Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Step Up To The EV Plate
The American South may not be the first place you think of when it comes to EVs, but two Southern utility companies -- Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy -- have both announced that by 2020, every vehicle purchased for their combined 10,000-vehicle fleet will either be a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric EV. That's great news for manufacturers and for EV-enthusiasts, since the companies' purchases will likely spur sales among other companies and individuals. Which is probably what FPL and Duke are hoping, since they'll be the one selling the juice to power 'em all up. [NYTimes]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Preview: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon
As promised, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon is headed for a world debut next month on its way to U.S. showrooms in 2010.
Earlier this summer, Mercedes-Benz' American arm dismissed some "silly" reports that suggested world financial woes would delay the wagon until 2012. On schedule, the E-Class Wagon arrives later this year--in production form at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, and in U.S. showrooms next June.
For auto-show followers, that leaves one more body style in the new E-Class lineup: the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is due for a summer launch in 2010, and will make its first appearance at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
For U.S. shoppers, there's a single version of the Wagon coming. The sole E-Class Wagon will be a V-6-powered, all-wheel-driven E350 4Matic wagon. A Sport edition with a special grille, more aggressive front and rear fascias, twin trapezoidal exhaust pipes, 'twist' side rocker panels, cross-drilled brake discs with colored rotors and five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels will be a first on U.S. E-wagens. An AMG-look option brings 18-inch alloy wheels.
Mercedes promises more interior room than in the previous edition. And in other markets, the E63 AMG wagon will develop 525 hp, equaling the power in the new E63 sedan. Also in European and world markets outside the U.S., Mercedes is introducing new diesel engines and packages for the E-Class and the Wagon.
Follow TheCarConnection.com's Frankfurt Auto Show tag for more on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the new Benz SLS AMG supercar, and more as we report from Frankfurt the week of September 15th.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Buick Ends PGA Sponsorship, Heads To The 19th Hole
Sad news for golfing fans: yesterday Buick announced that it will suspend sponsorship of its popular PGA tournaments due to the recent General Motors restructuring.
Buick sponsors two major events on the PGA circuit: the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan and the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. Both are big money-makers for the PGA, due in large part to the presence of Buick's favorite son, Tiger Woods (although Buick's official endorsement deal with Woods ended last November at the beginning of the auto crisis). In a fittingly photo-op moment, the Buick Open wrapped this past weekend, with Tiger Woods taking home top honors.
Buick's decision may be good news for the company's bottom line, but its effect on the marketing remains to be seen. Buick has been a PGA sponsor for 50 years, and as such it is revered by golfers and golf enthusiasts across the country. Cutting those ties will force Bob Lutz & Co. to make some savvy marketing choices if they're going to continue reaching that segment.
The announcement is even worse for the PGA. Amid the economic downturn, the organization has lost four title sponsors in recent months, and ten arrangements are set to expire after 2010. Buick's backout is essentially the nail in the coffin for the Grand Blanc tournament, although the Century Club of San Diego, which oversees Torrey Pines, remains optimistic about finding a new sponsor.
However, the door hasn't entirely shut, and there are hints that Buick could return to some form of sponsorship in the future: as Buick and the PGA said in a prepared statement, "While this is disappointing news, both the PGA Tour and Buick remain in discussions regarding future sponsorship possibilities."
[AP]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Every Enthusiast’s Dream: Own Viper Motors
As we reported last month (Down The Snake Hole), Chrysler hasn't had an easy time finding a buyer for their Viper brand. That stuck me as kind of odd, because everybody in the auto nation knows that every true enthusiasts and rich guy, sooner or later, dreams about having their own car company.
Now AutoWeek is filling in some of the backstory on what was going on behind the scenes regarding the potential sale of the Viper brand. Why do I care, because the 2009 Dodge Viper is an elemental performance car that I'd hate to see go away.
