OnStar — Quick Recovery of Stolen Vehicles

July 23rd, 2009

GM’s OnStar is expanding on its Stolen Vehicle Assistance Services with the announcement of a new technology that will give law enforcement another critical tool to help safely and quickly recover subscribers stolen vehicles.

This new technology is called Remote Ignition Block and will allow an OnStar Advisor to send a remote signal to a subscriber’s stolen vehicle to prevent the vehicle from restarting once the ignition is turned off. This capability will not only help authorities recover stolen vehicles, but can also prevent dangerous high speed pursuits from starting.

“Remote Ignition Block is a prime example of the rapid pace of technological innovation underway at OnStar. We are developing services desired by our subscribers that deliver important societal benefits as well,”? said Chet Huber, OnStar president.

Remote Ignition Block builds on OnStar’s growing suite of Stolen Vehicle Assistance services which includes GPS technology that pinpoints a stolen vehicle’s exact location and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown® which can remotely slow a stolen vehicle to idle speed.

OnStar will make Remote Ignition Block is being rolled out to select GM 2009 and 2010 model year vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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Posted in Auto Industry, General Motors | 789 Comments »

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

July 23rd, 2009

The Good Year Blimp

The Good Year Blimp

Just when you thought four wheeling fell from fanfare, Goodyear’s all new off-road tires challenge their decade-old, iconic predecessor, the Wrangler MT/R (Maximum Traction-Reinforced) and are available in two new game-changing styles.

The brazen and brawny Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar, engineered at Sandai’s labs, was created to tantalize the four million drivers in the radical light truck segment, who are willing to pay more for aftermarket products that guarantee a safe return from the wilds.

Goodyear says these customers are mostly male, under-35, risk takers who are passionate about four wheeling, Jeep expeditions and rock crawling, although the tire maker sees more women wheeling their own rigs.

With sexiness that tantalizes in a Laura-Croft-kind-of-way, and side rubber that recalls the smile of a Great White Shark, this new tire has significantly enhanced toughness. Less neck-snapping in looks, but still bold, the new Wrangler DuraTrac wears enhanced rubber for backcountry toughness, but is also crafted to soothe the sense, with a more tranquil tarmac ride.

DuraTrac’s dominant tread blocks channel a State of Indiana refrigerator magnet and Goodyear has its sights on the 21 million drivers who purchase all-terrain, light truck tires for work in construction, agriculture, landscaping and crave after hours pursuits of camping, hunting and fishing.

Sidewall Toughness-The Wrangler MT/R w/ Kevlar bests it previous generation model by increasing puncture-resistance by 35 percent, thereby greatly reducing the likelihood of sidewall cuts and tears-a veritable Achilles shield.

Sidewall Traction-MT/R w/Kevlar gives greater grip for canyon crawling, mud pits and sand dunes, with improved steering and handling in both wet and dry conditions.

Wraparound Tread-Special sculpting on the Wrangler MT/R w/Kevlar creates the go-juice for motoring and bite, when traversing dry lake beds; driving over loose sand and hard scrabble; and motivating up and over rocks and boulders.

Inventive Tread Design-Wrangler MT/R is comprised of advanced silica rubber that is asymmetrically-shaped for better traction qualities in wet and off-road conditions.

Tractive Groove Technology- Wrangler DuraTrac crafted with a center-line band of grooves that repel muck and snow.

Self-Cleaning Shoulder Blocks-Wrangler DuraTrac’s chunky blocks of –shaped compound are engineered with “mud-flow20geometry”? to improve maneuvering in deep mud and blizzards.

Highly-Angled Center Tread Blocks-Wrangler DuraTrac’s center-band block pattern and rubber compound quiet road noise and increase lateral stability.


Sales Potential-Goodyear projects that full-sized truck sales will remain steady for five years. On sale now, Goodyear will offer the Wrangler MT-R w/Kevlar in 30 sizes; the Wrangler DuraTrac will be available in 26 sizes, covering 89 percent of the targeted vehicle segment.


Sue Mead

Popularity: 15% [?]

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Posted in Auto Industry | 3 Comments »

Cash for Clunkers — Not Really

July 9th, 2009

We’ve been hearing about cash for clunkers for months. It’s the government program designed to get old gas guzzling cars off the road by offering cash to consumers to buy more fuel efficient cars.

