Some of this year's hottest summer toys are Ford official licensed products. Although thousands of items - from t-shirts, caps and jackets to desk accessories, wall art and fragrances - bear the name of a Ford brand, toy manufacturers represent the majority of the company's 300 licensees. "We're building a relationship with the consumer that starts when they're just a kid," said John Nens, director, Ford Global Brand Licensing. "They'll always remember the great time they had with their favorite Ford ride-on toy or Matchbox-sized car, and they will carry that relationship with the brand all the way to when they finally start buying vehicles."
As greater fuel efficiency becomes increasingly more important to consumers in America, automakers are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for hybrid trucks and SUVs, and apparently it's not the manufacturers faults. According to General Motors' spokesman, John McDonald, "the supply issue isn't entirely because of production limits" but "half of GM dealers opted not to stock the hybrid SUVs. Dealers who wanted them were required to go through special training on servicing the trucks' high-voltage batteries and on explaining the technology to prospective buyers". However dealers are blaming manufacturers for supply shortages.
A company by the name of PosiMotion are releasing their idiot proof parking software called G-Park, which will be released for the Apple iPhone this Friday, July 11. G-Park works in three easy steps: First you park your car, whip out your iPhone and select the "ParkMe!" button. The program then throws a pin down on your coordinates within Google Maps, an application available on the iPhone. The second step is to get lost, somehow. Once you find yourself not being able to find your truck, you select the "Where Did I Park?" button and Google Maps loads once again, placing a new pin on your current coordinates and generating turn by turn directions towards your vehicle. Pretty groovy huh? The alternative to this fascinating technology is simply remembering where the hell you parked in the first place.
After placing Hummer under review last month, according to Yahoo Business General Motors is now reviewing the status of their other brands as well, in effort to save money and cut back over head costs in an ailing United States market. The brands potentially facing the chopping block are Buick, Hummer, Saab and Saturn, as well as additional blue and white-collar job cuts within the next couple of weeks when GM's board of directors meets in August. No official comment has been made yet from the automaker.
For 2009, General Motors offers 18 FlexFuel models capable of running on E85 ethanol, ordinary gasoline or any combination of the two – more than any automaker. The models cover the gamut from the four-cylinder Chevrolet HHR small crossover to the full-size Cadillac Escalade ESV luxury utility. E85, which consists of up to 85 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline, is a cleaner-burning, higher-octane fuel that can help offset rising demand for oil. “We continue to believe that biofuels, specifically E85, is the most significant thing we can do in the near-term to offset future energy demands,” said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy.
With the football and hunting season right around the corner, a pickup's tailgate becomes a popular seating area. Frustrated with uncomfortable seating on his pickup's tailgate, a Clinton Township businessperson has invented an innovative seating solution. The TaleGator is the only comfortable two-seater product of its kind specifically created and designed to fit the back of most pickup trucks.
Although this is not primarily truck news, it definitely serves as a breakthrough in technology and possible innovation for future pickup truck usage. Toyota Motor Corporation have teamed up with Kyocera Corporation to produce solar panels for the next generation Prius hybrid car, which is due for a re-design in 2009. Toyota will install solar panels onto the roof of the "high end" version of the Prius allowing for extra power to be generated and push the vehicles air conditioning system. The new solar panel system will offer a new leap in technology for Toyota and allow for the launch of a third-generation version of the Prius. Offering this additional technology on pickup trucks could prove to be very resourceful...
Measuring in at thirty feet long, ten feet high and weighing as much as a school bus or 13 tons, the "Monster Motorbike from Hell" was designed by stunt driver, Ray Baumann of Perth, Australia. Powered by a Detroit Diesel truck engine, six speed Allison transmission, and a two speed Eaton differential, the monster motor bike also has 10 foot tall tires. Check out the pictures and video inside.
The 2009 Ford Escape, equipped with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission, is the coveted fuel economy leader among all small SUVs. With fuel prices at record highs, the 2009 Ford Escape with front-wheel drive is the smart choice for SUV customers, thanks to its 28 highway/20 city mpg, fun-to-drive performance. “With gas prices rising, we want to offer our customers even more fuel-efficient vehicles,” says David Finnegan, Escape marketing manager.
Yahoo Finance reports that Toyota Motor Corp, General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Corp, Chrysler LLC and other manufacturers have complained to the United States government about its strict proposal to raise fuel efficiency rates by the middle of the next decade. The manufacturers stated the deadline of 2011 through 2015 is "unworkable".
This year, Ford Motor Company is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the car credited with "putting the world on wheels," the Model T. Henry Ford's iconic vehicle, which officially brought the world into the age of the "horseless carriage," also is responsible for hundreds of innovations that jumpstarted the automotive industry as we know it. This list focuses on the 10 most important influences of the Model T and how the world was forever changed by them.
The following video is of some dumbass moron who decided to drive daddy's Hummer H2 SUV through a pond and ends up failing miserably. Just because it's a Hummer does not mean it can do everything. Check out the video inside.
WorldCarFans got their hands on some spyshots of the 2009 Ford F-450 Harley-Davidson edition pickup truck. The exterior features a couple modifications including chrome inserts, special wheels, upgraded grille assembly, new fender vents, and the famous blue flames down the doors and body panels. The interior is getting the usual Harley Davidson black leather upgrade with chrome accents around the cab. No word yet on any performance upgrades though and the expected sticker price will be around the $60k mark.
Mygallons.com is making it easier for consumers to save money on gasoline prices by pre-purchasing gas at today's rates and saving you money at the pump by using your MyGallons Card when fuel prices rise. An example given on their site is if you purchase 100 gallons of fuel at $3.50 per gallon and when the actual price of fuel at the gas station is $4.00 per gallon, you save $.50 cents per gallon. The cost for the card is $29.95 annually and it is accepted at most major gas stations including Exxon, Citgo, Getty, Sundco, Wawa, Lukoil, 76, BP, Chevron, Amoco, Shell, Texaco, and more.
The 2008 Ford Explorer is more resistant to damage and less likely to cause damage to other vehicles in low-speed crashes than other midsize sport utility vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported today. “The Ford Explorer has been the benchmark SUV for family capability, safety and value for two decades,” said Darryl Hazel, president, Ford Customer Service Division. “Insurance companies are more likely to give Explorer customers discounts because of this established track record.”
Chrysler LLC today reported total June 2008 U.S. sales of 117,457 units, which is 36 percent below the same period last year. Total June sales reflect a continued contraction of the market, especially of pickup trucks and SUVs, continued reductions in fleet sales, and increases in Chrysler’s newest highly fuel-efficient vehicles. All sales figures are reported as unadjusted.
Cars, SUVs, and pickups share the road but they don't share the same standard for bumpers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has petitioned the federal government to regulate the bumpers on light trucks (SUVs, pickups, and vans) just as it regulates those on cars. The same bumper rules should apply to all kinds of passenger vehicles. To meet federal rules, car bumpers must be 16 to 20 inches off the ground and limit the amount of damage that can be sustained in a low-speed crash. The idea is to ensure that the bumpers on colliding cars engage, absorbing most of the energy of the impact and keeping damage away from expensive-to-repair parts like fenders, grilles, headlights, and taillights.
