Auto News

Yamaha files patents for hybrid motorcycle

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:53:40 GMT

Yamaha files patents for hybrid motorcycle based on Gen-Ryu, LUXAIR concepts

Yamaha is reportedly developing a hybrid motorcycle based on the Gen-Ryu concept that first debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show way back in 2005 and the LUXAIR followup two years later. That first concept machine mated up the 600cc inline-four engine from Yamaha's R6 sportbike to an electric motor and generator that sent power to the rear wheel. Although its unlikely that exact powertrain would ever hit the showroom floor, Gizmag reports that we should expect to see a production version of the concept in Tokyo later this year.

The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has filed a series of patents on its new hybrid technology, the most innovative part of which is a planetary gearbox that can adjust the power flow from the gas-powered engine, electric motor and generator. According to Yamaha, this arrangement allows for all of the assorted hybrid bits to fit within the narrow confines of a two-wheeled motorcycle chassis. Click here for a nice explanation of how the technology will function and click here for more information from the official patent filing.

Top 6 Automakers scraping diesels

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:27:09 GMT

Top 6 Automakers scraping diesels

Mainstream carmakers have put the brakes on nine diesel-powered vehicles that had been scheduled for 2010.

Honda, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, and Toyota have halted diesel programs because of spiraling costs and other problems.

Financial problems halted the programs at some companies. Others, like Toyota, are looking elsewhere for fuel economy. "We are banking heavily on hybrids," said Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister.

Only German automakers--Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW--have followed through with plans to launch U.S. diesels on time. Most German diesels are in premium vehicles similar to vehicles built in large numbers for Europe and other markets. That volume reduces development and production costs per vehicle.

A diesel engine typically delivers fuel economy 20 to 30 percent better than that of a gasoline engine. But a diesel can add between $3,000 and $8,000 to a vehicle's price. Costly components include the turbocharger, the high-pressure fuel injection system and the complex emissions system, which is filled with precious metals. That cost seems to be a barrier for the mass-market brands.

Still, the new German diesels are selling well. The price of diesel fuel may be a factor. It has dropped from its high last summer of $4.85 per gallon--considerably more than gasoline--to $2.63 last week, a few pennies less than a gallon of regular gasoline.

"Cost-benefit" problem

Bernd Bohr, chairman of the automotive group at Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH, knows costs have to come down. Bosch, the world's largest supplier of diesel fuel injection systems, supplies all the new German diesel-powered vehicles in the United States.

"It's always a question of the cost-benefit relationship," Bohr told Automotive News recently.

Just one part of some diesels' emissions system--urea injection--can add $1,000 to the cost of the vehicle. A turbocharger, high-pressure fuel injection system and diesel particulate filter pump up the price, too.

Bohr said Bosch is attacking the cost problem in at least two areas: reducing the amount of oxides of nitrogen, or NOx, produced in the engine--which means a smaller amount of expensive precious metals are needed in the emissions system--and standardizing parts for larger production runs.

Bohr thinks manufacturers eventually will be able to sell vehicles with six-cylinder diesel engines of about 3.0 liters profitably and in high volumes in the United States.

"Maybe some of the projects our customers had in the past, maybe V-8s, were a little oversized in today's world," he said. "They are now looking at six-cylinders, maybe 3.0-liter diesel engines. That could be something very much worthwhile for the American market."

Bias toward hybrids?

Kevin McMahon, a partner at the Martec Group, a consulting firm, says the way the EPA calculates fuel economy and carbon dioxide standards gives gasoline-electric hybrids an unfair advantage over diesels.

In 2006, the EPA revised the way it determines real-world, "window sticker" fuel economy to reflect U.S. driving patterns. The EPA's new sticker rule making assumes Americans drive 43 percent of their miles in city conditions and 57 percent on the highway.

But under fleet average standards for corporate average fuel economy and CO2, vehicles are certified using 35-year-old test weighting of 55 percent city and 45 percent highway driving.

"Diesel vehicles that perform very well at high-load and high-speed driving--where most of America's fuel is used in the real world--are penalized," says McMahon. "Meanwhile, vehicles that perform very well in stop-and-go driving, like hybrids, are overrewarded."

The image of the diesel engine may be one reason Toyota has halted its plans. Says McAllister, "One of the obstacles of the diesel is the aged perception that the diesel is smoky and stinky. It's hard to change the mind set of consumers. Hybrid technology has such a clean halo to it."

