Tag: closer

Report: U.S., South Korea closer to new trade deal

Filed under: Government/Legal, South Korea

Flags

The United States and South Korea have reached an agreement regarding revisions to the free-trade deal between the two nations. This move allows the U.S. and the South Korea to move forward and look at approving the legislation, which has been delayed due to issues on both sides.

A rundown of what has been changed is as follows:

  • The U.S. can phase out its 2.5 percent tariff on automobiles over five years, instead of three.
  • Each U.S. Automaker can export up to 25,000 cars to South Korea annually provided they meet US crash standards.
  • The U.S. can continue charging a 25 percent tariff on trucks for eight years and then phase it out by the 10th year.
  • South Korea will eliminate its tariff on trucks.

Both sides report that significant progress has been made, and the revised agreement continues to be reviewed. With $68 billion in trade floating between the United States and the Republic of Korea, getting this trade agreement signed should serve to boost our national export business.

[Source: Automotive News – sub.req.]

Report: U.S., South Korea closer to new trade deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: A closer look at the Nissan iV Design Concept

Filed under: Concept Cars, Technology, Videos, Nissan, Design/Style, Electric

Nissan iV Design Concept video

Nissan iV Design Concept – Click above to watch video after the jump

For us, one of the most interesting parts of the LA Auto Show is the Design Challenge, in which automakers are invited to rack their brains, sharpen their pencils and crank out a concept that best matches a set of predetermined parameters. This year, manufacturers were challenged to come up with a concept that was stylish, engaging to drive, and easy on the environment, all wrapped in a 1,000-lb. package. Automakers from Honda to Maybach rolled out their ideas of what said vehicle should look like, and while the judges crowned both Cadillac and Smart as this year’s winners, we were intrigued by the Nissan iV.

Fortunately, Nissan has been kind enough to give us a closer look at the vehicle. The spec sheet for the iV reads like a who’s who of concept fantasy, with building materials sourced from fast-growing ivy and spider silk, plus a propulsion and steering system that makes use of clever electromagnets. While a bio-battery stores energy for your commute, the iV also makes use of a supercapacitor to recover energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. Hit the jump to take a look at a video of the concept.

Gallery: Nissan iV Design Concept

[Source: Nissan]

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Video: A closer look at the Nissan iV Design Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Las Vegas campaigning for Indy season closer

Filed under: Motorsports

It’s been a few years since single-seaters roared through America’s Playground, but they could be back before we know it. And back in a big way, if the latest reports from the world of motorsport materialize.

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted IRL races from 1996 to 2000 and Champ Cars from 2003 to 2005, and continues to hold NASCAR races, along with a handful of racing schools and other events. The circuit’s chief Bruton Smith, however, is now reportedly campaigning to get the joint open-wheel series back on track (so to speak) for next year. If successful, the Vegas oval could play host to the season finale, a slot currently held by Miami-Homestead.

The IRL is expected to announce next year’s calendar on September 10 (just a few days from now), so one way or another, we’ll be finding out shortly.

[Source: Autosport]

Las Vegas campaigning for Indy season closer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Super GT moving closer to DTM, may adopt KERS; Grand Am to join as well?

Filed under: Motorsports

DTM race start at Hockenheim 2010

In an attempt to reduce costs and get more brands into the field, it’s beginning to look like as many as three different race series in Europe, Asia and the United States may adopt a more-or-less common set of rules. The German Touring Car Championship (shown above) is set to introduced a new rules package for the 2012 season and the Japanese SuperGT series looks to be on-board for its GT500 class. Here in the States,. the NASCAR-owned Grand Am series is also considering jumping in, presumably to replace the current GT class.

The proposals being considered by the DTM organizers clearly show some NASCAR influence, although with more modern technology. A common carbon-fiber chassis could be mandated with an agreed-upon wheelbase and overhangs for all cars. DTM is considering “Introduction of “design line” where on one side all cars are common” which sounds an awful lot like NASCAR’s dreaded common templates. Along with the V8 powerplants, hybrid kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) could be part of the picture. The goal is to cut the cost of these cars in half from current levels.

If the new rules are adopted by all three groups, it could result in cross-pollination of cars between the series with Lexus, Nissan and Honda joining Audi and Mercedes-Benz in DTM and possibly the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro mixing it up with the Germans and Japanese.

[Sources: RaceCar Engineering, Touring Car Times, DTM | Image: Bongarts/Getty]

Report: Super GT moving closer to DTM, may adopt KERS; Grand Am to join as well? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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