As one of the big dissenters from the battery-powered EV lovetrain, Hyundai is about to put its money on Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology. Starting in 2015, it intends to assemble up to 10,000 units of a fuel cell-powered version of the Tucson crossover at its plant in Ulsan, South Korea.
Category: Industry
During the launch of the Ford Fiesta 1.0L Ecoboost, multiple outlets ran articles parroting Ford’s PR line about the lack of an automatic transmission. Apparently, Ford declined to offer an automatic or Powershift dual-clutch gearbox on the 3-cylinder Fiesta since a two-pedal option would run counter to the 1.0L’s stated mission of being both fun to drive and good on gas.
With 4-cylinder engines increasing their market share from 40 percent to 53 market share in just 5 years, Ford is forecasting even more growth for these engines in the years to come. The Blue Oval is betting that by 2020, 66 percent of cars will come with a 4-banger.
Detroit area teens looking for a summer job can now get a paid internship with GM, and will recieve education, training and service projects to carry out over the summer. Sure beats my prior summer jobs as a carnival barker (I’m not kidding).
This week, the idea of Brazil’s cars being “unsafe” due to inferior construction has been gaining a lot of currency on the blogosphere after the Associated Press published a report on this topic. Very few outlets have anyone posted in Brazil to do any deeper digging, but TTAC does. Unfortunately, our man Marcelo de Vasconcellos is currently in exams right now (good luck, Senhor!) and was unable to write up an article refuting these claims. Still, Marcelo took the time out to talk to TTAC about the problems behind the article.
GM stockholders, especially the large stockholder in Washington, DC, have reason to rejoice: Today, GM shares “topped their 2010 initial public offering price, which will help the automaker’s largest shareholder, the U.S. Treasury, pare its losses,” Reuters says. Read More >
Car and Driver scribe (and TTAC alum) Justin Berkowitz has penned an amazing feature about the U.S. Government’s campaign against grey market Land Rover Defenders.
Bad news on the subprime front, as credit rating agency Experian reports a rise in delinquencies and repossessions for auto loans in Q1 2013.

Melinda Zabritski offered a rather dubious explanation for the nearly 17 percent rise in repos (as well as the 1.3 percent uptick in 30 day delinquencies and 12.4 percent rise in 60-day delinquencies) Read More >
Beleaguered EV start-up Better Place faced yet another blow this week, as Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn declared that rapid-charging, not swappable batteries, will be the predominant charging technology for EVs.
Cadillac may be gunning too hard for Germany’s domain of rear-drive sports sedans, but one area where The Standard of the World won’t be gunning for them is in the volume race. GM CFO Dan Ammann told Automotive News that unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, ”We’re not going to be in every single segment that they’re in”.
Carmaking is a cyclical business. In crisis times, it’s “we are all in this together.” When business improves, relations between automakers and their suppliers revert to the old arrogance, to hurry up, make more for less. It’s that time again. Read More >
Following in the footsteps of Spanish bank Santander, GM Financial announced that it would enter the prime lending market in 2014.
Weaker than expected growth in the United States has led Carlos Ghosn to issue an even more ambitious goal; double Nissan’s sales by 2017.
















Recent Comments
Summicron - BTW, anybody know what that blue area is on the car in the pic? It looks wrinkled on the rocker panels (still called that?) so maybe...
binkje - According to Di’s sources, Saab has postponed their tax payments over several years and the suspicion is...
AMC_CJ - A tad less then 23k for the Mustang (before taxes and all of that great stuff). The Fiesta I saw on the lot, but had been sold,...
CJinSD - You’re right CelticPete. Car and Driver tested a 3 cylinder 1.0 liter Ecoboost Focus. It was pathetically slower(2.7...
niky - Whereas the modern equivalent (in terms of size and specs), the Mitsubishi Mirage, gets 40… combined. Of course, having driven both, the Mirage is nowhere...
CJinSD - I’m seeing a pattern where you involve yourself in discussions to counter act correct conclusions, Power 6. I’d love to know what...
Beerboy12 - Two things. One is the Fiesta is a small car so a 2 liter would be to big. Second, Turbo’s are about pressure...
CJinSD - 6 million, 249 million, what’s the difference? I suspect you could tell if it suited you.
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CJinSD - Adjusted for 2008 EPA standards, that car would be rated 25 city/32 highway MPG. It also wouldn’t pass emissions or safety standards, and it would be as...