December 2010

Sanyo to increase output of auto lithium-ion batteries


(December 28, 2010) TOKYO — The surge in hybrid and electric car production has benefited at least one battery maker.

Sanyo Electric Co. plans to raise its annual output capacity for automotive lithium-ion batteries by 150 percent, by investing about about $180 million (15 billion yen) in a key plant, the Nikkei business newspaper reported last week.

Ford Raptor video wins top honor at Dean Batchelor Awards

(December 28, 2010) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Kelley Blue Book's popular 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor video recently won the "Best Audio-Visual" award during the 2010 Dean Batchelor Awards from the Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild (MPG), the largest automotive media association in North America.

Ford will give public chance to watch engine being disassembled

(December 27, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford powertrain engineers will tear down an engine that has gone a distance equal to six times around the earth and three quarters of the way to the moon. Or put another way: the engine has the equivalent of 160,000 miles and 10 years of rugged use.

Jeep Rocks & Road Tour ending in San Diego

(December 27, 2010) The Jeep brand is bringing the “Jeep Rocks & Road Tour,” an off-road driving experience, to consumers attending the 2011 San Diego International Auto Show, Dec. 30 – Jan. 2 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.

Tata Nano wins international design award

(December 27, 2010) The Tata Nano has received the GOOD DESIGN Award for 2010, which is given annually by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design together with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

Ford to put fuel-saving stop-start feature in more vehicles

(December 27, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford’s popular fuel-saving technology that automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop — a feature found today on the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid and some Ford cars in Europe — will soon be added to conventional cars, crossovers and SUVs in North America.

Ford F-150 EcoBoost endures Baja 1000

(December 26, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert endurance race has a little of everything to test man and machine to the extreme. Open ground at wide open throttle, followed by harsh deceleration. Bone-jarring jumps. Temperature extremes. Mountain climbs. Shifting terrain. Dunes full of engine-choking sand.
 

New Ford Explorer delivers on safety

(December 26, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — The reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer, which offers a suite of innovative safety technologies, is the latest Ford vehicle to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ford offers tattoos for the new Focus

(December 25, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — The popularity of tattoos has turned body art into a fashion statement — especially among Millennials — and Ford is taking the trend one step further by offering car buyers a quick and inexpensive way to express themselves with tattoos for the new 2012 Ford Focus.

Hydrogen-powered Mercedes now available in California

(December 25, 2010) Mercedes-Benz F-CELL hydrogen-powered B-Class vehicles are now available to California residents. The Mercedes joins Honda’s FCX Clarity Fuel Cell with a public leasing program.