on to its audience on a weekly basis. The series suffers from both an aging fan base and the lasting effects of a deep economic recession.

Television ratings are unequivocally down in the last decade—not surprisingly, major media partners including ESPN (DIS) and TNT (TWX) won’t be airing races next year. Stadium operators have even come to the realization that fans aren’t coming back, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to reduce seating capacity at the tracks.

You’d think the success of a popular racer like Dale Earnhardt Jr. would correlate with the success of the sport. Not so. Yes, he’s a star with a loyal following, but Nascar needs to widen its audience. Earnhardt’s triumph at this year’s Daytona 500 hasn’t engaged the casual fan—TV ratings are down to levels not seen since 1997.

Despite fluctuations in the size of the household TV audience, a set of faithful fans will continue to watch. Such fans form the “minimum” audience number, those who watch no matter what. If anything, Earnhardt represents this group, the ones who love Nascar and aren’t going away.  Will Earnhardt be the new Tiger Woods of Nascar?

To read the full article check out:  www.businessweek.com

 

AT&T Partners With Global Automaker

AT&T reports it has made car-connected software to an undisclosed automaker.

AT&T Inc., the largest U.S. phone company, said it reached a deal with a global automaker to add to its ranks of customers looking to bring connectivity to cars.

The carmaker, based outside Asia, will have vehicles using AT&T’s wireless services in markets including China in a matter of weeks, said Joe Mosele, an AT&T vice president for devices including connected autos. He declined to name the automaker.
Automakers are competing for drivers looking to be connected while in their vehicles. Technology to do that is the top selling point for 39 percent of auto buyers, more than twice the 14 percent who say their first consideration is traditional performance measures such as power and speed, according to a study consulting firm Accenture released in December.

AT&T said last year that all Tesla cars would come equipped with its network chips, which allow two-way connections for services such as roadside assistance and stolen-vehicle location. The Tesla service also would include Internet access, navigation and entertainment on a 17-inch touch screen. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

Read the full article here.

Increased Sales Tax in Japan will Drop Auto Demand

Japan has increased its sales tax for the first time in 17 years, which will greatly affect auto production.

Japanese auto deliveries will drop 16 percent in the year starting April 1 as a sales-tax increase damps demand, an industry group estimates.

Sales will probably fall to 4.75 million units in Japan, the world’s third-largest auto market, as the levy rises to 8 percent from the current 5 percent, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said in a statement today.

Japan’s first sale tax increase in 17 years, intended to help repay debt, is expected to dent consumption from cars to televisions, posing a challenge to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ambition to spur growth.

A rush of buying before the April 1 increase helped boost vehicle sales 15 percent from a year earlier in February, a sixth straight monthly increase.

Read the full article here.

A Cause For Celebration: Honda Produces Its 20 Millionth Vehicle

In 30 years, Honda has produced 20 million vehicles in the U.S.

Honda Motor Co. hit a U.S. milestone today by producing its 20 millionth vehicle since it began making cars in Ohio more than 30 years ago, the company said.

Honda’s plant in Marysville, Ohio, churned out its 10 millionth Accord sedan today, bringing cumulative production from Honda’s four U.S. vehicle assembly sites to 20 million units since it began producing cars in the United States in 1982.

Since becoming the first Japanese automaker to build a U.S. assembly plant, in Marysville, Honda has added assembly plants in East Liberty, Ohio; Lincoln, Ala., and Greensburg, Ind.

“We are deeply aware that our ability to reach this milestone results from the trust that 20 million customers have placed in our products, and we appreciate their support over the past three decades,” Hidenobu Iwata, CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing, said in a statement. “We also value the commitment made by tens of thousands of associates at Honda and our hundreds of suppliers in the U.S. who build products of the highest quality for our customers.”

Read the full article here.

Honda Announces Recall of its Odyssey Minivans

Once known for its safety and luxury, the Honda Odyssey is under recall. Honda Motor is recalling 886,815 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. for risk of fire from a fuel leak.

The recall covers 886,815 Odysseys from the 2005 to 2010 model years, according to documents posted Saturday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site.

Honda reported that the cover on the fuel pump strainer can deteriorate and crack. It said that could lead to a fuel smell or to a leak that would pose a risk of fire. No crashes or fires have been reported, the company said.

Honda said it had indications of the problem in 2012 and initiated an investigation. It was determined that exposure to high temperatures and to acidic chemicals, such as those used in car washes, fertilizers and dust control agents, can cause premature deterioration of the cover, which is from supplier Denso.

Read the full article here.

Google makes auto industry allies to pave way for self-driving cars

It wasn’t long ago that the concept of a self-driving car seemed like something out of a science fiction film. Well, with the allies Google is making in the automotive industry, you may see self-driving cars on the streets in the not so distant future.

The Open Automotive Alliance that Google Inc. launched on Monday with a group of car companies will establish the Android operating system as a platform for apps in the connected car. The long-term  significance of the deal, however, may be as a milestone in Google’s effort to build a working relationship with car makers, a critical step toward bringing its self-driving car technology to market during the next few years.

Google has been road-testing a fleet of more than 20 self-driving Audi’s for the past few years, and has said the technology will be ready for the commercial market by 2017. However, the company has yet to elaborate on its business plan for products based on the technology, let alone strike a deal with a car manufacturer or supplier willing to incorporate the software into its systems. There were reports last summer that Google would strike a deal with German parts maker Continental AG and with International Business Machines Corp., but no announcement involving Google was made. There even was speculation that Google might hire a contract manufacturer to build a car.

Read more here.

Spacious 2014 GMC Acadia giving other family-oriented models a run for their money

A vehicular jack-of-all-trades, the 2014 GMC Acadia can handle it all. GMC’s family hauler is ideal for transporting your big brood to the lake or hauling a full load of provisions away from your local big box store. Large crossovers are good like that, combining much of the passenger- and cargo-hauling abilities of a minivan with the rugged good looks and (when equipped with all-wheel drive) the foul-weather capability of a traditional SUV. In this highly competitive segment, the Acadia stands as one of the best picks.

For 2014, the GMC Acadia sees just a few changes. All Acadias gain an additional pair of charge-only USB ports, while the Denali trim picks up standard forward collision alert and lane departure warning systems.

Read more here.