General Motors Corporation made the announcement of the closure of their Windsor transmission factory in 2010. The factory currently produces four speed transmissions which is fast becoming "old technology", as automotive manufacturers shift towards more fuel efficient six speed versions.
Just like the scene from Office Space when Dom Portwood asks Peter if he received the memo about his TPS reports, today I ask you Truckblog fans, did you get that memo from last week about Truckblog TV and our other huge stories? If you didn't, below is a list of our top blogs from last week for you to read this Monday morning. "So if you could just remember to do that from now on, that'd be great. All right!".
As an update to our blog last Friday morning, General Motors Helps End American Axle Strike With Buyouts, UAW President, Ron Gettelfinger, announced Saturday that he was close to agreeing on a final deal with the American Axle strike, when that new proposal also included the shut down of three manufacturing plants. "I don't know where we're at because the company changes their position every time we turn around" Gettelfinger said in an interview over the weekend. "We have consistently offered proposals significantly higher than the agreement...And they have been consistently turned down by the UAW". As reported by Detroit Free Press.
General Motors Corporation and Isuzu Motors Limited announced their new joint venture, GM-Isuzu Camiones Andinos de Colombia Ltda., today. The purpose of which is to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand their truck and bus sales in Colombia. The joint venture builds on the long-standing partnership that GM and Isuzu have enjoyed in the region by establishing a company that is dedicated to the marketing, sales, service and after-sales of commercial vehicles. The new partnership is the successful result of a 2007 agreement that studied the potential of a JV and will focus on strengthening the leadership that GM and Isuzu have built in this segment.
The Detroit News reports that General Motors has offered a $200 million dollar buyout option to American Axle & Manufacturing Inc, to help end a two month long company strike, which recently caused GM to stop production of their pickup trucks. The $200 million dollar buyout will help the parts supplier pay for their own employee buyouts, retirement accounts and incentives for workers for the differences in wages. American Axle spokeswoman, Renee Rogers, stated "Now that GM has agreed to provide financial assistance ... hopefully both parties can work to bring an agreement to this terribly costly strike".
Overall, it sounds like General Motors really got screwed with their parts supplier, costing the company more than $800 million and 100,000 vehicles in lost production. But in a declining United States market, the timing might not have been any better.
Autoweek is reporting that General Motors has announced they have told their dealers of suspended production of some of their 2008 full size trucks and SUVs, due to the American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings strike. The vehicles effected are the GMC Yukon, GMC Denali, GMC Sierra heavy duty regular and extended cab configurations, GMC commercial heavy duty, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Chevrolet light duty pickup trucks. GMC spokesman, Randy Fox, said "Essentially, we're not accepting any more orders", referring to the lack of available parts because of the continued strike. General Motors is saying they have a 102 day supply of 3500 heavy duty trucks and a 178 day supply of 2500 heavy duty trucks. "The truck business is so slow in general right now it's hard to measure it".
With rising gas prices, today’s car buyers admit fuel efficiency and diversity is not just a necessity, it’s also fashion forward. If Americans had to choose between driving a car that was beautiful on the outside vs. one that was “greener” on the inside, nearly eight in 10 Americans (79 percent) who plan to buy or lease a car within the next two years would choose the greener car. These and more compelling statistics are a result of a national survey recently conducted by Challenge X – a national collegiate engineering competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors.
Transporting your toys from A to B is as easy as LGA. Let's Go Aero, manufacturer of innovative Gear Management Solutions, offers a variety of compact trailers ideal for your next sand dune, lakeside, mountain camp or winter resort excursion. LGA trailers - including the GearWagon 125, GearLodge Camper, Little Giant Sport Utility Trailer and LittleGiant Trailer Xpand - are perfectly suited for dirt bike, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile and personal watercraft owners who don't want the hassle - or expense - of a large, dedicated toy hauler trailer.
Scott Burgess of the Detroit News recently test drove the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and wrote a review, stating the new hybrid SUV has great fuel mileage ratings, ratings that are "on par with '09 Camry", a hybrid sedan in a seperate vehicle class and nearly 3,000 pounds lighter. "The Tahoe Hybrid hits the same city mileage as a four-cylinder 2009 Toyota Camry. Its 21 mpg (on the two-wheel drive model) is even 2 mpg better than a Camry with a V-6". Powered by a six liter V8 with a hybrid system that includes two electric motors running on 300-volt system, the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid tips the scale at over $52,000. Is the price really worth it? Find out inside.
General Motors Corp.'s revolutionary new 4.5L V-8 Duramax turbo-diesel, which makes its debut in Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light duty trucks in the 2010 model year, is compact, powerful and fuel-efficient. The engine also is lighter, an important consideration in the competitive light truck market, because it was designed with more than 70 fewer parts. The new dual-overhead cam, four-valve V-8 diesel engine boasts a number of innovative design approaches that have enabled its compact size and mass, including integral aluminum cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow V-angle block.
