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The Powerful Ford F-350 Truck

2009-10-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

The ford f 350 diesel is one of the most sought after trucks found anywhere in the United States. This is due in large part because of the downright power that it possesses, as well as its hauling and towing capacity. The ford f 350 diesel, as the name hints to, runs on diesel fuel only. This may be a huge turn off for some big time truck enthusiasts, but to some people this is a great thing to have in a truck. Another thing that ford has going for it in this ford f 350 diesel is that it is one of the only diesel trucks available in its class. For a matter fact, the ford f 350 diesel is one of a few diesel powered cars that are available anywhere.

Ford came out with the new ford f 350 diesel in 2006 and they have no intentions on stopping production anytime in the near future. This may surprise some people because there are not a lot of companies that still produce diesel powered vehicles; and the price of diesel gasoline is often priced even higher than that of regular grade gas.

Despite these inherent draw backs there are still people who crave to get there hands on one of these trucks. They are in high demand, with a relatively low quantity to go around, so if you are looking to put one of these in your garage you may have to do some much needed research. If you are lucky enough to see a ford f 350 for sale sign be sure to check out the offer. Do not waste time because by the time you get back to this hot selling truck, the ford f 350 for sale sign may already be gone-along with the truck.

There are many places that you may see a ford f 350 for sale sign. The first place you should look is at the local Ford dealership. These truck dealers may be your best bet for finding a new ford f 350 diesel truck. Even though they are in high demand at this time, you may still be able to find a couple new ones to choose from at a high volume dealership near you. You can simply go to all the dealers, or to save time, you could just call the dealers on the phone and ask them of their availability.

Another great place to check is online. You can look in one of two places on the web. First off you can check out the dealership websites in order to see what they have in stock. Sometimes this is a better option instead of calling and having to deal with a pushy salesman. If you are looking for a used Ford F350 truck, you may be able to search some used car websites in order to find your perfect truck. Checking both of these online portals will surely increase your chance of finding what you are looking for.

Rising truck sales point to increased economic activity

2009-10-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

In an indication that the pickup in economic activity is likely to be sustained, commercial vehicle sales rose for the third straight month in September.

Led by Tata Motors Ltd and Ashok Leyland Ltd, auto makers sold 45,451 trucks and buses in September, up 6.4% from a year ago, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Significantly, sales of large multi-axle trucks capable of carrying 25 tonnes of cargo more than tripled to 1,559 units in September, compared with the same month last year.

“This is a classic sign of an economic revival,” said Ramnath S., vice-president of research at financial services firm IDFC-SSKI Securities Ltd, referring to the rise in sales of large multi-axle trucks.

Ramnath said that this is just the beginning of a revival for the commercial vehicle sector. “Domestic demand is up and the decline in exports has been reduced,” he added.

Makers of cars and two-wheelers also reported a rise in sales.

Car sales, which have risen for the past eight months, increased sharply to 129,683 units, up 20.6% from the year-ago period. Still, car makers are wary of how demand will hold up after the festive season. The impact of scanty monsoon rains is also an unknown.

For now, sales have been held up in part by new model launches. Nine new cars have been launched in the past year. Siam does not release individual model sales.

Two-wheeler sales registered a modest 7.6% increase to 778,424 units. The relatively lower growth was partly due to labour problems at Honda Scooters and Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. It registered a 10% drop in production to 81,505 units.

Siam, which reports dispatches to dealers and not retail sales, said it would increase its annual sales forecast in November for the fiscal year to 31 March.

“We have reached the upper end of the forecast we had given in April. So we would need to revise this,” Siam director general Dilip Chenoy told the media.

Siam had forecast a growth rate of 3-5% for cars for the year that began on 1 April.

In the first six months of the year, car sales have risen 14% and two-wheeler sales have grown 15%.

Easier availability of financing and low interest rates have played a key role in getting the sales back on track. The average rate for auto loans has fallen by 4% to 10% in the past year, according to Siam.

State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, has moved aggressively to cut rates. It now offers loans at 8% for the first year and 10% for the second and third years.

Volvo trucks runs into loss but sees strength ahead

2009-10-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

Volvo Group, a leading global truck maker, reported a big switch into quarterly loss on Friday, but the outcome was better than expected and the company said prospects were looking up, notably in Asia.

The group, the world's second-biggest producer of trucks, reported a net loss of 2.92 billion kronor (285 million euros, 429 million dollars) for July to September, down from profits of two billion kronor in the same period of last year.

"There are some positive signs indicating that the decline in demand has bottomed out and that we are now beginning a gradual recovery," the company's chief executive Leif Johansson said in an earnings statement.

"These signs are the most obvious in the group's second-largest region in terms of sales, Asia, where the economic growth is also reflected in demand for the group's products."

Johansson said that demand for trucks, spare parts and servicing "continued to stabilise" overall in Europe, where signs of recovery had appeared in recent months with major economies France and Germany emerging from recession. Russia and Spain remained weak, however, he said.

"We also see that demand for used trucks is steadily improving in Europe, which indicates that the market has bottomed out and that our customers' businesses are moving in the right direction," he said.

Volvo Group -- which makes trucks, buses and boat and aircraft equipment, but does not include the Volvo Cars brand -- posted its biggest-ever quarterly net loss, 5.57 billion kronor, in April to June this year.

The economic crisis has sharply reduced auto demand, prompting massive job cuts and losses by some of the biggest companies in the sector.

Volvo's third-quarter results were better than expected however, after analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a net loss of 3.3 billion kronor. Net truck sales were 48.5 billion kroner, slightly less than expected.

The group also "significantly reduced" its operating loss -- a measure of profits before tax and interest -- to 3.3 billion kronor from 6.8 billion in the second quarter, it said, "as a result of cost cutting measures."

Johansson said that tighter environmental standards due to come into force in North America next year had prompted Volvo to develop new trucks with ultra-low gas emissions, and that this new technology would push prices up.

"Price increases may... have a delaying impact on the recovery of demand in 2010," he said.

Volvo's shares surged 3.8 percent to 69 kronor in morning trading on the Stockholm stock exchange, which was up by 0.8 percent overall.
Source:[Google]

Truck maker Volvo posts Q3 loss as sales fall

2009-10-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

Swedish truck maker AB Volvo on Friday reported a third-quarter net loss of 2.9 billion kronor ($423 million), due to a steep drop in sales, and said demand was still "far below" normal levels.

It was the fourth consecutive quarterly loss for the company and compares with a previous profit of almost 2 billion in the same three months a year ago.

Revenue in the period plunged more than 30 percent to 48.5 billion kronor from 69.8 billion kronor in the third quarter in 2008.

Volvo CEO Leif Johansson said that although markets seem to have stabilized, his company "is not relying on our profitability being boosted by a substantial recovery in sales of new products," saying it is still "far below" the long-term trend for sales of new trucks and machines. The company will therefore continue to keep sharp control of costs, he said.

Volvo, headquartered in Goteborg, also makes buses, engines and construction equipment. It sold its car division to U.S.-based Ford Motor Co. in 1999, which now has announced that the car unit is for sale.

Mack, Volvo Trucks to Merge

2009-10-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America will merge next month into a single corporate entity, the Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) reported.

Mack spokesman John Mies told the newspaper the change is only an organizational change within Volvo AB, and that it will not affect either brand.

Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks will keep separate sales organizations and vehicle lines, the newspaper reported Thursday.

The move comes as Volvo tries to increase efficiency and profitability within Mack and Volvo Trucks.

The new entity will be called North American Trucks, the Morning Call said.

Dennis Slagle, chief executive officer of Mack, will lead the new company. Per Carlsson, president of VTNA, will be chief operating officer.

Dump truck backs over Salem construction flagger

2009-10-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

A man was killed in a construction accident in Beaverton. Police were called to the scene at SW 173rd and SW Walker Road in Beaverton.

Beaverton Police Detective Sgt. Jim Shumway said crews had been working on the intersection when a dump truck backed over and killed a construction worker who was working as a flagger.

The victim was identified as 51-year-old John Thomas Sparks of Salem.

Beaverton Police said that Sparks, an employee with Mama Jos Flagging, was helping a driver turn onto a street when he was hit by the dump truck.

Investigators said that Sparks was likely standing between the trucks rearview mirrors at the time of the accident and was knocked to the ground by the vehicle.

He was unable to move out of the way of the moving truck and was run over.

Mack Trucks rig deliveries

2009-09-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Mack Trucks reported Tuesday that rig deliveries in August were down 40 percent from the same month a year ago.

Mack is based in Greensboro, N.C., and produces trucks at its facility in Upper Macungie Township that employs roughly 500 workers.

The company manufactured 755 trucks in August, 511 fewer than in August 2008.

Mack is on a pace to have its worst production year in at least a decade, caused by what officials have said is a drop in demand because of declines in the shipping and construction industries.

Through August, Mack has produced 6,827 trucks for the year, down 38 percent from 2008.

Mack does not produce trucks on speculation like automakers, so deliveries represent actual customer orders.

Volvo AB, the Sweden-based parent company of Mack, reported Tuesday that company-wide sales which includes brands such as Renualt and Volvo were down 52 percent in August from the same month a year ago because of large decreases in truck demand from regions like North America, Asia and Europe.

Mack Trucks deliveries fall 25 percent in July

2009-09-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

Mack Trucks Inc. deliveries dropped 25 percent in July compared to last year, a trend the company blamed on continued weak demand for heavy trucks in North America. Year-to-date sales are down 38 percent.

The company said today low trucks sales in core-market segments of construction and local hauling have affected results. Mack attributed the declines there to the slump in housing construction and weak retail sales.

Among Mack's market areas, it's busiest region North America reported a 42 percent decline while South America, a smaller segment, saw a 61 percent decline in July.

The company reported expansion in the Middle East, a market that was not served in July 2008.

Mack is in the process of company-wide reorganization. The truck maker is moving all domestic manufacturing to its Macungie plant while relocating headquarters from Allentown to Greensboro, N.C.

The company has said both moves were planned for September. Mack is owned by Sweden-based AB Volvo.

Mack museum planned

2009-09-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

A new museum proposed in Central Australia will honour the iconic Mack truck.

The CEO of the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Liz Martin, says exhibits are coming in from around the country.

She says it's important to recognise the contribution of all those who helped open up and develop the outback.

"Mack trucks built the outback, there's no doubts about that," she says.

"They have a reputation the world over, not just in Australia, as being the hardest and the toughest and the ones that built the roads, and that's why it'll be a drawcard as much as anything else that we've got here."

Mack Trucks opens new headquarters

2009-09-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

Mack Trucks Inc.’s new Greensboro headquarters is now open and operating.

Employees of the heavy-duty truck maker began moving in August, after months of renovations at its 60,000-square-foot Airpark West office park building, said spokesman John Walsh.

The building is not far from the headquarters for its sister company, Volvo Trucks North America.

Mack, a member of the Swedish Volvo Group, announced a year ago that it would relocate its headquarters from Allentown, Pa., to Greensboro to improve efficiency and be closer to Volvo Trucks North America, bringing with it close to 500 jobs and an investment of $17.7 million within three years.

Mack’s jobs are expected to pay an average of $73,800, not including benefits. The average Guilford County wage is about $38,948.

Tata Motors Plans to Sell Another Light Truck Model

2009-09-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors Ltd., India's largest automaker by sales, said Friday it plans to introduce another light truck, smaller than its sub-one-ton Ace model, to capitalize on demand for the vehicle.

"There has been some demand for a product in that category and we are looking at developing one such model," P.M. Telang, managing director for Tata Motors' India operations, told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference.

The Ace, one of the highest-selling vehicles of Tata Motors, was first introduced in 2005 to compete with three-wheeled goods-carrying vehicles from Bajaj Auto Ltd., Piaggio and Mahindra & Mahindra.

Light truck sales in India have been less affected by the economic downturn than those of heavier vehicles, with medium and heavy truck sales sliding 32% during April-July 2009 to 44,774 units, while those of light trucks rose 20% to 66,421 units.

Tata Motors currently makes 15,000 Ace vehicles per day at a factory in Pantnagar in the northern state of Uttarakhand, Mr. Telang said.

He added that the automaker - which controls U.K.-based Jaguar and Land Rover - is witnessing faster growth in car sales compared to trucks and plans to introduce an upgraded variant of its Indigo sedan by December.

Mr. Telang said, however, that sales of medium and heavy trucks returned to last year's levels in July.

"We are hopeful that by the end of this year, we will register some growth in this segment as well," Mr. Telang said.

He said weak monsoon rains are expected to hit the company's vehicle sales this year.

"If monsoons were good this year, I would have expected a good sales growth, but now we are cautiously optimistic as certain sectors like steel and cement have started picking up," he said.

India's monsoon rains were 29% below the 50-year average during the June 1 to Aug. 11 period, a meteorological department official said last week.

Mr. Telang said a dedicated facility for the Nano minicar at Sanand in western Gujarat state is on schedule and trial production is likely to start in January-February.

The company currently produces up to 125 Nano minicars - the world's cheapest car - per day at its Pantnagar factory.

"We will take 10 months from January to fully ramp up the (Sanand) factory," he said.

Tata Motors shifted operations to Sanand after abandoning a planned site last October at Singur, in the eastern state of West Bengal, following violent protests over the acquisition of disputed farmland.

Tata Motors plans to reach an annual manufacturing capacity of 250,000 Nano cars at the Sanand factory. The company's chairman Ratan Tata said Tuesday that capacity will eventually be increased to 350,000 cars.

Tata Chairman to Visit Korea for Truck Launch

2009-09-18T23:22:00.001-07:00

ata group chairman Ratan Tata plans to visit Korea for a Sept. 14 event showcasing Tata-Daewoo's new medium and heavy trucks.

A Tata-Daewoo spokesman said Sunday the chairman may possibly make a surprise announcement about the group's plan to enter the Korean passenger car market.

Currently, Tata Motors accounts for 30 percent of Korea's medium and heavy truck market, while import of Tata passenger cars is under review. India's largest automaker is among the world's top five manufactures of commercial vehicles.

Tata Motors to increase Ace truck production

2009-09-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors, currently producing 14,000-15,000 Ace trucks, has announced its decision to increase the production of its Ace light truck by 15-20 per cent by the end of the current financial year. It would also phase out 15 models in its commercial vehicle range to comply with new emission standards coming in force from April 1.

Ravi Pisharody, president for commercial vehicles at Tata Motors, said: “It has always been our commitment to continually refresh our product portfolio, with both new products and improvements on proven platforms, guided by our customers’ feedback.”

Mr. Pisharody said that the company has been doing well in the overseas markets of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It will soon introduce a new variant of the Ace in seven Indian states, given its popularity and utility. Tata Motors, inspired by overwhelming response to Ace, is also coming up with a ‘Super Ace’ version next month.

About new emission standards, Mr. Pisharody added: “Ideally, we want to upgrade all our BS-II vehicles to BS-III. In some cases, though, this may not be possible because of the engines in some BS-II vehicles. We will then have to phase them out, which would translate into 10 per cent of a range of 150 models or 10-15.”

Mack Trucks deliveries fall 40 percent in August

2009-09-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Deliveries at Mack Trucks Inc. plummeted 40 percent in August compared to last year, a trend the company attributed to weak economic conditions in North America.

Mack recorded 755 deliveries last month, down from 1,266 in August 2008, parent company AB Volvo announced today.

The truck manufacturer reported declines in all of its markets. Its largest segment, North America, reported a 26 percent drop in deliveries.

The company has said the economic downturn, particularly in housing construction and retail sales, has affected its core markets. Year-to-date sales are down 38 percent.

Mack is in the process of a company-wide restructuring, including moving all manufacturing to its Macungie plant, which employs about 525.

Selling used BMW's and Chevrolet of all ages and models

2009-07-09T04:11:00.000-07:00

BMW are one of the leading car makers in the world making record sales each year. These are on offer at reasonable prices and there is a wide variety of colours and ages that means you are spoilt for choice when trying to find your perfect used BMW. Because of the way a BMW will hold its value, most used BMW's are re-sold but, like anything, they do have a life span and at the end of that they're on the scrapheap. There are many websites on the internet that are selling used BMW's of all ages and models that allow the user to browse and select the price range that they want. They can also choose the amount of miles they want to travel to collect the car. This is because the database has cars from all over the UK and some people may just want to find a used BMW car in the local area whereas some other people are prepared to travel long distances across the country. Any used BMW SUV is a smart option when it comes to value, prestige, and satisfaction of ownership. The greatest benefit of buying a used SUV or luxury vehicle is having the opportunity to read consumer reviews, to review crash test reports, and to see the progression of a new model over the course of several years before choosing the one that fits your lifestyle as well as your price range. Most used BMW cars have had over 100,000 miles and are still going strong.

Get detailed information before buying a used Chevrolet Express Van on the web. Compare original sales pricing versus the estimated current sales value. View pictures, original warranty information, get trade values, issued recalls or safety and crash test reports. The used sedan has that air of elegance and simple optically sharp lines. In general, the performance and economy figures are very good, and the used Chevrolet express achieves that balanced output with some skill. The Coupe was designed in a style that is not too different from current Cavalier two doors, and carries taillights inspired by the design of the Corvette, though wisely avoiding the implementation of a comprehensive panel that is transparent as they did with the used Impala sedan to achieve a similar effect. In regard to Coupe, based on the style of sedan from the A-pillar forward, the Cobalt Coupe reveals a reverse C-pillar, which directs the eye to the optical rounded rear, features common with used Chevrolet vehicles.

The drive is more stable and comfortable and more tense and precise handling is an outstanding feature. A used Chevrolet suburban can be relied upon for its toughness and willingness to work. Something that also brought a bright future for Chevrolet is the Chevrolet Suburban keychain. This is a keychain range which consists of seven extremely well crafted designs. The used Chevrolet suburban stands out for pulling heavy trailers, carrying loads of people and luggage, and enduring hard use and rugged terrain. These vehicles are intended to withstand all the abuse that is thrown at them. In addition, for the first time using a system of steering utilizing rack and pinion, this is a big improvement package on features that let down much older used Chevrolet Suburban's.

Volvo Secures Truck Order in India

2009-07-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Volvo Trucks in India has secured an order for 125 trucks.

The company stated that this is its largest order since being established in the country.

Vijay Leasing Company in Hyderabad, India is the company purchasing 125 Volvo FM trucks. The trucks will be delivered in the summer of 2009 for use in coal and steel mines in southern India. Vijay Leasing Company already owns 108 Volvo trucks.

