January 2012 Car Sales Are Strong–Except At GM
While nearly every automaker reported brisk, upbeat sales numbers for the first month of 2012, General Motors didn't have much to cheer.
GM sales were off by 6 percent last month, while its crosstown rivals were up, strongly in the case of Chrysler, which reported a sales increase of 44 percent, while Ford rose 7 percent.
Also on the upturn were Toyota and Honda, both reporting solid sales increases nearly a year after the destructive March 11 earthquake in northern Japan devastated the country and one of its auto production bases.
January's sales numbers were all that much more impressive given the predictions made just a week ago. Analysts at J.D. Power had expected sales to come in at nearly 13.5 million units, with 10.9 million of those sold to retail customers. With tallies complete, Automotive News now reports that U.S. auto sales rose 11 percent on the month to a total of 913,284 units, for a seasonally-adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, of 14.2 million units.
For the year, the SAAR could rise to 14.5 million units, some automakers predict.
The strengthening in the market is unmistakable, Power's senior vice president of global automotive operations John Humphrey said in a release. “Vehicles are currently remaining on dealer lots for fewer than 50 days on average, which is the lowest level for January for the past several years. This is a good indication that pent-up demand is beginning to return to the market.”
The numbers for January 2012, as reported by the automakers:
General Motors: GM (NYSE: GM) reported sales off by 6.1 percent in January, an off-note drop while other major brands posted strong increases. As a whole, GM sold 167,962 vehicles in January 2012. Chevrolet sold 123,864 units, down 1.2 percent from a year ago; GMC moved 24,966 units, down 9.7 percent; Buick sold 10,208 vehicles, off 23.1 percent; and Cadillac was down 29.1 percent at 8,924 units. Volt sales were off by nearly half, but Chevy's Cruze, Malibu and Impala continued to sell well.
Ford: Ford (NYSE: F) sales grew 7 percent over what the automaker calls a strong January 2011. Ford sold 136,710 vehicles in the month, with 131,589 units coming from the Ford brand, which was up 8.3 percent on the month. The 2012 Focus--TheCarConnection's 2012 Best Car To Buy--had a 60-percent sales gain, with F-150 and Explorer sales up as well. However, Lincoln sold 5,121 vehicles, down 7.9 percent from last year's numbers--and just 78 cars more for the whole brand than Ford counted in sales of its outgoing Ranger compact pickup.
Toyota / Lexus / Scion: Toyota's trio of brands reported 124,540 cars and trucks sold in January, up 7.5 percent over the same period in 2011. Toyota got big help from the new Camry, and rose 9 percent to 112,266 units sold. Lexus moved 12,274 vehicles in January for a 4.6-percent decrease, and Scion sold 3,535 vehicles in the month, up 7.9 percent from the same period in 2011.
Chrysler: Chrysler posted the biggest sales increase of any major automaker, posting a 44-percent rise on plenty of fleet sales mixed in with stronger numbers for some of its mainstay products. In all, it sold 101,149 units, with the Chrysler brand growing its numbers by 81 percent, to 17,604 units. Jeep held strong with a 37-percent increase to 31,710 sales, with Dodge posting a 29-percent rise on sales of 31,454 vehicles. Ram trucks accounted for 18,470 vehicle sales, up 42 percent, and Fiat sold 1,911 vehicles in January--down from 2,655 units in December. The Chrysler 200 sedan and convertible posted a sales increase of 789 percent on the month.
Honda / Acura: Honda reported total January 2012 sales of 83,009 units, an increase of 8.8 percent over the same period in 2011. The Honda brand tallied 74,628 of those sales, up 9.3 percent, with Acura rising 5.3 percent with 8,381 sales last month. The Honda CR-V is off to a good sales start, with record January sales up 16 percent over January 2011.
Nissan / Infiniti: Nissan and its luxury Infiniti brand combined for sales of 79,313 vehicles in January, up 10.4 percent over January 2011's 71,847 units. Nissan accounted for 72,517 units, up 12.5 percent, with Altima up 35.9 percent; Infiniti was down 8.2 percent at 6,796 units, from 7,405 units the year prior.
Lotus Supercharges The EV Range Extender: 2011 Geneva Motor Show
If you're familiar with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, you probably know that it carries an onboard 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that acts as a generator, powering the electric motors that drive the wheels (under most circumstances, anyway). Today at the Geneva Motor Show, Lotus unveiled a new take on the range extender engine, adding supercharging to improve efficiency.
The new Lotus Range Extender is a production unit for use in real cars. It uses a 1.3-liter three-cylinder engine with the added power of a supercharger to create 50 kilowatts of peak electrical power (67 horsepower) at just 3,500 rpm. The combination of small displacement plus the supercharger means it's more fuel efficient than most standard engines.
A naturally-aspirated (non-supercharged) version of the Range Extender was also unveiled, capable of producing 47 horsepower from 1,500 rpm to 3,500 rpm. The engines weigh just 112 pounds without the supercharger or 128 pounds with it.
Though the new Range Extender engine hasn't yet been placed in any production cars, it is on display in Geneva in Lotus' own Evora 414Evolution. Lotus hopes to contract the sale of the engine out to other carmakers for use in series-hybrid designs similar to those found in the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Update: Toyota Stops Sales, Production Of Recalled Stuck-Accelerator Cars
Toyota's recall troubles keep stacking up, but the giant carmaker has been sluggish to respond. Cars subject to the latest recall for a stuck accelerator pedal are still rolling off assembly lines, even as the company struggles to repair the 2.3 million affected cars. But that won't last much longer, as Toyota announced late today that it is instructing dealers to halt sales and will soon halt production of all affected models.
Production will continue through the end of this week, but is expected to temporarily cease for the week of February 1 so Toyota can "assess and coordinate activities." "Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," said Bob Carter, group vice president and Toyota Division general manager. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We're making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible."
The decision to stop production could have a huge impact on the company, as eight of the most popular models are affected.
Last Thursday, Toyota issued a recall for 2.3 million vehicles that can potentially face issues with sticking accelerator pedals, causing the vehicle to accelerate on its own. Eight models, including the RAV4, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Tundra, and Sequoia fall within the scope of the recall.
Toyota said in its recall announcement that the problem is rare and only presents in cars with worn accelerator pedals. That might mean that new-production vehicles won't face the issue until farther down the road, allowing time for the fix to be made at dealerships. Cars bought recently will still need to be addressed to prevent the problem from occurring in the future, however.
If faced with a stuck accelerator, Toyota advises owners to apply the brakes steadily and firmly, without pumping the brakes, and to shut off the engine at the earliest safe opportunity.
[Toyota]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Production Moving To Alabama
Here at TCC, we've seen some interesting production news over the past few months -- for example, Ford intends to make the U.S. its export base, and Honda will export the American-made 2010 Civic . (Honda might also move Fit production stateside.) Now, Daimler has announced plans to beef up its American manufacturing activities by shifting some Mercedes-Benz C-Class production from Germany to a facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where R-, M-, and GL-Class vehicles are already made. The move is slated for 2014 and aims "to take advantage of a growing market, lower production costs and to avoid currency fluctuations". We suppose that's what they'd call the silver lining of the weak dollar cloud. [DetNews]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Preview: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide
• What is it? Aston Martin’s first production four-door sports car
• The basics: V-12 powered four-seater
• On sale: Early next year
• Price: $200,000 (est.)
There's so much to say about the new Aston Martin Rapide.
For example, we could talk about its sweet powertrain, centered around a version of the company’s 6.0-litre V-12 engine. We could talk about the car's backseat, accessible by ‘swan-wing’ doors and suitable for children or adults on shorter journeys.
And of course, we could talk about its styling--the sleek lines and understatement that, combined with the Rapide's exclusive, European pedigree, could inspire lust in the hearts of eunuchs round the world.
However, what everyone wants to know is when will the car finally go on sale? Well, we can confirm today that Aston Martin’s 2010 Rapide sedan is roughly half a year away from hitting showrooms, but the final production has been unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.
First seen at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show in concept form, the production Rapide is nearly identical to the original show car however there are a few subtle differences. The production model loses the tiny side air intakes on the front bumper, while the sides pick up a new shunt line that runs almost the entire length of the body.
Under the hood is a revised version of the DB9's 6.0-liter V-12. This is mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with Aston Martin’s new Touchtronic control with paddle shifters. Final output will rests at 470 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque.
Performance isn't as spectacular as the Aston Martin coupe models but expect to see the 0-62 mph dash completed in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of about 188 mph.
The vehicle’s final kerb weight is 4299 pounds and its dimensions come in at 197.6-inches in length, 84.3-inches in width and 53.5-inches in height. The Rapide’s wheelbase also stretches about 10-inches more than the DB9, while its height is only about 2.5in taller. Inside, there’s generous seating for four adults and up to 26.5 cubic-feet of storage.
Pricing will be confirmed following its debut in Frankfurt--expect it to slot somewhere between the DB9 and DBS at around $200,000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
High Gear Media Hits Salon, HuffingtonPost, and Facebook
Big news today from High Gear Media--first from a major online publisher of politically driven content, and next from a big feature on one of the Web's most respected magazines. And finally, news from the social-media mammoth of all.
First up: the Huffington Post. Regular readers know about the great stories on green vehicles from TheCarConnection.com, AllAboutPrius.com and GreenCarReports.com--and now, so do readers of the hugely popular online news outlet pioneered by Arianna Huffington. High Gear Media's news is now prominently featured on the HuffPo site, and we'll be bringing that audience the same breaking, in-depth coverage as always. It's a great partnership, one of many more to come. (You can get the feeds on HuffPo for the sites here: TheCarConnection, GreenCarReports and AllAboutPrius.)
Next up: High Gear Media titans figure in Salon.com's dissection of the new fuel economy rules. Electric cars are coming, as Salon senior writer Katharine Mieszkowski points out. In the wake of President Obama's proposal for the first nationwide regulation of greenhouse gases, which would require new cars and light trucks to average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, electric cars will be a part of the solution.
But how big a part? "In the next 10 years, automakers have to wean car shoppers off of less fuel-efficient cars, and no one knows how that's going to happen," I told Mieszkowski. "It's one thing for the government to say, 'This is the new standard, and automakers have to meet it.' It's another thing to get consumers to buy the new cars."Our John Voelcker, editor in chief of GreenCarReports.com, told Mieszkowski that hybrids are a good example of how long it might take to roll out more battery-powered vehicles. "He explains it's taken a decade for hybrid vehicles to get to just 1 percent of global production of new cars and trucks. By 2015, he predicts they'll be at 4 or 5 percent, making up about 3 million of the roughly 70 million new vehicles made each year globally."
You can give the Salon.com story a click here: Electric cars are coming!
Last on this morning's news list: Facebook Connect. We know millions of you out there are Facebook fans--we know because yes, that's us who friended you and no, we don't want to take an IQ quiz or join your mafia or start a vampire war. We do want you to share the love, though, as readers love to comment on stories and post them to Facebook. Now it's as easy as typing in your comments on sites like GreenCarReports--just follow the Facebook Connect icon on the page to link your comments from the site to your Facebook account, and you'll be able to post your thoughts and favorite stories with your network along with status updates.
FacebookConnect is coming soon to TheCarConnection.com as well, so stay tuned for that and more big announcements this summer as High Gear Media plugs you into the world of cars, and cars of the future.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Link Love From The Car Connection: Electric Bikes, Mulally’s $5 Mill, And Arizona Is Kinkier Than We Thought
- Non-St. Paddy's Day greenness-- BMW and Fiat are partnering on a new line of green city cars, due out in 2012. However, BMW brand MINI will beat both to the punch in 2011 with a snazzy new model series that boasts high-tech gas engines and a fully electric option. Innovation doesn't come cheap though, with expected starting prices around £20,000. [Autoexpress]
- Cycle-o-rama -- Also in the £20,000 range: Evo Designs' zippy EV-o RR motorcycle. How zippy? It hits 60mph in less than four seconds--on an electric engine. Technically it's not a production model, but if you're first in line after the TTXGP zero-emissions grand prix this June, you might just nab it. [Wired]
- Arizona likes to watch -- The Grand Canyon State is taking a Big Brother approach to traffic control by putting 60 new stationary cams and 40 camera vans into service this calendar year. Not all residents are fans of the plan--as demonstrated by the driver who took a pickaxe to one of the cams. We like to imagine him hopping from foot to foot like that spunky Yosemite Sam the kids all love to watch. [NYTimes]
- Things that make you go WTF? -- News that AIG is planning to shell out in $450 million in bonuses hasn't sat well with most folks. We're gonna go out on a limb and assume that news of Ford giving CEO Alan Mulally $5 million in stock options may cause a similar uproar. But you know, we're optimists that way. [Autocar]
- Video lagniappe -- Feel really strongly about buying American vehicles? Well, Avalon Films, Milagro Post, and a bevy of concerned citizens are here to back you up with a vaguely clever viral clip. We can appreciate the ad's sentiment, but we're guessing the humor might be lost on buyers too young to remember the original commercial it's spoofing. [YouTube]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
"Mycodiesel" Discovered–In Northern Patagonian Tree Fungus
Montana State University plant scientist Gary Strobel was shocked to discover that a fungus growing inside the ulmo tree secretes a compound that "could be used in a modern diesel engine without any modification," as reported in The Guardian. Strobel claims the chemical makeup of this liquid is remarkably similar to diesel No. 2, but of all organically based sources that mimic the hydrocarbons that store energy in fossil fuels, Strobel's Gliocladium roseum fungus is the most energy-dense.