If you're furious at work right now and are not happy with the events of your Monday morning (case of the Mondays?), and have also announced to your fellow co-workers that work sucks, then just remember what Lawrence said to Peter in Office Space... "No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' something like that, man". If that's the case, don't leave your cubical, and take a moment to read last weeks blogging wrath.
General Motors Corp. and Mascoma Corp. today announced a strategic relationship to develop cellulosic ethanol focused on Mascoma's single-step biochemical conversion of non-grain biomass into low-carbon alternative fuels to help address increasing energy demand. The relationship, which includes an undisclosed equity investment by GM, complements an earlier investment in a cellulosic ethanol startup that uses a thermo-chemical process to make ethanol from non-grain sources.
In an article by US News, with gas prices climbing past the $4.00 dollar per gallon mark nation wide, SUV trade in values and sales have fallen over 14 percent in March alone, compared to the same time one year ago. The SUV used car sales have been so bad, that some dealers have been forced to sell them overseas, facing expensive transportation costs and little profit. Al Johnson of AutoNation's Maroone Nissan in Pembroke, Florida said "the dealership had been exporting about one car a month" in recent years, but this year they average roughly 10".
General Motors have announced their net loss for the first quarter of 2008, a number of $3.25 billion. The driving cause of the huge loss is believed to have come from "one-time charges for its troubled GMAC investment and for continuing problems at supplier Delphi Corp". GM also stated a loss of $800 million due to the UAW's two month strike with American Axle, that has yet to be resolved. Other troubled sectors were a $1.45 billion impairment charge with their financial agency, GMAC Financing, as well as a $731 million dollar charge for Delphi's bankruptcy issues. In the overseas economy however, GM posted a $1 billion dollar profit. Welcome to the United States economy. As reported by Autoweek.
GM announced today that it is eliminating one shift of production at its full-size pickup truck assembly plants in Pontiac, Mich.; Flint, Mich.; and Oshawa, Ontario; and its full-size SUV assembly plant in Janesville, Wis. The decisions were made to bring production capacity more in line with market demand.
Did you have to wake your ass up at 6am every morning last week to do the drywall at the new McDonalds? Just like Lawrence from Office Space did? If so, that means you missed our best blogs from last week! Check them out below.
General Motors Corp.’s role in helping Coskata Inc. bring its next-generation cellulosic ethanol to market traces back a quarter of a century to technology developed for a GM iron foundry in northwest Ohio. Coskata announced Friday that its pilot plant will be located at the Westinghouse Plasma Center in Madison, the current site of a pilot-plant gasifier.
In an article by BusinessWeek, Americans are now consuming less gasoline, resulting in less vehicles on the road due to high gasoline prices. In a study conducted in Palm Beach County, Florida, for the past 20 years, workers have been counting vehicles with special sensors to monitor their activity. Nearly every year since the study started, the number of vehicles on the road has risen at least 2 percent annually. However in 2007, traffic levels noticed a decline, and so far for 2008 are down 7.5 percent.
Toyota Motor Corp has outsold General Motors again in global sales, according to The Detroit News. The number one automaker sold 2.41 million vehicles in the first quarter of 2008, with General Motors in second with 2.25 million.
Following the continuation of the American Axle strike that has been occurring for two months now, The Detroit News is reporting that the UAW "repeatedly rejected economic proposals that were considerably higher than the market rate", rejecting the more-than generous wage proposals to help continue the strike. American Axle has not released any details about those rejected economic proposals, but did note that the latest offer given was "nearly double the market rate" of $30 per hour.
GM intends to meet the tough, new national CAFE standards of 35 mpg for cars and trucks combined by 2020, a dramatic increase of 40 percent. NHTSA’s proposed rule lays out the first set of standards toward this target. GM will work with NHTSA throughout its rulemaking process on the yearly targets and the sensible mechanisms needed to meet this challenge. GM has an established track record of innovation and a commitment to improving the fuel economy in its cars and trucks.
Andrew Posner of TreeHugger.com says that the price for a gallon of gas is selling for around $3.00 per gallon in New Jersey, a price that is lower than the nations average of $3.51. Why, you ask? Here's your answer. "New Jersey has the nation’s third-lowest gasoline tax, at 14.5 cents a gallon, and it hasn’t gone up in almost two decades".
Just in case that "PC Load Letter" error is getting you down this morning, we have composed a list of last week's top blogs to make you happy again. Especially the 2010 Ford F-150 4.4 Liter Diesel pictures! Check out the full list below.
“Go Ahead Punk… Make My Day!”… Imagine this familiar voice sounding out from under the hood of your ride; or you pull up in front of your girlfriend’s house and announce your arrival with “I Got You Babe”, or you are out on your boat and you press a button on your FX-550 and – all around you can hear the theme song from “Jaws”. With Horntones the possibilities are endless.
Check out the YouTube video inside! Install article and full review, coming soon.