In Volvo Trucks' full ten-year presence in India, this is the largest order ever and a milestone, according to Par Ostberg, member of Volvo's Group Executive Management and President of Trucks Asia. There are a total of 5,500 Volvo trucks in India, which is the world's fourth largest truck market.

"In India, Volvo Trucks belongs to the premium segment and has secured a place as the leading manufacturer in terms of safety and environmental responsibility," said Par Ostberg. "We have a solid customer base, very strong customer relationships and the best aftermarket solutions."

He is cautiously optimistic about the Indian truck market and views the order as a sign that the vehicle market in India may be on the rise.

"We are observing positive signs of a recovery regarding light trucks and buses. In terms of heavy trucks, the market is still declining but at a slower rate," said Par Ostberg.

The sale is being conducted through VE Commercial Vehicles, which is a joint-venture launched in 2008 between Volvo and the Indian company, Eicher Motors. VE Commercial Vehicles comprises Eicher Motor's trucks and buses, and the Volvo Group's truck sales and service network for trucks and buses.
Source:[tradingmarkets.com]

Pickups substitute for Buffalo fire trucks

2009-06-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

They’re red, they have ladders and can carry up to four firefighters, but they sure don’t look anything like fire trucks.

That’s because they’re not.

They’re pickup trucks filling gaps in the Buffalo Fire Department’s aging fleet of vehicles when standard trucks are out of commission.

But can they get the job done? A top fire official said the substitute vehicles are better than nothing at all.

Deputy Fire Commissioner Patrick T. Lewis added that if a pickup arrives first on the scene, a fully outfitted aerial truck and a pumper truck will be close behind.

Dan Cunningham, president of the firefighters union, says precious time in rescues could be lost if a pickup arrives first. Unlike aerial trucks with ladders capable of stretching 75 to 100 feet into the air, pickups carry ladders with a capacity of about 35 feet.

He added that the pickups, which serve as temporary replacements for aerial trucks when they are in the shop for repairs, cannot carry all of the rescue equipment the bigger trucks routinely transport.

“My first concern is the safety of my members, and obviously we serve the public and we are very, very concerned that we won’t be able to do our job for the safety of city residents,” Cunningham said.

The practice of substituting pickups started a few months ago and is expected to conclude when a backup aerial truck is fixed and three new pickup trucks on order are received by the end of this year, according to Lewis.

In addition, three new pumper trucks are expected in October, the deputy commissioner said, explaining that the city ran into delays when a fire truck manufacturer experienced financial problems.

Should citizens be concerned when they see a pickup roll up to the scene of a fire?

“I’d rather have a pickup truck pulling up with four firefighters than be waiting for the next closest company to come in,” Lewis said, adding that firefighters assigned to truck companies often request the pickups when their regular apparatus is being repaired.

“Department members don’t want to sit and wait all day for the rigs when they are out of service,” Lewis said. “I think we’re providing better service to the citizens and taxpayers in a nonperfect world. It’s better than having four firefighters doing nothing and waiting for the repairs.”

The four available pickups are usually only in service for several hours, the deputy commissioner said in defense of the practice.

Cunningham, however, said firefighters at the station at Ellicott and South Division streets were assigned a pickup Thursday and most of Friday.

Cunningham, who heads Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, said he has received millions of dollars in federal grant money in recent years and should have sufficient equipment.

“Why don’t we have fire equipment? They just received $1.5 million for a new fire boat. Maybe they can’t spend the money on really needed fire equipment, but this just shows the priorities,” said Cunningham, whose union has been working without a new contract since July 1, 2004.

Indian Carmaker Plans Diesel-Hybrid Pickup for the U.S.

2009-06-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra plans to introduce a diesel-hybrid pickup truck for sale in the U.S. by 2010. The pickup, called the Appalachian, would become the first diesel-hybrid to hit the light-duty market in the United States. Currently, the only diesel hybrids in the U.S. come in the form of mass transit buses.

The two- and four-door pickup, roughly the size of a Toyota Tacoma, will be powered by a 2.2-liter four-cylinder clean-diesel engine designed by Bosch. Output should be 145 horsepower with 300 lb-ft of torque. It will be offered in two- or four-wheel drive, and have a payload capacity of about 2,600 pounds. The Senior VP of Product Development at Mahindra is Dr. Arun Jaura, former head of vehicle engineering for Ford's Escape Hybrid platform. Further details are unknown.

Mahindra says a diesel-only model of the Appalachian, which will come out in 2009, will yield fuel economy in the 30- to 35-mpg range. Mileage for the diesel-hybrid version is expected to exceed 40 miles per gallon.

According to Global Vehicles USA, the American importer for Mahindra, the cost of the Appalachian diesel pickup will be in the mid-$20,000s. The hybrid version is expected to carry a premium of an additional $5,000. The vehicle will be partially built in India, with the final assembly to be done in Ohio. The vehicle will be sold through a network of approximately 300 Mahindra dealers in the United States.

Trucks Of Diffrent Types

2009-06-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

As you look at the highway, you will be able to see a variety of vehicles. Some are small others are big. In every automobile that you see running on the road, the big ones like the trucks are very important. Despite the fact that some of their variety is expensive, people still buy them because they help a lot in doing business especially in manufacturing)

Trucks come in all sizes as well. However, they are usually bigger than the mainstream cars. Most of the trucks are used for transporting goods from one location to another. These vehicles are termed as medium duty truck. Popular ones that we see are used for logging; others for moving furniture, some are even used for collecting trash. Other vehicles are commonly used for construction, such as cement mixers and they are used to transport materials for buildings.

However, these vehicles come with a special purpose. If we want to use them for as our daily mode of transportation, you can go for SUVs truck or pick-ups. You can use these great vehicles for city driving. They are modifiable too. Most people add truck lift kits on them to make them bigger or to have a better suspension.

Service Utility truck may look like minivan and they may not have the looks of a pick-up, but they are perfect for your passengers as they can really be comfortable for traveling. They are spacious and sometimes they are even high-tech. Most of them are four-wheel drive and despite the disadvantages that they are pointing out to this type of feature, it is commonly equipped with safety features. Nowadays, emergency features and ABS (Anti-lock braking system) have been adapted. Some are just what they call part-time meaning they do not have to be engaged at all times in a four-wheel drive. However, most of them are comfortable if you plan to have long hours of driving.

Pick-ups are also light versions of this vehicle. The rear end is open, so either it can be used as an added space to accommodate more passengers or it can be used as your cargo area. As your passengers take a ride at the back of this vehicle, they will have the same feeling that they get when riding on a top down, convertible.

Some use this for off-road adventure. However to use them in this kind of leisure, certain modifications are needed. The most important accessory that should be added is truck lift kits for suspension. These are composed of springs and shocks to improve clearance of the vehicle as they go past the uneven surfaces of the road. If you plan to have this kind of adventure, then you should consider taking this modification.

These lighter versions can be used for transportation too. If you are running a small business, they can also be used to carry goods but not as much as cargo forwarders can carry. Nevertheless, they can really be a great help to your business and they can be perfect for your passengers too.

Purchase Ford Truck Parts Online

2009-06-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Ford trucks are very reliable beasts. But if you own a Ford truck for long enough you will at some stage require Ford truck parts. You might be restoring an old model Ford truck might be Ford F-150, Ford F-350 etc, building one from several decommissioned models or just need to fix your current truck.

More and more people today are turning to the internet to buy new and used trucks and their parts, and Ford truck parts are no exception. It is a very safe and convenient way to have truck parts delivered straight to your door. But as with anything, there are a few simple tips you need to follow in order to have a positive experience shopping online.

Probably the most important thing is to ensure that you only buy genuine Ford parts. While you may be able to buy generic parts at a cheaper price you will have no assurance that they will work, last for long enough or not do any damage to your truck. By buying parts that are manufactured by Ford you will have the confidence in them to work as they are designed. You will also be able to keep your warranty over the truck.

Make sure you look for different prices to find the best part at the right price. Online dealers can vary in how much they mark up. While they have smaller overheads than brick and mortar retailers you will still need to check whether you can get the part cheaper at your local dealer.

Shipping costs are also important to look out for. Some Ford truck parts can be heavy or large, and this can add extra costs to the shipping. Only when you add the cost for shipping to the cost of the part that you can determine whether you are really getting a discount to your local brick and mortar store.

Freightliner Trucks produces 35,000th Columbia heavy-duty truck

2009-06-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Freightliner Trucks has built and delivered its 35,000th Columbia heavy-duty truck. Introduced in 1999, the Freightliner Columbia is a versatile, 120-inch BBC, set-back-axle, Class 8 truck and tractor. Known for its durability and reliability as well as its styling and comfort features, the Columbia has become the staple of many North American truck fleets.

"The Freightliner Columbia has achieved great popularity since its introduction three years ago," said Mark Lampert, senior vice- president, Sales & Marketing, Freightliner Trucks. "Customers appreciate the Columbia's efficiency and dependability and they love its great looks."

According to Lampert, the Columbia was engineered to maximize uptime and productivity, while incorporating distinctive styling and comfort features.

"We designed this truck to be bulletproof as well as beautiful with a wide range of custom options. The market acceptance of the Columbia shows we have hit the mark."

Lampert said Freightliner Trucks would continue to enhance the Columbia product line with new features. "We expect the Columbia to continue to grow in popularity as more fleet operators and owner/operators discover its value, style and performance."

The Freightliner Columbia is offered with a wide range of engines, transmission and other components and a broad selection of interior and exterior options. It is available as a Day Cab or in several SleeperCab configurations including the top-of-the-line 70-Inch.

Source:[allbusiness.com]

Freightliner Trucks unveils bold new look for Century Class S/T heavy-duty truck

2009-06-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Freightliner Trucks introduces exciting new look for the Century Class S/T heavy-duty truck. The design changes include a newly-styled hood, grille and bumper, which give the truck a bold, new appearance. Along with the styling changes, the newly enhanced Century Class S/T incorporates additional performance benefits like increased cooling capacity and better headlamp light distribution. The changes are designed to further the Century Class S/T's reputation as a leader in North American Class 8 truck technology.

The Century Class S/T (Safety/Technology) truck is the most advanced heavy-duty vehicle in the Freightliner Trucks product line. Available in a 120-inch BBC long conventional configuration, the truck is loaded with advanced systems that increase driver comfort, enhance safety and maximize productivity.

"Freightliner Trucks is very proud to unveil the new-look Century Class S/T along with the additional performance features," said Mark Lampert, senior vice-president, Sales and Marketing for Freightliner Trucks. "The enhancements made to the new Century Class S/T emphasize style and performance and serve to further extend the vehicle's reputation as a technology and productivity leader in the heavy-duty trucking industry."

According to Lampert, the Century Class S/T's new chrome grille provides a flash, new front to the Century Class S/T, enhancing the appearance of the truck. The bolder frontal view was achieved without altering the exceptional aerodynamics or visibility of the original Century Class S/T.

Additionally, the new grille allows for more cooling capacity to accommodate the new, hotter-running 2004 engines. The new grille and lower panel increase the frontal opening to 55% of the total surface area. By opening up the grille, airflow has been improved allowing for excellent cooling performance.

The Century S/T's three-piece bumper has been redesigned and restyled as well. The outside pieces are still manufactured with damage-tolerant plastic, but the center section now comes with an optional chrome package. This, along with the chrome grille, sets off the front of the truck very nicely. Optional inset road lamps and amber accent lights are also available.

Freightliner has improved the headlamp design by replacing the 7-inch round, sealed beams with a new composite headlamp, providing better light distribution on the road and increasing nighttime visibility. The readily-available, industry-standard bulbs are protected by a strong, poly-carbonate lens.

Source:[allbusiness.com]

The economics of emissions for heavy-duty trucks

2009-06-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Emissions from diesel engines are a significant air-quality issue, accounting for about one-third of the nation's emissions and one-quarter of the PM emissions from mobile sources. The U.S. EPA has responded with new, tougher emissions standards, the first tier of which took effect in 2004 (October of 2002 for engine builders affected by the consent decree). Even more stringent rules will take effect in 2007 and 2010, along with new diesel fuel standards requiring lower sulfur levels.

With these changes, a review of technology options available to OEMs, fleet owners and operators is in order.

First, let's take a brief look at the standards themselves. The EPA's standards introduce a lower limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr that must be fully phased in by 2010. Between 2007 and 2009 at least 50% of this emissions limit must be achieved. Manufacturers can satisfy this requirement by bubbling the emissions and certifying that the limit for all their 2007-2009 model engines is approximately 1.1 g/bhp-hr. In other words, the phase-in will be on a percent-of-sales basis, i.e., a 50% reduction from 2007 to 2009 and 100% by 2010.

The EPA has also introduced a new emission standard of 0.01 g/bhp-hr for PM (down from the current 0.1 g/bhp-hr) that must be met by 2007. These standards thus include flexibility provisions to facilitate the transition to the new standards, and encourage early introduction of clean technologies for both new and existing sources.

Major manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel and International Truck and Engine have adopted diesel particulate filters as the preferred strategy/technology for PM reduction, but there is no consensus on control technologies. The two most practical and cost-effective approaches to lower emissions from diesel trucks are in-cylinder techniques such as a high rate of EGR and exhaust system technologies such as urea-SCR, which is being adopted in the European Union started in 2005.

These new standards will also indirectly affect existing diesel trucks and fleet operators in several non-attainment regions of the nation. There are approximately 11.3 million diesel trucks operating in the United States, and an estimated four million trucks operate in various non-attainment areas. Such fleet owners will be subject to a voluntary retrofit program accompanied by financial incentives to encourage compliance.

Source:[allbusiness.com]

Chevy Silverado Truck Includes 300 Volt Nickel-Metal Hydride Hybrid Battery

2009-05-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Chevy Silverado Hybrid Pickup Truck is the second full-size fuel-efficient pickup from General Motors Corp. While previous Chevy trucks offered a mild hybrid solution, the Silverado features GM's sophisticated electric system. It offers a broader range of technical advances with a 2-Mode system.

The Hybrid pickup achieves 40 percent greater city fuel economy. GM also improved its overall fuel economy by 25 percent. The Silverado Hybrid has been named the most fuel-efficient truck on the market by GM.

The 2-Mode Hybrid system works with a powerful 6.0L V-8 gasoline engine. The system provides all-electric driving at low speeds. The Chevy pickup has a towing capacity of 6,100 pounds, even when the truck is in its low-speed mode.

The Silverado hybrid system is derived from GM's advanced Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT) and 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS), which share the standard 6.0L V-8 Gen IV gasoline engine. The engine features the Active Fuel Management (AFM) and late intake valve closing (LIVC) technology. The electric battery system will run the Chevy pickup solely on electricity at speeds up to 30 mph.

The electric power used to propel the Hybrid truck is generated by the electric system itself. When the brakes are applied, the electric motors create electricity from its 300-volt battery. This stored energy is used to move the vehicle until the braking cycle is renewed.

One other nice feature is that the 2-Mode Hybrid system is completely seamless. The Silverado its electric motor is less than half the size of those in single-mode systems. GM developed this technology and is still used in fleets of hybrid transit buses in more than 70 North American and European cities.

The Silverado pickup has a 26-gallon fuel tank and offers a driving range of more than 500 miles. The battery pack is located in the chassis beneath the rear seat.

Hybrid Chevy truck cuts construction costs

2009-05-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Once in a while you run across a strutting blowhard who drives a pickup truck for the same reason he wears green janitor pants. He wants to look like a serious worker who gets things done. Never mind that he hasn't held a job for years. And never mind that the cluttered, faded look of his property shows unmistakably that he doesn't get much done at all. Never mind reality. The guy craves the image.

Image is an important factor for many motorists. It explains why some silver-haired gents with fat wallets drive youthfully sinewed Porsches. It explains why some donors to the Sierra Club will only buy a Toyota Prius, a hybrid car designed to use gas sparingly.

But the green sensitivity that motivates so many hybrid-car sales hardly seems to mesh with the workman image imparted by pickup trucks. So I wondered, why is Chevrolet now bringing out a hybrid version of its full-sized Silverado pickup.

The answer came from Brian Hesse, general manager at Commonwealth Motors in Lawrence. He pointed out that the 2009 Silverado Hybrid pays legitimate dividends to real working men. A lot of them work with trucks that stay largely in limited confines — at a construction site, for example, or around town with a landscaping crew and some gear. Hybrid vehicles, Silverado's version included, get good gas mileage on city streets, where conventionally powered models burn a lot of fuel.

"I don't think they're marketing this to people in Vermont. It's a contractor's vehicle," said Hesse. "Construction companies are doing a lot of work in the cities. They're seeing 20-plus miles per gallon in the city" with Silverado Hybrid. "That's great for them."

Officially, the rear-wheel-drive version of the hybrid Chevy truck is rated at 21 miles per gallon in city driving, and 22 mpg on the highway. The four-wheel-drive Silverado Hybrid drops slightly, to 20 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Both versions come as four-door, crew-cab models that accommodate six people. They include some fuel-saving features as standard equipment, such as low rolling-resistance tires, a front air damn shaped to cut wind resistance, and a soft, removable bed cover over the back to reduce turbulence.

The base sticker price is $39,015 for two-wheel drive, and $41,870 for four-wheel drive. But Hesse noted that current discounts from Chevrolet knock down prices to about $35,000 for some Silverado Hybrids. As of last week, Commonwealth Motors had one available. But overall the hybrid is a limited-production model. You won't find a lot of them around.

Test-driving a four-wheel-drive Silverado Hybrid, I averaged 20 mpg without even trying, covering 525 miles in seven days, with about three-quarters of that on the highway. I never felt that the big truck lacked pick-up or power. Its combination of a 6.0-liter V8 gasoline engine and an electric motor produces 332 horsepower.

Like other hybrids, the Silverado automatically shut down its gasoline engine whenever I stopped — mostly while waiting at intersections. Hybrids obtain such favorable around-town fuel economy primarily because their engines don't waste gas by idling when the vehicle stands still. What's more, Chevrolet says its Silverado Hybrid can move as fast as 30 mph on electric power alone, before the gas engine kicks in to share the load. When I drove it, I heard the gas engine start around 12 to 15 mph whenever I launched the vehicle moderately at intersections. The transition was easy to discern, because truck's electric motor and its four-speed automatic transmission were very audible until the engine started.

But except for the electric motor's whir at low speeds, nothing in the Silverado's operation gave away that I was driving a hybrid pickup. Not only did the hauler seem capable of performing legitimate pickup-truck chores, it also conveyed the appropriate, get-it-done image.

