May 2010
Hybiscus to Hydrogen: Hawaii May Become Frontrunner in U.S. Alt-Fuels Effort
By John O'Dell May 31, 2010By Danny King, Contributor Hawaii may be known for its flowery shirts and hang-loose vibe, but it's the presence of a far more confrontational element that may be key to making the state a frontrunner in alternative-fuel vehicle adoption in the U.S. ---------- Lots of sun and water, geographic isolation - and a big military presence - help make Hawaii a key area for introduction of alternative transportation fuels. ---------- It seems that U.S. military officials are making a push in Hawaii for the installation of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure and the fuel-cell electric vehicles that would use the more
Breaking: Fisker Adds $189 Million to Growing Capital Base With New Funding
By John O'Dell May 28, 2010Fisker Automotive welcomed the long Memorial Day weekend with word late this evening that it has just closed a $189 million private equity funding round - bringing its private capital base, by our count, to at least $339 million since its inception three years ago. The new funds, which add $74 million to a $115 million commitment the company announced in January, will be sufficient to trigger a $528.7 million federal loan guarantee Fisker plans to use to help acquire a former GM assembly plant in Delaware, develop its upcoming "Project Nina" line of family oriented plug-in hybrids and more
Tesla Discloses Terms for Toyota Investment and Purchase of Former NUMMI Plant
By John O'Dell May 28, 2010$42 Million Covers Building and Land, but Not Equipment; Funds to Come from Tesla IPO By John O'Dell, Senior Editor Tesla Motors says in a regulatory filling this week that it has agreed to pay Toyota Motor Corp. $42 million from the proceeds of its upcoming public offering for the former New United Motors Manufacturing plant and 207 acres of property. The acquisition doesn't include the plant's auto-making equipment or an additional 200 acres of property at the site (right) in Fremont, Calif. The plant equipment is to be sold at auction by Toyota and Tesla will be able more
Judge Rules Against Toyota in Hybrid Technology Patent-Infringement Case
By Scott Doggett May 28, 2010Toyota lost its bid to dismiss a Florida company's patent-infringement claim that may result in a ban on imports of the carmaker's newest hybrid models, including the Prius and Camry, according to Bloomberg news service report. A judge in Washington denied Toyota's request to end the case brought by Paice LLC of Bonita Springs and he also said Toyota can't argue that the Paice patent is invalid because that issue was resolved in court. The judge's findings are subject to review by a commission. The dispute is scheduled for a hearing starting July 19 and the two sides have more
What We're Saying: On Mercury, Toyota-Tesla, Super-Luxury Cars and Auto Financing
By Michelle Krebs May 28, 2010Edmunds.com analysts chimed in recently on the possible demise of Mercury; prospects of the Toyota-Tesla partnership; the return of super-luxury vehicle sales; and consumers responding to zero percent financing. Here are highlights: more
EnerDel, Chinese Auto Parts Supplier Wanxiang to Co-Produce Batteries for EVs
By Scott Doggett May 28, 2010Indiana-based EnerDel, which makes advanced lithium-ion battery systems for hybrid and electric vehicles, has announced the signing of a letter of intent with Chinese auto-parts supplier Wanxiang to jointly produce battery systems this year for Wanxiang's existing backlog of customers in China in the passenger and heavy-duty market segments. EnerDel, which is simultaneously ramping production at its U.S. and Korean facilities, said in a statement Thursday that the deal should rapidly accelerate its business plan by opening up access to the most important electric vehicle market in the world. Wanxiang is China's largest auto-parts supplier and second-largest private company, more
What We're Reading: Intelligent Disobedience; Last 10% of Effort; Unsnarling Manhattan Traffic
By Michelle Krebs May 28, 2010The auto industry at large is a diverse group of professionals with different perspectives on the auto industry and the world. Here's a look at what we're reading and thinking about this week... The Art of Intelligent Disobedience by Bruna Martinuzzi "I once worked for a technology company that encouraged employees to practice what they called "Intelligent Disobedience." The concept originates from seeing-eye dogs: while dogs must learn to obey the commands of a blind person, they must also know when they need to disobey commands that can put the owner in harm's way, such as when a car more
Infiniti Counting on 2011 Version to Spark Sales of QX56 SUV
By Michelle Krebs May 28, 2010Like most truck-based utility vehicles, the Infiniti QX56 has been in the midst of a long-term decline in sales. But executives of the Nissan luxury division are counting on an even swankier yet more fuel-efficient 2011 version of the QX56 to recapture some of the brand's wandering customers and sell closer to peak rates marked soon after the original vehicle's introduction in 2004. "We will have months when we sell 800 to 900 of these," Ben Poore, Infiniti's vice president in charge of sales and marketing, told Edmunds.com. more
AutoObserver Favorites: Honda Woes and $55,000 Hyundai
By Michelle Krebs May 28, 2010An AutoObserver post dissecting problems at Honda was this week's most read by a long shot. The Bill Visnic story, which went viral and hinged on the automaker's recent decision to postpone the next-generation Honda Civic, drew more than five times the usual readers and generated a tremendous amount of conversation. The general consensus of feedback comments on AutoObserver, Facebook and other Web sites is that Honda, as the post indicated, has lost its way. Readers noted new models like the Honda Accord Crosstour missed the mark as had styling of recent Honda and Acura models. As a company, more
For GM, New Promise Balanced by Old Problems
By Michelle Krebs May 31, 2010It took 101 years for the "old" General Motors Corp. to run itself out of gas, officially going out of business on this day one year ago. It won't take that long to determine if GM 2.0 is structured to hold up for another century. Today's General Motors Co., formed when the remnants of the original company emerged from bankruptcy July 10, 2009, closes in on completing its first year of existence in better shape than even optimists thought possible. This is the company whose former CEO, among others, insisted bankruptcy would destroy it. So GM lives. The "new" more