Tag: announces

Honda announces recall of 2010 Element models with manual transmissions

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Crossover, Honda

2010 Honda Element – Click above for high-res image gallery

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on its website that Honda is recalling 585 2010 Element crossovers equipped with a manual transmission. The vehicles in question may have an improperly set cable that connects the shift lever to the transmission, an issue that could lead to anything from a major inconvenience for owners to the increased risk of an accident.

This defect may cause the gear shift lever to interact improperly with the transmission, leading to the wrong gear being selected. Affected vehicles could also get stuck in neutral, lose the ability to shift into reverse or fail to allow the key to be removed from the ignition.

Owners of the affected vehicles can bring their Element to the local Honda dealership for a free repair. Some owners have already been contacted about this issue, but all 585 will receive a notice from Honda by August 9. Element owners with questions or concerns can contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Element Dog Friendly Package

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Honda announces recall of 2010 Element models with manual transmissions

Honda announces recall of 2010 Element models with manual transmissions originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harley-Davidson announces sale of MV Agusta to Claudio Castiglioni

Filed under: Europe, Earnings/Financials, Motorcycle

2010 MV Agusta Brutale 990R – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’d heard the rumors and now it’s official. Harley-Davidson has announced that it has sold the MV Agusta brand to Claudio Castiglioni and his wholly owned holding company, MV Agusta Motor Holding, S.r.l. For those who aren’t exactly up on their boutique Italian motorcycle history, Castiglioni is the same man H-D bought the company from back in 2008 and had been serving as company chairman ever since.

No actual financial data has yet been announced, but rumors from Italy have it that the Italian businessman isn’t actually paying anything more than a single symbolic euro for the storied motorcycle manufacturer and may even be getting some additional financial support from Harley-Davidson for the foreseeable future.

Couple those reports with the realization that H-D payed $109 million for MV Agusta just two years ago and subsequently spent big money to revamp the Italian manufacturer’s product lineup and it’s easy to see that the Milwaukee-based company is coming out the biggest loser in this exchange.

Harley is showing no (official) hard feelings, though. “MV Agusta is a proud brand and we wish Mr. Castiglioni and the company’s employees well,” Harley-Davidson President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell said in a statement. Feel free to peruse the official press release after the break.

Gallery: Review: 2010 MV Agusta Brutale 990R

[Source: Harley-Davidson]

Continue reading Harley-Davidson announces sale of MV Agusta to Claudio Castiglioni

Harley-Davidson announces sale of MV Agusta to Claudio Castiglioni originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

At the Plug-in 2010 Conference in San Jose, CA today, Nissan North America’s executive vice president, Carlos Tavares, announced that the Leaf’s battery pack will be covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty – exactly what Chevrolet is offering on the Volt pack. He said that feedback from people interested in the Leaf was important in setting these levels, so that explains why Leaf hand-raisers received email surveys about the topic recently.

For what it’s worth, the official Leaf battery warranty is what about half of AutoblogGreen readers voted for in our unscientific poll on the topic. Almost 45 percent said the eight-year/100,000-mile level was good for electric vehicles, while a few more thought 10-years/150,000 miles was the preferred level.

In other Leaf news, Nissan has also announced its official rollout plans. As we already knew, the electric car will first launch in December, in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee. Firm orders from these five states, which make up the so-called EV Project, will begin in August.

Following that initial wave, the machine will be sent to Texas and Hawaii in January 2011. Next up will be North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama in April 2011. The rest of the nation will see their Leafs beginning in the fall of 2011 with availability in all markets nationwide by the end of that year.

There are plenty more interesting tidbits to glean from Nissan’s press release on the matter, which can be found in its entirety after the break.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty

Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Honda, Electric

At a news conference yesterday in Japan, Honda chief executive officer Takanobu Ito outlined the company’s future plans to roll out advanced technology vehicles. Among the highlights: Ito revealed Honda will introduce both a mid-size plug-in hybrid and an electric commuter vehicle in the U.S. and Japan by the end of 2012. As part of the company’s global push to develop more-efficient vehicles, Honda will also introduce a small diesel-powered car in Europe around the same time that its battery-powered vehicles hit our shores.

Honda will also begin testing “next-generation electric personal mobility products, including electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric scooters and electric carts” in the Kumamoto and Saitama regions in Japan before the end of 2010. The purpose of the tests is to verify “the effectiveness of next-generation personal mobility products with electromotive technologies,” i.e., plug-in vehicles and how to best use renewable energy (solar) with these vehicles. Honda will test all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the U.S. once the Japan tests are underway. U.S.-based participants include Stanford University, Google Inc. and the City of Torrance, CA. Torrance will get a plug-in hybrid electric test vehicle by the end of this year. Honda said its first hybrid to get a lithium-ion battery will be the next-generation Civic Hybrid, coming in 2011. More details are available in the press releases after the jump.

[Source: Honda, Reuters]

Continue reading Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012

Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ICONIC Motors announces production of AC Roadster to start in 2011

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance

2011 ICONIC Motors AC Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Most small American supercar companies don’t seem to have the best of luck, which is why we were somewhat skeptical when we first heard of ICONIC Motors. The concept was impressive if not somewhat unbelievable – a lightweight roadster with an aluminum 6.9-liter V8 putting out 800 horsepower with design cues inspired by the legendary Shelby Cobra. The GTR, as it was then named, made its debut at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours, and we got our first look at the car at the New York Auto Show shortly thereafter.

