Inside the Industry

Ford Transit Connect taxis hit Chicago streets in March

(January 25, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Transit Connect taxis will begin winding through the streets of the Windy City in March when a fleet of the alternative-fuel vehicles joins Yellow Cab Chicago.

Taxi Medallion Management purchased the 12 clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) Transit Connect Taxis for its fleet. The cabs will be affiliated with Yellow Cab Chicago and bear the company’s logo and color.

Chrysler kicks off ‘Blogger Game on Road Trip’

(January 25, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  — The Chrysler Brand has kicked off its “Blogger Game On Road Trip” when it handed over the keys to two new 2011 Chrysler 200 sedans to bloggers who drove the vehicles from Detroit to Pittsburgh, and over the next two weeks will drive across country to Dallas.

GM to add third shift, 750 jobs at Flint Assembly

(January 25, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors on Monday announced plans to add a third shift at Flint Assembly, generating 750 jobs for the plant that makes the award-winning Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups.

The shift is expected to start in the third quarter with employees starting to arrive at Flint Assembly in the second quarter.

Kia 'most improved' brand in residual value

(January 24, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. — Kia has been recognized as the "Most Improved Mainstream Brand" in the ALG Residual Value Awards brand rankings outlined in the latest ALG Industry Report , moving four spots from 14th place in 2010 to 10th in 2011.

The top brand in mainstream residual value was Subaru. Honda was second and Mazda third.

Toyota retains title as world's largest automaker

(January 24, 2011) TOKYO — Toyota was the world's largest automaker for a third year in 2010 edging out General Motors by about 300,000 units, as a recovery in global vehicle demand outweighed a decline in U.S. sales.

Toyota's sales, including its luxury Lexus marque as well as deliveries from affiliates Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., rose 8 percent to 8.42 million units in 2010, the automaker said in a statement Monday.

GM delivers 8.39 million vehicles globally in 2010

(January 24, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors reported today that it delivered 8,389,769 vehicles globally in calendar year 2010, a 12.2 percent increase from 2009 deliveries of 7,477,178.1

GM achieved double-digit increases in five of its top 10 markets, including a 28.8 percent increase in China, where GM and its partners were the first to top the 2 million sales mark in a single year, and an increase of 41.3 percent in Uzbekistan, which is now GM’s tenth-largest market by volume.

Mercedes ranked 15th on Fortune's 'Best Companies' list

(January 23, 2011) MONTVALE, N.J. — For the second straight year Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has been ranked one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine in its14th annual survey, which appears in the Feb. 7th issue.

In its second year as an entrant, MBUSA's 2011 ranking of No. 15 — up from No. 49 last year — is the sole automaker on the list and No. 8 among small organizations with less than 2,500 associates.

Detroit firefighters get electrical vehicle crash training

(January 27, 2011) DETROIT — Firefighters in Detroit, where the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is built, are learning how to deal with emergency situations involving electric vehicles. It is the final stop on a nationwide tour where more than 1,600 fire and emergency service leaders have been trained.

Man walks away from demolished Malibu, gets new one from Chevy

(January 22, 2010) DETROIT — Marc Keinath miraculously survived an icy encounter with a tractor-trailer this week. His 2004 Malibu didn’t, but Chevrolet wrote the next chapter in the amazing story on Friday, presenting Keinath with the keys to a new 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.

Canton plant expanded for Nissan NV van production

(January 22, 2011) Nissan on Friday officially launched production of its all-new 2012 Nissan NV commercial van with Job One ceremonies at its expanded Canton, Miss., assembly facility.

The Canton facility, originally opened in 2003, underwent a two-year, $118 million expansion to accommodate production of the new Nissan NV, including: