Yesterday we told you that Ford’s hybrid sales were up 73% over last year but we had no idea the Detroit automaker was going to see this kind of success. Recent reports have surfaced that suggest Ford is dangerously close to surpassing Honda as the second best hybrid seller in the United States.

Let’s take a look at some numbers: Honda has sold 29,958 hybrid vehicles so far this year which is a 8% increase over last year while Ford sold 26,016 vehicles, a 73% increase over last year like we already told you.

If these trends continue, by this time next year we may very well be seeing the U.S. hybrid seller top 3 looking like Toyota, Ford, Honda. But don’t pop the champagne yet, Ford, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

via autobloggreen

Tags: auto sales, Ford, Honda, hybrid, Toyota

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General Motors is exhausting all means possible to make the “New” GM as flexible as possible. And from the looks of it, they will be making use of the online methods of eBay as far as auctions and selling is concerned.

Now the question is will it work? Well it does address a wider market considering the web covers practically the whole world and the people who can afford to buy a new vehicle. But you have to wonder if people would actually buy a car online?

Another area for consideration is nothing has been mentioned yet for people who may avail of financing plans. This is of course assuming that GM will not include it in their online sales methods. As far as “Buy It Now” options, it may not really be the proper time to do so.

If struck, the deal will allow customers to buy cars online, purchasing and auctioning them like they do on any other goods. This will fundamentally change the existing auto sales model, and may become a future direction.

Certainly, we hope to get more details on this. As of now, the whole concept seems blurry. But expect this to ironed out some more, if it does push through which seems likely.

(Source) Press

Tags: auctions, auto sales, Cars, eBay, General Motors, GM, proper time, sales model

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Related to the declining demand for cars in the U.S. market, the Japanese auto industry is feeling the pinch of it all as it has experienced a severe decline in the local production of their cars for export. All 12 Japan-based vehicle makers suffered a 41% decline from May output.

And as far as sales, companies are already lagging behind the auto group’s forecast for the fiscal year, expected to be the worst in three decades, due to falling wages and growing unemployment. It predicts Japan industry-wide sales will drop 8.5 percent to 4.3 million in the year ending March.

Japan has implemented tax cuts and subsidies on some fuel- efficient cars to spur auto sales. Consumers can apply for a 250,000 yen ($2,600) subsidy if they scrap a car more than 13 years old to buy a new one and 100,000 yen for a new car purchase without scrapping an old one.

The government expects the incentive to lead to the sale of an additional 690,000 vehicles this fiscal year. Electric, hybrid, natural gas, and some diesel vehicles also qualify for an exemption from the country’s weight and purchase taxes.

(Source) Bloomberg

Tags: auto industry, auto sales, diesel vehicles, feeling the pinch, fuel efficient cars, japan car, japan industry, japanese auto, purchase taxes, three decades

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Already being billed as the cheapest and logical car to own, this early the Honda Insight is being billed as the top car in Japan once it hits the streets. It ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for April, the first time a hybrid has clinched that spot.

Honda Motor Co. has pitched the Insight as an affordable hybrid though such vehicles have a bigger price tag than gasoline engine cars because they’re packed with expensive green technology.

The Insight starts at 1.89 million yen ($19,000) in Japan, where it went on sale in February, and $19,800 in the U.S., where it is starting to arrive in showrooms.

Honda sold 10,481 Insight cars in April in Japan, according to data released Monday by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

(Source) Business Week

Tags: auto sales, automobile dealers association, engine cars, gasoline engine, Honda, honda insight, honda motor, hybrid, japan auto

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The secret towards being conservative in the auto industry is not on the cars you buy but on how well you know your car components. While some rely heavily on word of mouth, there is an online site that can help you visualize your car and make the necessary adjustments to be a wise motorist.

Carooma (carooma.com) today announced the beta launch of its online service which lets users configure and visualize auto parts and accessories on their own cars. As consumers spend less on new cars and more on options and parts, Carooma helps them get what they’re looking for.

According to a Reuters report dated September 3rd, 2008, U.S. auto sales in July sunk to a 16-year low and are have been falling for 10 straight months. Of 33 car brands sold in the U.S., only five posted increased year on year sales in August, while the rest reported an average decrease of 22.8% in sales, Autoblog reports.