Apparently, Chrysler management wasn't too keen to fire sale the Viper brand, product, factory. As AutoWeek found, at least two Michigan businessmen made offers; one of $20 million and a second of $30 million. Chrysler refused to sell and apparently didn't tell the bankruptcy judge about the offers. The bids came from genuine business leaders including Scott Devon, CEO of Cole's Foods, a company that racks up $100 million in annual sales. Another offer came from Dave Draper, the former owner of Cars and Concepts, a major supplier to the Detroit Three.
Hmmmm...what was Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli thinking?
It would seem that if Fiat doesn't elect to keep the Viper brand going, that another opportunity to buy your own car company will come around again sometime after Chrysler emerges from Chapter 11.
Stay tuned, and start counting your pennies and dimes.
[AutoWeek]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
MINI Pop-Art Umbrella: Ridiculous Release Of The Day
A steady rain is pouring down here on TCC's Atlanta satellite office, and e-mail inbox reservoirs are filling with a week's worth of press releases. Some are smart, some are snooty, some are silly...and some are just plain ridiculous.
The MINI Umbrella release is soaked with saccharine, not to mention some British-isms that border on obscene to the uninformed ("your new favorite bumbershoot"). They begin by informing us that "an open MINI Motoring Umbrella is decidedly more effective at repelling water than a closed one." You don't say...
It's a shame they're trying so hard to sell something that actually sounds cool and looks typically MINI funky/cute. The collapsible unit, part of MINI's Motoring Gear line, has a six-speed shifter knob for its handle, wind-resistant Teflon coated polyester panels, and is emblazoned with a rainbow of fruit-flavored MINI Coopers. Okay, so maybe it's as subtle as a Warhol-designed muumuu, but MINI enthusiasts are all about standing out in a crowd.
Come on, MINI. Your cars are cute, your umbrella is a hoot. Lay off the drippy prose.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Electric Corvette! For Your Kids, Though
At its facility in New Hudson, Mich., Pratt & Miller (the engineering team behind the AMLS Corvette program) introduced eco-friendly editions of its famed C6R and C6RS Chevrolet Corvettes. Jumping on the green bandwagon, the new models are smaller and lighter than the company's current race and street editions.
Now for the details: These all-new eco-friendly Vettes are powered by either high-torque electric motors or the forearm muscles of the driver. (Did we have you going for just a second?)
Yup, these are toy Corvettes manufactured by Ride Makerz, a company that uses a Build-A-Bear process that lets kids actually "build" model cars that they can have fun with after the build is complete.
The two new Corvettes, one that features "Jake" the Corvette Racing mascot (the skull), can be built at Ride Makerz stores in nine states. Models can also be ordered online and then assembled at home (www.RideMakerz.com).
At the debut of the new Corvettes at Pratt & Miller's race shop, Ride Makerz's CEO and founder Larry Andreini told us, "The new C6R and C6RS tap into American's general love of cars and their particular passion for America's sports car, the Chevy Corvette. We're excited to make these models available so that kids, parents, and any car enthusiasts can all build and trick out their ultimate model Corvette. Fathers and sons should especially be fired up about these Pratt & Miller Corvettes because of their racing record and awesome style. These cars are something they can build and enjoy together."
OK Dad, now you know what to get your kid for Christmas. Build two and you can upset the wife by racing through the living room.
Ron Fellows, longtime Corvette race driver, was also on hand to help launch the new cars. He didn't seem to mind that the cars were electric as he raced the assembled media and demonstrated that he was as fast when controlling his car via a joystick as he is when he is behind a full-sized wheel.
The event also gave Ride Makerz the chance to do something good in Detroit, a town that could use a break these days. The company has two stores in Detroit, and to help celebrate the new C6R and C6RS, Ride Makerz contributed $2,500 to Mitch Albom's charity, The Dream Fund at the College of Creative Studies. (Albom is a Detroit-based, nationally syndicated radio talk show host and sports reporter.) Additional funds were donated based on the sales of model cars at the company's two Detroit stores ('tis the season for giving).
Albom noted, "Kids everywhere love cars, but even more so in Detroit. These cars and the RIDEMAKERZ experience will get kids and a lot of dads I know excited. I'm glad to have RIDEMAKERZ as part of the team that supports The Dream Fund."
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