In addition to the Chevy Silverado, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade — big, truck-based SUVs made by General Motors — employ the same hybrid system. If combined sales rise high enough to make the hybrid-drive setup more economical to manufacture, prices might fall. A lower purchase price could make Silverado Hybrid more attractive to more ordinary consumers, suggested Kevin Bihl, general manager of sales and marketing for Bill DeLuca Chevrolet Cadillac in Haverhill.

A run-up in gas prices also might goose interest in the hybrid truck, he noted.

"The phone calls on hybrids at this time last year were frequent," said Bihl. But that was when gas prices had begun their journey toward $4 per gallon. "The phone calls now are minimal," with gas at a comfortable, $2 per gallon, he said.

In fact, moderate gas prices, along with cut-rate deals from manufacturers, are bringing more recreational truck users back to dealerships to buy conventionally powered models, reported both DeLuca and Commonwealth.

"Last summer, only the businesses were buying trucks," said Hesse of Commonwealth, which sells Honda, Kia and Volkswagen vehicles in addition to Chevrolet. "Now I'm seeing a lot of people who like to have a truck around for personal use."

That especially includes families that play hard, added Kevin Bihl of DeLuca. With seating for five or six and a big, open cargo box, crew-cab pickups are favored for towing snowmobiles, Jet Skis and dirt bikes for family getaways, he illustrated.

Sure, the pickup-truck fashion has passed. A couple of years back, "there were more people buying pickups just because they thought they were good looking," Bihl conceded. But dealers agree that the core pickup buyers — those returning to showrooms today — remain loyal because the trucks genuinely serve them.

That may include a few fuming blowhards. But most of all, tradesmen, laborers, active homeowners and outdoor recreationalists — people with happy and healthy outlooks — will keep coming back to places like Bill DeLuca and Commonwealth to buy the big haulers, both Bihl and Hesse believe.

And if the price of gas surges, the Silverado Hybrid could become an attractive alternative for more than just contractors who idle around work sites.

Hyundai mulls shift from India on labour woes

2009-05-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

South Korean car giant Hyundai said Friday it may shift production of its premium i20 hatchback to Europe from India due to labour trouble, hindering an Indian plan to become a global auto-export hub.

It would mark the first time a foreign company has taken such a step because of labour problems since India started opening up to overseas investors nearly two decades ago.

The production move from Hyundai's manufacturing complex in the southern Tamil Nadu town of Sriperumbudur to facilities in Europe would also cast a shadow over India's ambitions of becoming a major auto exporting centre.

"This (shift) is an option we're considering," Hyundai Motor India corporate communications head Rajiv Mitra told AFP.

He said there was still a "cost advantage" to making the i20 in India "but that is going away with the labour situation not being very friendly."

His comments came as employees resumed work Friday at Hyundai's Sriperumbudur site following an 18-day strike over workers' demands for union recognition and pay hikes.

"We've a lead time of two months (for exports) so if they get delayed it's a problem and 90 percent of the i20 exports are to Europe so there's a lot of sense to do it (manufacture) there," Mitra said, adding that a final decision should come in this financial quarter.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, a unit of Hyundai Motor, is India's second largest carmaker and largest passenger car exporter.

The strike was the latest in a series of recurring labour problems at Hyundai's complex near Chennai, which employs around 10,000 workers.

A shift would involve moving production of 70,000 to 80,000 units of the i20, said Mitra. The company hopes this year to roll out 120,000 of the five-door car, which was launched late last year and is only made in India.

The communications head said infrastructure problems -- India is known for its dilapidated ports and roads -- and currency fluctuations were also "eating into margins."

"It's not a very bad option to manufacture in Europe," he added.

However, shifting i20 production would not affect output of the Santro, Accent, Getz and other models Hyundai makes at the plant, which has total annual production capacity of 600,000 units, he said.

Global carmakers have been setting up in India, seeking to exploit its low wages and tax changes aimed at spurring foreign car sales.

Auto heavyweights such as Hyundai, Ford and General Motors of the United States and Germany's Volkswagen also have been looking towards the domestic markets of India and other emerging nations to offset sluggish Western sales.

India has been seeking to draw foreign investment but labour disputes and deadly clashes over plans for Special Economic Zones and other projects have put question marks over its industrialisation push.

Plans by South Korea's Posco to build a 12-billion-dollar plant in the poverty-stricken eastern coastal state of Orissa have met huge opposition from farmers objecting to loss of their land.

Last October, India's top vehicle maker Tata Motors scrapped plans to build the Nano, the world's cheapest car, in West Bengal state after violent protests by farmers who alleged their land was forcibly seized for the plant.

Ford India to launch its own 'small car' in 2010

2009-05-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ford India Pvt. Ltd. is planning to launch a small car on the India market by the first quarter of next year, the Business Standard reported on its Web site, citing Nigel E. Wark, executive director of marketing, sales and service at the company.

Wark said the company was looking at the broad Maruti 800 and Chevrolet Spark segment of the market, "but there are sub-segments in the category, and this is where we will differentiate ourselves. We will be basically competing in the largest volume segment," the Web site reported.

Full story: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ford-india-to-launch-small-car-inyear/357111/

Ford Truck Plant to Build Electric Cars

2009-05-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Amidst one of the auto industry’s largest wholesale shifts in modern history, the Ford Motor Company is investing $550 million to turn a factory that was dedicated to making large and fuel-hungry sport utility vehicles into a modern and scalable small-car plant that will eventually produce an all-electric version of the Focus.

The Michigan Assembly Plant, known as one of the world’s most profitable manufacturing sites during the S.U.V. boom of the 1990s, was once the hub for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The plant is expected to begin building the new Ford Focus next year, followed by production of the all-electric Focus in 2011.

The electric Focus will be Ford’s first all-electric passenger car for the mass market. In addition to the electric Focus, the company plans to sell an electric version of its Transit Connect commercial vehicle in 2010.

Ford has previously promised that they will deliver four new electric vehicles to the American market by 2012.

“The transformation of the Michigan Assembly Plant embodies the larger transformation under way at Ford,” said Ford’s president and chief executive, Alan Mulally, in a statement. “This is about investing in modern, efficient and flexible American manufacturing. It is about fuel economy and the electrification of vehicles.”

The electric Focus is part of a larger strategy announced by Ford in January to develop electric vehicles for North America quickly using its global reach and capability to keep the cars affordable.

In addition to the Michigan Assembly Plant, Ford is retooling two other factories to build new cars in the face of global market changes. The company’s Cuautitlán Assembly plant in Mexico is slated to begin building the new Fiesta subcompact early next year, and its Louisville Assembly plant in Kentucky is also expected to begin producing small vehicles based on the Focus platform beginning in 2011.

“We’re changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product lineup that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas. “As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we’ll be there with more of the products they really want.”

Making trucks safe

2009-05-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Leader published an article about the Delta Police’s annual commercial truck inspection blitz. The failure rate of 41 per cent of the 535 vehicles inspected (including 24 of 52 dump trucks) is unacceptable to us and is rightfully a concern.

However, the statement in the article that “...problem trucks continue to be short-haul vehicles that serve the three local shipping ports” is not accurate.

As part of the Deltaport Third Berth Project, Port Metro Vancouver has made every effort to eliminate dump truck trips from local roads by using water transportation for construction materials.

This has eliminated approximately 600,000 dump truck trips through Delta.

There have been a few instances where materials could not be barged inland and dump trucks had to remove excess preload to sites in Delta, but this did not occur during the time these inspections took place.

Port Metro Vancouver is also working to both regulate and monitor the safety standards of container trucks calling on our facilities.

Our truck licensing system regulates the age of these vehicles and includes an agreement with trucking companies and owner/operators to share information with us regarding their driving and safety records.

We believe that commercial vehicles using our roads must meet acceptable safety standards and we support the efforts of the Ministry of Transportation and police agencies to bring this about.

[Source:Bclocalnews.com]

2009 Mazda B4000

2009-05-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Big little truck

One of the benefits of Mazda’s relationship with Ford is that it has given the Japanese manufacturer a light duty truck that’s “built Ford tough” right here in North America.

From 1972-93 the B-Series Mazda pickup was assembled in Hiroshima, but in 1994 it became a rebadged Ranger assembled at Ford’s plant in St. Paul, Minn.

The present generation has been around since 1998, which is both a benefit and a detriment. The benefit is that engineering and tooling for Ranger/B-Series was paid off years ago, so the trucks are relatively inexpensive compared to the competition. The detriment is that unlike its competitors, Ranger/B-Series hasn’t been updated in a decade.

But in a way, that’s been beneficial too.

Once, all kinds of compact pickups from both North America and Japan dotted our roadways, farms and work sites. But gradually they all grew larger – whether bearing a GM, Nissan or Toyota nameplate – and now the Ford/Mazda twins survive as the only true compact pickups in Canada or the U.S.

And even though Ranger/B-Series continues to outsell the opposition in Canada, the future of these small trucks is unclear. Speculation is that the present model will carry on until 2011. But reports of a replacement keep surfacing, with rumours it will be built in Mexico, Australia, Brazil or South Africa.

“The B-Series is still in our product plans,” says Mazda Canada spokesman Gregory Young, “but that’s driven by Ford’s plans for Ranger.”

Last year, the V6-powered B3000 was discontinued, leaving the four-cylinder B2300 and the V6 B4000 in Mazda’s line-up.

Base model is the regular cab, 2WD B2300, with a 2.3-litre inline four that makes 143 hp and 154 lb.-ft. of torque. With a five-speed stick, its MSRP is $15,695.

Our test truck was a 4WD B4000 with a 4.0-litre V6 capable of pumping out 207 hp and 238 lb.-ft. of torque. The extended cab model wasn’t quite top-of-the line, because it lacked the $2,015 SE+ package that adds power windows/locks/mirrors and cruise control.

So even though it came with air conditioning, a five-speed automatic with overdrive and anti-lock brakes, our tester was still your basic everyday truck.

I have no problem locking/unlocking the doors with a key and winding down the windows by hand. But I really did miss cruise control on my long drive to and from the city.

Although I like the B4000’s split front bench, my wife found the seat hard, with a ride to match.

Our Cab Plus model had twin clamshell doors that provide access to the rear compartment, but only when the main doors have been opened, and the fold-down jump seats are for occasional use only. If you’ve got to squeeze in an extra passenger, it might be better to flip up the centre armrest/storage bin, unfasten the twin cupholders at the front of the seat cushion and create seating for three abreast. But the one riding in the middle had better be slender, because it’s a tight fit.

At least the shift lever won’t be in the way, because it’s mounted on the steering column with a button on the end to disengage the electric overdrive in situations where oomph, not fuel economy, is paramount.

And the B4000 is a true 4x4 with a dial that allows the driver to select 2WD, 4WD high or 4WD low. And with its 230 lb.-ft. of torque peaking at just 3,000 rpm, the V6 has enough grunt to handle deep mud or snow.

The box length of 1,824 mm is now shorter than the competition and its 1,026 mm width is easily bested by GMC Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. But even in 4x4 form, the box sides are low enough for average-size people to be able to put things in, and get them out. Try that in a full-size pickup. B4000 can trailer up to 2,450 kg – still a respectable weight for its size.

I like the fact the B4000 is much as it used to be, but I’m probably in the minority.

Mazda’s Young says buyers aren’t abandoning Ranger/B4000 for other brands – the twins easily lead the segment through the first three months of 2009 with a combined 4,700 sold. However, the small truck market is down 33% in Canada as buyers opt for compact SUVs and crossovers instead of pickups.

But for small contractors, weekend farmers who only need to move a few hay bales, or someone looking for an inexpensive 4x4, the B-Series still fills the bill.

Lower those lifted trucks

2009-05-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

If your decapitator truck is all show and no-go off road, lower it back to legal levels. There should be a federal mandate of bumper height requirements for all trucks and SUVs. The safety hazard is absolutely unacceptable. They are dangerous, unnecessary and there needs to be a change.

Here is what I propose: Full-size pick-up trucks that are lifted must have limited-use only licenses. In other words, only to be driven to shows or recreational areas for off-road use only. Otherwise it is a ticketable offense with a verified correction and points on the license. Lifts can only be installed on trucks licensed as such. Small, light trucks may be lifted to a federally mandated level and have standard registrations. These small trucks include the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, etc. Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right.

What about trucks used for work? Don't they need to sit up high? No, the height of trucks sold by the manufacturers is plenty sufficient. I challenge you to find any corporate fleet owned trucks on construction or off-road sites across the country that have been lifted higher than stock out of the job requirement. Even then that can be a special application with associated insurance ramifications.

Besides the fact they are wasting even more gas sitting up in the air so high, the bumpers and mass sit so high that they are major safety hazards to every other passenger vehicle on the road. Whether front, rear or the sides, the fatality rates skyrocket. The roll-over risk increases significantly as well.

I don't trust the safe driving factor of lifted trucks, or the driving public in general like many of us, so that was one reason I purposely waited on the model car I ordered to have side-impact air bags. vs. one that was available sooner without. A small step, but I felt a smart one.

What sets the trucks apart that are actually used off road for 4-wheeling vs. these street-queen compensators? They tend to be lighter, more compact models that are suitable for climbing over obstacles and fitting between tight spaces. The attached photo is a perfect example and it even has rear mudflaps. My nephews Mike and Jesse often go off road in their trucks, that is one of them. Is this one too high? To be honest I don't know, but you get the idea.

You don't like what I'm saying because you're a safe driver and you sit 5 feet above the rest of us and have no problem with that. Tell you what, when you have to take emergency maneuvers in your 5,000lb behemoth, I sure don't want to be near you where you might roll onto me, nor get rear ended because your braking distance increased 20ft-30ft or more from 70mph.

Suppose someone pulls out in front of your or runs a red light? Although they made a stupid decision, they don't deserve to die for it.

What about those huge, massively heavy semi tractor-trailers? Let me share a story with you. I witnessed a large dump-truck go through an intersection on a yellow light. Unfortunately a 70's era Oldsmobile Cutlass decided to turn in front of it. The dump truck broadsided it so hard it completely stopped the direction of travel of the Cutlass and proceeded to push it down the street, blowing out tires and breaking axles. When it finally stopped, the entire side of the car between the wheels was crushed inward. But five teenagers climbed out of that car with no or few minor injuries. If that dump truck was a lifted full-size pickup or SUV, there would have been multiple fatalities because it would have cleared the frame and door structures and entered into the passenger compartment easily. The dump-truck hit the body mass of the Cutlass, rather than the weaker support structures of the roof.

Quite frankly, you are a hazard and I urge police to keep their measuring sticks handy and the federal government to mandate a standard for all states. This won't ruin your fun, but it will stop your posing which puts you, and the rest of us, at risk.

M&M unfazed by US downturn, to launch pick-up trucks by end-2009

2009-05-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

Even though the US auto market is down in the dumps, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), India's largest utility vehiclemaker, is going fast on its launch plans for its new generation diesel-powered and cleaner-burner SUVs and pick-up trucks in the United States.

It may be recalled that M&M has earmarked nearly Rs. 300 crore for its brand promotion in the US market and the Mumbai-based company will be launching its range of two-door and four-door diesel-powered SUVs and Scorpio-based pick-up trucks in the US early by late 2009, and may bring in its hybrid versions later too. The pickup trucks that are earmarked for the American market will be competitively priced and would be equipped with a world-class diesel technology, which would be not only green but also deliver higher mileage. M&M’s sole distributor, Georgia-based Global Vehicles, is aiming to notch up 25,000 units of pick-up vehicles in the first year of its launch.

According to a senior representative of M&M, currently under development, Mahindra's vehicles will offer a blend of ruggedness, performance and affordability – highlighted by a clean-burning diesel engine built with top-of-the-industry green technology designed to reduce emissions and maximize fuel efficiency. He added the vehicles that would be exported to the US will be of superior quality, performance and reliability, along with outstanding fuel efficiency at an affordable price.

According to media reports M&M has already appointed as many as 350 dealers, who are setting up the front-end infrastructure for the company's foray. Apart from the sales and service network, the company plans to have central and other smaller regional warehouses for parts, as reported by TOI. Global Vehicles, which has put US$65 million into the venture so far, plans to add another US$30 million in marketing costs, reports The Live Mint. The downturn in the US is helping M&M because there are several dealerships available on the cheap.

M&M, which has already notched up record volumes of its tractors in the US, will be the first Indian company to sell its vehicles in that country. It is widely believed that the Indian automaker is banking heavily on the American market, as people are increasingly switching over from bigger to compact, fuel efficient and cheaper vehicles.

Cash-for-Clunkers Would Rev Trucks

2009-05-12T01:17:00.000-07:00

The big winners under the latest "cash for clunkers" proposals floating around Capitol Hill could be people who want to buy pickup trucks.

It remains unclear exactly how a cash-for-clunkers program would work, or even if it will clear Congress this year. But last week, Democratic lawmakers and President Barack Obama appeared to agree on a new framework for offering government subsidies to consumers who decide to trade old vehicles for new ones.

These new proposals have clarified the real purpose of the effort. What started out as a scheme to entice owners of gas-swilling sport-utility vehicles to switch to high-mileage hybrids or small cars is morphing into a more industry-friendly effort to subsidize the clearance of some 400,000 large pickup trucks now sitting on dealer lots.

"It's more of a volume driver than a portfolio changer," says Michael Robinet of CSM Worldwide, an automotive consulting firm.

Here's how the latest cash-for-clunkers proposal floated last week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would help auto makers sell leftover pickups.

Say you owned a 2001 Dodge Ram four-wheel-drive pickup with a 5.9-liter engine. That truck has an EPA combined fuel economy of just 13 miles per gallon. Under the House proposal, you could scrap that vehicle and get up to $4,500 toward a truck weighing more than 6,000 pounds that got at least 15 miles per gallon. One that might qualify -- depending on how weight is defined and measured -- is a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 four-wheel-drive pickup with a 5.7-liter V-8 and a combined 15 mpg.

That maximum $4,500 voucher is available to anyone who turns in an old truck and buys a new one with at least two miles per gallon better EPA combined mileage ratings. A one-mile-per-gallon gain would make the buyer eligible for a $3,500 scrap allowance.

Consumers would still need to be informed and know what their old vehicle is worth. Handing over a vehicle to be scrapped for less than its trade-in or potential private-sale value probably doesn't make sense.

