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World Auto Production Forecast

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Predicting the future is a risky proposition often filled with guesstimates and theories based on current events and hoped for consequences. At the same time, automakers are busy doing just that in anticipation of future consumer demands, emerging markets, fuel availability, and so much more. So, with all of that in mind and knowing that only God knows the future, here are some of my predictions concerning worldwide automotive production circa 2015.

Consolidation General Motors, Toyota, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Peugeot/Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and some other manufacturers are likely to snap up competitors, especially in emerging markets. Nope, I do not see the end of GM or Ford. Instead, I see both automakers concentrating on what they do best: making money overseas. The big factor in all of this will be the impact that Chinese built cars will have on local markets. If the cars are fairly well made and priced below the prevailing market rate, look for several companies to join forces in a bid simply to survive. Look for low priced Indian built cars to be sold worldwide beginning early in the next decade.

Emerging Markets China and India are the emerging markets of today. Look for several African nations to be the market for tomorrow provided further internecine violence doesn’t quell growth. The Central American nations and several South American countries will also benefit from strong growth.

New Fuels Hybrid gas/electric technology will only be a blip on the screen once hydrogen cars enter production. Honda is probably the closest to building production hydrogen powered cars with GM and Toyota not too far behind. Once the first hydrogen powered cars enter production, the world will see a revolution in automotive technology not seen since the advent of the internal combustion engine. Expect government mandates to ensure that every automaker has access to hydrogen technology.

New Technology Think green! Besides hydrogen power, the actual vehicle body is likely to change significantly too. Depending on availability, lightweight composite materials will be incorporated to help reduce costs and lower weight. Truly “smart” cars will arrive that will anticipate crashes, prevent roll over, and completely shut down or takeover control if the driver is incapacitated. Look for further gains in seating comfort, sound systems, lighting, and air management.

New Transportation Although the personal passenger vehicle is not likely to ever disappear, newer versions of the same will show up especially in crowded cities. Three wheel cars, car/motorcycle hybrids, and vehicles that can be hooked up to one another [in train formation] will be produced for certain markets.

Of course, if the world is embroiled in a major war at any time, all of this will come to naught. Still, what many identify as “auto production” will change radically perhaps as soon as the next 3 or 4 years. I can’t wait, can you?

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Honda - Changing the Way They Market the Civic

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

This is another article, in a series of articles, breaking down and critiquing, automotive manufacturers marketing brochures. Point of sale (POS) materials account for millions of dollars a year in the automotive industry. We want to look deep inside these marketing brochures and examine the sales and marketing angles for each particular model. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the 2008 Honda Civic. Honda has an 18-page color brochure dedicated to selling its ideas, attempting to readjust the way you look at today’s Honda Civic.

When you think Honda Civic, what comes to mind? We think, great gas mileage, dependability, practicality, simply a smart purchase. Those qualities and ideas are still part of the overall Honda Civic DNA, but Honda wants to change the way you think about the Civic. Honda is going after an entirely different market.

“Spontaneity, Intensity, and Fun”…these are not yesterdays advertising keywords associated with the Honda Civic.

Immediately on page 3, Honda asks you to “Go Ahead, Open It Up”. Let’s see what this baby will do. “Killer Looks”, “Next-Big-Thing-Technology”, “Burn Up The Pavement”, just a few terms I’d not generally attach to the Civic. The folks at Honda are pushing this vehicles driving experience and persona in an attempt to lure in an entirely different demographic.

There is no doubt, the Civic has grown up. The thought of a navigation system in a model lines lower end cars may seem a bit much, but Honda decided to devote an entire page to their version of navigation. Leather interior also earned a complete one page spread, in an attempt to further move away from the traditional Civic market and towards a more bold and aggressive buyer.

“Lots Of Thrust, Little Thirst”…This is a bit closer to the Civic marketing we’ve all become accustomed to. Gas mileage and a little zip, that’s my good old Civic.

Honda went back to its roots in a three page spread exclusively marketing the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. This is what I expect from Honda in regards to the Civic. The hybrid version of the 2008 Honda Civic makes perfect sense for this model. Ever the practical choice for fuel savings, initial investment savings, and overall automotive cost, the Civic now extends into environmental “Green” savings with the Honda Civic Hybrid. They appeal to your intelligence, “Hybrid: A Smarter Way To Drive”. And they appeal to your overall concern of the environment in the classic way Honda always has.

