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01 Mar 2011 21:49

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U.S.: Fuel efficiency, gas prices on buyers’ minds as car sales go way up

  • 46.4% increase in February’s overall car sales source
  • » Give rising gas prices the credit: More people on the market for vehicles were looking for fuel-efficient models in part because gas is getting ever the more expensive. In case you’re looking for a reason to credit the unrest in the middle east on this, this person quoted in the L.A. Times does the job for you: “With everything happening in the world, gas is only going to go up,” said Cynthia Hibbard who recently bought a Ford Fiesta. “I have filled it up just once, on Monday, since the car was purchased. I put just nine gallons of gas in the car but that was still $35.” One other fun fact: Last month was the best-selling month ever for the Toyota Prius.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 21:34

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Biz: General Motors’ good year: Their first full-year profit since ’04

  • $100 billion the amount GM lost between 2005 and 2009, when they had to be bailed out by the feds
  • $4.7 billion the amount they earned in 2010 – they’re doing the Dougie in the boardroom today source
  • » It’s not all up-and-up, though: At $510 million, the company’s fourth-quarter numbers, while still profitable, paled in comparison to the rest of the year. Still though, the fact that it’s a profit is definitely Dougie-worthy, no matter how you look at it.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Dec 2010 11:45

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Biz: Give it time: Electric cars not really flying off the shelves yet

  • >350 the reported sales of the hopemobile, the Chevy Volt, in December … but it’s kind of a novelty right now
  • >10 the reported sales of the Nissan Leaf in the last two weeks; the odds that Ed Begley Jr. owns one? Even source
  • » It’s not really a demand problem: The issue here is more supply. The cars simply haven’t hit most parts of the country yet, and there are waiting lists 50,000 people long for the electric cars, which are slowly ramping up production and should go nationwide by 2012.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2010 14:07

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Biz: Our cars are squeaking by when it comes to Fuel Efficiency 101

  • 59 mpgThe fuel efficiency required for a vehicle to receive an A+ rating under the EPA’s new vehicle-grading proposal.
  • B-The average grade that a car currently on the highway would receive; most SUVs would get a C+ or lower. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jun 2010 09:53

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U.S.: Myth busted: Adults more likely than teens to text while driving

  • 47% of adults have sent or read texts while driving
  • 34% of teens have done the same controversial thing source
  • » One thing that’s not clear: Teenagers have been only driving a year or two. Most adults have been driving much longer. Did Pew, who did the study, put a time frame on the study or just leave it vague? That’s a question that hit us when reading it.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jun 2010 11:08

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Biz: “Chevy” goodbye: General Motors wants Chevrolet to break from past

  • Back in the day, Chevy and Chevrolet were one in the same. But that’s going to change soon. General Motors has started asking staffers to refer to Chevrolet by its full name. Why? They want to keep a consistent message. “Why is this consistency so important?,” a memo, released Tuesday, asks. “The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.” But, uh, Chevy is already one of the most recognizable brands in the world. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2010 11:15

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Biz: Chrysler blames faulty brakes, wiring for Jeep and minivan recalls

  • 575,000vehicles recalled by Chrysler source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

12 Apr 2010 09:43

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Biz: Toyota’s way of handling recalls: Cover up, then come clean

  • I hate to break this to you, but we have a tendency for mechanical failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models. … The time to hide on this one is over. We need to come clean.
  • A note from Toyota executive Irving A. Miller • Admitting that they would have to recall millions of vehicles. Over a four-month period, the company had made an active effort to hide the problems with their cars from the government. Unsuccessfully. The New York Times’ document analysis suggests that there was a whole lotta fail going on with the vehicles, and a lot more cover-up. While the company obviously screwed up, some congressmen are suggesting that federal regulators should shoulder some of the blame. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Feb 2010 10:38

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Biz: Toyota’s myriad car problems extend to another pedal

  • accelerator The car company just recalled a ton of vehicles due to a faulty accelerator which would get stuck. They’re in deep doo-doo.
  • brakes Now, Toyota’s getting reports of malfunctioning brakes on its Prius hybrid cars in Japan. Tokyo has pressured them to investigate. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Nov 2009 12:38

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Offbeat: South Koreans proud, fearful of woman who passed driving test

  • 950 tries before she finally got it right; holy crap source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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