No Mileage Limits

There's another way in which the House plan would help sell trucks. Someone who owns a big work truck -- a van or pickup in the 8,500-to-10,000-pound weight class -- built before the 2002 model year could get a $3,500 voucher for trading in that vehicle for a truck in the same or lower weight class. No mileage limits would apply, as trucks that big don't have official EPA mileage ratings. In other words, a contractor who drives a Ford F250 could ditch the old one and get a new one, with the help of the Treasury.

The House and Senate plans would also offer government-subsidized trade-in vouchers for people who own passenger cars. But the conditions would be more rigorous than those involving trucks and require consumers to make a bigger change in their motoring lifestyle.

To qualify for a scrappage voucher, the old car would have to get less than 18 miles per gallon. There aren't that many "clunker" passenger cars on the road that are that thirsty on gas. You could drag in a 1987 Lincoln Town Car, if you happen to own one. (There's one from that vintage for sale at a small used-car lot near my house.) But since passenger cars have had to measure up to a 27.5 miles-per-gallon fleet average for more than two decades, the few gas-guzzling sedans and coupes left are either pricey exotics or classic Detroit iron, neither of which are likely to be worth less than the $4,500 the government is offering.

But if you did trade in a mid-1980s Town Car, you could get a Lexus GS 350, rated at a combined 22 miles per gallon, and get $3,500 from the government. If you downsized more drastically and picked a car with at least 10 miles per gallon better fuel economy than your old ride, you could get $4,500. In the case of the Town Car owner, that would mean buying something like a Toyota Corolla or a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid.

The easier way to get a government subsidy for buying a new sedan or coupe would be to trade in a 2002 Ford Explorer V-8 with four-wheel drive. Those had a combined EPA mileage rating of just 14 miles per gallon, according to www.fueleconomy.gov.

To get the full $4,500 scrap allowance, you'd need to buy a car with at least 24 miles per gallon combined fuel economy -- a Honda Accord or a smaller car.

Clearing Out Leftovers

There's lots of political momentum to offer some kind of government incentive to clear our leftover 2009 models (and 2008s and 2007s). But there are plenty of hurdles left to clear before anyone pockets a check from the Treasury for scrapping an old vehicle. Dealers are still concerned that the proposals now under discussion are still too complicated to explain in a high-impact 30-second TV commercial.

Environmentalists aren't happy with the way that the debate is tilting toward selling more trucks. "Clunkers for clunkers" is how Dan Becker of the Safe Climate Campaign describes the latest plans.

Budget hawks in Congress will want to know how much this latest subsidy for the auto industry is really going to cost. As proposed, the plan is supposed to subsidize the sale of one million vehicles at a cost of about $3 billion. In Germany, a cash-for-clunkers program has been expanded to cover as many as two million vehicles from 600,000 originally, largely because it has worked so well auto makers are fearful of what would happen to sales once the government stimulant is withdrawn.

The wrangling in Congress over cash for clunkers could go on until at least the end of the month, as Democrats argue over whether to attach the measure to a proposed climate-change bill or some other measure that's more likely to pass within the next few weeks.

Pressure from car makers, consumers and dealers to roll out some sort of subsidy will likely get stronger, as the industry skids toward the dog days of summer with no rebound in sales in sight.

Monster Truck Driver Manages Flip

2009-05-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

All's quiet at the Connecticut Valley Fairgounds in Bradford. There are no crowds and just tire tracks to mark what happened here this weekend. At a monster truck show Saturday, Larry Quick quickly created a few seconds of high drama in his behemoth Ghost Ryder.

Larry Quick chuckles, "the ultimate rush. Probably the biggest rush in monster trucks for me!"

The Illinois man performed a back flip, making a blur out of 10,000 pounds of metal and rubber in video of the stunt captured by spectators.

The promoter of the "Vermonster 4x4", Randy Oakley, says, "To our knowledge, the first man to do a backflip, land it, and drive away."

But the driver adds, "The landing was extremely hard. Probably the hardest landing of my career."

Quick walked us through his entry into the "don't try this at home file," explaining Ghost Ryder is designed for wheelie tricks. In slow-motion, you can see when Quick hit a specially-designed ramp, it kicked his front wheels in the air. Then the strength of the back wheels forced the vehicle over itself.

Quick remembers, "So keeping the truck low, which was dangerous, is the key to the stunt."

Randy Oakley adds, "He just set the bar so high. People will try to duplicate it. All I can say is, 'good luck to them!'"

The promoter says duplicating it would not just be difficult but dumb. This is a risky trick that took a year of planning and plenty of safety checks.

But for Larry Quick, the rush has him refining his stunt. He says, "I know I'll repeat the stunt!"

It's something fans in stands across the country should really "flip" over.

Larry Quick and his Ghost Ryder actually failed the flip on the first attempt but landed on the second.

Quick vows to top his own stunt this September when he returns to the fairgrounds in Bradford for another monster truck event.

Hybrid Chevy truck cuts construction costs

2009-05-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

Monster Trucks for Sale

2009-04-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Monster trucks have been a part of the American entertainment and racing landscape for decades. It is modeled after a pick-up truck but comes with modifications, massive modifications. Monster trucks are built higher up off the ground than a pick-up truck, have a larger body size and have incredibly large wheels and suspension. Monster trucks appear at Monster Truck Rallies nationwide which entail the truck running over and crushing smaller cars underneath it on a course.

Monster Truck Rallies are so popular that they need to be held in large arenas or outdoor venues. A Monster Truck Rally ends with a freestyle competition where the driver can pick his course and what he wants to do with the vehicle. The drives like to perform donuts, cyclones and destroy even more tiny cars below their massive wheels. Sometimes a monster truck will even try to crush a motor home. A motor home! Monster trucks are so large that they can destroy a motor home.

Monster Trucks became popular in the decade of the 1970s after regular pick-up trucks were being modified to compete in mud bogging and truck pulling competitions. Some owners of the pick-up trucks were modifying their vehicle to the point of raising it higher into the air. The lifted trucks led to the invention and development of the Monster Truck. The trucks that became nationally known were Bigfoot, Bear Foot and King Kong. These were the first known Monster Trucks. They were owned by Fred Shafer, Jack Willman Sr. and Jeff Dane respectively.

Regular racing of Monster Trucks came into play in the 1980s, specifically 1985, when the USHRA and TNT Motorsports delved into the business. TNT established a championship points system in 1988, which is when most trucks used Fiberglass bodies and a lighter axel to create more speed and shave off some of the weight of the truck.

Monster Trucks for sale and Monster Truck Rallies have become so popular since the 1980s that competitions have been televised; video games have been produced where the player can drive a truck through different levels of competition and magazines have been published about the industry. There have been movies that have included Monster Truck competitions within the plot as well. Monster Truck Rallies were advertised time and again in the 1980s and 1990s on radio with different spots featuring a fast-talking radio announcer that would scream at the top of his lungs. This was the industry?s way of informing the people about the rallies and races. Loud noises and excitement were what grabs people?s attention when listening to the radio and watching television.

Some of the most popular monster trucks right now are Batman, the Carolina Crusher, Donkey Kong, Iron Outlaw, King Krunch, the Predator and the USA-1. Monster trucks bring excitement and entertainment to the auto racing industry, selling out arenas and venues across the country each and every year. The business of Monster Truck racing and Monster Truck shows has escalated since the advent of the monster truck in the 1980s so much that it has become a multimillion dollar industry.

Buying New Ford Trucks

2009-04-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

Whether they are old or new Ford trucks are one of the best heavy duty trucks available in the world market today. But before you decide on one of the many new Ford Truck models available in the market today you should find out the exact purpose for which you will be using the vehicle. For example if you want a truck for light construction jobs such as delivering material to landscape sites do you have to really go for a heavy duty truck spending more when a dependable medium duty truck will do fine? So here are some things worth considering and looking into when going for a new Ford truck.

Decide on the new trucks purpose. Think about what you will be using it for. This will help you a lot by simplifying your choosing task and save a lot of cash too.
Decide whether you really want a brand new truck. Like I have said previously why spend more money on a new truck when used old Ford trucks will do your job?
Check to see whether there are customized truck models for your purpose. There are so many customized models or they can be customized under categories like crew cab models, fire and rescue cutaways and range rovers.
Check the truck’s engine performance. A good engine can lead to decreased transportation costs in spite of carrying heavy payloads. Easy on the pocket and easy on the environment by cutting fuel waste. A good engine provides excellent fuel efficiency though the initial costs of buying an engine maybe high.
New Ford truck models have an automatic transmission system which proves to be a great help for drivers who are not experienced. Check them out. They are an advantage over older Ford trucks. Also the automatic transmission system helps in efficient consumption of fuel. The torque converter also helps to maximize the power output of the engine and also helps to prevent shock loading that can result on increasing the life of the drive train component. The transmission temperature gauge can prevent the vehicle from overheating.
Check the warranty for the new trucks. The truck may have a warranty for a limited or unlimited number of kilometers in use for a specified period. The warranty period maybe more for components like frame rail, cross members and sheet metal rust. The engine may have longer warranty and or a specified number of mileage or both.

Daimler Deal Will Bolster Electric Car Plans

2009-03-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

Daimler is selling $2.7 billion worth of its shares to Aabar Investment, the fund of the Abu Dhabi government. In a joint statement, the companies said the investment would help support the technological development in two areas: electric vehicles and composite materials for auto manufacturing.

The deal is the latest in a series of investments that Persian Gulf states have made in luxury automakers. In 2005, the Mubadala Development Company, another Abu Dhabi firm, bought a 5 percent stake in Ferrari for $138 million. In 2007, a consortium of Kuwaiti investors, led by David Richards, owner of Prodrive, bought Aston Martin from Ford for nearly $850 million. A year later, Investment Dar, part of the Kuwaiti Aston Martin consortium, bought a 40 percent stake in Prodrive.

At the time, Mr. Richards said the Investment Dar deal would help Prodrive, an automotive and motorsports company, develop future products, hinting at alternative-energy technologies. “I see a great opportunity to expand our current work developing the new generation of environmental technologies such as hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel cells and variable compression ratio engines,” he said.

Over the last two years, Gulf states have dropped some of their disposable income in several high-profile electric-car start-ups. Last September, the Qatar Investment Authority led a $65 million Series C financing round for Fisker Automotive, which is prepared to introduce its first plug-in hybrid vehicle later this year. The Al Yousuf Group, based in Dubai, has invested in Zap, an electric car company, according to Autoblog Green. Al Yousuf himself has invested in Phoenix Motorcars.

Daimler’s deal seems to continue this trend — while shoring up Daimler’s finances during a time of economic collapse — but on a much greater scale.

Hybrids rev up automakers

2009-03-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

Hybrid car technology that can stretch out a gallon of gas doesn't do much for Judy Beissel of Sauk Center.

"That would be the last thing I would look at," the "60-plus-" year-old woman said even as she eyed a 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid at the Greater St. Paul and Minneapolis International Auto Show Sunday.

But her son Josh, 31, disagreed. He drove the family down to the show in his 2007 Fusion with a conventional engine and said mileage always is a factor.

"It has to be, today," he said, citing volatile gas prices and the scary economy.

So is the hybrid the car of the Now? Or the Maybe Later? With Ford and Honda launching new energy-saving hybrids this month and the industry looking at hybrids and other expensive energy-saving technologies to pull them out of the red, automakers are hoping it's sooner rather than later.

With gas under $2 a gallon and a sinking economy, sales of hybrid automobiles, along with all other cars, have been tanking. Even last year's sales were a disappointment despite high summer gas prices. Total sales finished down 11 percent from 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ford this month is trying to fan interest in its newest hybrid, the 2010 Fusion, a mid-sized sedan the automaker says is the fully realized domestic hybrid.

The Fusion boasts 41 miles to the gallon in city driving and 36 miles on the highway, besting the Toyota Camry hybrid, according to Ford. The carmaker expects to sell 24,000 hybrid cars this year, about 10 percent of its total Fusion sales, said Tom Gee, Ford's manager of hybrid controls and strategy. By contrast, Toyota sold more than 46,000 hybrid Camrys last year.

"We think we've got a more than competitive product," Gee said Monday, visiting from Dearborn, Mich., where Ford is based. "We think we've got the best in class."

But the price of a 4-door Fusion hybrid, which began shipping March 16 from its plants in Mexico, start at $28,000, or $8,000 more than a conventional Fusion.

While Ford is taking aim at the Camry hybrid, the market leader is the Toyota Prius. The Prius has been rated at 48 mpg city driving and 45 mpg highway, with a price tag starting at $5,000 less than the Fusion. Honda's hybrid Insight, a smaller Prius-fighter, will start at about $20,000 and ship in April.

People who can afford to buy a car now might be wise to spend a few thousand more for a fuel-efficient hybrid "knowing that down the road, if the economy comes back, gas prices are likely to go up," said Ari Ofsevit, manager of the HourCar program, a car-sharing program run by the nonprofit Neighborhood Energy Connection in St. Paul.

He'd like to see Ford make a hybrid pickup truck, but Gee said a hybrid truck isn't in the cards, even though advocates have pushed for a hybrid Ranger to save the Ford Ranger plant in St. Paul, due to close in 2011.

Ford somehow has to draw customers like Eileen Roston, 63. The Plymouth woman said she loves her Jeep Liberty, which comes in handy for her job as a dog trainer, but she believes gas prices will rise again so she made a beeline to the Prius display to measure the hatchback. "This has the best gas mileage," she said.

New Honda Takes on the Prius

2009-03-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

The road is about to get a little more crowded for the Toyota Prius. Starting Tuesday, the Honda Motor Company will offer American consumers what it bills as “the world’s first affordable hybrid.”

Costing just shy of $20,000, the Honda Insight promises to let drivers respond to both of the leading crises of our day: the environment and the recession.

If the Insight’s introduction in Japan is any indication, Toyota should be worried. The car went on sale here on Feb. 6, and orders have soared, reaching 18,000 in just the first three weeks — topping Prius’s current sales. In fact, the Insight pushed Prius out of the top-10-selling cars for February.

“I have people asking about hybrids that I never had before,” said Tsuguhito Tokita, a Honda dealer in Tokyo. “With this price, it’s easy to recommend to anyone.”

If Honda makes inroads in the United States, the world’s largest market for hybrids, it could force the market leader, the Toyota Motor Corporation, to bring down its prices. Japanese news media have reported that Toyota, which controls 70 percent of the American hybrid market, will introduce a cheaper hybrid model with a smaller engine in 2011 — in part, reportedly, because of the Insight’s success.

Sales of hybrids have been hit hard by the global economic crisis. After several years of strong growth in Prius sales, Toyota had virtually no increase in 2008 from the previous year, as the overall auto market struggled.

“In the short term, it’s a very difficult sell,” said Christopher Richter, a Tokyo-based auto analyst at CLSA. “We’ve entered into a very deep recession, and consumers aren’t keen on buying new cars. Fuel prices have plunged, with fuel so cheap people don’t care much about it.”

But so far the Insight has been a bright spot for Honda in an otherwise dismal year of plunging sales that have led the automaker to make painful cutbacks and give up its prized Formula One racing team.

Toyota plans to lower the sticker price of the Prius, according to Japan’s largest business daily, Nikkei. The automaker has refused to confirm the report.

“But I can tell you we’re not satisfied with the current state,” said Paul Nolasco, a Tokyo spokesman for Toyota, which has sold one million Prius vehicles since their introduction a decade ago. “The Insight’s popularity is evidence that the public is recognizing hybrid technology.”

The market for hybrids could be headed for a huge expansion. The development of cheaper technology, economies of scale and more government subsidies for environmentally friendly vehicles could take what was a niche technology into the mainstream.

A bigger market for hybrids could also ensure that they stay the green vehicle of choice over full electric or hydrogen cars, which remain prohibitively expensive. A report released by J. P. Morgan in October predicted that the global market for hybrids “will rise exponentially” to 9.6 million in 2018 from 500,000 units in 2007— and the current economic slump will not significantly slow that rise, the authors said.

The Insight could bring about a big turnaround for Honda, which tried selling hybrids for a decade without much success. In fact, it discontinued a previous Insight model in 2006, believing consumers found hybrids too expensive. But when sales of Toyota’s Prius rose as oil prices spiked, Honda quickly changed course.

Behind the less expensive Insight is an aggressive cost-cutting effort, as well as technological sacrifices.

Instead of the more complicated hybrid system used in the Prius, the Insight’s main source of power is a lightweight gasoline engine that is assisted by smaller batteries. That greatly reduces manufacturing costs, but gives the Insight lower fuel efficiency than the Prius — 43 miles per gallon on the highway compared with 45 miles per gallon for the Prius. The Insight also shares parts with other Honda models, which helps the carmaker keep costs to a minimum.

Honda has also struck a chord with an overhaul of the car’s shape. One reason its previous hybrids failed to take off, analysts say, was that they did not come in distinctive shapes.

“A lot of people who drive hybrids want to make the statement, ‘I am driving a hybrid,’ “ Mr. Richter said.

But Honda’s new Insight looks remarkably like — well, Toyota’s triangular Prius, which has become synonymous with hybrid technology. Analysts say that should help sales.

The global economic slowdown could be an advantage for the Insight, at least over the Prius.

“Several years ago, the Prius would have won hands down,” Mr. Richter said. “But when you’ve got a raging recession, you come down to the question: Do you want the fancier car with greater fuel economy, or the one that still has pretty good economy, allows you to be seen driving hybrid, and is cheaper?”

“The Insight could steal a lot of Toyota’s thunder,” he said.

Whatever the outcome of the new hybrid race, it is certain to reinforce the dominance of Japanese automakers in eco-friendly cars. Unlike their American counterparts, Japanese automakers have long made energy efficiency a priority, teaming up with Japan’s electronics conglomerates to develop high-powered batteries.

In 1996, Toyota and Matsushita, now Panasonic, formed a joint venture to produce nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid cars. It plans to produce a million batteries a year by 2010. The venture also plans to make more powerful lithium-ion batteries.

Honda, which gets its batteries from Panasonic and Sanyo, has also invested heavily in battery production, setting up a company with a battery maker, GS Yuasa, to produce lithium-ion batteries. That move came partly because Honda was nervous about obtaining batteries from the same company as its archrival, Toyota. The greater capacity would allow Honda to introduce hybrid versions of its other models.

A string of auto companies worldwide, from Ford to start-ups like Tesla Motors, have announced or introduced hybrids, plug-ins or electric cars. Others are hurrying research into fuel cells and other alternatives. A technological breakthrough could still turn the market on its head, analysts say.

