Inside the Industry

GM partners with company to find projects for used-up Volt batteries

(September 22, 2010) TROY, Mich. — General Motors and ABB Group will work together to develop pilot projects for re-using the batteries from the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle, examining whether the batteries may be a source for renewable energy that could  improve the effectiveness of wind and solar power generation.

2011 Ford F-150 gets extensive powertrain overhaul

(September 21, 2010) DALLAS — The most extensive powertrain overhaul in the 62-year history of Ford F-Series highlights the 2011 Ford F-150. The engine lineup includes four new truck engines: a 3.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter and 6.2-liter V8s and a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

Hyundai to build 2011 Elantra in Alabama

(September 21, 2010) MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An all-new Hyundai Elantra will join its larger sibling, the Sonata, in production at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) starting in late fall this year. This change, along with the recent move of the Santa Fe to a Kia production facility in Georgia, will further increase Hyundai’s overall U.S.

High-performance Focus to be shown in Paris

(September 21, 2010) COLOGNE — The exciting new next-generation Ford Focus is the star attraction in Ford Motor Company's display at the 2010 Paris Motor Show on Sept. 30 with the 247-horsepower ST edition.

Ford is delivering on its promise to introduce a global performance version of the new Focus with a world premiere for the exciting flagship of the range, the muscular 246 horsepower Focus ST. 

Nissan announces aggressive plans for China

(September 21, 2010) SHANGHAI — Nissan has announced aggressive plans for China, the world's largest car market.

Nissan will almost double its production capacity in China to 1.2 million cars by 2012, accelerating earlier plans as economic growth spurs demand, CEO Carlos Ghosn said.

Audi introduces faster, more powerful R8

(September 20, 2010) INGOLSTADT, Germany — Now even more dynamic, lighter, more powerful and faster — Audi is launching a limited-production version of its R8 high-performance sports car, the R8 GT.

Distracted driving deaths down slightly, agency reports

(September 20, 2010) Traffic deaths tied to driving while distracted by activities such as talking on a mobile phone or eating fell 6 percent last year from the previous 12 months, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today.

New world Ford Ranger to be unveiled in Australia

(September 20, 2010) SYDNEY —  Ford is preparing to take the wraps off a redesigned, new-generation compact pickup developed in Australia for sale in 180 global markets. The new Ranger, unfortunately for North American buyers, will not be offered in the U.S. or Canada.

The worldwide premiere of the all-new Ford Ranger is a highlight of this year’s Australian International Motor Show, where it will be unveiled on Oct. 15.

GM puts demo electric fleet in Korea

(Septembr 19, 2010) SEOUL — General Motors today announced a demonstration project to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea. The project involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the successful Chevrolet Cruze.

The result of shared development with GM Daewoo, LG Chem and LG Electronics, the electric Cruzes will be part of a demo fleet that will operate in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

Audi film crew in helicopter incident on Pikes Peak

(September 18, 2010) MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. — A helicopter incident carrying an Audi film crew took place Friday morning near the 14,000-foot summit of Pikes Peak.

The film crew was shooting a test run of the “Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak,” a joint program involving Audi, the Electronic Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif., and Stanford University. The goal of the project involves ascending Pikes Peak autonomously without a driver behind the wheel to demonstrate the capabilities of advanced driver assistance systems and GPS.