A New Sales Leader Is Set to Overtake Perennial Auto Sales Leader GM... According To A Research Firm...

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!

Ford Motor Company is poised to become the number one sales leader in North America by the end of the year according to IHS Global Insight, a research firm.

As current and impending bankruptcy fears have gripped consumers over the last few months and amid the current financial crisis that have severely impacted both Chrysler and General Motors. IHS Global Insight has conducted research that says that Ford Motor Company will be the leader of the pact by years end in North America.

Production at Ford and Toyota will be better than the previous years sales numbers, while Chrysler plant closings and a severely ailing GM will have to make major production reductions according to the firm.

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That Car Guy

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Company Says That It Can Produce A 100 mpg Hummer H3, Reality Or Fiction?

Raser Technologies a company operating out of Provo, Utah introduced a hummer that the company claims gets the equivalent of 100mpg. The company along with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch was on Capitol Hill Wednesday to introduce the technology to the Obama Administration and the nation.

The Chairman of Raser Technologies, Kraig Higginson indicated that consumers could expect the vehicle available for purchase by 2011.

The company said that it's pricing should be about $55,000.00 when the company starts mass producing the Hummer. The company went on to say that the technology used in the prototype would not be limited to just Hummers, a company spokesperson said that the technology employed can work with a SUV or pick up truck.

Visit: http://www.rasertech.com/ for more information.

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That Car Guy

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The Auto Dealers Are Not The Problem! The Aftermath Of Chrysler and GM closing Dealerships Across America...

The letters landed on dealers desk across America like a ton of bricks, 789 Chrysler dealers and 1100 General Motors dealers out of business, plus another 1000 GM dealers receiving probationary letters, telling them to shape up or they are next.

What has happened to our free enterprise system, the capitalism that brought so much prosperity to this country, this has now become my battle cry. Bankruptcy courts are forcing independent business men and women to loose millions with a stroke of a pen without a hearing or opportunity to plead there case, what has happened to due process. Why aren't auto dealers getting a day in court, like any other creditor, dealers are owed billions in rebates, warranty work, incentives, parts credits, not to mention that all dealers have a valid contract that states that the manufacturer will repurchase all of the dealers remaining inventory if the dealer loses his or her franchise due to termination and other matters.

Earth to our U.S. Government, you terminated the dealers franchise agreements and then a bankruptcy judge terminated all dealer agreements, auto dealers deserve a hearing and no one is listening, they have valid claims in this bankruptcy proceedings as they are owed money just like everyone else standing in line in this meltdown.

However, what concerns me most is our U.S. Government said that they wanted to preserve jobs, yet they single handily in one letter, terminated upwards of over 100,000 (est.) people directly involved in the process of selling and servicing auto dealers on behalf of the manufacturers. These folks were not the problem, they were in essence part of the solution in retailing millions of vehicles over the years. No question that the domestic dealer body had to many dealers in many markets and same make brands cannibalized each others profit opportunity, but the manufacturers created the environment and men, women and families invested heavily in obtaining and financing these businesses. Real people in towns and cities across America are employed by these dealerships, communities rely on the tax base that these stores provide, softball teams and schools and other charitable organizations have come to rely on these enterprises for support over the years.

But what has baffled me the most is who is going to service the people who purchased many of the vehicles that these dealers sold? Although not announced, a service network of some major chain has to fill the void, you can't leave auto owners high and dry if a vehicle breaks down and the nearest dealer is 30 - 50 miles away in some cases, why isn't a comprehensive plan in place to answer the fears that some car owners have, announce the service centers who will provide the ongoing warranty work at the minimum.

An ongoing debate between dealers and domestic auto makers has been going on for years and implementing a plan to reduce dealers certainly cost money, but these dealers have served the manufacturer and there customer base well, most are profitable even if marginally in the current market. Many have sold vehicles exclusively with one make for generations and are stewards in there communities, attrition will take care of the weak and advancing market conditions will take care of the remainder.

Auto makers have many bigger issues to address, getting their own house in order should be at the top of that list, not putting independent businessmen and women and there employees out of business shouldn't be at the top of that list.

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That Car Guy

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A Question For That Car Guy...

QUESTION?- I keep thinking that this is an idea who’s time has come. What do you think the pros and con’s are? http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/05/02/hondas-fuelmaker-finds-a-new-home/

ANSWER- The issue behind natural gas (CNG) is the infrastructure, much like electricity and matching the refueling with demands when people are traveling or general commuting. The money, time and effort that it cost to build the necessary infrastructure is enormous and no one has been able to accurately amortize the timeline when it will be profitable based on the current low demand and lack of real interest. South America clearly has resolved the infrastructure issue and demand for CNG and biofuels as the governments adapted policies quite some time ago.

I believe developing countries could use a program like the home refueling system that you shared, those countries that still lack infrastructure and I bet that the company that purchased the system has underdeveloped nations in mind, because if Honda can't make it work (it's focus is on developed nations) it did not have a market or they felt they could not develop a market in a quick enough time frame.

CNG has had government support for utilities for years and it still has not gained enough traction within the commercial area, large subsidies to other businesses who could purchase trucks outfitted or retrofitted to burn CNG also, but the effort has gone nowhere, mainly because of the refueling issue. Americans by and large are unwilling to give up luxuries that they have been used too, CNG and biofuels vehicles do not enjoy the same horsepower and torque that gasoline powered vehicles have in the current form. Companies are working on improving horsepower and performance to match gasoline.

The real issue becomes what alternative fuel (CNG, BioFuels, Clean Diesel, Electricity, Fuel Cell, Hybrid program etc...) will our government support in creating the necessary refueling stations that are needed. I like Fuel Cell technology as a power source but the infrastructure necessary is way to high. By and large our nation travels great distances and in many communities it is necessary, we aren't a nation that has short commutes and most of our population centers are not densely populated so people have to travel longer distances daily, especially in middle America. It will be hard for folks in the midwest down to Texas to give up there large SUV's and Trucks when that is the comfort level and demands needed to accomplish those families daily needs. Americans still have an appetite for larger vehicles, imagine traveling from Indianapolis, to Chicago in a Smart Car, that vehicle works for a city commute but if that is your main vehicle do you really want to travel 200 miles in that vehicle.

I believe Electricity is the way that I see our country going, electric vehicles can have great torque and horsepower and reach speeds quickly, the infrastructure needed to put recharging stations in current gasoline stations or building a recharging station (these can be unmanned) is simpler than putting in new bio fuel tanks, new diesel tanks or CNG storage tanks. Plus I believe our public sees electricity as greener, although that is perception, the output from the vehicle is clean, however the process to produce the electricity is not clean, most comes from coal, in addition, the wasted batteries will become a disposal issue, but with most things the perception will sell it.

There is a program that is gaining some press and might have legs, check out http://www.projectbetterplace.com/ this company has a radical new take on vehicle purchases and refueling. The company views vehicles much like the cell phone industry views cell phones, where the money is in the service (batteries and refueling) not the physical product. Check it out and I would be interested in your feedback.

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That Car Guy

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