But for now, only Toyota and Honda have invested the money to mass-produce the mainstay batteries at a scale that makes economic sense. Batteries are still expensive to develop and produce, and kinks in the technology remain, as demonstrated by a string of flare-ups involving Sony-made lithium-ion laptop batteries three years ago.

“Other companies just don’t have a mass-production setup yet,” said Kohei Takahashi, a Tokyo-based auto analyst for J. P. Morgan. “They might be able to come up with hybrids, but they’re too expensive.”

Electric car sparking back to life

2009-03-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

Once declared dead, the electric car returns. Automakers have them in the works, and the zippy Tesla leads the way.

On a warm day with the top down, Steven Mortazavi was breezing along West River Drive when his eyes locked on the rearview mirror.

A Philly police car was on his tail. Mortazavi wasn't speeding, but the cop followed him into a parking lot, paused behind him, and then - whew! - moved on.

"He is so dying to give me a ticket," said Mortazavi, an Allentown pain-management physician.

It had to be the car: Bright red. Sleek and curvy. Built for speed, it can accelerate from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and top out at 125 miles an hour.

All on an electric motor.

And all for, oh, $109,000.

Mortazavi came to Philadelphia this month to test-drive a Tesla, the Silicon Valley sports car that may well be the first production electric car to not just get onto U.S. highways, but stay there.

The nation has been down this road before, as explored in the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?

But now it's being reborn, in a dozen ways. Virtually every major auto manufacturer has a version in the pipeline.

Proponents see electric vehicles as a way to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil while countering air pollution and climate change.

Energy experts also see them acting as an array of mini storage sites for electricity, with two-way plugs potentially able to feed energy back into the electrical grid during times of peak demand.

President Obama has said he wants to get a million plug-ins on the nation's roads by 2015. Thursday in California, he toured a U.S. Department of Energy electric car test site and announced $2.4 billion in federal funding for vehicle and battery manufacturing.

The cars can't really be called emission-free because they are powered by electric power plants that have emissions. But several studies have shown electric cars are cleaner than conventional gas-powered ones because there are more restrictions on industry's "long tailpipes" than on the short tailpipes of cars.

The most recent progression toward electric vehicles started with hybrids - not electric per se, but close.

GM is on deck next, promising a plug-in hybrid called the Chevy Volt in 2010. The four-seater will cost up to $40,000 and will go 40 miles on a charge before a small gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the batteries.

At least seven others - Saturn, Toyota, Chrysler, Ford, Audi, Hyundai, and Volkswagen - have plug-in hybrids in the works.

Full-electric vehicles are promised from BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Chrysler, which is working on a minivan, a Jeep, and a sports car.

Most are due from 2010 to 2013, so prices have not yet been announced.

Eight small entrepreneurial companies are going all-electric, and a Jetson-like three-wheeler, the Aptera 2e, is due this year, ballparked at $25,000 to $45,000.

"Everyone is saying they're going to add electricity in some way, shape, or form," said Jay Friedland, legislative director for the nonprofit advocacy group Plug-In America. "We are absolutely, positively rooting for them."

The big question, however, is whether all these big plans will come to fruition. A prototype is one thing. A mass-market product is another.

"The biggest challenge is getting a lot of electric vehicles on the road, reducing costs, and seeing how consumers like them," said Constantine Samaras, an engineering researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Tesla's stance, Samaras said, is "We're here. We're real. We have cars."

Now, Tesla faces the challenge of scaling up, Samaras said. But can it? "We'll have to wait and see."

Launched in 2003, Tesla began production a year ago. The plan was to compete not at the economy end of the market, but at the top. Tesla promises pizzazz, not thrift.

Until now, most Americans equated electric vehicles with wimpy cars "that couldn't even get up a hill," sniffed Joe Powers, a Tesla manager who plans to open a New York showroom in months. "Tesla's goal was 'Let's shatter those preconceptions.' "

Indeed, at a recent electric-car confab in Montgomery County, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Jon Wellinghoff flashed a photo of himself behind the wheel of a Tesla, noting, "There's no question the electric car can be the sexy car."

Adding eco to speed is a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too proposition.

One telling feature: The trunk capacity is described not by how many grocery bags can fit, but whether a golf bag will.

A 31/2-hour charge gives the twin-seater a range of roughly 244 miles.

To reserve a production slot, buyers have to put down $9,900 (until about a week ago, it was $60,000) and wait nearly a year. Tesla has delivered about 265 vehicles, with 1,000 more on order.

The path has been potholed, but Powers said the private firm expects to be profitable by midyear.

If the roadster becomes successful, he said, Tesla can "map that DNA" onto cheaper models - like the $57,400 Model S sedan, larger and more practical, set to be unveiled Thursday.

Buyers of both the roadster and the sedan are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit.

Tesla also has applied for $450 million from a U.S. Department of Energy loan program aimed at producing fuel-efficient cars.

Most of it would build a factory to make the sedan, with production expected by 2011.

Early buyers - most were in California - included honchos of Microsoft and Google.

But it's not really clear whether customers value the greenness or the sports-car aspect more.

Don Auker, who owns a software company in Lebanon, Pa., likes the green and is expecting Car No. 227, in twilight blue, within weeks. Good thing. It's been a bit chilly lately on his Vectrix, one of several electric motorcycles on the market.

Joe Camarata of Woodbridge, N.J., a sales rep for makers of fire, burglary, and security systems, drives a Viper. "It rocks." But he likes the Tesla's moves even better. Electric? Swell. "But for me, it's all about speed."

David Brussin of Berwyn, the chief executive officer of Monetate, a marketing technology start-up, falls somewhere in between. He loves sports cars, "but this is the only one I could drive with a clean conscience."

Barry Stott, an aviation consultant from Chadds Ford, was drawn to the car partly because he's intrigued by Tesla's "visionary" chief executive officer Elon Musk, also a cofounder of PayPal who is venturing into solar power and space travel. But Stott's practical side has kicked in, and he said he might wait for the sedan.

If a Tesla is too pricey, Friedland said, just wait. "If your car is still working, hold on to it," he said. "The next generation of cars is what you want to get."

Western Star to get new 2010 engine

2009-03-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

The new Detroit Diesel DD16 engine – the latest in Detroit Diesel’s series of all-new heavy-duty engines – will be in production for the Western Star 4900 series in March 2010 and the Western Star 6900 in July 2010, Western Star Trucks announced on Thursday, March 19, at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

Detroit Diesel said the DD16 is its most powerful engine offering and will be equipped with BlueTec emissions technology.

The DD16 displaces 15.6 liters and is suited for owner-operators, small fleets and specialty applications that include the mining, petroleum, agriculture, logging, hazardous material and heavy-haul segments. The DD16 is the third in a series of heavy-duty engines from Detroit Diesel that covers three displacement categories: 13 liters, 15 liters and 16 liters. Part of the Detroit Diesel engine family, the DD16 shares a common platform design that is leveraged on a global scale by Daimler Trucks.

“The DD16 is ideal for small fleets and owner-operators who demand more from their engines than ever available before from Detroit Diesel,” said David Siler, director of marketing for Detroit Diesel. “We’re confident that the DD16 will exceed expectations in even the most extreme applications.”

Detroit Diesel says the DD16 features a robust core design, amplified common rail fuel system (ACRS), turbo compounding technology and superior power curves that gives drivers the torque response and pulling power they demand. It will be offered with a large variety of output and multitorque power ratings from 1,750 to 2,050 lb-ft torque and 475 to 600 horsepower.

In addition, the DD16’s pulling power allows the driver to haul heavier payloads up and down the steepest grades and hang in top gear longer, the company says; and thanks to the DD16’s integrated engine brake, getting down the other side is just as easy. With the DD16, Western Star customers can carry bigger loads with increased gross combination weight (GCW).

"The powerful DD16 will provide Western Star customers with yet another engine choice to tackle the most challenging jobs in the most extreme environments," says Richard Shearing, senior manager of product strategy for Western Star. "Not only does the DD16 feature superior durability that will result in less engine wear-and-tear, it's backed by Detroit Diesel's proven engine technology."

Western Star also announced:
• The availability of its limited-edition Western Star 4900 model. The Limited Edition 67 -- representing the year Western Star was introduced to the North American market -- will be equipped with a specially-built Detroit Diesel DD15 engine and commemorative trim. Western Star will manufacture just 100 of these trucks this year. The Limited Edition 67's DD15 engine features 560 horsepower and 1,967 lb-ft. of torque -- the most powerful Detroit Diesel engine available today -- and was built solely for this Western Star truck;

• A new configuration option for its 4900 FA model series geared toward the construction and severe-duty applications such as West Coast mixers and super dump applications. The truck maker says the new set-forward 109-inch BBC twin steer features a three-degree wheel cut improvement over previous designs, which offers greater maneuverability for offroad applications. The 4900 FA 109-inch twin steer is equipped with a 450 hp, 12.8L MBE 4000 engine, Eaton Fuller 11-speed transmission and Meritor Tandem 40,000-pound front axles and 46,000-pound rear axles. In addition, the 4900 FA twin steer features shackled springs, rather than slipper springs, for a 30 percent ride improvement without compromising load ratings. The 4900 FA twin steer also features a roomy and well-insulated cab, in addition to suspended brake and clutch petals; and

• An agreement with TravelCenters of America to add Western Star ServicePoint branded repair services to Petro:Lube facilities at Petro Stopping Center locations. Petro:Lube locations will become Western Star ServicePoint authorized providers at a select number of locations beginning now, with complete networkwide support by this summer. Services available to Western Star trucks include light repair and preventive maintenance checks, as well as factory-authorized warranty service. Western Star customers also will benefit from coordinated service support with the Western Star authorized dealer network for their full-service needs.

Freightliner bundles new technology in Innovation Truck

2009-03-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

A predictive cruise control that can anticipate changes in road grades is among the market-ready technologies highlighted by the Innovation Truck concept tractor on view at the Daimler Truck North America booth here at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

The proprietary system, called RunSmart Predictive Cruise, analyzes road profiles more than a mile ahead to determine optimum vehicle speed. It is now available as an option on the 72-in. raised roof sleeper version of the Freightliner Cascadia with a Detroit Diesel DD15 engine.

The system combines active cruise control with GPS and 3D digital map technology from Navteq, automatically adjusting vehicle speed for maximum fuel efficiency based on road grades while staying within 6% of the cruise control’s set speed. It draws on digital map slope data for more than 200,000 mi. of truck routes in the U.S.

The Innovation Truck, painted completely flat black, is an engineering project intended to show users DTNA’s newest near-term technologies, as well as to gauge customer interest in concepts and advanced features, according to Elmar Boeckenhoff, sr. vp of engineering and technology.

Among the highlights of the concept truck, which is based on the Cascadia, are a number of aerodynamic refinements that start with a bumper and “air splitter” designed to reduce air flow turbulence under and around the truck. Side panels and a modified roof fairing also contribute, as do radically designed rear wheel fairings that almost completely enclose the tandem wheels.

The truck also includes a new idling control HVAC system that is being released commercially as a factory-installed option for the Cascadia. The ParkSmart HVAC is fully integrated into the sleeper, using the vehicle’s alternator and engine coolant when the truck is under way. When the engine is shut off, the system’s four batteries can run an electrically-driven AC compressor up to 10 hours, while a diesel-fired coolant heater provides heat to the sleeper compartment and acts as a block heater. Unlike the commercially-available version, the Innovation Truck’s ParkSmart also incorporates a fuel-cell that can provide electrical power to the system for up to 34 hours.

Other advanced technologies on the truck not yet ready for commercial applications include a dual ride-height system that automatically lowers the tractor at highway speeds for reduced drag, BluTec SCR emissions technology that will be used by DTNA to meet the 2010 emissions regulations, and side cameras in place of rear-view mirrors that reduce drag while eliminating blind spots.

SIDNEY Voters to decide on new trucks

2009-03-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Residents at Saturday's town meeting will decide whether they want to spend more than $500,000 to purchase a new trucks for the fire and road departments.

Administrative assistant Gloria Ripley said the town is hoping to gain approval to use $350,000 to buy a pumper truck for fire and rescue needs and $175,000 for a town dump truck.

"We have had a reserve fund for a fire truck and a town truck for years," she said, "so whenever we do replace them, we will utilize that funding."

Ripley said each fund has $51,000. She said town officials plan to borrow the remaining money to purchase the vehicles.

The pumper would replace a 1981 fire truck while the dump truck, including plow equipment, would replace a 1996 model, Ripley said.

Friday's elections feature one contested race: Incumbent Raymond Clement faces Noel "Red" LaLiberte for a three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Clement has been a selectman in Sidney for the past three years. Previous to that he served as selectman in Embden for 12 years.

"I'm interested in what is going on in town government," he said, "and keeping taxes down as much as possible."

LaLiberte has no experience as an elected official but has been a business owner for the last 27 years. His businesses include NRL Builders.

His emphasis as a town official would be to improve communication, he said. LaLiberte said this comes naturally to him.

"When it comes to knowing how to treat people," he said, "people have told me many times I'm a people person."

Ripley said the town historical society will have an exhibit at town meeting, while Second Baptist Church will provide the lunch at $5 per person. Proceeds from the lunch will fund the church's food bank.

New Alcoa truck wheels to cut weight, fuel costs

2009-03-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

Alcoa Inc's launch this week of new lightweight aluminum wheels for trucks and buses will cut 600 to 1,300 lbs off total truck weight compared with steel wheels, which means fuel and CO2 emissions will be cut and tire wear improved, the head of the company's wheel division said.

"You really get two benefits: You improve fuel economy and tire wear, plus you reduce the overall weight of the truck so you can increase your load or cargo," said Alcoa Wheels and Transportation Products President Kevin Kramer.

The new wheels, called Alcoa LvLONE (level one) wheels, are the lightest weight wheels available and also cut about 50 lbs off of a truck using aluminum wheels.

Speaking to Reuters by phone, Kramer said the lighter wheels offer an average one-year payback when factoring in the 3 to 5 percent fuel savings, depending on truck and load type.

Because trucks traveling on U.S. roads have weight restrictions, Kramer said the lighter wheels lower the total weight of the truck and trailer, allowing them to carry more product or cargo in their bulk containers.

The forged wheels, made using a process that presses the wheels out in one piece, also improve tire and brake wear.

Not only does heat dissipation with aluminum wheels give better tire wear from lower heat, but the single piece of forged metal means less air escapes than with the two welded pieces typical on steel wheels.

The less air that escapes from a tire maintains its air pressure, increasing fuel economy and improving tires wear.

In addition, a shiny finish on both sides of the new wheels will also lower inventory costs.

"Aesthetically, they look great, and that's important to truckers," the executive said.

Wheels have previously been finished on only one side, meaning customers need to keep more types of wheels in stock for 18-wheel rigs or when wheels get rotated.

"With this process both sides are finished so you can turn them inside out and you don't need to keep several kinds of wheel in stock," he added.

Alcoa will sell the new wheels to truck, trailer and bus manufacturers, but Kramer said they created a calculator to help bus and truck fleets figure out fuel and weight savings.

Kramer said Alcoa will sell the wheels globally, noting that the company expects bus fleets to continue increasing over the next 20 years throughout Asia and Europe, where fuel costs and potential savings are higher than in the U.S.

About 75 percent of trucks currently use steel wheels and 25 percent use aluminum wheels in the global market. The North American truck, trailer and bus market employs about 40 percent aluminum and 60 percent steel wheels, he said.

Audi 2009 February Sales

2009-03-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

Audi announced sales for the month of February totaling 4,653 units sold, a decrease from February sales in 2008. Audi predicts an increase in its share of the U.S. luxury vehicle market when all February 2009 sales are reported compared to year-earlier results. This increase continues a consistent climb by Audi in market share over the course of last year and again this January.

The Audi A5 continued to post increases over last year. The A5 recorded 494 units sold in February 2009, an increase of 28.6% over the previous February. Coupled with January sales, the Audi A5 is outselling its 2008 pace by 51.1% with 1,097 units sold this year to date.

“While the global outlook is challenging, we feel well-prepared and our focus is to catch the attention of consumers who are in the market for new or pre-owned vehicles,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “The fact that we’ve gained market share nearly every month over the past year is an indication that our messages of efficiency, design and innovation are connecting with consumers.”

Audi Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales maintained solid numbers regardless of the difficult market. Audi recorded 2,467 CPO units sold this February.

$3,000-$5,000 incentive for car buyers proposed

2009-03-18T23:06:00.001-07:00

An Ohio congresswoman unveiled another iteration of a cash-for-clunkers plan, a bill aimed at spurring car sales by giving buyers $3,000 to $5,000 to turn in their old wheels for something new and greener.

"This is a very comprehensive bill with multiple beneficial effects that I think will make it palatable to enough of the Congress that we can enact it," says Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, who introduced the bill Tuesday. "It not only assists consumers who need a lot of help in this economic downturn, but it will stimulate our economy, reduces emissions, and reduces our dependency on foreign oil."

An earlier attempt to pass such a plan failed to gain broad support throughout Congress. But European car sales are benefiting from such efforts. A recent analysis by CSM Worldwide showed vehicle sales in the several nations with such plans will be 400,000 more this year than they'd be without the bonus.

The bill would give $3,000 to consumers trading in cars more than 8 years old if they buy a new car that gets more than 27 miles per gallon or truck getting more than 24 mpg. The rebate would rise to $4,000 to $5,000 for cars getting more than 30 mpg and for commercial trucks getting better mileage than their older counterparts.

Ford Motor (F), with sales down 44.1% in the first two months this year, favors such a plan. "By providing incentives to purchase a new vehicle, the legislation would help reduce consumer costs, jump-start the economy and help support millions of good jobs in every state across the nation," says Ziad Ojakli, group vice president for government affairs. A Ford analysis shows it has 10 cars that fill the bill, General Motors (GM) has 12, Chrysler, 10, Toyota, nine and Honda, five.

Though the bill has automaker support, the potential cost could doom it, says Scott Talbott, senior vice president of government affairs for the Financial Services Roundtable. "The bill could become the victim of its own success. If everyone takes advantage of it, then the costs shoot up."

Although Talbott says he supports the bill's goals, he's not sure if many legislators are willing to sign on for another costly stimulus bill.

New 2007 trucks are more luxurious than ever

2009-03-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

These aren't your granddaddy's trucks. Well, they might be if you popped the hood and looked at the engine but, if you peek inside the cab, you'll see more than your ancestors could have dreamed.

