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Auto Sales May Have Hit Bottom
There are early signs auto sales may have hit bottom in the first quarter, industry leaders say, and even could recover in the second half if the government encourages car buying.
But experts such as Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally also warn that optimism could turn to panic if major auto suppliers collapse.
"Clearly, the health of the supply base is the most critical issue as the government helps GM and Chrysler restructure," Mulally said in a con ...
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Bright Spots Dot Dim April Car Sales
Overshadowed by Chrysler's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and its move to shut down production until it emerges, automakers Friday reported April new vehicle sales that could only be described as terrible down 34.2% from last year to an annual pace of 9.32 million.
The important annual rate number hasn't topped 10 million this year, and April was a special disappointment. Automakers and analysts had been expecting to match March's 9.86 million ann ...
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Buyers Go After Big Cars Again
Gyrating gas prices are playing havoc on auto industry planners, who've been adding small cars to their lineups, even as customers are showing more interest again in bigger vehicles.
New Chrysler small cars expected from a deal with Italy's Fiat hatched last week won't arrive for up to two years, says Chrysler President Jim Press, but even if they were showing up now, it wouldn't matter much.
Press says the company's full size Dodge Durango SUV ...
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Deal Gives Fans Chance To Buy Stake in IRL Team
A partnership launched Monday will offer fans a chance to buy into Viso's HVM Racing team, much like fans of the Green Bay Packers and other sports teams around the world have done. The alliance between HVM and iTeam Sports allows access and interaction with the IRL IndyCar Series team and ownership, among other perks.
"There's a disconnect right now between fans and teams, and this lets us inside," said iTeam Sports founder and President Steve ...
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| New Bank Repo Cars articles edition... |
 | European Officials Go Wild With New Car Incentives
European governments are giving price discounts directly to buyers of new cars, hoping to stimulate sales for troubled automakers, fuel national economies and replace older, more polluting cars.
The explosion of simultaneous plans has astonished analysts.
"Europe seems to be going quite mad, launching schemes to help," says Nigel Griffiths, chief auto economist in consultant IHS Global Insight's London office. "Very good job; very fast. All don ...
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 | Honda New Hybrid Takes On The Prius
It's not often that Honda messes up. But this month's launch of its first hybrid only car, the 2010 Insight, marks a complete about face on its hybrid strategy.
Until now, Honda has only offered hybrid versions of existing models, such as the Civic and Accord, and it has watched in horror as Toyota's hybrid only Prius stole the show. With annual worldwide sales of more than one million cars, the Prius is by far the bestselling hybrid, while the ...
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 | Nissan and Renault Partner With China on Electric Cars
Automakers Renault and Nissan announced on Friday a partnership with the Chinese government to develop a plan for mass marketing electric vehicles and building a battery charging network.
Under the deal, the automakers will work with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Wuhan municipal government to build a pilot electric car program in the city. Nissan might provide free electric vehicles to Wuhan to help build the ne ...
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 | Small Step on Nano Energy
In the assessment of the health of General Motors produced by the Obama administration in March, the company's investment in electric vehicles received a failing mark. "While the [Chevrolet] Volt holds promise," the report read, "it is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in cost in order to become commercially viable."
Electric vehicles have been hard pressed to ...
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