To capitalize on this increasing demand, Carooma built an online application that lets users configure and view different combinations of auto parts from a variety of third party manufacturers with realistic 3D models. “With consumers spending thousands of dollars on customizing cars, we wanted to give them greater confidence in their purchase decisions, and help ensure that they’re getting what they want,” says AJ Mak, co-founder of Carooma.

Carooma also calculates the cost of selected parts so you know if what you are seeing is within budget. “When you talk about shopping for customized products, static pictures alone just aren’t going to work anymore, your shopping experience needs to be customized too.” said Mak.

(Source) Press

Tags: auto industry, auto sales, car brands, car buffs, car components, customized products, customizing cars, necessary adjustments, new cars, party manufacturers, purchase decisions, realistic 3d models, reuters report, u s auto

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If you think Chrysler’s declaration of bankruptcy is one setback, wait until it amplifies on the affiliated suppliers. Apparently, the auto suppliers will also have some problems coming their way, potentially losing one of their biggest clients for some time now.

Problems with suppliers could also impact production at the US plants of other major automakers such as Ford, Toyota and Honda which have been working with months to ensure to stability of their supply.

Under a plan announced Thursday by President Barack Obama, Chrysler aims for a “surgical” bankruptcy to wipe out a portion of its debts, allowing the creation of a new firm tied to Fiat to put the Detroit firm on the road to profitability.

Chrysler said it will idle most plants during the bankruptcy process, which it anticipates will take 30 to 60 days. But analysts warn the process could take significantly longer.

And suppliers were already smarting from news that General Motors — which has until June 1 to present a viability plan to the US Treasury — plans to shut most of its assembly plants during May, June and July to help control inventory and avoid difficulties with parts shortages.

US auto sales, which collapsed last fall amid a deepening economic crisis, were down 34 percent in April and are not expected to improve for months.

(Source) ABS CBN

Tags: assembly plants, auto sales, Auto Suppliers, automakers, bankruptcy process, Barack Obama, Chrysler, economic crisis, Fiat, Ford, ford toyota, General Motors, Honda, us treasury

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The falling trend in the car industry continues and to sustain their business, expect some tire manufacturers to lower their prices to stay afloat as well. It is practically a chain reaction. With most car companies suffering from low car sales, the demand for rubber tires is likewise expected to encounter rough sailing.

Tire makers, the biggest consumers of rubber, could report a 6.8 percent sales slump in 2009 as the global recession cuts auto demand, according to the government-funded International Rubber Study Group in Singapore. Supplies from Thailand, the top exporter, will increase after a seasonal drop, producers say. Prices of $1,530 a ton are 18 percent higher than alternatives made from oil, data compiled by Bloomberg News shows.

Demand will drop because people are buying fewer cars and delaying the purchase of replacement tires. U.S. auto sales plunged 37 percent in March, and the annual rate fell to the lowest in more than 25 years in February, according to Autodata Corp. Japan’s sales tumbled 32 percent in March to a level not seen in more than three decades. U.S. vehicle miles traveled fell by 7 billion, or 3.1 percent, in January from a year ago, the Federal Highway Administration said.

(Source) Ohio

Tags: auto sales, autodata corp, car companies, car industry, car sales, chain reaction, federal highway administration, global recession, international rubber study group, more than three decades, ohio rubber, replacement tires, rough sailing, rubber industry, rubber tires, tire manufacturers, u s auto

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When Hyundai initially unveiled the Elantra Touring, it is notable that the compact sport wagon went barely noticed. But now, it seems Hyundai is reaping the benefits of this vehicle as more shipments of the said model were reportedly heading Canada’s way.

Now, shipments are heading here and president Steve Kelleher couldn’t be happier. “The compact segment is huge in Canada,” says Kelleher, noting sales in this segment account for about half of all cars sold in this country, “and 25% of that segment is five-door models. We haven’t had a product in that segment — and now we do.”

In fact, with global auto sales shrinking, Kelleher has been promised he’ll get as many Elantra Tourings as he wants from the factory in Ulsan, Korea. “This is the first time we’ve been able to get as much product as we want, so we’re excited. We’re ready to go after the market.”

The 2009 Elantra Touring is a long-wheelbase version of the Hyundai I-30, which is sold in Europe and elsewhere. It was developed at Hyundai’s design centre in Germany and its DNA is apparent — it rides and handles like a European product.