As consumer demand for trucks that tow yet offer style increases, automakers are responding big time.

Ford knew that last year when it introduced the new F150, says Larry Nairn at Merlin Ford in the city's north end.

"People aren't buying trucks for the same reasons they used to," he reports. "About half of our trucks are four-door crewcabs. They're basically people movers. You can seat plenty of people in the cab but also haul stuff in the box. " The F-150 comes in a regular cab model but also offers an extended SuperCab and a SuperCrew, offering seating for up to six passengers.

Ford teamed up with another automotive legend last year, Harley Davidson.

The F-150 Harley is a specially trimmed SuperCab with 5.4 V8, 2WD or 4WD, and the 6.5-ft Styleside box.

This year the 2007 F-150 Super- Crew is available in five trims, ranging from the 139-inch WB XLT Styleside to the 150-inch WB Lariat Styleside.

Interiors are left to the buyer's imagination, Nairn says. "You can go from your regular cab work truck to models that have all of the amenities like the King Ranch. That comes with leather seats, navigation, radios and a DVD player." He adds that constant redesign has kept Ford trucks at the top. "These trucks have been popular for the last 50 or 60 years. It's not something that just happened. The F series has a strong reputation for being strong and well built." Unlike its namesake, the Toyota Tundra is hot, hot, hot.

"The Tundra is completely redesigned for 2007 with an emphasis on bigger," says Darcy Zakowski at Ens LexusToyota. "That includes a 4.7 liter engine and a new 5.7 engine that is rumoured to be a tad over 400 horsepower with 10,000-pound tow capacity." The new Tundra also features a longer wheelbase, a more muscular hood and accent lines that make the body look absolutely buff. Toyota president and CEO calls it the "biggest, boldest, bad-ass truck in history." While delivering the power outside, the 2007 Tundra will also offer more space inside, including more shoulder room, more hip room and a glovebox designed to carry a large thermos.

There's also a JBL audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, power driver's seat and a camera hidden in the tailgate.

"There's even word that they're coming out with a full eight-foot long box version with the larger cab," Zakowski says. "That will appeal to people. You can fit your family but still tow the boat or trailer." Bigger is better over at Dodge City, too, especially when it comes to the Dodge Ram. "Last year they came out with the Mega Cab," says Kevin Strunk.

"This is the largest cab on the market right now, 20 inches longer than the Quad Cab." Comfort is the emphasis with the Ram 2500 Mega Cab offering limousine- like comfort with rear seats that recline, 44.2 inches of legroom and separate heat/air conditioning outlets.

For 2007, Dodge has added options like an antiskid system and remote engine starters. The Ram is available with three engines - a V6, a 4.7 liter V8 and Chrysler's 5.7 liter Hemi V8.

Like the other models, the Ram, notably the Laramie model, offers a host of features for added luxury. "You can opt for sunroofs, DVD players, navigation and a Premium Sound System," Strunk says.

Saskatoon will become even more of a Silverado city when Chevrolet introduces its 2007 model.

"Our sales staff that follows the changes are excited about the new model," says Carl Bunnin at Saskatoon Motor Products.

"The ride will be what most people notice with the new Silverado," he adds.

"It's a more rigid, firmer truck that offers greater stability on the road." That's because Chevy designed the Silverado from the ground up, implementing a new platform, better handling and increased towing and hauling capability.

Powertrain options include a popular 315-horsepower 5.3-liter V8.

Bunnin notes the Silverado's interior is golden, with features like elevated seating, Solar-Ray tinted glass and finer details, like programmable power door locks (LS and LT) or large, easy-to-read gauges. Models like the LT offer features you'd find in most luxury sedans, with amenities such as dual-zone automatic climate control, full-feature, eight-way power adjustable plus power lumbar adjuster, heated front bucket seats with leather inserts and a sixspeaker Premium Bose audio system.

Ford Gives Road Map To Reaching Fans

2009-03-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

What do Toby Keith, the Professional Bull Riders Association and Monster Jam have in common? Fans and trucks. Ford has made reaching those fans central to marketing its F-150 pickup for years. Whether by giving fans a chance to be roadies for a Toby Keith concert for a weekend or win tickets to a bull-riding show, the company has activated its associations with those events, and similar ones in complementary categories with promotions dangling new trucks and experiences.

In the latest, Toby Keith fans have until March 31 to enter the Built Ford Tough Biggest & Baddest Sweepstakes at BiggestAndBaddest.com for a chance to win the prize package, as well as a new 2009 Ford F-150 truck. Keith just wrapped up the 2009 tour at the Houston livestock show, and is in the final stages of preparing for the 2010 tour.

Overseeing the program and others with which Ford promotes its pickup is Kevin Schebil, manager, Ford Truck Communications, who says event sponsorships reach a core target.

Q: What does the tour do for Ford?

A: It gives us an opportunity to target a lifestyle category that aligns with the brand. We reach out to partners who are No. 1 in their categories. The purpose is to provide an experience nobody else can offer: The winners get a private tour bus, an all-access pass; they eat, work and play with the band and crew from setup to everything between. If they want to have the full experience, they can get involved and work with the crew.

Q: What did Ford do in terms of promotions last year with Toby Keith?

A: Last year we ran a promotion where we rented out Smith's old bar in Atlanta, a historical venue with a private room upstairs, where the winner and 125 friends got a private Toby Keith concert before the tour launched in September. Then they were all caravanned over to the first tour concert, and the winner won a Ford Superduty pickup. This year the winner gets a 2009 F-150.

Q: Do you do similar activities for other events?

A: We are also series promoter for The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) and we have a contest running right now, "Invasion of the Bulls," where three winners and guests are invited to Las Vegas for the PBR finals--all expenses paid. They receive behind-the-scenes passes, and each of the three winners receive keys to the 2009 F-150 pickups. One of the three keys fits the ignition, and that winner gets the truck.

Similarly, with Monster Jam--with whom we are tour sponsors--we held a contest that just ended called "Monsters on Main Street" where three winners attend the Monster Jam World Finals on March 27 in Las Vegas. They get backstage passes, autograph and interview sessions with drivers, sponsor dinner invitations, and again, a turn-of-the-key grand prize.

Q: How effective are these programs and sponsorships in reaching your target buyer?

A: When we talk to these consumers, we are reaching over 95% of the full-size pickup segment with programs, camping, hunting, and boating. When you look at our metrics, you know 58% of pickup truck owners watch NASCAR; about the same are involved in country music; 46% of full-sized pickup truck owners attend PBR and 34% are Monster Truck fans. So we are touching each lifestyle and involved with core consumers.

Q: But how many people who pass through these promotions are interested in shopping the trucks?

A: We know that a huge percentage are hand-raisers or opt-in; it varies throughout our programs, but Toby Keith has been the highest as far as consumer registrations--from 100,000 to 125,000 people registering for the program and somewhere between 9% and 10% looking for more information on Ford full-sized pickups.

Q: What is Ford's media activity around these events?

A: It is mostly Web-based; in this past year for PBR we did have TV. It is mostly viral, and we also rely a little on partners to promote it, so we are promoting it on the Web both on our site and our partners' site and in stadium at venues, both through the Jumbotron giant screen--and for Toby Keith, for example, we shoot Toby bucks into the crowd, which is a pamphlet driving consumers to our Web site. We also hand them out at Monster Jam and PBR.

Q: What are you doing for F-150 with regard to motorcycle riders, which are a likely area of the market for activation, since bikers frequently carry their bikes in back of a truck?

A: We are very big into Daytona Bike Week and Sturgis --we have a presence at both--we activate with the "Drive One" tour, which travels to about 35 different events throughout the year.

Need a Quality Used Truck? U-Haul Has 13,000 for Sale

2009-03-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

The introduction of a new fleet of moving vans has resulted in U-Haul selling thousands of off-rental vehicles to the public. The targeted market is small-business owners looking for a vehicle that is reliable, affordable and ready to go to work.

"The trucks that once moved America are now out of the rental market and are available to create value for businesses in need of carpeting trucks, roofing trucks and landscaping trucks -- just about any aftermarket use you'd care to name," stated Brian O'Loughlin, director of U-Haul fleet sales.

The company plans to sell 13,000 moving vans between now and March 31, 2010. Now more than ever, it makes good economic sense to buy. Buyers benefit from the U-Haul sales philosophy, which is based on convenience and price. Units will be sold nationwide on a first-come, first-served basis.

"These moving vans represent a solid value," O'Loughlin noted. "U-Haul trucks feature lightweight, rust-resistant van bodies and were designed to securely hold and transport precious cargo."

All of these low-mileage cargo trucks feature low decks for easier loading and unloading. Furthermore, every U-Haul truck features a gentle-ride suspension, which is important to business owners who want to protect their goods while in transit.

"When you buy a truck from U-Haul," O'Loughlin said, "it's ready to go to work for you that day. You simply can't buy a better truck for the money."

The large size of the U-Haul fleet virtually assures that any customer in the market for a good off-rental truck can find the right vehicle to suit their needs.

"For-sale trucks are regularly displayed at more than 2,000 local U-Haul Truck Sales locations nationwide, so you can see exactly what you're getting," O'Loughlin said.

For a trouble-free buying experience, find the truck-sales location nearest you by calling (866) 404-0355 or by logging onto uhaul.com to see available inventory.

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the undisputed choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,650 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain a fleet size of 96,000 trucks, 75,000 trailers and 35,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 387,000 rooms and more than 34 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,075 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.

2009 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado FJ40 review

2009-03-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado made its appearance on the Indian roads in 2005. The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) offers unmatched comfort. The all-terrain automobile is an absolute powerhouse that can go to any extreme. Land Cruiser Prado truly rules the road and is a real head-turner. A never-felt-before degree of enthrallment is guaranteed by the SUV. It reduces all the efforts usually taken to control a vehicle on gushing streams and rushing traffic. Land Cruiser Prado, in fact, acquires full control over the situation, once it is sets on trail.

Engine
Under the hood of Toyota Land Cruiser lies a powerful DOHC VVT-i, 24-valve engine that churns out a mind-blowing power of 235 PS @ 5200rpm and torque of 362Nm @ 3800rpm. Prado's all time Four Wheel Drive (4WD) offers power packed performance on all road conditions.

Design And Comfort
The stunning looks of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado set the pulse racing! Its frontage, with dynamic headlamps and muscular front grille, contributes to its captivating appearance. In the rear is the tail lamps cluster, which further accentuates the exteriors. The cabin of the SUV is tactfully designed to offer an unmatched level of comfort to the passengers. The cushioned seats of Land Cruiser Prado, equipped with good under-thigh support, are extremely relaxing. Its dual-zone air conditioner ensures that the occupants enjoy a cool ride in the car, allowing them to maintain their preferred cabin temperature. The SUV promises a comfortable ride to as many as eight occupants.

Interiors
The breath-taking interiors of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado are crafted with finest materials, for exceptional comfort. The steering wheel has been given a beautiful finishing touch, with audio controls mounted on it. With the latest model of audio system - 6 CD-changer with ASL (Auto Sound Leveliser), Land Cruiser Prado assures a pleasant and fun ride. Small storage areas are cleverly positioned within the cabin of the SUV.

Ride And Handling
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is equipped with a unique Torsen LSD (Limited Slip Differential) which distributes appropriate power between the front and rear wheel, according to the driving conditions. This provides excellent riding stability, control and traction, especially at increasing speeds. The five-speed automatic transmission offers smooth shifting, for excellent performance and good fuel efficiency. Toyota Land Cruiser Prado seems to be massive, but is lightweight. It offers a smooth navigation through roads and is surprisingly silent.

Water Power Car is a Great Fuel Saver

2009-03-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Water power car is a great saver of fuel, gas and diesel, and money. Because water and fuel are used together they are able to power the engine more efficiently.

How Water Works to Power The Vehicle

With a conversion kit fitted to the engine of the car water is able to be split and the hydrogen molecules create enough power to actually split the viscous petrol or diesel in the engine into microscopic sizes so that more of it can be burnt inside the engine to power the car.

The efficiency to which the car can now work enables it to run for many more miles on a tank of fuel. So if you were going on a really long trip you wouldn’t have to fill up nearly as many times.

Water Power Car Gives a Cleaner and Safer Environment

Although to work the car uses both fossil fuels and water the amount of water that is needed is very small, so it doesn’t guzzle up huge amounts of our precious natural reserves. This is unlike a new electric hybrid car, or electric car that requires a lot of electricity to charge it up.

To make electricity a huge amount of water is used by a power stations and so if there are lots of hybrid cars that need to be plugged in to an electric socket then an immense amount of water is wasted in the process.

Use Your Own Car

The beauty of this system of powering a vehicle is that it works on any car. There is no need to spend a lot of money on buying a new car to get the benefits of this technology. For around a few hundred dollars you can convert your own car and start saving yourself a fortune.

Water power cars are efficient, cleaner, cheaper on repairs and the environment than many other cars on the market today.

French select new F1 circuit

2009-03-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

French authorities on Thursday announced they had selected in principle which circuit would host future French Grands Prix, a year after Magny Cours was dropped from the race calendar.

Pierre Bedier, chairman of the departmental council of the Yvelines region west of Paris, unveiled the project of Parisian architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, whose 4.5km-long, 95-hectare site at Flins-Les Mureaux some 40 km north west of the capital will have seating capacity for a 120,000 crowd.

An onsite conference centre for year-round use will also add to the attraction at the 112-million-euro (144-million-dollar) development.

The decision for the new venue will ultimately fall to Formula One organiser Bernie Ecclestone, who had in 2007 indicated that the sport would not return to Magny-Cours, an out of the way site in central France, while urging the creation of an alternative location.

The 2008 race did go ahead, won by Felipe Massa, but the old venue has dropped off this season's calendar after the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) withdrew financing given the current economic downturn.

There has been talk of using Disneyland Paris for a future race but Ecclestone has also intimated he would like a race in Paris itself.

Those behind the new circuit say it will be technically challenging and conceived as to allow easy overtaking.

Wilmotte has been hard at work on the concept in tandem with Clive Bowen of British circuit designer Apex.

"All of the 18 jury members voted for this project," said Bedier.

"This dossier has the virtue of improving a site which is currently lying fallow and not being properly utilised."

Bedier saluted what he termed "an idea which constitutes durable development".

Used Trucks, SUV Values Going Up

2009-03-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

Since January, prices of used vehicles rose in value by over 17 percent, according to two reports that came out the past few days.

Juan Flores, director of Kelley Blue Book's director of vehicle valuation, explained the increase in pickup values to a reversal to the sudden plunge of car values last year when gasoline prices peaked at $4 a gallon in summer. Flores recalled that as 2008 ended, truck prices were plummeting by $1,000 every few week.

Following the rise in truck values, Flores said a second-hand 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 1500 which had a $13,250 price tag on February 1, had an adjusted price of $16,600 at the start of March.

For the same period a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe worth $18,800 in February had jumped in value to $21,700 at the beginning of the month. Flores added the hike in prices is also caused by motorist preference for used vehicles over brand new, but pricier ones.

Similar results were reported by the Manheim Consulting, a car auction firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Meanwhile, Kelley Blue Book named five brand new car models considered as great deals in terms of zero percent financing, cash back and low payment leases. Kelley named the car models as the 2010 Kia Soul, 2009 Ford Flex, 2009 Honda Accord LX, 2009 Pontiac G8 and 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sedan.

Used truck hub for Barloworld

2009-03-12T00:17:00.001-07:00

Barloworld Handling has opened a National Used Equipment Reception Centre in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

The 62,000 sq ft premises, now the largest in Barloworld’s portfolio in the UK, will be a central hub for all equipment finishing long-term rental contracts. It will be used for receipt and storage of used equipment which will be assessed, and then redistributed for re-sale, hire, or if necessary, disposal.

Barloworld can store all of its ex-rental equipment in one central location giving it much greater access and control of its assets. Tamworth, being close to the M42, M6 and M1 Motorways is extremely well placed for all major road links. The centre is large enough that all trucks will be stored undercover thereby protecting equipment from further deterioration.

Mark Ward, UK commercial asset manager for Barloworld said: “This investment will further improve our logistics efficiency and truck movements so that we are even more responsive to customer needs.”

Truck sales roar back as small cars stall

2009-03-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

Last summer's star car, the fuel-sipping, ever-green Toyota Prius, lingers now on dealer lots.

Six months ago, buyers lined up five deep for the first Prius off a transporter truck. Now, with gas prices about half what they were in July, Priuses are piling up on local lots, their sales down about 35 percent – even with their first incentive ever, a $750 rebate.

That's also true of other formerly strong small cars such as the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and Ford Focus, all of which have seen their sales drop 25 percent or more.

"Small cars are dead," said Jerry Reynolds, a former Ford dealer who hosts an auto advice show on Saturdays on WBAP-AM (820) and tracks the local auto industry. "Everybody hits the panic button when gas goes to $4 a gallon. But the first time they can go back to a truck or SUV, they will."

"For a while, anything small with a four-cylinder engine would sell quickly," said Ray Huffines, chief executive of Plano-based Huffines Auto Dealerships, which includes Chevrolet, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Hyundai and Kia outlets. "That's not true now."

Remember all that talk last summer about a profound consumer shift away from trucks and into cars? Today the hottest vehicle at Freeman Toyota in Hurst is a 2- or 3-year-old Tundra pickup.

"We're in Texas, and when gas prices are low, people are going to drive their trucks and SUVs," said Dane Minor, general manager of Freeman Toyota. "If I could get my hands on a hundred 2005-2007 Tundras, I'd buy them. We literally can't get them out of detail before some are sold."

In the Dallas market, pickup trucks and SUVs are the hot rides at wholesale auctions. Two-year-old trucks have increased in cost by $3,000 or more in the last 90 days, dealers say, restoring all of the trade-in value they lost last summer when gas was $4 a gallon. Car values have remained flat at best and in some cases have dropped more than $1,000.

But this surge in truck sales comes with a twist: It's occurring mainly with late-model used trucks as used vehicles become a growing alternative to new cars and trucks. The new-vehicle market nationally remained down 37.1 percent last month.

For now, "it's chic to be cheap," said Brian Huth, general manager of Sam Pack's Five Star Ford in Carrollton. "People are thinking: 'I'm a new car buyer, but I might be better off for now with a used car.' "

Sudden shift

The challenge for most dealers these days is just maintaining a supply of trucks – a dramatic shift from six months ago, when many dealers didn't even want them as trades.

