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Opel Confirms Plan to Close Bochum Plant in 2014
The supervisory board General Motors Co.'s Opel unit has approved a plan to end vehicle production at its assembly plant in Bochum, Germany, by the end of next year.
VIEWPOINT | A CLEANER, MORE FLEXIBLE METHOD TO PRETREAT ALUMINUM
Carmakers routinely use the zinc phosphate bath that cleans and prepares sheet steel for the paint process to achieve the same results for a vehicle's aluminum components.
Scooters: Gas or Electric?
ZEV—as in Z Electric Vehicle—has set a goal of becoming the producer of “The World’s Fastest and Longest Range Electric Scooters.” So in keeping with that, it was launched the ZEV 10 LRC—as in Long Range Commuter—which, thanks to its 10-kWh lithium battery pack and hub motor (the motor is contained within the rear wheel; the outside of the motor is the tire rim and the axle is fixed as the stator, so the only additional parts are bearings), allows the LRC to travel 140 miles on a single charge.
UAW Sets Sights on Mercedes Alabama Plant
The United Auto Workers union, which is aggressively seeking to organize the U.S. auto factories of foreign carmakers, has added Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Vance, Ala., to its list of targets.
PSA Delays Restructuring Cuts Until Court Ruling
PSA Peugeot Citroen says it has delayed the implementation of its restructuring by 10 days until a Paris high court rules on the legality of the company's plan to cut 11,200 jobs in France and close its Aulnay assembly plant outside Paris next year.
Toyota Study: Plug-Ins Could Cut Fuel Use 46%
A three-year fleet test in Strasbourg, France, indicates that plug-in hybrid cars are 46% more fuel efficient than similarly sized conventional vehicles in city driving.
Ford Transit Tested
One consequence of “One Ford” is that the E-Series van/utility is going away to be replaced by a family of Ford Transit vehicles.
Nissan Mulls New Infiniti Factory in N. America
Nissan Motor Co. is considering whether to open a new assembly plant in North America in about 2017 with annual capacity of at least 100,000 Infiniti brand vehicles per year, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Daimler to Offer Rental Option for Smart EV
Starting next month, U.S. buyers of Daimler AG's electrified Smart ForTwo city car will have the choice of renting the vehicle's battery separately, Automotive News Europe reports.
Honda Debuts its First Diesel Car for India
Honda Motor Co. has joined India's fast-growing market for diesel-powered cars with the introduction of its first such model in the country.