Source: [ Automotive News ]

2011 BMW X1 for sale in the US.

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30:20 GMT

2011 BMW X1 for sale in the US.

As expected after this morning's initial leakage, BMW has released a staggering amount of images of the 2011 BMW X1 showing the brand's new soft-roader in every conceivable environment before it's officially revealed at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Along with the pics, BMW put out a brief statement (below the fold) confirming the X1's arrival in the U.S. sometime in 2011 and its plans to offer both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive (xDrive) versions, along with "a wide variety of gasoline and diesel powertrain choices." BMW won't officially confirm what mils will make the trip across the Atlantic, but the automaker says the X1 will use its EfficientDynamics system and that one gasoline engine and three diesels will be available when the X1 launches in Europe this fall. Check out all 183 high-res images in the gallery below and expect official U.S. market information to be released closer to the X1's launch in the States.

PRESS RELEASE THE BMW X1 CONFIRMED FOR UNITED STATES IN 2011 Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey – July 1, 2009 ... It was confirmed today that the BMW X1 is planned to debut in the United States in calendar year 2011. The X1 has been conceived with the flexibility to offer traditional rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations, as well as a wide variety of gasoline and diesel powertrain choices. In light of rapidly evolving US market demands, fuel prices, and regulatory standards, elements of the X1's US launch plan, including engine and drivetrain configurations, will be forthcoming closer to the time of launch. The BMW X1 will debut in Europe this fall with a choice of four engines - one gasoline and three diesels - and will be available in rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations. The X1 will set new benchmarks in the premium compact segment for efficiency, comfort, utility, and of course driving dynamics. Achieving up to 5.2 L/100km (45.2 miles per US gallon) on the European test cycle, the BMW Advanced Diesel-powered X1 sDrive18d will provide remarkable fuel efficiency while still achieving a top speed of 200km/h (124mph). Each drivetrain choice for the X1 will showcase the latest results of BMW's EfficientDynamics engineering strategy, which is focused to reduce emissions and consumption while enhancing the performance expected of any BMW.

SOURCE: [ Autoblog.com ]

GMAC is now a corporation, allowing share sales

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:44:45 GMT

GMAC is now a corporation, allowing share sales

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- GMAC said on Wednesday that it has converted to a corporation from a limited liability company, a move that could allow the auto and mortgage lender to sell shares to the public.

In a regulatory filing, the Detroit-based company said holders of common membership interests in the former GMAC LLC on Tuesday received an equal number of common shares in GMAC Inc.

It was not immediately clear when or if GMAC might sell shares to the public. A call to the company was not immediately returned.
GMAC has received $12.5 billion of government aid since December, when it became a bank holding company, to combat mounting mortgage losses as well as falling vehicle sales.

Some of that aid came in a May rescue package after regulator concluded that GMAC needed an $11.5 billion capital buffer following a "stress test" of its ability to weather a deep recession. That package left the government owning a roughly 35 percent stake.

GMAC now is the preferred lender to customers of bankrupt automakers General Motors and Chrysler Group LLC.

In a May 22 regulatory filing, GMAC said that if it were to go public, the Treasury Department would begin to liquidate its stake within seven years after an initial public offering, and try to shed 10 percent to 20 percent of its stake in each succeeding year.

GM and private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, the former owners of GMAC, were forced to shed much of their stakes as part of GMAC's bailout in December.

SOURCE: [ Automotive News ]

JUNE 2009 AUTOMOTIVE SALES BY THE NUMBERS

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:53:46 GMT

JUNE 2009 AUTOMOTIVE SALES BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. light-vehicle sales (developing table)

Automaker	June 2009	June 2008	Pct. chng.	6 month 2009	6 month 2008	Pct. chng.
BMW Group*	20,879	26,192	–20.3%	114,628	158,135	–27.5%
Chrysler Group LLC**	68,297	117,457	–41.9%	471,197	867,826	–45.7%
Daimler AG***	16,286	22,139	–26.4%	93,745	130,796	–28.3%
Ford Motor Co.****	154,873	173,462	–10.7%	773,242	1,172,521	–34.1%
General Motors*****	174,785	262,329	–33.4%	947,518	1,589,235	–40.1%
Honda (American)†	100,420	142,539	–29.5%	530,778	798,358	–33.5%
Hyundai Group††	–	–	–%	–	–	–%
Isuzu	–	364	–	165	3,339	–95.1%
Jaguar Land Rover‡	2,875	3,560	–19.2%	–	–	–
Maserati	111	213	–47.9%	593	1,353	–56.2%
Mazda	–	–	–%	–	–	–%
Mitsubishi	4,362	7,494	–41.8%	26,467	53,5883	–50.9%
Nissan†††	58,298	75,848	–23.1%	347,744	522,322	–33.4%
Porsche	902	2,650	–66.0%	9,659	15,086	–36.0%
Subaru	18,620	18,007	3.4%	93,306	94,095	–0.8%
Suzuki	2,149	9,785	–78.0%	22,408	56,248	–60.2%
Toyota‡	131,653	193,234	–31.9%	770,447	1,240,087	–37.9%
VW‡‡‡	–	–	–%	–	–	–%
Other (estimate)	400	524	–23.7%	2,400	3,137	–23.5%
TOTAL	754,910	1,055,797	–28.5%	4,222,483	6,709,981	–37.1%

Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere.
Source: Automotive News Data Center
Note: Other includes estimates for Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus
*Includes Mini and Rolls-Royce
**Fiat assumed management control of Chrysler on June 10, 2009. DaimlerChrysler sold the Chrysler group on Aug. 3, 2007
***Incudes Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart
****Includes Jaguar and Land Rover (through May 31, 2008) and Volvo
*****Includes Saab
†Includes Honda Division and Acura
††Includes Hyundai and Kia
†††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti
‡Tata Motors includes Jaguar and Land Rover as of June 1, 2008
‡‡Includes Toyota Division, Lexus and Scion
‡‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley

Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales in June fell 10.7 percent, their smallest decline in 16 months

Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales in June fell 10.7 percent, their smallest decline in 16 months, as early results supported projections that the industry may post its best month of a dismal year.

Sales at bankrupt General Motors were down 33.4 percent, and Chrysler Group LLC tumbled 41.9 percent, as both automakers slashed deliveries to fleets. Toyota slid 31.9 percent for its second-slimmest drop of the year, while Nissan’s 23.1 percent decline was its smallest since its last sales gain in August.

American Honda, the only one of the top six automakers to post a sales gain in June 2008, was down 29.5 percent.

GM projected today that industrywide sales would come in at about 10 million units on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, in line with an Automotive News poll of nine analysts. Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Edmunds.com, said “it’s going to be close.”

That would be higher than May's 9.9 million but still well below the 13.1 million from June 2008. Sales rates have fluctuated between 9.1 million and 9.9 million so far this year, hovering at 27-year lows.

Chrysler took a more pessimistic outlook today, saying June’s SAAR would be 9.7 million, while Ford's projection of 10 million counted medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

“We continue to believe that U.S. auto sales have bottomed this cycle and are heartened by seemingly strengthening retail sales, even ahead of any impact from ‘cash for clunkers’ legislation,” Himanshu Patel, an analyst for JPMorgan, said in a research note before the results were released.

Other automakers

Subaru said its sales for the month rose 3.4 percent. Porsche posted a 66 percent drop, and Daimler AG slumped 26.4 percent -- including a 56.1 percent slide for its Smart microcar brand. The Volkswagen division fell 18 percent. BMW Group's sales fell 20.3 percent, their smallest slide since January.

Ford posted overall sales increases for its Fusion sedan, Escape crossover, Expedition SUV, Ranger truck and the Volvo brand. Retail sales for F-series trucks also increased from the previous year, the automaker said.

Sales of Ford’s hybrids climbed 90.8 percent from June 2008.

“We’re making steady progress,” Jim Farley, group vice president for marketing and communications, said in a statement. “We remain grounded, however, given challenging industry and economic conditions.”

For the year, Ford’s sales are now down 34.1 percent.

Chrysler said today it would run a July "summer clearance" promotion. The company will offer 0 percent financing for 60 months through GMAC Financial Services on some 2009 models, or up to $4,000 cash. Current Chrysler Group owners also may receive up to $1,000 cash on some 2008 and 2009 models.

Chrysler said it also will add up to $750 to the government's cash-for-guzzlers voucher for its current owners.

Chrysler gave incentives worth $4,873 per vehicle sold in June, according to the auto information site Edmunds.com. The industry average was $2,930.

The automaker's fleet sales plunged 95 percent in June, while deliveries to individual customers were down 16 percent. Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy 10 days into the month after eliminating 789 dealerships.

What happened a year ago

Last month's percentage changes come in comparisons to June 2008, when the industry fell 18.3 percent. The industry’s decline accelerated last summer as gasoline prices soared to their highest point on record, with AAA data stretching back to 1974. Sales rates plunged even more dramatically in the fall as the United States fell deeper into a recession that's now in its 20th month.

June will mark the 24th year-over-year monthly decline in 25 months.

