The Best of the Rest
- General Motors is bullish on selling certified used cars and has launched an interactive website to help consumers learn about the ups and downs of the used car market.
I come across more auto industry news than what I can possibly cover on this blog, ceding the daily multi-post car blogging to the likes of Autoblog, Left Lane News, Jalopnik, and others. In addition, I prefer to avoid stories that everyone else is talking about simply because you can read that information on those sites. Besides, I’m getting tired discussing the misfortunes of GM, Ford, and Chrysler and think that you are too.
There are times when I know that I will cover a particular topic, but choose to wait until I get more information. A press release can be helpful, but I like to follow that news up by contacting the source myself. Usually, that means waiting until things die down a bit to allow my contacts to get a breather and the chance to respond to my questions.
The following are some of the topics that weren’t covered by me but are fodder for future articles. Good stuff happening across the industry, things you may want to know about:
- Lots of people are looking to trade in their rides for something much more fuel efficient, but not everyone is looking to buy new. General Motors, which has been beefing up their certified used vehicle business, decided to inject some fun in the used car buying process by launching a website dedicated to inform and entertain visitors. UsedCarAmbush is the name of the site, an information portal designed to educate consumers without an overly commercial appeal.
- Volkswagen has been smarting ever since recently released EPA figures for its 2009 diesel engines revealed that these powerplants aren’t achieving quite the fuel economy numbers as had been hoped. However, there is a silver lining for prospective Sportwagen and Jetta TDI buyers: a $1300 federal tax credit is available as part of the IRS’ Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle income tax credit. Nice!
- Microsoft may not know how to build a web browser, is a poor challenger to Google when it comes to search, and hasn’t figured out a way to adequately monetize the internet, but that hasn’t stopped the Redmond, WA giant from making an impact in the automotive industry. The company’s SYNC technology has provided a needy boost for Ford and, now that the exclusive relationship with the Blue Oval is about to end, Microsoft is making this technology available to other manufacturers. Could Microsoft dominate the automotive spectrum much as they have with the PC industry?
- How would you like to drive a car that gets 80 mpg, emits very low emissions, and has a top speed of 90 mph? Well, if Axon Automotive ever brings their eco-friendly car to the market, then you just may have that chance. Then again, with the company being based in the UK, people on this side of the pond will probably have a longer wait. Axon’s proposed car sports a carbon fiber body and utilizes other lightweight and environmentally friendly materials to develop a car that squeezes out the fuel like no other one can.
- Toyota is getting bruised in the US market, not by the Big 3, but by its decision to build the big Tundra and its bloated Sequoia SUV. Tough as things are in the US, the world’s leading automaker is planning to build a new factory in Brazil that should go online in 2011. The Sorocabo factory will have the capacity to build 150,000 units annually.
I’ll keeping tabs on all of these reports, some of which are destined to become full fledged articles in their own right.
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