We haven’t heard much from ICONIC since then, but apparently the company has been quite busy finalizing the production version that includes a few design changes from the original concept. In the last two years, ICONIC has also formed a partnership with AC Cars, and the car has officially been renamed the AC Roadster. ICONIC has scheduled a 2011 release date for customer cars and states that they currently taking orders. Follow the jump for full details in their latest press release.

Gallery: 2011 ICONIC Motors AC Roadster

[Source: ICONIC Motors]

Continue reading ICONIC Motors announces production of AC Roadster to start in 2011

ICONIC Motors announces production of AC Roadster to start in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducati announces the EVO-lution of its middleweight 848 sportbike

Filed under: Motorcycle

2011 Ducati 848 EVO – Click above for high-res image gallery

At its very core, the Ducati brand has always been all about a race-bred pedigree, and now amongst a pack of formidable competitors, the Italian company seeks to emerge on top of the middleweight battle by having the fittest steed in the paddock. Meet the new 848 EVO sport bike, which boasts performance upgrades aplenty over the previous 848.

The heart of the new machine will beat to a faster tempo as a modified engine now churns out 140 horsepower and 72.3 pound-feet of twist before reaching its crescendo at 10,500 rpm. That’s up six ponies from the last 848.

All new cylinder heads, pistons, throttle bodies and camshafts wrapped in a blacked-out engine case are responsible for making the EVO the most powerful two-wheeler in its class. Were guessing the 369lb package will make easy work of a stoplight or starting grid launch with those specs. For those keeping track of such things, the 848 EVO’s power-to-weight ratio bests that of the best literbikes from a decade ago.

Continued evolution aimed at harnessing the beast comes in the form of all new single piece Brembo Monobloc calipers offering higher levels of rigidity to resist performance robbing distortion in those way-past-the-mark braking situations. Improved rider feel at the controls will not only be aided by the braking system but also a cross-mounted steering stabilizer. All of these performance and handling improvements are claimed to be a direct result of pro racing feedback, coupled with consumer demand.

Ducati’s EVO-ised middleweight will arrive as a 2011 model in North American dealerships as early as late August. One thing that will not be changed, however, will be the price of admission, which remains at $12,995 for an all new, and much more sinister looking, truly black Dark Edition, or $13,995 if your heart desires timeless Ducati Red. Hit the jump to view the full press release. Oh, and we’ll see if we can’t snag some live shots at the bike’s unveiling this weekend at the MotoGP race. Stay tuned!

Gallery: 2011 Ducati 848 EVO

[Source:Ducati]

Continue reading Ducati announces the EVO-lution of its middleweight 848 sportbike

Ducati announces the EVO-lution of its middleweight 848 sportbike originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

Brammo Empulse – Click above to watch video after the jump

Watch yourself, a whole lot of people sitting on the electric motorcycle fence are about to get knocked off. Brammo has just revealed the Empulse – a brand new naked street fighting machine with the ability to carry you to speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Not only is it fast, it also goes the distance, coming in a trio of range-differentiated models. The 6.0 is said to be able to cover 60 miles on average, the 8.0 for 80 and the 10.0 for, you guessed it, 100 rapturous miles. To paraphrase a popular meme, electric motorcycles just got real.

After top speed and range, the next question usually asked about electric tech is the price and this is another area where the bike surprises. The Empulse 6.0 starts at $9,995. If that seems a bit high, consider that’s $2,000 less than the price we were originally quoted for the Enertia when we first took that Brammo commuter for a spin a couple years back. Add, or rather, subtract from that the different Federal and State incentives that have come into play and you could see the $13,995 cost for the 10.0 model drop to as low as $7,000.

There are still a lot of unreleased details about this road warrior. While we know the motor is liquid-cooled, we can’t yet give you numbers for the horsepower, torque or any of the battery pack specifics. We do expect we’ll have them for you long before the mid-2011 delivery date and perhaps as soon as July 24th. That’s when CEO Craig Bramscher will officially unveil the company’s latest creation at the 2010 Red Bull Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the North American edition of the FIM e-Power series is taking place.

Of course, it would be somewhat lame to show up at an electric motorcycle race and not compete and Brammo is promising not to disappoint. They have entered the 15-team fray with an Empulse RR race bike in a quest for both gold and glory.

If you’re as impatient as us, you don’t have to wait until then to see the Empulse in action though. Simply hit the jump for video of the new machine rolling along a sweet piece of highway and while you’re there, check out all the details in the official press release. Game on.

Gallery: Brammo Empulse

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors announces 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for Chevy Volt battery

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

Chevrolet Volt battery pack – Click above for high-res image gallery

During a media briefing at its Brownstown Township, MI battery plant this afternoon, General Motors Vice Chairman Tom Stephens announced that the lithium ion battery pack for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt would be warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles. Since the beginning of the program, it has been General Motors’ intention to develop the battery pack to last for the life of the vehicle.

Despite the fact that the Volt is considered an electric car by GM, the presence of an on-board gas engine for range-extending means that the EPA and California Air Resources Board consider the battery to be part of the car’s emissions control system. As a result, it is subject to the same regulations as parts like a catalytic converter, and therefore, it must have the eight-year warranty.

GM has released some additional specifications on the battery pack. In its final production form, 95 percent of the components were designed and developed in-house by GM, it weighs in at 400 pounds and has an output of 110 kilowatts. Internally, the water-cooled pack consists of 288 LG Chem lithium polymer cells. Over the next few months, GM will be ramping up the production rate at Brownstown in preparation for the start of Volt production this Fall.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt battery pack

General Motors announces 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for Chevy Volt battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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