Ford was also aided by year-ago comparisons that no longer include Jaguar and Land Rover. Monthly sales for those brands have been tallied by their new owner, Tata Motors, since June of last year.

Even if June's industrywide sales ended up better than any results this year, they may have been hindered by GM's bankruptcy filing June 1, widespread plant shutdowns by GM and then-bankrupt Chrysler, and consumers who are waiting for the cash-for-guzzlers law to take effect, Credit Suisse analyst Christopher Ceraso said in a research note.

President Barack Obama signed the guzzlers legislation last week, but the government may not complete rules for the program until July 23.

Interest in the law -- which offers vouchers of as much as $4,500 to consumers who scrap gas-guzzling vehicles and buy new ones with better fuel economy -- may help boost demand to an annual rate of 11 million units in the second half of 2009, Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache said in a research note.

SOURCE: [ Automotive News ]

House bill passes, may give loans up to $50 billion

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:57:53 GMT

House bill passes, may give loans up to $50 billion

Energy Secretary Steven Chu could get another $25 billion to dole out to automakers and suppliers.

WASHINGTON -- Federal loans to automakers and suppliers for development of electric vehicles and other advanced-technology cars would be doubled to $50 billion under a bill passed by the House on Friday night.

The climate-change legislation -- the centerpiece of which is a cap-and-trade system for power plants, oil refineries and factories -- now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. The Senate rejected a similar bill last year.
The Obama administration lobbied hard for the 1,200-page bill, which passed 219-212. It is the first legislation to address global warming by seeking to curb heat-trapping gases.

A portion of the bill aims to develop vehicles that would reduce dependence on foreign oil and curb pollutants. It also tries to spur development of an infrastructure of charging stations for electric vehicles.
With a current budget of $25 billion for development of advanced-technology vehicles, Energy Secretary Steven Chu last week awarded $5.9 billion in loans to Ford Motor Co. The company originally requested $11 billion to retool plants to produce fuel-efficient models, including electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy also awarded $1.6 billion to Nissan Motor Co. to make more than 100,000 electric cars a year in Tennessee and $465 million to Tesla Motors Inc. to develop electric vehicles in California. It wasn’t clear how much the companies originally had requested.
The Energy Department has said it plans to award much of the remaining $17 billion in the next few months to automakers and parts suppliers.

The legislation that passed the House on Friday also would require each electric utility to consider creating charging stations on the street, in parking garages and lots, in homes, at gasoline stations and at highway rest stops.
Under the bill, state regulators would have to develop standards for integrating electric vehicles into an electrical distribution system. The Energy Department also would have to try to integrate electric vehicles into the electrical grid in a number of regions, the bill says.
General Motors has said it plans to start selling its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car late next year for about $40,000.
At those prices, it’s unclear what kind of market there will be for advanced-technology vehicles, especially if gasoline prices continue to be much lower than they were a year ago.

President Barack Obama has set a goal of having 1 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015. The U.S. currently has 250 million vehicles on the road, according to Edmunds.com.

Source; [ Automotive News }

GM’s Hummer sale awaits China Government approval

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:23:03 GMT

GM’s Hummer sale awaits China Government approval

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -- General Motors and China's Tengzhong will begin talking with regulators this week in a bid to obtain government approval for Tengzhong to buy the Hummer brand by the end of September, a GM spokesman said today.
The relatively unusual step by the two sides of engaging regulators so early in the process, before a formal agreement has been reached, reflects the widespread skepticism surrounding the deal.

"We will start discussions with the Chinese government this week on the Hummer deal," said Michael Albano, a spokesman with GM's Asia Pacific operations. "We can't sign the deal unless we have approval from the government."

Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, a little-known Chinese machinery maker with no experience in the car industry, raised eyebrows in early June when it unveiled a tentative plan to take over Hummer from the Detroit carmaker.
Doubts about whether the deal would get Beijing's approval have been swirling as many believe Tengzhong lacks the experience and expertise to revive money-losing Hummer's operations.

The low-mileage nature of the U.S. SUV was also cited by state media as reasons for expected opposition from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top state planner, which must approve the sale.
NDRC officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.

The Ministry of Commerce, which also scrutinizes all major cross-boarder equity deals by Chinese companies, has sounded a more positive note, saying Tengzhong's move was normal for a company seeking to take advantage of the global downturn.

A Tengzhong representative said the company had been cooperating with Chinese regulators but declined to provide further information.
Tengzhong, based in the Chinese province of Sichuan, makes special-use vehicles, structural components for highways and bridges, construction machinery and energy equipment.