An additional benefit is the fungus' ability to consume cellulose, which makes up the majority of organic waste that is currently thrown away as rubbish (wood chips, sawdust, stalks, etc.). Similar to the blue-green algae that live off CO2 and sunlight and produce a diesel-like waste product, Strobel's fungus literally feeds on organic waste and secretes diesel-mimicking liquid as a by-product.
This marks another promising step in the search for sustainable biofuels. The United States' push toward E85 (85 percent corn-based ethanol, 15 percent fossil fuel) has fallen out of favor due to its reliance on massive amounts of water, land, and corn to produce a relatively small yield of fuel (see Time magazine). Certain biodiesel production methods, which rely on virgin-based vegetable oils (such as palm kernel oil), have resulted in deforestation in Brazil and other areas that environmentalists condemn as counterproductive. Prior to Strobel's discovery, which he is terming "mycodiesel," scientists had discovered that blue-green algae is nearly 50 percent diesel-friendly oil by volume, and that they thrive in C02-rich areas like exhaust plumes of factories where they are employed both to scrub factory emissions and produce biodiesel.
Details of Strobel's findings will be published in the November edition of the journal Microbiology. Other scientists call Strobel's research encouraging, such as Tariq Butt, who notes that "fungi are very important but we often overlook these organisms." Nonetheless, they claim more research and testing is needed before calling this a decisive victory for biofuels. Is there a Volkswagen Jetta TDI myco-turbo-cleandiesel, or a Mercedes E320 BlueTEC mycodiesel, in the near future?--Colin Mathews
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
What Would Charles Barkley Drive (WWCBD)?
What would you ask an NBA standout and future Alabama governor if you ran into him at a local bagelry? Probably WWCBD, right? (Translation: What Would Charles Barkley Drive?)
That was me today. The Round Mound of Rebound stood in front of me in line at an Atlanta-area Einstein's Bagels where he was ordering a carb-laden lunch that could probably feed me four times over. So of course, I got him on the subject of cars instead of politics, because, you know, politics would just be rude over lunch.
Barkley didn't seem terribly concerned about market instability or gas prices but did express interest in the 2008 Cadillac Escalade 2-Mode Hybrid. "But those battery packs take up a lot of room, don't they?"
The towering Barkley smiled at me, and later admitted he'd mistaken me for NBA-star Jason Kidd. Once I had his ear, I was relentless in querying the giant about what type of eco-friendly ride might fit his frame and his style. He had a quizzical look when I mentioned clean diesel, but launched right in to his curiosity about the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, admitting a fondness for the Escalade's style and presence. He was happy to hear that GM's well-designed two-mode hybrid system doesn't sacrifice interior room or drivability in the name of increased efficiency around town.
Sir Charles said he was in the ATL on business, and we surmise he was doing some NBA commentating for Atlanta-based Turner Network Television. A native of Leeds, Alabama, in retirement Barkley has written several books and even shown interest in politics according to Wikipedia. This year, he announced a run for governor of his home state in 2014.
We could definitely see him being ferried around in an Escalade ESV Hybrid, though at that point it will likely be an out of production model given GM's announcement about the closure of its Janesville, Wisconsin, plant that produces full-size Escalades, Suburbans, Tahoes, and Yukons.--Colin Mathews
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
