Tag Archives: features

Ford and Chrysler Shorten Shutdowns, Add More Jobs

Going into summer 2013, Ford and Chrysler are working furiously to produce more of their most popular vehicles. In an effort to keep up with the high demand, both automakers have announced that they will keep more of their plants open throughout the summer.

Typically, Ford and Chrysler will shut down their plants at certain points during the summer. Ford has a two-week summer shutdown, and Chrysler will usually shut down plants for a week or so. This year, Ford is reducing the two-week shutdown to one week, and some of the Chrysler plants will run through the whole summer with no shutdown. Ford will also add approximately 3,500 hourly jobs to keep the plants open. During that time, Ford plans to produce an additional 40,000 units.

So far this year, sales have been very good for Chrysler and Ford. Ram Trucks had a 49.3 percent volume sales increase in April with 32,124 units, and Ford had a 17.7 percent increase with 204,969 units. It is likely that sales for pickup trucks and other sporting vehicles like SUVs will increase even more as the summer goes on, so it makes perfect sense to keep the plants open longer and hire more employees.

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Tesla Announces Loan Repayment, Receives Rave Reviews

Depending on which news media outlet you listen to, Tesla Motors is either an epic failure waiting to happen or a smashing success. This week, however, Tesla’s detractors will have to eat their words as the divisive auto maker will be repaying their Department of Energy loans as early as today.

The loans weren’t scheduled to be paid off for another nine years, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced via Twitter on Monday that, “Given govt loan repayment this week (prob Wed), Supercharger update will be next week. Work continuing independent of announcement.” With the loan being paid off early, it is estimated that taxpayers will see a $12 million profit from the loan.

May has been a good month for Tesla. They earned $562 million in their first quarter, $70 million more than the revenue estimates, and it was their first profitable quarter. Besides their financial success this quarter, Consumer Reports gave the Tesla Model S a score of 99 out of 100, the highest score any car has ever received from Consumer Reports.

The Tesla still has some hurdles to overcome including a price that is still a bit higher than some car buyers are willing to pay. Also, charging stations are still not prevalent across the country. Still, this is a big step forward for Tesla and for electric cars in general.

Earth Day: Hybrid Wheels Improve Fuel Efficiency

When automakers talk about improving fuel efficiency, they are usually planning to cut vehicle weight or designing a new engine. Lacks Enterprises presented a new way of improving fuel efficiency last week at the SAE World Congress by, quite simply, re-inventing the wheel.

The Evolve Hybrid Wheels are strong yet lightweight wheels designed for aerodynamic efficiency. James Ardern, the director of business development at Lacks Wheel Trim Systems, explains, “We have learned that wheels are contributing significantly to the fuel economy of a vehicle. The things right next to the wheels, the tires get tested. Consumer Reports, for example, has shown that better, more efficient tires can raise a vehicle’s mpg rating by one or two ticks, and Lacks has test results that show that the wheels – at least the Evolve wheels – can do the same.”

Lacks Enterprises has already tested their Evolve Hybrid Wheels on a number of vehicles including the Ford Focus SE. Their test on the Focus found that the wheels improved the city mpg by 0.4 mile per gallon and the highway mpg by 1.1 mile per gallon.

There will be more testing this summer and into the fall, and as of now, they have not announced when the Evolve Hybrid Wheels will hit the market. Still, this is an encouraging development just before Earth Day on Monday, and hopefully more automakers and designers will think outside the box in making new vehicles more fuel efficient and eco-friendly.

Earth Day: Nissan, New York City Launch Plan for “Taxi of Tomorrow”

April 22 is Earth Day, and to celebrate, New York City is teaming up with Nissan to put the Taxi of Tomorrow on our city’s streets.

Nissan has donated six Nissan Leafs to the city of New York as part of the city’s plan to transition all taxis to electric vehicles. Over the next few years, they will test out the Nissan Leafs, pinpoint any needed adjustments, and find the best way to transition one-third of the fleet to electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

Nissan executive Joe Castelli was optimistic about the future of the program, stating, “Following the selection of Nissan NV200 as New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow, our relationship with the city provides us the ultimate proving ground to conduct this Leaf taxi pilot to help optimize the use of electric vehicle technology for future application.”

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kia Web Series Features Real Moms, “Everyday Answers”

Automakers are making a concerted effort to appeal to families looking for a new vehicle that will suit their needs. Chrysler is redubbing the “soccer mom” the “supermom,” and the 2014 Honda Odyssey will come with a convenient built-in car vacuum for cleaning up stray Cheerios and animal crackers. Kia is the latest to reach out to parents, particularly moms, with a new online-only series featuring The Game and Sister, Sister star Tia Mowry.

“POPSUGAR Circle of Moms, Everyday Answers” will be available weekly on POPSUGAR.com with eight total episodes. Each episode will feature Mowry and other moms taking care of everyday errands and other family tasks using the 2014 Kia Sorento CUV. They will also share personal parenting stories and offer tips and advice to new and veteran parents alike.

