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Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Filed under: Podcasts, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Electric

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Here’s Autoblog Podcast #223. The crew this week is Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth. Topics covered are Ford’s commitment to the 2012 Focus by giving early cars a 30-mile shakedown drives, Japan’s amazing ability to repair roads in days, the Autoblog long-term Hyundai Equus and the sad passing of David E. Davis, Jr. Your feedback in our Q&A module winds it up, and we’ve embedded that in the post below, as well. Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next week!

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Japanese road crew repairs quaked damaged road in six days
Ford giving 2012 Focus 30-mile quality exam prior to sale
Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins the long-term Autoblog Garage
Auto journalism pioneer David E. Davis, Jr., dead at 80

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Chevrolet Volt
2011 Kia Sportage
2012 Ford Focus Titanium

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman Chris Paukert

Runtime: 01:17:50

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Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Japan’s nuclear woes dampen electric vehicle enthusiasm?

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Electric

2011 Nissan Leaf

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve already seen the panic here in the U.S. as activists and analysts question our nuclear infrastructure, and Congress considers a re-examination of our existing facilities. These new fears about nuclear power have everything to do with the events unfolding at Japan’s Fukushima power plant, and Automotive News wonders if that trepidation could dampen the prospects of electric vehicles as well.

Plans in Europe call for about 1 million EVs on the road by 2020, and a lot that push centers around increasing the number of nuclear power plants to feed these vehicles. Let’s face it, an EV that’s charged via electricity generated at an oil or coal-burning plant doesn’t do much to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, so nuclear makes a lot of sense. And as costly and time-consuming as it is to erect a nuclear facility, it’s likely easier and less expensive than relying on solar, wind or hydro-electric energy sources.

So what does all this have to do with electric vehicles? If the events unfolding in Japan lead governments to question the safety and viability of nuclear power, then new plants will be slow to come online. If car buyers know that their EV is likely burning the same CO2-emitting fossil fuels as their neighbor’s internal combustion engine, what’s the point of paying more for something that’s just as dirty, more expensive and not as easy to fuel up?

Right now the situation at the Fukushima power plant is dire, but if the situation gets worse, the future of nuclear power, and possibly even EVs, could be just as bleak.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req.]

Will Japan’s nuclear woes dampen electric vehicle enthusiasm? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda dealers in U.S. asked not to order cars from Japan

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Mazda

Mazda Emblem

Automotive News is reporting that Mazda has suspended U.S. dealers from ordering vehicles made in Japan. The automaker is apparently preparing to close down plants once more after briefly opening doors after the earthquake and tsunami activity on March 11.

This doesn’t mean that Mazda vehicles are going to dry up overnight, though. The automaker says that the ordering would only cover vehicles to be allocated for May, and that the company has decent vehicle stockpiles for U.S. buyers. As of right now, there’s no indication as to when ordering will resume.

Mazda is reported to have had a 93-day supply of vehicles on dealer lots at the beginning of this month. While that figure is down from a 123-day supply in February, Automotive News says that a 60-day supply is considered normal for the industry. The automaker currently imports the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7, and CX-9 models

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Mazda dealers in U.S. asked not to order cars from Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford feels Japan quake effect with shortage of red, black paint

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

2010 Ford Taurus SHO

2010 Ford Taurus SHO – Click above for high-res image gallery

Due to a pigment shortage stemming from the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Ford has had to stop taking new orders for cars in Tuxedo Black, and is limiting orders of three shades of red. Officials from Ford say they’re working on another source for the pigment as you read this, and have enough cars in each color to satisfy demand until production resumes.

The paint shortage affects the F-150 and Super Duty lines of pickups, as well as the Explorer, the Expedition, Focus, Taurus and the Lincoln MKS and Navigator. Ford’s slowdown follows General Motors, who slowed production of pickups in Shreveport, Louisiana, as well as compact cars in Europe following parts shortages.

Honda, Toyota and Nissan have all experienced slowdowns as a result of the quake, though none have had to limit color choices.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Ford feels Japan quake effect with shortage of red, black paint originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Worldwide auto production could drop 30% due to quake in Japan

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing

Auto production in Japan

You’ve likely seen plenty of news lately about how Japanese automakers have been affected by the March 11 earthquake in Japan, but what about the rest of the industry? The Detroit News reports that research firm IHS Automotive thinks that global auto production could drop by 30 percent, and nearly every major automaker will be affected.

The key to that dire prediction will be the speed with which Japanese suppliers can get back to making parts for the industry. IHS Vice President Michael Robinet reportedly told DetNews that if suppliers aren’t online within six weeks, global vehicle production could drop by 100,000 units per day. With average total production sitting at 280,000 to 300,000 units per day, 100,000 represents about 30 percent of all vehicles built. Robinet adds that if parts don’t start coming online quickly, automakers will begin feeling the pinch by mid-April.

IHS points to electronics and transmission components as the most likely to run dry. And that 30-percent figure could morph into 40 percent if automakers can’t get replacement parts within eight weeks.