The USA Today has published an article about automotive manufacturers producing more cars that run off premium gasoline, at a time when prices at the pump are breaking records every day. In an analysis by Kelley Blue Book, the number of new vehicles that need premium gasoline has risen from 166 vehicles in the 2002 model year to 282 vehicles this year, almost double the amount at a time when fuel efficiency is of great importance.
General Motors announced today that its U.S. marketing and field operations will be more strongly aligned into four retail channels: Chevrolet; Premium (Cadillac, Hummer, Saab); Buick-Pontiac-GMC; and Saturn. Each channel will be focused on continuing to deliver world-class products for their customer and build value for GM and their respective dealers.
Normally this would fall into our Beerblog fodder, but I think this video of a Dillon machine gun mounted on top of a GMC Yukon SUV is just killer. The Dillon machine gun knocks out 30,000 rounds every minute, and would come in handy every time you have one of those road rage moments on the way to work (Do you have the case of the Mondays?). Jokes aside, this is actually one very cool presentation of power and technology, combined. Check out the video inside.
In an article by Business Week, Americans seem to not love pickup trucks any more, this comes after sales reports were posted for the Month of March. Last months sales were at the lowest level since 2000, down 18% for Ford's F-Series and the Chevrolet Silverado. Even worse was the Dodge Ram, off 26%.
A hitch with the towing electrical connection built INSIDE the receiver? It's an innovation that would have others asking, "Why didn't I think of that?!" Valley, a towing industry leader for more than 60 years, did. New Integrated Trailer Wiring(tm) hitches from Valley are inventive and stylish. Advancements in manufacturing technology have allowed the towing electrical connection to be moved INSIDE the cross tube of the receiver, eliminating the need for unsightly brackets or to drape the harness outside the vehicle where it can be damaged by weather and road debris.
PX3 Xtreme Oil Booster, released by PX3 Lubricants, has dynamometer tests confirming an increase in Horsepower and Torque up to 5% or more; offers protection against heat and cold dry starts; and reduces friction and engine wear. Additionally, users have reported improved fuel efficiency resulting in significant increases in gas mileage. Dynamometer tests on the Powerblock television broadcasts confirmed PX3 Lubricant’s statements.
Sunpro, "The Performance Legend," has an exciting offer for car and truck owners who want to add a performance tachometer and gauges to their vehicle. The Sunpro Sport ST Value Pack (CP7931) features Sunpro's new 5-inch Sport ST Tachometer and includes a StyleLine oil pressure gauge, water/oil temperature gauge and a trim-to-fit universal double gauge pod to mount them in.
Texans with flex-fuel vehicles gained easier access Friday to E85 ethanol at the first public biofuel pumps in the nation owned by a new car and truck dealership. Classic Chevrolet/HUMMER, which sold more Chevrolet trucks than any dealer in the nation in 2007, spent more than $500,000 to install nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel at the new Classic Clean Fuels station adjacent to its Mr. Good Wrench Quick Lube Plus and HUMMER dealership in suburban Dallas.
MBRPinc is well known for performance exhaust systems that deliver the best in fit, appearance, performance and SOUND. If you want to do something simple to achieve that deep, throaty and sometimes earth-shaking rumble from your performance exhaust system, just add a muffler delete from MBRPinc.
Let's Go Aero (LGA), manufacturer of innovative Gear Management Solutions for the automotive, recreation and commercial trade industries, has introduced the GearCage Cargo Rack System - the ultimate cargo management system featuring LGA's GearCage with its GearBag and Bike Mount hardware accessories.
In racing, it is absolutely mandatory that the fuel pressure regulator provides stable and proper fuel pressure to the carburetor, especially under extreme conditions. Until recently, changing out a regulator, or testing the fuel supply with traditional fittings required dealing with leaky dripping fuel lines, and then making sure the fittings are properly torqued. The quicker, easier solution is to use Jiffy-tite Quick Connect Fluid Fittings. These Quick-Connects provide a safe leak-proof seal and unsurpassed performance even under the most extreme racing conditions; allowing changeovers or checks to the fuel to occur in seconds, not minutes.
TEN Magazines, ex-publisher of "Ford Truck World" magazine, "TEN Trucks" magazine (plus several others) and publisher of far too many automotive websites, has sold the remains of its operation to a private company in Mesa, Arizona. Last year TEN cited "Print is dead" after canceling all of their print publications--the first sign that big trouble was ahead for this struggling print/online publishing company.
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Baja Designs new Diablo Rally light will have you seeing double by incorporating their race proven Diablo lens not once, but twice! The new Diablo Rally doubles your light output by incorporating two Baja Designs Diablo lenses stacked one on top of the other.
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. could not have found any other better way to piss off their employees even more, than to offer CEO, Richard Dauch, an $805,000 raise in salary, to a mere $10.2 million last year. This is after the fact that the company posted a profit of $37 million in 2007, as well as a $222.5 million dollar net loss two years ago, in 2006. Meanwhile, 3,600 of American Axle's employees have stood outside in the snow for nearly a month, striking against the company. Corporate life rocks. As posted by The Detroit News.
