Writing by admin on Wednesday, 3 of June , 2009 at 11:17 am
Magna wants to build electric car in Canada
The Canadian Press
Magna International Inc. chairman Frank Stronach said he wants to start mass-producing electric cars in Canada within three years.
The head of Canada’s largest auto parts maker was in Ottawa on Tuesday seeking government support for his new electric vehicle venture after Magna cemented a deal with General Motors Corp. to acquire the U.S. automaker’s money-losing Opel car brand in Europe.
Unveiling the fully electric compact that Magna developed in partnership with Ford Motor Co., Stronach said he is being courted by the U.S. and Europe but he wants his first electric cars to come off a Canadian assembly line.
“We are very serious, we have a serious commitment,” he told reporters.
“I would like to see that the first electric car facilities are in Canada. If we would get a loan at a reasonable rate, we know we could speed it up, we would make sure it will be in Canada.”
If successful, an electric car assembly operation in Canada would provide badly needed jobs in a troubled industry and help the global parts giant cash in on the growing demand for low-pollution vehicles in the marketplace over the next few years.
New Volt from GM
Toyota, with its Prius, and Honda, with its new Insight, already have hybrid electric-gasoline cars, and General Motors plans to mass produce its new Volt fully electric vehicle at a U.S. plant and get them into dealer showrooms by the end of 2010.
The world’s former No. 1 automaker filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, the largest ever for an industrial company, and said it hopes to move forward with just four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.
It also plans a spate of new fuel-efficient and low-polluting models, including the Volt, a critical piece of GM’s vehicle lineup for the future.
GM experimented but failed with electric cars in the past. However, the Volt is seen as a sure-fire winner by the Detroit company, especially in a future market of younger buyers worried about soaring gasoline prices and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Volt is an extended-range all electric vehicle with a powerful battery pack that uses cutting-edge lithium-ion technology. The vehicle also has a small gasoline engine to replenish the battery power when it gets low, not to drive the car.
Stronach said he believes within six years about 15 per cent of cars sold will be electric or the hybrid variety, with the percentage doubling by 2021.
Range of 160 kilometres
An official with the Aurora, Ont., parts maker, which employs 74,000 people in 25 countries, said the model being developed with Ford is aiming for a 160-kilometre range without recharging.
Magna is putting in about $300 million into the project and is seeking low-interest loans from the federal government for about half the total cost.
But Stronach came to Ottawa without any guarantee he would be seeing Prime Minister Stephen Harper, although he said he hoped to arrange a meeting.
The electric vehicle is a major step by Magna to diversify its business away from auto parts, a sector hit hard by the slump in GM, Ford and Chrysler, Magna’s main customers.
Category: News
Writing by admin on Thursday, 28 of May , 2009 at 9:05 pm
Mazda adds new features to RX-8
Monday 25th May, 03:38 PM JST
HIROSHIMA —
Mazda Motor Corp on Monday launched a revamped four-door, four-seat rotary-powered Mazda RX-8 sports car for the Japanese market.
Standard equipment across the entire RX-8 range has been updated with popular features that provide added comfort and convenience. The updates include rain-sensing windshield wipers and Mazda’s auto-light system (which switches the headlights on automatically according to ambient light conditions). Two additional exterior body colors, silver and gray, reflect the RX-8’s high quality and accentuate its exceptional sports car styling.
Retail prices range from 2.63 million yen to 3.180 million yen.
Category: Manufacturers
Writing by admin on Thursday, 28 of May , 2009 at 9:03 pm
Nissan, Europcar team up to sell, lease electric vehicles from 2010
Wednesday 27th May, 02:36 AM JST
TOKYO —
Nissan Motor Co and Europcar Groupe, a European leader in the passenger car and utility vehicle rental business, have agreed to form a partnership to sell and lease electric vehicles beginning next year in a bid to promote zero emission mobility worldwide, officials from the two companies said Tuesday.
Under the partnership, Nissan will sell such vehicles to Europcar, which will then lease the cars to its clients, thus serving a broader reach of customers, a Nissan company official said, adding they have yet to determine whether the electric vehicles to be rolled out will carry the Nissan brand.
© 2009 Kyodo News.
Category: Manufacturers
Writing by admin on Thursday, 28 of May , 2009 at 9:01 pm
102 Japanese parts firms will suffer if GM goes bust
Thursday 28th May, 03:36 PM JST
TOKYO —
There are 102 parts suppliers and other Japanese companies who may not be able to recover accounts receivable from General Motors Corp if the automotive giant files for bankruptcy, a leading credit research agency said Thursday.
Although many of the firms filed applications requesting that the U.S. government guarantee the receivables with a $5 billion Treasury Department program, not all of them qualified for the federal assistance, Teikoku Databank said.
“The potential risk of a bankruptcy filing triggering turbulence (among corporate creditors) is in place,” the research agency warned.
A total of 133 Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Aisin Seiki Co and Bridgestone Corp, have business ties with GM. Of them, 31 sell GM products or provide maintenance services in Japan.
Kyodo News Service
Category: Manufacturers, News
Writing by Steve on Thursday, 28 of May , 2009 at 8:54 pm
PHOTO BY NANCY SCHMATZ
Thursday 28th May, 06:16 AM JST
A man takes his two dogs for a drive in Kamakura.
Category: Odd but Interesting
Writing by admin on Wednesday, 18 of March , 2009 at 4:13 pm
Its no secret there is a recession in Japan. Toyota, Honda and Nissan have recorded major losses in the last quarter of 2008. Lay-offs in the top 3 auto maker’s personel seem to be bucking the once cherished “job-for-life” mentality.
In the heavily industrial prefecture of Aichi, massive lay-offs mean the economic effect of an export-based economy is even more present. According to news sources, Toyota posted a 28% drop in profits from year-on-year earnings. What that means to the region is there are now more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available. Toyota lays off, then their suppliers lay off.
Toyota is still producing some of the world’s best cars, but like every other car maker, it means they have to trim an already trim operation. The “Toyota Way” of trim 10% and then trim another 10% may go far in a healthy economy, but in current economic condition, its hard to trim 10% off a skeleton…
Category: Manufacturers
Writing by admin on Tuesday, 17 of March , 2009 at 11:36 pm
Myjcar tries to keep up with trends, so we’ve added ourselves to Facebook. Yes, you can join…
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Category: Promotional, Uncategorized
Writing by Steve on Sunday, 8 of March , 2009 at 10:15 pm
In a never-ending quest to improve the myjcar site, we’ve added a forum. Check it out!
Category: News
