October 12th, 2006 by admin
“New rules go into effect on Sunday that require fuel makers to produce a much cleaner diesel”
Automobile manufacturers are in the process of moving to more efficient engines, ahead of US legislation that will go into effect on Sunday, demanding cleaner diesel that is almost completely free of sulfur.
From an article in the Houston Chronicle:
Next January, automakers will roll out engine systems equipped with exhaust-scrubbing technologies that work in tandem with the cleaner fuel to reduce soot and smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions.
Diesel engines are popular worldwide in commercial vehicles and among heavy-duty pickup drivers because of their power and fuel economy _ they are typically 20 to 30 percent more efficient than conventional gasoline engines. That greater efficiency also makes diesel quite attractive to ordinary drivers in Europe, where fuel taxes are much higher than in the U.S. and diesel-powered cars make up half the passenger-vehicle market.
Are car buyers ready to purchase cars that run on diesel fuel, given the public memory of the smelly, inefficient diesel-powered vehicle of yesteryear? It remains to be seen. The image of diesel clearly needs a makeover if diesel-powered engines are to go mainstream in the States.
October 9th, 2006 by admin
Tips for a Successful and Useful Purchase
The savvy shopper knows that many extended warranties aren’t used. High-pressure, point of sale warranties, such as those on consumer electronics don’t give you the option of comparison shopping, and as such, are ill-advised by consumer experts.
The exception on warranties across the board is the vehicle warranty – if you do your homework.
From an article in the Houston Chronicle:
According to the Insurance Information Institute in 2004, the U.S. auto insurance industry paid out $66 in claims for every $100 in premiums.
You’ll want an extended warranty to spread the cost of maintaining or fixing your car or truck over the years. Few of us are able to come up with the large lump sum that major repairs tend to cost.
However, just because purchasing extended coverage on your car is something you’ll have to do anyway, doesn’t mean you should take the first offer that comes.
Keep the following in mind when you’re ready to buy:
Vehicles, by nature, are more likely to get worn down and need repair the more you use them. Having a plan for this inevitability is just common sense.
See Also
October 6th, 2006 by admin
CEO reportedly still open to alternate North American Alliance
A dispute over the terms Nissan-Renault posed to GM has lend to the end of talks between the three companies. Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of both corporations, said before the talks ended that he’d still consder working with another North American company if talks didn’t work out.
Speculative reports point at Ford Motor Company, as they have recently posed the notion to pursue talks with Nissan-Renault.
From an article in the LA Times:
"Assuming he was sincere, Ford looks like the next candidate for the job," Banc of America Securities analyst Ron Tadross wrote in a note to investors Wednesday.
Read more in the International Herald Times.
See Also
September 29th, 2006 by admin
When Two Giant Automobile Manufacturers Become One
What would the world do if GM and Ford became a single company? Probably treat it like any other American automobile manufacturing company. So what is so exciting about the potential alliance of two of the major automotive players? Quite a 
bit, if you’re at all involved with auto industry news. The prospect of GM and Ford putting their two experienced and highly influential automotive companies together is really more of a risky business concern than a question of “what will this do for the auto industry?”
The automobile industry would certainly feel the effect of the two giants’ merger, but no one would be more affected than if GM and Ford were to join only to have the partnership be a failure. Many large companies have embarked on the mission to unite with hopes of knocking out the market share mostly by combining solid reputation to watch the result of the merger unexpectedly crumble to below what each business had attained on their own. Reports of a possible merging of GM and Ford are highly interesting because the auto world would be waiting with held breath to see if it turns out successful or a flop. In the meantime, if it’s publicity the two corporations are looking for, they’ve succeeded at that.
See Also
September 28th, 2006 by admin
Translation: A Full-Sized Vehicle Purchase Deal
If there’s one way to battle difficult times for your automotive company, it’s to strike 
a sweet-sounding deal with your patrons. GM is doing just that as it announces that its 2007 line of full-sized pick-up trucks will go for no more than the 2006 line. Without getting nit-picky about pricing details and the amount of difference in this year’s line over lasts, the offer will sound nice to customers looking to purchase a truck.