Source: [ Automotive News ]

VW gives Porsche takeover Ultimatum

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:13:47 GMT

VW gives Porsche takeover ultimatum

MUNICH -- Volkswagen AG denied today that it had presented Porsche Automobil Holding SE with an ultimatum to accept its plan for a merger of the two carmakers.

On Saturday, Porsche accused VW and the German state of Lower Saxony of extortion following a report that VW has demanded that Porsche accept a tie-up of the two carmakers with VW in charge. Lower Saxony is VW's second largest shareholder after Porsche.

"There is no ultimatum," a VW spokesman said on Sunday. He would not comment further.

Germany's Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday that VW had given Porsche a Monday deadline to agree that VW take a 49 percent stake in Porsche's sports car business.

The magazine said VW would ask Porsche to pay back a 700 million euro ($983.8 million) loan in September unless Porsche agreed to VW's demand.

Porsche Chairman Wolfgang Porsche and his supervisory board deputy, Uwe Hueck, said in a statement on Saturday they had been given an ultimatum by VW and Lower Saxony and that they would "not accept extortion.”

Qatar, too

Der Spiegel said Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and Wolfgang Porsche have been pressed to agree that VW takes a 49 percent stake in Porsche's sports car business for 3 billion to 4 billion euros ($4.2 billion to $5.6 billion).

According to the proposal, the Emirate of Qatar would buy Porsche's stock options in VW, which would subsequently integrate the Porsche sports car business into its operations.

Porsche owns 51 percent of Volkswagen and has stock options for a further 25 percent. The company amassed 9 billion euros ($12.7 billion) debt trying to swallow VW before the financial crisis threw it off course.

Der Spiegel reported that under the proposal the merged carmaker would eventually be 40 percent owned by the Porsche and Piech families, 20 percent by Lower Saxony, 15 percent by Qatar, and another sovereign wealth fund would hold 5 percent.

In the statement, Wolfgang Porsche also said: “We are deeply concerned and irritated by the wording of the ultimatum. … The 21st century is not the time for ultimatums. We wonder what the whole matter is really about and whether the focus is still on our common cause at all.”

On Friday, Porsche said it was close to reaching a deal with Qatar that could help solve its financial problems.

"The negotiations have entered the final stretch," a spokesman for Porsche said, adding Qatar had finished examining its books. "The due diligence has reached a positive conclusion."

Source: [ Automotive News ]

Tata Motors has reported a net loss of $520 million

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:09:35 GMT

Tata Motors has reported a net loss of $520 million

India's Tata Motors has reported a net loss of $520 million (25.05 billion rupees) for the fiscal year ending in March of 2009. Over the same period one year earlier, Tata managed to earn 21.68 billion rupees in profit. What gives? Naturally, the global economic meltdown didn't do the automaker any favors, but the main problem can be sourced back to the poor performance of Jaguar and Land Rover, which the Indian automaker purchased from Ford last year with the help of a $3 billion bridge loan.

The fact that Jaguar Land Rover accounted for $504 million of that $520 million total loss means that more job cuts and plant shutdowns are in store for the ailing British duo. Says Tata Vice Chairman Ravi Kant:

We have sent people on sabbatical, gone for cheaper low-cost country sourcing and tight control in cash flows, and are assisting JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) for a major belt tightening.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Tata was in search of some £1 billion ($1.5B) in cash and underwriting help to pump into the JLR operations.

Source: [ AutoBlog.com ]

Chinese government rejects Tengzhong bid for Hummer, state radio reports.

David Walker, LeaseTrader.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:38:41 GMT

Chinese government rejects Tengzhong bid for Hummer, state radio reports.

BEIJING (Reuters) -- China's top economic planning agency is likely to reject Sichuan Tengzhong's bid to buy the Hummer brand from bankrupt General Motors, state radio reported on Thursday.

The planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), is worried that Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, which makes special-use vehicles and highway components, does not have the experience and resources to run the Hummer business, the report said.

Besides, Hummer, as an expensive, low-gas-mileage sports utility vehicle, would not fit in with the government's policy of encouraging energy-efficient vehicles, the radio said.

China has a complicated, fragmented system to regulate overseas investments. Many government bodies, including the NDRC, the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, are involved.

To further regulate overseas acquisitions by Chinese firms, the NDRC issued an order last Friday requiring Chinese companies to report intended overseas acquisitions to Beijing before they sign any legally binding contracts.

The Ministry of Commerce has sounded a more positive note about the proposed deal, saying that the bid is normal behavior for a company seeking to take advantage of the global downturn.

Source; [ Automotive News ]