Sobering statistics, indeed. We’re thinking automakers are hoping Japan can rebuild factories as quickly (and miraculously) as it can rebuild highways.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Study: Worldwide auto production could drop 30% due to quake in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: U.S. car dealers raising prices because of Japan disaster

Filed under: Car Buying, Japan

Tsunami damage

The problems facing automakers in the wake of Japan’s deadly earthquake and the resulting tsunami are already manifesting themselves in the form of higher transaction prices on some Japanese cars, as U.S. dealers show less willingness to negotiate downward from the number on the window sticker, according to an AP report.

Automakers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan all say they have a sufficient supply of vehicles in the U.S. that had already been imported from Japan before the disaster struck. So, if there are still plenty of Japanese cars on Stateside lots, why the hardening prices?

It’s a simple case of supply and demand, explain some dealers polled by The Associated Press. “We’re going to run out of cars. We had five [Prius hybrids] on the ground yesterday, and I don’t know when I’ll get another,” says Dave Conant, owner of a Toyota dealership in San Diego, CA. “The market has shifted pretty quickly and dramatically.”

Of course, some people believe dealerships are just using speculative vehicle shortages to make a few extra bucks. We suspect the truth may be a little bit of both.

[Source: The Associated Press via ABC News | Image: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty]

Report: U.S. car dealers raising prices because of Japan disaster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW and Volkswagen evacuate employees from Japan

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Safety, BMW, Volkswagen

japan flag bmw and vw logo

The situation in Japan is still very tense and evolving on a moment-to-moment basis, and it will take years for the nation to fully recover from the earthquake and tsunami. In response to the still-dangerous developing situation, at least two European automakers who operate facilities there have decided to bring home some of their foreign nationals.

According to Automotive News Europe, BMW employs 750 people in Japan, and 50 or so of its German employees have returned to their home country. Volkswagen has around 600 workers located in Japan, and so far, 30 of the 40 German employees have left the disaster-stricken nation.

Will other automakers follow suit?

[Source: Automotive News Europe – sub. req.]

Report: BMW and Volkswagen evacuate employees from Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tsunami in Japan destroys fleet of cars ready for shipping *Updated with video

Filed under: Japan

Earthquake and tsunami in Japan levels auto shipping yard

Earthquake and tsunami in Japan levels auto shipping yard – Click above to enlarge

It’s difficult to comprehend, let alone describe, the massive amount of damage an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and closely following tsunami could incur on a densely packed island nation such as Japan. While we struggle to wrap our minds around such catastrophic levels of destruction, one particular image strikes a chord with us auto-obsessive types.

Clearly, the leveling of a couple hundred automobiles pales in comparison to the actual loss of lives caused by Japan’s most recent natural disaster, but, in automotive terms at least, this is the kind of image that can make a big impression on our often one-track minds.

The image seen above (click to enlarge) was taken above Hitachinaka city in Ibaraki prefecture, and we don’t have any information as to which manufacturer’s cars were located here. Thanks to all who sent this in!

*Update: Video of the shipping yard catching fire after tsunami damage after the break.

[Source: STR/AFP/Getty]

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Tsunami in Japan destroys fleet of cars ready for shipping *Updated with video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi moving Outlander Sport production from Japan to Normal, IL

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Mitsubishi

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mitsubishi has confirmed rumors that it will transfer production of at least one of its models from Japan to its American manufacturing site in Normal, IL. At this time, the only vehicle the automaker has officially confirmed for U.S. production is the Outlander Sport.

It’s worth noting that the Outlander Sport shares a platform with the slightly larger Outlander and the Lancer sedan, so it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if production of these models were moved Stateside as well. Mitsubishi estimates that about half of the models it builds in the States will be exported.

At present, the plant in Normal assembles the Galant, Endeavor and Eclipse, but these vehicles are scheduled to be phased out by 2013. About 1,000 of the automaker’s 1,300 employees in North America are members of the United Auto Workers Union.

If you’re interested in reading all the details straight from the source, you know where to look.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

[Source: Mitsubishi]

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Mitsubishi moving Outlander Sport production from Japan to Normal, IL originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan unwraps chocolate Smart ForTwo for Valentine’s Day

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Hatchback, Smart, Design/Style, Luxury

Chocolate Smart ForTwo by Q-Pot

Chocolate Smart ForTwo by Q-Pot – Click above to watch the video after the jump

In Japan, Christmas Eve is a romantic holiday during which couples eat special cakes. So what’s Valentine’s Day, then? An occasion for women to buy men chocolate, of course. Or chocolate cars, as the case may be.

Okay, so the Smart ForTwo you see above isn’t actually made of chocolate, it just looks that way. Specially prepared for the holiday by designer Tadaaki Wakamutsu of Japanese luxury jeweler/chocolatier Q-Pot, the unique Smart city car features a special chocolate-themed paint scheme. It’s priced at 2.36 million yen (equivalent to about $28k), which places it at a considerable premium over the standard Smart ForTwo’s 1.84 million yen MSRP ($22k) in Japan. Follow the jump to watch the video report, or head over to the Q-Pot website for a closer look.

[Source: Q-Pot via AP]

Continue reading Japan unwraps chocolate Smart ForTwo for Valentine’s Day

Japan unwraps chocolate Smart ForTwo for Valentine’s Day originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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