Are Hybrid Sales Running Out of Gas?
Every car company hopes for hit models that are in high demand, and long windows of time in which it doesn’t have to offer sales incentives. Hybrid cars and SUVs have been among that exclusive club. But auto makers investing in the vehicles are seeing some cracks in consumer demand as more people question hybrids’ financial payback.
Rapid Growth Still Projected for China’s Motor Vehicle Industry
Although China’s automotive industry has experienced its fastest pace of growth in the past five years, rapid growth is still expected for the industry in the coming five years from 2006 to 2010. The next five years are likely to see breakthroughs in industrial structuring, research and development (R&D), environmental protection, standard making and exports.
Johnson Controls and Saft to Form Joint Venture for Hybrid Vehicle Batteries
Johnson Controls and Saft have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture for advanced technology batteries to accelerate their participation in the hybrid vehicle market.
Standard Motor Products Enhances 21st Century Tune-Up Program
Standard Motor Products has enhanced its 21St Century Tune-Up program — a comprehensive systems checklist designed to help re-define and educate motorists as to what a tune-up should consist of on today’s modern vehicles.
ArvinMeritor to Develop Specialty Vehicle Drivetrain with Unicell Ltd.
ArvinMeritor has entered into program to develop a new alternative-power vehicle with an electric drivetrain. ArvinMeritor will work on the project with Unicell Ltd., a medium-duty body builder with operations in Toronto, Ontario, and Buffalo, N.Y. The new electric drive vehicle will be equipped with a fully-electric drivetrain and will be demonstrated to the public in 2006.
Standard Motor Products Supports Car Care Council’s 21st Century Tune-up
Standard Motor Products said it has incorporated the Car Care Council’s new 21st century tune-up concept into its marketing and public relations programs. Standard wants to help the automotive aftermarket industry re-define and promote the term “tune-up.”
Advance Auto Parts To Host Free Monthly Car Care Clinics
Following the lead of major home improvement retailers, Advance Auto Parts has announced it will begin holding free, monthly car care clinics at its stores nationwide to teach drivers how to maintain their vehicles and perform minor repairs. The 20-minute video clinics will take place on the last Saturday of each month and are broadcast nationwide to more than 2,500 stores on the company’s in-store television network.
Modine Develops Fuel-Cell Parts
Modine Manufacturing Co. is developing fuel-cell components for an underground mining machine being built for the U.S. Department of Energy. The Racine, Wis.-based company will supply a cooling system for the machine that’s expected to run from a fuel-cell and battery-hybrid engine in tight spaces up to 1,000 feet underground.
Parts Supply Affects Ford’s Hybrid Plans
Plans by Michigan’s Ford Motor Co. to start making gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles could be affected by a lack of domestically available parts. Phil Martens, Ford’s executive vice president of product development, said Ford had to turn to foreign suppliers for access to a majority of key components to build the company’s first hybrid, the Escape Hybrid, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Grote Releases Second Volume of “Know How” Training Guides
Grote Industries, a leading manufacturer of vehicle safety systems, has introduced the second volume in its “Know How” series of programmed instruction training guides. Grote Know How II is a 104-page illustrated guide to installation and troubleshooting of lighting and wiring on heavy-duty tractors, trucks and trailers.