Kia has already announced that the show will showcase the Sorento’s “family-friendly” features including fold-down third row seating, its Blind Spot Detection System, and more. Michael Sprague, executive vice-president of marketing and communications at KMA, spoke enthusiastically about the partnership, saying, “By partnering with POPSUGAR Circle of Moms, people will be able to see how the Sorento works in real-world scenarios for all types of everyday family activities.”

Annette Gallo, Vice President of Integrated Marketing at POPSUGAR Inc, was similarly excited, saying POPSUGAR was “thrilled” about the partnership. In a joint press release with Kia, Gallo stated, “We continue to push the boundaries of campaign creativity…and this campaign is another great example of that mission.”

“POPSUGAR Circle of Moms, Everyday Answers” is available weekly at POPSUGAR.com.

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Chrysler Design Chief Teases Future Minivan

Chrysler has yet to announce the future for their minivan and whether it will be released as a Chrysler Town & Country or a Dodge Caravan for the 2015 model, but Chrysler design chief Ralph Gilles has made it clear that this will be a car for the new-age mom.

“I think the new generation is ‘supermom,’” Giles said in a recent interview. “I think consumers see minivans as a tool to be the ultimate mother, so we’re designing it for that.” Giles also pointed out that Chrysler has a large number of female engineers and designers working on the new minivan and says that their own “real-life experiences” have influenced the vehicle’s features and design.

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country starts at around $30,000 and comes with standard DVD player and leather trim as well as Stow ‘n Go seating. By comparison, Dodge can boast that the Caravan is the best-selling and most awarded minivan ever with a starting price around $19,990.

Readers, what do you think? Would you rather Chrysler picks the Chrysler Town & Country or the Dodge Caravan? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Chevrolet Spark Upgrades With New DC Chargers

Ever since electric cars hit the market, they have had a tough time taking off. At first, it was the price hindering sales, but recent discounts and tax incentives have made them more affordable. When they became affordable, people started questioning their safety, and rumors still persist that electric cars are significantly more dangerous than gas-driven cars despite automakers’ steps to make them safer. Yet another real problem plagues the electric car, however, and that is how long it takes an electric car to charge.

Right now, alternating current (AC) energy has to be converted to direct current (DC) before the energy can be stored in car batteries. The conversion process slows down battery charging, and it takes longer to charge up electric cars. If a car could power up with a DC charger, it would speed up the charging process.

With that in mind, General Motors announced this week that the new Chevrolet Spark will have the standard AC port as well as two DC ports. Since DC chargers are not as readily available, a number of companies are stepping up to make them more available, though Eaton and Fuji Electric do have DC chargers available on the market at this time.

Readers, we want to hear from you! Does GM’s announcement make you more likely to test-drive the Spark? Would a faster charging time make you consider checking out other electric cars? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to find a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors of 2013

Yesterday, WardsAuto announced the winners of their 10 Best Interiors of 2013, one of the year’s most highly anticipated awards, and surprisingly no single automaker walked away with a majority of the list.

Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co took home the most awards with 2 spots each, and the rest of the spots went to vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Chrysler.

In a press release from WardsAuto, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter spoke about the importance of a vehicle’s interior and how they are “vital” in winning over drivers’ “hearts and minds.”

“It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program,” explained Winter. “They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their vehicle than outside.

The winners are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)
Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)
Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)
Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)
Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)
Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)
Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp)

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 in Dearborn, MI.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the 2013 winners? Are you happy with the list, or did you notice any snubs? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

New 1.5-Liter EcoBoost Engine for 2014 Ford Fusion

Changes are coming for the 2014 Ford Fusion including a new engine and six powertrain options.

Currently, the Ford Fusion is equipped with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, but soon the engine will be replaced with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine. This might not seem like a major change, but it has two big advantages. First, Ford will side-step a tax which affects Fusion sales in China, improving their bottom line. Second, it will improve fuel efficiency in the Ford Fusion. As an added bonus, Ford can also use the 1.6-liter engines in the Escape and other vehicles.

Last year, Ford announced other changes to engines in some of its more popular models. The 2014 Ford Fiesta will be getting a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, Ford’s smallest EcoBoost engine yet, and this trend towards higher fuel efficiency is expected to continue.

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Survey: Americans Spending Tax Refund on New Cars, Auto Repairs

A new survey shows that Americans are already planning how to spend their tax refund, and the results point to a very happy spring for car dealerships across the country.

Out of the surveyed consumers, 68 percent expected to get a tax refund, and out of those consumers, a third will either spend the refund on a new or used car or spend it on car repairs. While the average tax refund amount is $2,900, the average amount they will put towards purchasing a new car or repairing their car is over $1,000.

During this time of the year, auto dealerships have the opportunity to close a lot of deals and move a significant amount of inventory. The survey showed that car buyers are just as interested in used cars as new cars, so if dealerships take the right marketing approach, they could see a spike in both new and used car sales.

For car buyers, this is also great news. Dealerships will be ready for a surge of customers, and many will offer seasonal incentives and deals in preparation of tax time. Besides that, having a tax refund ready as a down payment will give car buyers more options as far as available vehicles and flexible financing.

Is your tax refund burning a hole in your pocket? Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net