Chrysler got a new lease on life some months back with regards to its current financial standing. Now it seems that they have totally forgotten how to redeem itself from their poor showing as the company is still mum on what it plans to do with their current product line. There has been no word on new vehicles that would be coming out and yet we are nearing the close of 2009. Has Chrysler totally lost it?

Unlike Ford which has put much of its weight on their electric car, the Volt, Chrysler has not leaked or shown any new car models to look forward to. Rather they are providing customers with perks like car leasing and specialized features. How long can they do that? Unless they start getting their act together they are better off closing the company or perhaps selling it to someone else. They do have plans of a brand makeover but time is essential. Apparently Chrysler forgot all about that.

Tags: auto chrysler, available resources, car industry, car leasing, car models, Cars, Dodge, doors, economic turmoil, electric car, Ford, makeover, market position, models, new blood, new car, new direction, new lease on life, new vehicles, quick time, rebates, signs of life, special offers, trucks, Volt, waste of time

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Due to slumping demand, Ford Motors has halted operations for its plant in Russia. For now, it seems that workers will have to make do with the one-third pay from their normal wages for the duration of the shutdown phase. Operations are said to continue in June although this will only be for a four-day work week until October.

“We have suspended production at the Vsevolozhsk factory because of the market situation and forecasts for falling sales in the automobile industry,” spokeswoman Yekaterina Kulinenko

Ford’s assembly line in Vsevolozhsk, near Russia’s second city, has produced the Focus and Mondeo models for sale on the Russian market since 2002 and employs about 200,000 people.

The highest selling vehicle of Ford in Russia is the Ford Focus. However, due to the spreading economic turmoil, Ford is also experiencing a sales slump thus the need to make the necessary preventive measures to avoid adding more loses for the embattled U.S. car making giant.

(Source) AFP

Tags: assembly line, automobile industry, duration, economic turmoil, Ford, ford focus, ford motors, ford plant, giant source, market situation, models, mondeo, phase operations, preventive measures, Russia, russian market, second city, spokeswoman, wages

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Car buying seems to be the last thing on the mind of consumers today. However, it also remains that many are voluntarily shying away from it for the fact that it all seems to be a waste of time, no thanks to the tightening financial situation that makes lending harder these days.

Despite challenging credit conditions in the auto industry over the past year, carmakers say financing availability has improved in 2009 as banks have received financial relief from the government. So credit-worthy buyers are getting approved.

The good news, according to Edmunds.com, is that now is a fantastic time to shop for a new car. Most manufacturers are offering great deals, making new cars better deals than many used cars.

To ensure getting great financing options like zero percent offers, or bank or credit union loans, Edmunds advises checking your credit rating before you shop, and make as big a down payment as you can.

(Source) Press

Tags: auto industry, banks, car buying, consumers, credit rating, credit union loans, economic turmoil, financial situation, financing options, great deals, how to buy a new car, zero percent

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While plans for the prototype SUV by AFS Trinity Power Corporation bogged down a bit, it looks like it will not only solve the transport problems but also the rising number of unemployment cases caused by several car manufacturing shutdowns and job cuts.

However, with the new plan of AFS Trinity Power Corporation on its disregarded SUV plan, we may be seeing two birds hit with one stone, or car in a manner of speaking.

For their part, AFS Trinity announces prototype SUV fitted with new high mileage, high performance technology at heart of $2.5 billion ‘green retooling’ DOE proposal.

The AFS Trinity Plug hybrid will realize the following benefits:

Assured battery life better than 150,000 miles while using off-the-shelf Li Ion technology – which means no new batteries need to be invented;

Dramatically lower fuel usage and CO2 – zero gas consumed on most days;

40 miles electric operation on an overnight charge – all that is needed by 78% of U.S. drivers for their daily driving

(Source) Press

Tags: batteries, economic turmoil, high performance technology, hybrid suvs, Prototype, unemployment

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