The Touring GL, starting at $18,795, adds heated power mirrors, front tweeters to the audio system, a height adjuster and lumbar support to the driver’s seat, trip computer, fog lights, cruise control and a security curtain for the cargo area, plus a tilt and telescopic steering wheel.

(Source) Canada.com

Tags: auto sales, compact sport, cruise control, curtain, fog lights, global auto, height adjuster, Hyundai, hyundai elantra, lumbar support, sport wagon, steering wheel, steve kelleher, wheelbase

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U.S. President Barack Obama announced today that he will be ordering 2,500 hybrid vehicles for the U.S. General Service Administration made up of hybrid vehicles from GM, Ford and Chrysler by June 1. The purchase goal is fuel economy that’s 10 percent higher than the vehicle being replaced.

While auto sales have fallen 36 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to last year, the government’s purchase is still only symbolic, representing less than two-tenths of one percent of total US annual sales. But lawmakers from auto-industry states like Michigan and Ohio reacted with fervent support.

The first step will be an order for 2,500 hybrid sedans by April 15. Qualifying cars include the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, and the 2009 Saturn Aura Hybrid. The Ford Fusion Hybrid received excellent reviews and generated intense public interest, but the incremental mileage improvements of the Malibu and Aura mild hybrids have neither sparked much enthusiasm nor sold particularly well.

The total cost of $285 million would come from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill passed by Congress last month. A statement from the White House said the entire purchase will “reduce gasoline consumption by 1.3 million gallons per year and prevent 26 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.”

(Source) Hybridcars

Tags: auto industry, auto sales, carbon dioxide, economic stimulus bill, ford fusion, fuel economy, gasoline consumption, general service administration, gm ford, hybrid cars, hybrid sedans, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, saturn aura hybrid

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In a move to help perk up the auto sales industry, the real snag when it comes to closing a sale is the credit verification process. But now, all that will be covered as VW Credit, Inc. (VCI), recently launched FinanceSource a partnership between VCI and Dealer Management System (DMS) providers to build applications for faster, more accurate credit application processes for dealers.

FinanceSource will create seamless integration between the VCI financing systems and the dealers’ DMS systems. By entering customer information into one user-friendly interface, data entry is simplified, reducing administrative paperwork and the possibility for error.

Credit application integration is the first installment of a suite of solutions to be built and launched via FinanceSource. Contract data validation and the ability to receive, approve and save funding documentation electronically will follow. Ultimately, improved cash flow and faster funding are anticipated results for dealers as they strive to maximize cost efficiency and customer service.

(Source) Press

Tags: accurate credit, administrative paperwork, application integration, application processes, auto sales, cash flow, cost efficiency, credit application, credit verification, data entry, data validation, first installment, seamless integration, snag, vw credit

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The relationship is synonymous to the law of demand and supply: no rentals means no new car purchases. That is the scenario at the moment as rentals are not spared from the economic plunge. With people opting to forego renting a car, car rentals seem to be finding little reason to purchase new cars.

With that, car manufacturer sales are hurting as well. A fine portion of their sales come from car rentals who invest in these cars for business. Car rental companies have seen demand for their services fall since the financial crisis erupted in September 2008, prompting businesses and consumers to cut back on travel spending.

With cars sitting idle in their lots, rental companies are much more inclined to scale back their fleets than to buy new vehicles.

(Source) AP

Tags: auto sales, car manufacturer, car purchases, car rentals, financial crisis, new cars, new vehicles, plunge, rental car companies, renting a car

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In a move that is aimed to curb enormous manpower count that they have at the moment, General Motors has announced that they will be offering a buyout for all hourly paid employees who are retirement-eligible. But while that is how they classify it, anyone of their hourly workers can avail of it if they choose to do so.

News of the buyouts first broke on Monday. A union official told The Associated Press then that GM would offer $20,000 in cash and a $25,000 car voucher for workers who retire early and those who simply leave the company. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because workers were not yet notified of the packages.

The buyouts are the latest round of cost-cutting measures by GM, which is racing to piece together a plan for returning to viability by the middle of the month. The Detroit-based company is scheduled to report January auto sales later Tuesday, and analysts are expecting a steep year-over-year decline.

(Source) WOKV

Tags: auto sales, buyouts, General Motors, hourly employees, hourly workers, manpower, retirement

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