"We're out of new Tundras, and it's very hard to find good used ones," said Pat Lobb, who owns Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion of McKinney. "It comes down to the guy who needs a truck needs a truck. There are no substitutes."

Meanwhile, Lobb and fellow Toyota dealer Minor each have about 60 Priuses on their lots. Both bought extra Priuses that other dealers didn't want, figuring that gas prices might go up this summer and that demand for the hybrid sedans could increase again.

The shift in consumer interest from small, economical cars to much bigger trucks was predictable, following the same pattern as in previous gas price swings, said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. When gas prices are low, consumers buy big – even when smaller vehicles might be more practical, he said.

"I liken it to putting consumers in a candy store and encouraging them to eat broccoli," Nerad said. "It won't happen."

The heavy demand for trucks is driving up used prices so fast that the gap is shrinking between the cost of a late-model used truck and a new one. For example, clean year-old Ford F-150 XLT pickups sold in late February at an area auction for an average of $25,100 – nearly $3,000 higher than the truck's estimated value in a recently published used-vehicle price guide.

Last fall, a commercial customer asked David Thomas at Subaru of Plano to get him five late-model, four-wheel-drive Chevrolet Suburbans.

"I found them and paid in the low 20s at auction," said Thomas, managing partner of Subaru of Plano and Subaru of Dallas. "They called recently and wanted some more. But six months later, that same Suburban is selling for $5,000 more, and I'm having a hard time finding them."

Market adjustments

Some industry experts don't see anything remarkable in the rapid rise of used-truck values and the flattening of small-car values. George Pipas, sales analysis manager at Ford Motor Co., said the fluctuations were expected after automakers cut truck production last year and cranked up car assembly in response to high fuel prices.

"Right now, we're seeing the effects of actions last summer," Pipas said. "Small cars went crazy, and every manufacturer turned up the factories to build as many small cars as they could. They slashed the bejesus out of truck production in the third and fourth quarters."

What's happening now is a market adjustment, he said.

Nonetheless, Sam Pack's Five Star Ford dealerships in Carrollton and North Richland Hills expect their used sales to be down some in February – primarily because the supply of trucks is tight.

Ultimately, that bodes well for new-vehicle sales, said dealership owner Sam Pack.

"At some point, the supply of used vehicles will be an issue, and at that point, you will see new sales pick up," he said.

2009 Volkswagen Jetti TDI

2009-03-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

Just up the road from my favorite book store in the center of town looms the interstate. I-70 will take you west, young man, to Denver at a legal-like 70 miles per hour.

The six-speed manual snicks through the gears aided by a light and responsive clutch as the Jetta rolls quickly up the entrance ramp on a sunny spring-like day, never once making noises that would let on that it's a diesel. Then the Jetta warrior surprises in two ways.

One, is the no muss, no fuss way it gets up to highway cruising speeds more quickly than anyone would expect of a diesel. Second, in sixth gear at 75, I must admit that this diesel is one of the quietest cars that I have ever tested.

Welcome to the wonderful world of 50-state certified, 21st century diesel power. The Jetta, and the recently tested Mercedes GL, should lay to rest any negative notions anyone has about today's diesel-powered vehicles. See previous Auto Review on the Mercedes GL.

They are very quiet, do not smoke, they do not rattle, and they do not shake. Older diesels were the Conestoga wagons that carried the pioneers west to Denver where I-70 goes. The Jetta is as modern and comfortable as this class of cars gets, and its emissions are much easier to take than those of a horse. See slide show.

With the 140-horsepower, turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder diesel there is lots of torque -- 236 lb-ft at just 1,750 rpm. So there is great pickup around town and on entrance ramps to high-speed highways. This has to be great car on its home autobahns and I was pleasantly surprised how quick it would pick up speed in fifth gear for passing. You can be sure that passengers will certainly ask: "This is a diesel?"

Let me throw you one more positive trait and that is the price. The test car, with just one option, bottom-lined at $23,169. For the dough, you get one of VW's (VLKAY: undefined, undefined, undefined%) beautifully done interiors, all-day comfortable seats, good storage space, and the diesel's promise of long life. Plus, there is a federal tax credit to the tune of $1,300. Check with your dealer.

The standard audio system cranked out some good sounds; the car did not have a navigation system. So right in the middle of the dash were simple little knobs just like our grandfather intended for off-on volume selection, tuning, and customizing the sound. Not to mention real push buttons for storing your favorite station. The younger set might have to look at the manual to run it.

The Jetta is not as roomy as it could be in the back for two full-grown adults, but two can fit back there for short periods. There is good storage space in the doors, center console and glove box. The trunk would haul home more beer and groceries than I wanted to buy.

One small carp. On a very cold morning with the wind chill around zero, the Jetta was slow to warm up the interior. Yet, seat warmers that would toast English muffins, if you brought the jam, took some of the edge off the cold rather quickly.

Handling was fine, and you can hustle the Jetta along a back-country road. It would lose out to its brother, the GTI, but still, the Jetta would hold its own.

Diesel data

The diesel Jetta is EPA rated at 30 to 41 miles per gallon. I got 32.2 in city, country and interstate travel while not babying the throttle. Many Jetta owners have told me they routinely get over 40 mpg on a trip.

Even with the higher price of diesel fuel in some parts of the country, if this is what the future holds for drivers seeking durable, economical and fun-to-drive transportation, then sign me up at the Volks garage.

Parked one day out in the country, the Jetta brought back great memories of my first new car, a black '69 Bug with white walls, AM-FM radio and priced less than $2,000. Over time I owned Karman Ghias, Sun Bugs, and the best ski vehicle ever made, the fastback wagon of the '70's. OK, heat was another matter, yet all were built like little tanks, and they all sipped gas, were great in snowstorms, and never let me down. (Historical note: My first car was a great used Peugeot 404.)

A few notes to readers

I had promised a test of the BMW 3-series diesel, but due to circumstances beyond my control (there is an original phrase), I will not be able to test that car. However, if you are a BMW fan you will love what is coming to replace it in a few weeks.

I agree with readers who have said that it is tough to see what is going on the auto industry all around the world, and not just in Detroit. For the sake of thousands of workers who have devoted all of their working lives to building cars and trucks, I hope that the lean times depicted in recent sales figures come to an end by late this year as some have predicted.

What the industry will look like at that time, no one knows. I can say there are some great small cars in the pipeline for those, like me, who love to drive, so don't give up the ship.

Vehicles tested in this column are on loan from the auto companies through local distributors.

Mercedes SLK 2LOOK

2009-03-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

The special edition Mercedes SLK 2LOOK, which targets a younger audience, has been introduced today at the Geneva Auto Show. The Mercedes SLK 2LOOK features a black-and-white color scheme with black headlamps surrounds and 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels. The interior of the Mercedes SLK 2LOOK features nappa leather sports seats and various other black and white accents.

The Mercedes SLK 2LOOK price comes as an extra 2100 Euros cost over the base version. The special edition is available in the following models: SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, SLK 300 and SLK 350 Sports Engine.

The Mercedes SLK 2LOOK will be available in 300 units.

Mercedes Press release:

At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is presenting a new, eye-catching special model in the successful SLK series with the model suffix "2LOOK Edition". This new model variant, which is specifically aimed at a younger target group, is only available in glossy black or lustrous white. This styling touch is harmoniously complemented by a two-tone interior with high-grade materials in dramatic black-and-white contrasts.

The attraction of opposites – this is the concept with which the new Mercedes-Benz SLK "2LOOK Edition" special model will enter the new open-top season. The intentional limitation to a black-and-white color scheme both inside and out lends this successful two-seater with a vario-roof an exclusive, dramatic appearance and ensures a decidedly eye-catching presence.

The SLK 2LOOKEdition is painted in a choice of either calcite white or black as standard. On request the SLK 2LOOKEdition is also available in exclusive obsidian black metallic or the special finish designo mystic white, which is limited to 300 vehicles worldwide. Headlamps with black surrounds send an additional stylish message, ensuring that the SLK 2LOOKEdition is easily recognisable from a distance.

The sporty and striking appearance of the special model is emphasised by 18‑inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels with mixed tier sizes (front: 225/40 R18, rear: 245/35 R18). In line with the color philosophy of the 2LOOKEdition, these are available in two surface variants: a lustrous high-sheen finish in titanium silver or dark, striking chrome shadow. Discreet emblems on the wings and a draught-stop of transparent acrylic glass from the range of high-quality Mercedes accessories bearing the 2LOOKEdition logo also distinguish the special model.

Attractive antithesis – interior in black and white

A contrasting black-and-white color scheme also characterises the interior of the new SLK 2LOOK Edition. The sports seats are upholstered in nappa leather – with the seat center panels in white and the contoured bolsters in black. The doors and center armrest are also in a contrasting black-and-white scheme in high-grade leather. Eye-catching, carefully finished decorative seams on all leather surfaces accentuate the dramatic character of this special edition.

Black-and-white features throughout the vehicle underline its dynamic potential: the multifunction steering wheel in black nappa leather with a white decorative seam, the white-painted trim in the black dashboard and – when the roof is closed – the black roof lining. The white-edged floor mats have an embroidered Edition label.

The SLK 2LOOKEdition can be ordered with immediate effect in the engine variants SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, SLK 300 and SLK 350 Sports Engine. The extra cost of this special model is 2100 Euros. The special paint finishes cost an additional 580 Euros for obsidian black metallic and 1990 Euros for the limited edition in designo mystic white (German list prices incl. VAT).

BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8

2009-03-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

The second Geneva premiere from the German tuner is the BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8. The BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 hides under its bonnet the four-valve V8 engine from the S500 that had its displacement increased to 6,096 cc and now develops 462 hp (456 bhp) / 340 kW at 6,200 rpm and 615 Nm (453 lb-ft) of torque at 3,100 rpm. The BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a blistering 4.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 275 km/h (172 mph).

To keep the extra power in check the BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 features upgraded suspension, brakes and aerodynamics and a 30 millimeter lowered ride height. The interior of the BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 has also received extensive upgrades.

The BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 price starts at 198,200 Euros.

Brabus Press Release:

BRABUS MERCEDES GLK V8 V8-Power with 462 hp for the Smallest Mercedes SUV

An automotive dream comes true: The special model GLK V8, which celebrates its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2009, adds fascinating eight-cylinder power from BRABUS to the GLK. BRABUS, recognized as an automobile manufacturer by the German Federal Vehicle Registration Agency (Kraftfahrtbundesamt), implants the eight-cylinder four-valve engine from the S 500 into the confines of the GLK body. As part of the BRABUS power treatment the displacement of the engine is increased to 6.1 liters, after which it puts out 462 hp (456 bhp) / 340 kW and propels the exclusive five-door to a new top speed of 275 km/h (172 mph). The BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 starts at 198,200 Euros MSRP.

The implantation of the V8 engine into the body of the GLK required the know-how the BRABUS development department gathered in the design of many ultra-fast high performance sedans such as the BRABUS BULLIT that reaches a top speed of more than 360 km/h (225 mph). The BULLIT is based on the latest Mercedes C-Class.

There is nothing that replaces displacement except more displacement: The BRABUS engineers converted the four-valve V8 engine from the Mercedes S 500 to BRABUS 6.1 specifications. The displacement increase to 6,096 cc is facilitated with a custom billet-steel crankshaft with longer stroke and with an increase in cylinder bore. BRABUS high performance pistons increase the compression ratio to 11.0:1.

Another focal point of the BRABUS engine modifications lies in the four-valve cylinder heads. Larger intake and outlet valves actuated by sport camshafts improve gas flow. Intake and outlet ports are also flow optimized.

The BRABUS conversion further includes new engine electronics, a special seven-speed automatic gearbox and a high-performance exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts custom-built for the GLK body.

462 hp (456 bhp) / 340 kW at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 615 Nm (453 lb-ft) at 3,100 rpm are the performance cornerstones of the BRABUS 6.1 engine, lubricated exclusively with ARAL high-performance motor oil.

This engine transforms the BRABUS Mercedes GLK V8 into the prime example for a dynamic SUV: The five-door zooms from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 275 km/h (172 mph).

To keep this tremendous performance potential safely in check at all times, BRABUS thoroughly upgrades suspension, brakes and aerodynamics of the GLK.

The sporty yet comfortable BRABUS suspension was developed to account for the higher weight of the V8 engine. It lowers the ride height of the GLK by some 30 millimeters (1.2 inches).

The BRABUS high-performance brake system is also designed to withstand the most extreme stress. Six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and vented and grooved steel discs measuring 360 x 36 millimeters (14.2 x 1.4 inches) provide maximum stopping power in the front. The rear axle helps stop the big-block GLK with six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and vented and grooved 300 x 28 millimeter (11.8 x 1.1 inches) steel discs.

A wider track also contributes to the sporty handling characteristics of the special model SUV. Underneath the striking fender flares that add five centimeters (two inches) to the width of the GLK is plenty of room for extra-wide wheels. The GLK V8 runs on especially light yet extremely strong BRABUS Monoblock forged wheels. Customers can choose between the classic three-piece Monoblock VI light-alloy wheels and the new Monoblock F wheel styling with nine double spokes. These wheels are mounted in size 9Jx21 in front and in size 10.5Jx21 on the rear axle. BRABUS Monoblock E and S wheels are also available with 21- inch diameter. All wheels are shod with high-performance tires from BRABUS technology partners Pirelli and YOKOHAMA. Even more exclusive is the 10Jx22 version with size 295/25 ZR 22 tires. In this size customers can choose from the familiar Monoblock designs VI, S, E and the new BRABUS Monoblock G forged five-spoke wheels.

In addition to the fender flares the WIDESTAR conversion includes the BRABUS front apron whose shape was optimized in the wind tunnel to reduce lift on the front axle. The component features generously dimensions air inlets as well as integrated LED daytime running lights and auxiliary high beams and fog lamps.

The BRABUS WIDESTAR rocker panels create a homogenous transition between front and rear fender flares. The underside of the panels features LED lights that are activated via the key fob of by pulling on a door handle. They illuminate the ground next to the SUV for safe entering and exiting of the vehicle in the dark.

The rear of the widened GLK is characterized by the BRABUS rear apron with centrally mounted reflector. Custom-tailored left and right cutouts provide the perfect surroundings for the four redesigned tailpipes of the BRABUS stainless-steel sport exhaust. The rear appearance is rounded out by the BRABUS roof spoiler.

Individuality also rules in the GLK interior: The lineup of exclusive accessories starts with an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel and stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated BRABUS WIDESTAR logo.

BRABUS also equips the GLK 6.1 with exclusive interior design. The BRABUS upholstery shop creates an entirely new BRABUS leather interior perfect down to the last detail. Customers can choose from single-color or multi-color interiors, with or without Alcantara elements. Especially exclusive is the leather covering of the entire vehicle floor that alone uses several kilometers of the finest color-coordinated thread, all sewn with utmost precision. Additional interior highlights come in the form of carbon-fiber trim panels or trim made from a variety of different precious-wood grains for dashboard, doors and center console. Custom-tailored seatback consoles for the GLK front seats with integrated seven-inch monitors and DVD players offer multimedia on wheels.

BMW officially announces new 335d and X5 XDrive35d diesels

2008-11-12T03:47:00.000-08:00

BMW just concluded a webcast press conference announcing details on the new 335d and X5 xDrive35d diesels that are going on sale shortly. These will be the first BMW diesels on the US market since the 524td of the mid-eighties. Like the new diesels from Mercedes-Benz and Audi and Volkswagen (apart from the Jetta), these will use a particulate filter and a urea injection system to clean up the soot and NOx emissions. The output numbers are unchanged from last January when the cars were first announced. The dual turbocharged 3.0L inline six cylinder is rated 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Both vehicles are only available with an automatic transmission. When asked why, Tom Baloga VP Engineering explained that this engine isn't available with a manual transmission in Europe either because BMW hasn't developed a gearbox with sufficient torque capacity.

The urea tanks hold 5.5 gallons of fluid which should be enough to last about 15,000 miles. The urea will be replenished at the regular 10,000 mile service intervals which BMW provides free of charge (at least any additional charge on top of the price of the car) for the first four years or 50,000 miles. At the pump, the 335d will be rated at 23/36 mpg city/highway with a range of about 560 miles. The X5's 22 gallon tank should take it at least 585 miles on its 19/26 mpg ratings. The 335d will be priced at $44,725, less a $900 federal tax credit, while the X5 will consume $52,025 from your bank account. The feds will send back $1,550 to help pave the way. We'll be driving the 335d next week and we'll let you know what we think.

2006 BMW M5 - Car Review

2008-11-12T03:17:00.000-08:00

Lawlessness, or at least the ability to transform a shapeless innocent into a scofflaw, is a seldom-discussed feature of luxury automobiles. So let's discuss it for a moment, shall we?

Most high-end automakers employ geary gangs of mad mechanics to goose their standard offerings, typically taking an already fine sedan and piling on horsepower, thus enabling said ride to exceed two or even three times the speed limit. Mercedes has its AMG line, Audi the S-Series, and BMW has a posse of souped-up vehicles dubbed the M-Class.

The newest entry in this lineup, an $85,000 Indianapolis-red-metallic M5, was delivered unto me recently on a gray Bay Area day, one on which I happened to need to hustle from San Francisco to Sacramento for a speaking engagement. I was a little worried about making it on time. I shouldn't have been.

For those not up on Bavarian evolution, the M5 is simply BMW's popular 5-Series sedan writ large. Outwardly, the first three generations of M5s looked the same as the lesser 5s. (The only hints of their supercar status were a tiny badge on the trunk and a pair of odd-looking air vents on the side.) Such stealthiness was by design: Though they resembled sedate city runabouts, these pre-2006 M5s had enough juice -- 400 horsepower -- to blast the doors off almost any sedan on the market.

For a speed racer looking to fly beneath the radar, it was the perfect car. Which, of course, is why BMW decided to change it, most notably by adding a magical button that, when pushed, adds yet another 100 horses to the engine. Simply depress and, voila, you've hit the 500-horsepower threshold, and can now smoke a Ferrari Scaglietti.

The root of all this temptation is a 5.0-liter V-10 evolved from BMW's Formula One vehicles, a power plant that won the highly coveted (seriously) International Engine of the Year award. It is indeed a technological wonder, carved from lightweight alloys and boasting individual throttle butterflies that let the fourth-generation M5 zip around in slightly harnessed mode - allowing for better gas mileage and civilized comportment - before some button-pushing fool unleashes its uberdemons, which can rocket the M5 past 190 mph. I, of course, am one such fool.

