Cars Blog February Archive

Tesla announces that its federal loan may be granted soon

02/27/09 09:23

Tesla Motors announced that it might receive its long-standing $450-million loan from the federal government that will allow it to build its electronic-car factory in California.

However, Tesla stopped short of saying that the loan is already approved. The loan is not yet officially approved, but company officials are confident that its application will be approved and the funds will be taken from $25-billion loan program of the government to retoll the US car industry.

Link: [link]

Highway Safety Solutions Interview

Name of your website?

Highway Safety Solutions

Your name?

Daniel Christian

Your Location (city, etc)

Whitby, Ontario, Canada, L1P 0A1

Please give us a short summary of your website?

Provides information about Highway Safety Solutions. For those looking for highway safety training and consulting, both commercial and public. Brief description of training programs and services offered by Highway Safety Solutions.

Read more: Highway Safety Solutions Interview [click]

Renault to rethink its production line

After seeing a steep decline in its 2008 profits, French auto maker Renault decided to sit down for a while and rethink its plans about selling high-end cars in the European markets as well as in emerging markets.

Carlos Ghosn, Chief Executive of the company, also decided to delay the construction of some of its factories in India while thinking of remodeling its existing lines.

Link: Renault Delays Factories, Rethinks Models - WSJ.com

What the US Auto Dealers Do

Sure, the big US auto makers are hoping that enough sales will push their profit margins back into order. They are having some trouble alright, but I am pretty sure that those in the front line--the car dealers--are not doing any better.

What keeps a lot of them from closing down, anyway? It seems that a lot of them are still testing the waters and shifting to survival mode.

Link: AUTOSHOW-U.S. auto dealers hunker down in survival mode | Markets | US Markets | Reuters

 

Volkswagen-Toshiba Team-up for an Electric Car

Most of the biggest carmakers are on the race of putting the most efficient and low-cost vehicles power by electricity in the streets.

Europe's largest car maker, Volkswagen AG have already signed a letter of intent that opt to team up with Toshiba Corp. to develop a subcompact Up! concept car which will be powered solely by electricity.

The team-up plans to develop battery systems which has a very specific energy density that might be the future of the next generation of vehicles ramping up the streets worldwide.

Link: Volkswagen, Toshiba to develop electric car | Environment | Reuters

Flying Car

Have you ever thought about a car with wings. You know, for those days that your in a hurry and in a traffic jam. You wish you could just put out your wings and fly to where you have to go. Well now you can. Well not really but there is a car with wings now that can actually fly.

Read more: Flying Car [click]

EU reports 27 percent sales loss

Quite unsurprisingly, the European Union announced a 27-percent decrease in new car sales in January 2009, Forbes.com reports.

According to the report, no country was spared. Everybody made a loss, with Germany still remaining on top of the revenue list and France being the only country able to contain the loss in single digits.

This sale of a little below a million cars is the worst sales record in the last two decades.

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Ford reveals plans to enter green industry again

Looks like Ford is determined to sail through the stormy seas that is the crisis in the automobile industry.

Just this week, the US no. 2 automaker announced it plans to refocus on the hybrid sector and battle it out once again with leaders Toyota and General Motors.

More on this here at Reuters.

Link: Ford jumps back into green car fray | Reuters