The deal has two goals wrapped in one action. It gets drivers into potential more fuel efficient cars and it jump starts car sales. But contrary to the catchy title, consumers will not be given cash to buy newer vehicles.

Dealers will register for the program. When a consumer trades a gas guzzler and purchases a more fuel efficient vehicle and government credit is applied to the purchase of the new vehicle.

That credit will be $3,500 for fuel efficiency that is four miles per gallon better than the traded in car. It jumps to $4,500 if the purchased car is 10 mpg better. For light trucks its $3,500 for 2 mpg better and $4,500 for 5 mpg better.

Frank S. Washington

Popularity: 11% [?]

Posted in Auto Industry | 1,302 Comments »

GM’s Quick Rinse Douses Others

July 9th, 2009

GM LogoIt looks like GM is headed for a quick rinse bankruptcy. Still, loads of investors are going to get doused.

In a statement that more or less told speculators to trade in GM stock at their own risk the automaker said the following:

GM management has noticed the continuing high trading volume (in) GM’s common stock at prices in excess of $1. GM management continues to remind investors of its strong belief that there will be no value for the common stockholders in the bankruptcy liquidation process, even under the most optimistic of scenarios.

Stockholders of a company in chapter 11 (bankruptcy) generally receive value only if all claims of the company’s secured and unsecured creditors are fully satisfied. In this case, GM management strongly believes all such claims will not be fully satisfied, leading to its conclusion that GM common stock will have no value.

Frank S. Washington

Popularity: 4% [?]

Posted in General Motors | 1 Comment »

Mitsubishi Delivers EVs in July – in Japan

July 2nd, 2009
Mitsubishi i-MiEVDespite what our egos tell us as Americans, when it comes to consumer technology, we’re clearly second to Japan and maybe third to somebody else. Who knows?

The point is that next month, Mitsubishi will put an electric car on sale in Japan; first to government and business fleets and then to individuals next April.

As part of the spin, a video of the i-Miev debuted in early June as part of the United Nations World Environment Day.

The video showcases the performance and durability of Mitsubishi’s pure battery electric vehicle – the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) – in a series of tests and in comparison to its Japanese market i gasoline counterpart.

So for those who can’t wait to catch a glimpse of the i-MiEV on the road after it goes on sale in Japan this summer, they can catch the minute-and-a-half video at www.mitsubishicars.com or by clicking here.

It’s clear from the video that emitting zero on-road carbon emissions and using no fossil fuel are not the i-MiEV’s only talents. The small, yet roomy, four-passenger i-MiEV is shown in acceleration and slalom tests side-by-side the turbocharged gas-powered i car on which it is based.

Keys to the i-MiEV’s performance include an ultra-quiet permanent magnet synchronous motor and a powerfully efficient lithium-ion battery pack that can be quick-charged up to 80 percent of capacity in as little as 30 minutes. An onboard charger accepts 110V (12-14 hour full-charge time) or 220V in half that time.

Mitsubishi Motors’ i-MiEV will be the world’s first practical electric vehicle offered by a major automobile manufacturer when fleet sales begin in Japan this summer.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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Posted in Auto News | 1 Comment »

GM, Penske in Deal for Saturn

July 2nd, 2009

Saturn Blimp UnveiledDetroit — General Motors Corp. and Penske Automotive Group confirmed details of a proposed transaction under which Penske would acquire the Saturn brand.

If completed, the deal would save 13,000 jobs at Saturn and it would preserve the customer-focused Saturn brand.

The proposed transaction is part of GM’s rebuilding efforts outlined in the viability plan that was submitted to the U.S. government earlier this year and is now a part of GM reorganization plan submitted to bankruptcy court.

Under the terms in the memorandum of understanding, Penske would obtain the rights to the brand as well as certain other Saturn assets. GM would continue production, on a contract basis, of the Saturn Aura, Vue and Outlook.

The bottom line is that Penske gets a practically all new Saturn product line that is supported by loyal customers and 350 of GM’s best dealers. More than four million Saturns have been sold since 1990.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. But bet the farm that Penske will pay nowhere near the estimated $5 billion that it cost GM to create Saturn.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Posted in Auto News, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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