June 2011

Passion for Chevrolet alive and well in country music

(June 15, 2011) DETROIT — In its 100 years, Chevrolet has produced iconic vehicles — from the era-defining Bel Air to the timeless Corvette. Jay Z, Kid Rock, and Mariah Carey are just a few of the artists to name-drop Chevrolet in hit songs. But no genre has embraced the breadth and depth of Chevrolet’s pop culture standing like country music.

It's 'Guts and Glory' in Ram Western-themed ads

(June 14, 2011)AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Taking place in a Western-themed setting, the Ram Truck brand’s new national advertising campaign focuses on the proven capability and superiority of the entire product line and introduces the brand’s new tagline — “Guts. Glory. Ram.” The new advertising campaign encompasses broadcast, print, digital and CRM initiatives.

More than two million VW vehicles delivered worldwide since Jan. 1

(June 14, 2011) WOLFSBURG, Germany (PRNewswire) — Deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand increased further in the first five months of this year, delivering over two million vehicles worldwide for the first time through May.

A total of 2.09  million vehicles were handed over to customers. The brand reported another noticeable increase in deliveries for the month of May, with 436,400, a rise of 16.1 percent.

Bluebird Electric land speed record project prepares for trials

(June 14, 2011) Bluebird Electric, the car which Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, expects to drive to a new world land speed record of more than 500 mph, is being readied for speed trials at Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, on July 2 and 3.

Honda predicts a 63.5 percent fall in profit

(June 14, 2011) Honda estimated today that fiscal year profit will be off 63.5 percent because of output disruptions following Japan's earthquake in March and the strong yen.

Net income is expected to fall to 95 billion yen ($2.4 billion) in the 12 months ending March 31 from 534.1 billion yen a year earlier, the company said today.

GM invests in battery electric bus company

(June 14, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors Ventures LLC will invest $6 million in Proterra Inc., a leading maker of zero-emission commercial transit buses, as part of its mission to invest in next-generation technologies that support innovation in the global transportation industry.

GM Ventures is part of an investment group, led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers that will invest a total of $30 million in the bus manufacturer.

Ford develops system to keep lithium-ion battery cool

(June 14, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — When the mercury starts to rise, people have all sorts of ways for cooling themselves down — sprinklers, lemonade and ice cream all come to mind. But the engineers at Ford have developed a system that cools the lithium-ion battery in the all-new Focus Electric and keeps it working at its prime, even in the hottest of conditions.

Saab production halted again; another Chinese partner announced

(June 13, 2011) Since getting an infusion of cash from Chinese auto distributor Pamg Da in May, Saab has encountered assembly line stops and starts in Trollhattan, Sweden.

Today, Saab announced that "the halt in production in April and May did not just affect Saab, but also our suppliers. We expected the risk of disruptions while restarting production, and have indeed experienced such 'hiccups' this week."

GM to invest $20 million in plant that builds Buick LaCrosse

(June 13, 2011) KANSAS CITY, Kan. — General Motors will invest $20 million in machinery and equipment for its Fairfax Assembly plant to add future technologies and improvements to the Buick LaCrosse including eAssist, a light electrification technology that will boost highway fuel economy by 25 percent over the current model.

Volkswagen starts taking orders for all-new 2012 Beetle turbo

(June 13, 2011) USA Today reports that online pre-orders for the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, due to arrive in showrooms in September, begin today. The order form is for a special "Black Turbo Launch Edition."

To reserve one you have to go to www.VW.com/preorder, pick a dealer and plunk down $495, and what VW calls your "welcome kit" will be on the way.