Ford to Offer EcoBoost on Most Nameplates by 2013
Ford's focus for the future is on improved fuel economy which it will achieve by making its vehicles smaller and engines lighter without sacrificing performance, safety or luxury. It also wants to attract upscale customers and new buyers with more product offerings. Most of its North American nameplates will be available with direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engines as standard equipment or as an option by 2013. EcoBoost will be offered as an option on five of Ford's 15 North American nameplates by the end of this year.
Raising Driver Distraction Awareness
Bans on texting and hand-held cellphone use are raising awareness of distracted driving, but inconsistent enforcement is a significant barrier to solving the problem. Thirty-four states now ban texting while driving while ten states and the District of Columbia ban all motorists from using hand-held cellphones while driving. Automakers, wireless providers and those creating smartphone applications are trying to set limits so their features are more likely to be used safely. The U.S. Department of Transportation is conducting research on emerging vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology that could play a key role in preventing accidents from driver distraction in the future.
GM, LG Partner to Develop Electric Vehicles
General Motors Co. and South Korea's LG Corp. are partnering to develop a new lineup of battery-powered vehicles aimed at cutting the cost and time required to create electric cars. LG will cover half the cost of creating a future portfolio of electric and hybrid vehicles and then become GM's supplier on anything the companies jointly create. The new arrangement increases LG's role to include everything from on-board battery chargers to climate-control and possibly in-vehicle entertainment systems. GM hopes the partnership will help it move past rivals in the race to develop electric and gas-electric hybrid vehicles to meet the new U.S. fuel economy requirements.
Ford, SunPower Corp. Partner to Offer Solar Charger for Focus Electric
Buyers looking at the new Ford Focus Electric will have a chance to go even greener by adding an optional solar charging system. Ford is partnering with SunPower Corp., Silicon Valley's largest supplier of solar power arrays, to provide a 2.5 kilowatt rooftop charging system that could replenish a drained lithium-ion battery pack in about 10 hours. After a deep discount of more than 40% off the normal price tag, the rooftop system will still cost $10,000 after receiving a federal tax credit. Charging a Focus Electric from the grid each day would cost about $10 a week, making the payback period for the SunPower system about 20 years.
Chrysler Discontinuing Ram Dakota Compact Pickup
Chrysler has stopped production of its Ram Dakota compact pickup, which may lead to up to 150 layoffs. CEO Sergio Marchionne has said the Dakota will be replaced with a lifestyle vehicle that's "car-based," also from the Ram brand. The Dakota sold over 177K units in 2000, but last year that number trickled to just over 13,000 units.