San Fran to Sacramento is an 87-mile drive and, by all rights, should take some 90 minutes. I had about an hour, the first five minutes of which I spent puzzling out how the damn car worked. The M5's suspension, gearing, traction, and horsepower can be configured in 279 different ways, a confusing cornucopia that forces the driver to choose between paddle, center stick, or automatic shifting, 400 or 500 horses, comfort or sport ride, and so on.

This wealth of variables is nice, but it doesn't allow for a fast getaway should you need to make one. In fact, when the M5 was adapted for the U.S. market, BMW stripped away the one feature I most desired at that moment: "launch mode," wherein you press the gearshift forward, allow the engine to rev to 7,000 rpm or so, and release the gear knob. Bam.

Absent that handy feature, I set forth the old-fashioned way, by tapping a series of lighted buttons that surround the shifter until I found the proper level of power, comfort, and traction control. (Did I mention it was raining?) That the interior of the M5, like all BMWs, was deftly executed -- with restrained use of leathery, metally, and burly surfaces - goes without saying.

Also, rest assured that the company has employed all manner of gizmos to keep you comfortable and safe, including a holograph-style heads-up instrument display, seats that vise-grip you if they sense a hard turn approaching, and brakes that periodically and incrementally apply themselves in wet weather, generating enough heat to dry themselves without affecting your rate of speed.

Speaking of which, I was now averaging 93 miles per hour, and at such speeds, the M5 rides a bit stiffly, which is fine if you adhere to the theory that greater road-feel makes for more engaged, and thus safer, driving. Midway along in my commute, I came upon Vacaville, home to two notorious state prisons and thus a beehive of law enforcement vehicles; in one 10-mile stretch, I counted five troopers.

Clicking down to 400 horses, I hewed to the straight and narrow until safely past the prisons' klieg lights, then thumbed the M button. Instantly the car hit triple digits, zooming along with frightening surety. (I made it to my gig four minutes early.) The return trip was more leisurely, averaging an almost lawful 75. Apparently such speed is permissible, because at one point a trooper pulled alongside, eyeballed the car, and then gave a what-the-hell grin.

As it happens, I would have escaped my time in the M5 scot-free had it not been for an incident on the final day. Having zipped around the city and surrounding burbs, walloping through the car's seven gears in every M-type configuration and just generally being an automotive sociopath, I had parked briefly on a downtown street and managed to return just as the meter ran out. A parking cop was waiting. He pulled his ticket pad from his belt, clicked a pen, and said happily, "Got you."

Whether he was talking to me or the car, I'm still not certain.

Mack Trucks lands another military contract

2008-11-12T02:34:00.000-08:00

Mack Trucks has been tapped by the U.S. Army for a contract for engine development, the second million-dollar contract awarded to the company this month, the company announced today.

The Allentown-based company was awarded a contract for more than $1 million for development of heavy duty diesel engines with the U.S. Army Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, a Michigan-based division.

The contract comes days after Mack announced it was awarded $28.5 million to supply 152 Mack Pinnacle heavy-duty trucks to a Michigan-based division of the U.S. Army that conducts weapons research.

Earlier this year, Mack along with three other truck producers, were tapped in a $2 billion deal to replace about 16,000 polluting trucks in California by 2012.

A slowed U.S. economy has affected Mack truck sales as demands have decreased for home building and freight shipping. Mack's deliveries in August were 1,266, an almost 12-percent decrease from the same month last year.

Total deliveries through August were 11,051, a 4-percent decrease compared to the first eight months in 2007.

Feds Probe Yamaha Rhino ATV

2008-11-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

The Yamaha Rhino has been a big hit with off-road enthusiasts but a series of fatal accidents is making it a hit with personal injury lawyers and federal regulators as well.

At least 30 people have died in Rhino accidents and hundreds have been injured, according to federal statistics. Hundreds of lawsuits are pending as a result.

The two-seat vehicle resembles a cross between a golf cart and an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). It's a popular design that enthusiasts say makes the Rhino fun to drive but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating whether stricter regulations are needed to make the Rhino safer, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Because of its unique design, the Rhino isn't subject to ATV safety standards, which aren't exactly five-star anyway. A recent report found that for the eighth year in a row, serious injuries caused by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) increased in 2007, and children under age 16 continued to suffer a significant portion of those injuries.

Instead of classifying it as an ATV, the CPSC calls the Rhino a "utility terrain vehicle," or UTV. There are no official standards for UTVs, but that may change as the safety agency continues its probe.

The Rhino falls into what the CPSC calls the "emerging hazard" category -- a niche sometimes created by crafty manufacturers who find ways to work around existing safety regulations.

The Rhino, for example, has a steering wheel
instead of the handlebars usually found on ATVs. That and other relatively minor differences leave it in category limbo -- neither car nor ATV -- and thus unregulated and unlicensed.

Since they're not regarded as cars, UTVs don't need licenses and can generally be operated by anyone, including children, which is a large part of the problem as regulators and consumer advocates see it.

F-150 a bit more fuel efficient

2008-11-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

The redesigned 2009 Ford F-150 comes to market later this month amid an unprecedented slowdown in the pickup truck market fueled by this year’s higher gasoline prices and the economic crisis that has affected not only the auto industry but just about every other sector of the economy as well.

Despite this year’s decline in pickup sales, the F-150 remains an important part of Ford Motor Co.’s long-term business plan.

But the new truck will need to find its way in a significantly changed market —- one that has lost most of the so-called casual truckers who in the past have bought pickups just because they wanted them, not because they needed them.

The Ford F-150’s success will depend on keeping and expanding its market share among those who use pickups as a way of life —- ranging from ranchers and farmers to construction and oil-field workers.

Fuel economy isn’t as important to these true truckers as it is to those who would use their pickups as an alternative to cars for everyday city commuting and family hauling, but it is a factor nonetheless.

Those who use pickups in their jobs often don’t have other, more fuel-efficient vehicles to drive while away from work, and to them, fuel economy is a real issue.

So while the new Ford F-150, for now, comes only with V-8 power, Ford has boosted fuel economy by about 8 percent across the entire line and has added special SFE models —- that stands for “superior fuel economy” —- that have EPA ratings of 21 miles per gallon on the highway.

Coming later —- but probably still a year or more away —- is Ford’s new EcoBoost line of turbocharged V-6 engines designed to offer V-8 power with the fuel economy of a six-cylinder. No mileage ratings have been announced yet for these engines.

The first, a 3.5-liter with 340 horsepower and 340 foot-pounds of torque, is expected to be introduced next year on the new Lincoln MKS sedan. No timetable has been given for adding the EcoBoost to other Ford and Lincoln models, but the automaker says this engine eventually will replace most of the V-8s in its current models.

But the redesigned F-150 benefits from improvements to its V-8 engines, including a 2 mpg increase in highway fuel economy on the SFE models. They will be equipped with a revised 4.6-liter V-8 that Ford promises will have “unsurpassed” fuel economy of 15 mpg city/21 highway —- while still providing up to 7,500 pounds of towing capacity.

Other F-150 models will be able to tow up to 11,300 pounds and will have hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds, Ford said. They will come with a 5.4-liter V-8.

“Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150,” Matt O’Leary, chief engineer for the F-150, said in an announcement about the SFE models.

“Fuel economy has moved from 10th to third place among pickup buyers’ top purchase considerations —- right behind durability and value,” he said. “The new F-150 delivers on all three as the industry leader.”

Ford Launches new Ikon in India

2008-11-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

Ford recently launched its revamped version of its popular model, Ikon, in India. The company is looking forward to reclaim the “Josh” excitement of its model back in the Indian car market. It is trying to woo its customers who have drifted away to other entry level sedans like Mahindra Renault Logan, Tata indigo and Maruti Swift Dzire.

It announced the diesel variants of its flagship model which would now be powered by 1.4 litre Duratorq TDCi engine while the petrol variant will be powered by 1.3 litre RoCam engine. The 1.4 litre Duratorq engine already marks its presence in the other models from Ford viz., Ford Fiesta and Ford Fusion.

The diesel version of the new Ford Ikon will be available at Rs. 5.19 lakh and the petrol version is priced at Rs. 4.59 lakh. Ford also plans to roll out petrol engines from its manufacturing unit in Chennai. The plant currently manufactures 60000 units of diesel engine. However, the overall installed capacity of the plant is 240,000 units. It is currently sourcing its petrol engines from South Africa.

''We have started with diesel engines but once our Chennai plant goes full steam in 2010, we may look at manufacturing petrol engines as well,” said Nigel E Wark, executive director (sales and marketing), Ford India.

GM, Ford, Toyota Plunge as Buyers Reject Big Trucks

2008-11-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the biggest auto retailers in the U.S., said June sales plunged as fuel prices above $4 a gallon drove consumers away from gas-guzzling trucks.

GM sales fell 19 percent, Ford was down 28 percent and Toyota dropped 21 percent. Honda Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG, which rely on cars for the bulk of their sales, each rose about 1 percent.

The automakers' sales releases support analysts' projections that said companies with the largest vehicles would tumble the most. Consumers now paying a record $4 a gallon for fuel couldn't find enough gasoline-saving small cars on dealers' lots.

``The vehicles that people want are in short supply because the industry has turned on a dime in terms of demand, and supply can't quite handle that,'' Alan Baum, director of automotive forecasting for Planning Edge in Birmingham, Michigan, said in a Bloomberg Radio interview. ``You'll continue to see a decline for the next several months.''

For the second straight month, Ford's F-Series large pickup, perennially the best-selling vehicle in the U.S., was outsold by four cars: Toyota's Corolla and Toyota Camry and Honda's Civic and Accord. Nissan Motor Co. reported an 18 percent total decline.

Ford: Two Gainers

Among the more than 20 U.S. models Ford sells, only two posted gains in June: the Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion sedan. Sales of the Ford Fusion gained 18 percent and the Milan 7.6 percent. Each of Ford's four sales divisions fell by at least 22 percent.

Ford's percentage decline is higher because the previous year's results included 5,570 sales from the Land Rover and Jaguar divisions, now owned by India's Tata Motors Ltd.

Sales of Ford's crossover SUVs such as the Lincoln MKX, a bright spot in previous months, fell 18 percent in June.

The SAAR, or seasonally adjusted annual rate, a measurement of sales without regard to seasonal fluctuations, probably fell to 13.2 million cars and light trucks last month, down 16 percent from 15.7 million a year earlier, based on a Bloomberg survey of 30 analysts and economists. That would be the lowest since March 1993.

Chrysler LLC will report a 25 percent decline, according to a survey of five of the analysts. U.S. auto sales are on a pace to plunge to 14.5 million units for 2008, the lowest in 15 years, according to Deutsche Bank. The annual industry average this decade has been 16.8 million.

Selling Days

Last month had three fewer selling days than June 2007. That means automakers may report figures roughly 12 percentage points lower than the analysts' adjusted estimates. By that measure, Ford's 28 percent decline was in line with the analysts' forecasts of a 19 percent drop.

A decrease would extend the industry's sales slump to eight straight months, the longest tumble in seven years. Average gasoline prices in June topped $4 a gallon for the first time and consumer confidence reached a 16-year low, prompting more Americans to postpone purchases of new vehicles.

Inventories of compact cars and gasoline-electric hybrids are ``going down at a rate we've never really seen before, and automakers are caught a bit unprepared,'' Jesse Toprak, an Edmunds.com analyst in Santa Monica, California, said in an interview. ``It might take several years to fully meet the consumers' demands.''

GM Production

GM is ramping up production of cars and smaller SUVs by almost 50,000 units this year in response to consumers' ``close attention to fuel-efficiency,'' sales chief Mark LaNeve said in a June 23 conference call with reporters.

More than 40 percent of Americans who said they are spending less than they did six months ago pointed to the price of gasoline as the reason, according to a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times survey.

Forty-two percent of Americans said they've delayed buying a new vehicle indefinitely because of fuel prices, according to a June 25 survey by Kelley Blue Book of Irvine, California.

A gallon of gasoline rose 2.8 percent from May 31 to a record $4.09 on June 30, according to motorist group AAA.

Mack Trucks Titan

2008-11-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

Big power, extra-strong chassis components, bold styling and a posh interior are among features of Mack Trucks' Titan, a severe-service model designed for heavy transport and construction applications. Due out late this fall, the Titan will be powered by a new 16.1-liter MP10 diesel with up to 605 horsepower and 2,060 pounds-feet.

Titan is based on the Granite vocational series, and gets Mack back into the heavy-transport market it left when it dropped the CL long conventional more than a year ago and the RW Super-Liner before that. Titan is "our flagship, the top of the top," said Steve Ginter, the builder's vocational segment product manager who headed the team that designed the new model. He and other Mack executives announced it at the Conexpo-Con/Agg show in Las Vegas in mid-March.

The Super-Liner was available with a 998-cubic-inch V-8 ?which made as much as 500 horsepower ? while the modern 984-cubic-inch MP 10 will produce 105 more horsepower and its exhaust will be 99.9 percent cleaner, Ginter said. The new engine is an adaptation of the D16 offered by Volvo Trucks, Mack's sister company. Like other current Mack and Volvo diesels, the MP 10 will be made by Volvo Powertrain in Hagerstown, Md., while the Titan will be assembled at Macungie, Pa.

The Mack Power 10 will propel the Titan. It is an inline six-cylinder diesel with a single overhead cam, high-pressure fuel injection, and rear-mounted geartrain. In addition to the 605-horsepower/2,060-lbs.-ft. rating, it will also be available at 515 and 565 horsepower with 1,860 lbs.-ft.

High-capacity chassis components will allow Titan to have gross combination weight ratings as high as 300,000 pounds. They will include front axles rated from 12,000 to 20,000 pounds and rear tandems from 46,000 to 65,000 pounds. Frame rails will come in thicknesses of 8, 9.5 and 11 millimeters, with partial or full 5-mm inserts. The MP 10 will be matched with 10-, 13- and 18-speed Mack T300ES transmissions or certain vendor gearboxes.

Titan has high ground clearance to let it pass over off-road obstacles. Its long hood gives the MP10 engine plenty of room, while cooling is aided by placing the cab back and up on the chassis to allow good air flow from under the hood, and for classic looks and excellent driver visibility.

Twin cowl-mounted "growler" air intakes are finished with polished metal and LED lights. They are fully functional, as they minimize moisture and screen debris from reaching the air filter elements, which are under the cab for easy servicing. Piping between the intakes and the elements is smooth and non-restrictive for high-volume airflow.

Titan's large grille surround is fashioned of chromed cast aluminum, complemented by similarly cast headlight bezels. Headlights have impact-resistant Lexan lenses and easy-to-replace bulbs. Chrome and bright finish appliances include air horns; "eyebrows" on the edges of front fenders; sun visor, in 10- or 13-inch widths; skirts; 6-inch-diameter dual exhaust stacks mounted at cab corners; and metal bumper with integrated driving lights.

Titan's cab is made of galvanized steel, and has carefully engineered features to reduce noise and vibration. The interior is available in three trim levels. The cab has numerous overhead storage bins and four-point lighting. The dash is available in woodgrain or brushed nickel finishes. The standard instrument cluster features large, easy-to-read displays and gauges to help keep drivers focused on the road.

The standard Mack Co-Pilot display provides real-time fuel economy numbers with "sweet-spot" indicator and trip data, detailed maintenance and fault summaries, and supplemental sensor readings. The available Lectronix T7000 navigational radio integrates entertainment; navigation; a blind-spot camera display; and vehicle, trip and tire-pressure monitoring systems.

Initial Titan production will be of daycabs; then sleepers will be offered, Ginter said. A 38- to 42-inch box sometimes needed by loggers and heavy haulers is likely to be the first type. Production is scheduled for November.

EPA Honors Mack Trucks, Inc. for Greenhouse Gas Reductions

2008-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Mack Trucks, Inc. was recognized today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the company's success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout its operations. Mack was honored by EPA at the annual Climate Leaders Partners Meeting in Chicago.

In 2004, as part of the Climate Leaders program, Mack pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operations by 20% per unit produced by 2010, using 2003 as a base. As a result of implementing numerous energy efficiency projects, in 2007 Mack not only met, but exceeded its reduction goal three years ahead of the 2010 target date.

"We take support of environmental improvement efforts in our society very seriously," said Dennis Slagle, Mack president and CEO. "Environmental care is a corporate core value for Mack and it influences our business decisions, from product and service offerings to how we operate our facilities. Our commitment to the goals of Climate Leaders was a natural choice for the company to make."

Climate Leaders is an industry-government partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies. Partner companies commit to reducing their impact on the global environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions based on a quality management system, setting aggressive reduction goals, and annually reporting their progress to EPA. Through program participation, companies create a credible record of their accomplishments and receive EPA recognition as corporate environmental leaders.

From 2003 to 2007, Mack reduced GHG emissions by 32% per unit built and, during that same time, achieved a 25% reduction in total GHG emissions. A major focus for Mack was improving energy efficiency at its manufacturing operations: the Hagerstown, Md., Powertrain plant; Macungie, Pa., Assembly Operation; and Middletown, Pa., Remanufacturing Center.

Mack's manufacturing plants undertook a variety of energy efficiency related projects, including: installing more efficient lighting; upgrading boilers to natural gas, biodiesel and other vegetable based oils; installing building automation systems to control lighting and HVAC systems; installing heat recovery systems on paint booth ovens; and replacing old equipment and tools with more energy efficient versions.

As a result of these successes, Mack recently announced that the company would continue its commitment as a Climate Leaders Program Partner by pledging to reduce emissions an additional 12% per unit produced through 2012. Mack is also exploring additional clean energy generation technologies and continued deployment of energy efficiency projects across the company.

Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and MACK® vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide. All Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing thesafety of our nation's roadways.

Mack is a member of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and is the world's leading producer of heavy-diesel engines (9-16 liter). The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs about 100,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells its products in more than 180 markets. Annual sales of the Volvo Group amount to over $42 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Shares are listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and are traded OTC in the U.S.

Paris man killed in wreck with dump truck

2008-11-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

One man died Thursday night after a collision between a dump truck and a passenger car, Kentucky State Police said.

Charles C. Henney, 56, of Paris was pronounced dead at the scene.

The collision happened at 7:25 p.m. Thursday at the bypass and Peacock Road.

The dump truck, whose driver was not identified, was traveling west on the bypass and struck a small four-door car driven by Henney. The car was struck on the driver's side, police said.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the accident, which is under investigation by state police.