While car owners and intentional buyers are getting excited about the prospect of a great buying year, GM’s offer is another example of how American auto manufacturers are being forced to compete with high fuel prices and increasingly popular foreign models. This is surely prime time to invest in your vehicle’s long-term lasting ability. When car makers offer deals and incentives to the extend that they are currently, it means the bottom line is car ownership is more expensive than ever and the public is pressured to place new vehicle buying as a lower priority. An extended warranty on your automobile can keep you from having to return to the lot sooner than your wallet expects or allows.
See Also
September 27th, 2006 by admin
US Auto Makers Encouraged To Approach like Asian Competitors
The global competition fury between the United States’ automobile manufacturers and Asian-based industries rages enough without the recent concern over fuel 
efficiency and gas prices. Now statistics are showing that a race between automakers at home and abroad is being overtaken by economic common sense, replacing former priorities of luxury, design, and status. Of course gas costs have always been a factor in the competition but the world is at a place with oil that is unforgiving for America’s producers of gas guzzlers and fuel chuggers.
The wake up call is in the numbers. Americans are simply forced to be more economic with car choices and Asia provides more practicality in their design. While US auto makers are striving to hang in there by reporting intensive research on manufacturing large vehicles with better fuel economy, Asia has the vehicle market’s allegiance. In the meantime, if the top US auto makers can master the large consumer car that cuts back significantly on pump cost, then watch out Asia as America closes in.
See Also
September 26th, 2006 by admin
California Blames The Automotive Industry
Concerned about pollution? Global decay? Environmental health? California is. But instead of taking the pick up litter, recycle, and enforce carpooling approach, the state of California turns to an unlikely industrial group claiming their major contribution to environmental decline. California is suing several auto manufacturers in an effort to increase the drive (no pun intended) toward less fuel emissions production.
It seems as though California has decided auto makers can pay for the damage done to the climate on their turf. Automotive Digest’s depiction of the situation suggests the lawsuit is more political than environmental, but it is doubtless a lawsuit that will have the auto industry wondering – can they really do that? For the industry’s sake and all of us bursting with curiousity over that very question, hopefully the answer will come sooner rather than later.
See Also
September 25th, 2006 by admin
Automobile Manufacturers Take Their Chances
No one can argue that 2007 is a crucial year for the automotive world. Recent recalls, fuel crises, and desperate public relations incidences coming from some of the top vehicle makers has left the manufacturers 
struggling to make up for lost public loyalty. It’s going to be a year to watch what models make it and what manufacturers continue a downward decline.
The effects of 2007’s automobile manufacturing luck or lack thereof will also play a pivotal role in the warranty division of the sector. Factory warranties will be an incentive for car buyers, but will they be as thorough as other warranty providers are able to offer? As always with a fickle industry, one can only watch and see, and rely on the extended warranty services recommendes through reputation.
See Also
September 22nd, 2006 by admin
Make It Last, Get Coverage Now
The demand for hybrid, E85, and diesel vehicles places a responsibility upon extended warranty providers and the car owners themselves. If the point is to be environmentally friendly, these emissions-reducing models have a need to last. Energy efficient cars require energy efficient parts and hopefully for the owner, a high priority on coverage to see the environmentally friendlier vehicle last as long as possible.
While your extended warranty provider is busy working out services and coverage requirements for fuel saving cars, the buyer shouldn’t be giving warranty coverage a second thought. An ecological-conscious consumer will always choose the side of protecting the environment, and in the case of a hybrid owner, that means repair warranty coverage.
September 21st, 2006 by admin
Hybrid Car Coverage
Paying top dollar at the gasoline pump is a strain on both personal, commercial, and governmental wallets no matter how you cut it. The proposal of the recent drop in station prices being temporary doesn’t help matters. Especially because deep down inside we all know it’s more than likely true. It’s no wonder that hybrid and other recently innovated vehicles are in such high demand.
What this means for your checking account is that gas won’t make up a ridiculous percentage of your spending. What it means for warranty coverage is changes specific to new emissions-cutting automotive design. Energy efficient cars require energy efficient parts and hopefully for the owner, a high priority on coverage to see the environmentally friendlier vehicle last as long as possible.