The Honda Civic Si Coupe is the portion of the brochure that you would expect some content relating to power and style and verve. “Obey Your Wilder Side” is a perfect lead in to this trim level of the Civic. The Si has always had a following with the younger, “Generation X” demo, and Honda has done a great job of reinforcing this Civic model again to its segmented audience. Naming one of its color, Habanero Red Pearl, was another nice touch.

Safety only earned one page of the brochure and there is only one page describing the “DNA” of the Honda Civic.

Honda is making a very conscience effort to expand its market for the Civic. This could be a bit of a risk for a model that has been more successful than anyone at Honda could have ever imagined. I’m sure the likes of the Mazda3 and Nissan Sentra have the marketing department at Honda rethinking the whole Civic thing. But, a niche is a niche is a niche. They are stepping outside the area that has worked so well for them in the past. It will be interesting to see if they expand or decrease their market share for the Civic with this approach.

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Searching For a Fuel Efficient Car? The Choices Are Many

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

While experts fear recent gas price declines as a precursor to deflation, most Americans welcome the opportunity to spend less at the pump. Despite unexpectedly low fuel prices, consumers are still gravitating to more fuel efficient vehicles. If you haven’t purchased a car recently and value fuel efficiency, you may be surprised at the breadth of choices. Today, everything from gas-electric hybrids to diesels and fuel-sipping gasoline cars are available, so how do you choose? Here’s some info to help navigate this new and sometimes confusing playing field.

Hybrids

Hybrid vehicles combine a gasoline combustion engine with an all-electric drive system. When driving short distances particularly under low acceleration, hybrid vehicles rely largely on their electric engine for power. Under harder acceleration or long distance driving, the vehicle’s gasoline engine kicks in to power the car. When the gasoline engine is running, it powers a generator which charges the vehicle’s electric battery. Most hybrids also generate charging power under hard breaking as well.

Pros: Hybrids typically achieve better fuel economy than equivalent gasoline cars, particularly in city driving. Most hybrids include on-board monitors that display real-time fuel consumption and help drivers adjust driving habits for maximum fuel economy. They also offer their owners the added benefit of a smaller carbon footprint, resulting in a lower environmental impact. Plug-in hybrids will soon come to market, led by the Chevy Volt.

Cons: Hybrid vehicles are more expensive than their gasoline powered counterparts and many new gasoline cars achieve comparable fuel economy. If you put significant miles on your car (12,000+ per year) or do lots of city driving, you may benefit from a hybrid. If not, you’ll need to crunch the numbers to determine if the $3,000+ premium a hybrid carries is worth the additional mpgs. Also, the jury is still out on the long terms repair costs of hybrid’s expensive batteries and complex drive systems.

Models to consider: Toyota Prius, Chevy Malibu Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid

Diesels

Diesel technology is nothing new. A specially refined version of petroleum and hydrocarbon, diesel fuel powers the bulk of the world’s commercials vehicles and fuels a lion’s share of cars in Europe. Due to stringent environmental standards here, diesels have made minimal inroads, but new clean diesel engines are hitting the market that are legal across all fifty states.

Pros: Diesels achieve remarkably high fuel economy due to the efficiency of its engine and a higher energy-per-liter content of the fuel that powers it. And while traditional diesels were knocked for lung-choking pollutants, new clean diesel cars actually produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline ones. For those truly dedicated to maximum savings and minimum environmental impact, some diesel engines can be converted to run on pure vegetable oil or even waste vegetable oil (WVO) sourced from restaurants.

Cons: Today’s diesel fuel remains 35% more expensive than regular gasoline. According to the Energy Information Administration, this is the result of increased demand in China, Europe and here in the U.S., putting “pressure on tight global refining capacity.” Diesel fuel also carries a higher excise tax than gasoline, upwards of 6 cents per gallon. Like hybrids, diesels may achieve only minimal fuel economy improvement with a significantly higher back end fuel cost.

Models to consider: Mercedes E-350 Bluetec, VW Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, BMW 335d sedan

Fuel efficient gasoline

New technology and advanced engineering have helped greatly improve fuel efficiency of gasoline engines. Several vehicles including the Honda Civic, Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo and Toyota Yaris average close to 30 miles gallon. Others like the Mini Cooper, achieve highway numbers of close to 40 mpg.

Pros: Though new fuel-saving technologies are in the works, most vehicles are still powered by gasoline. This provides the consumer with the broadest selection and greatest variety of vehicles. From compacts to midsize cars, wagons to crossovers and coupes to SUVs, there are a bevy of gasoline vehicles available that won’t break the bank at the pump. Gasoline vehicles are still less expensive on average than equivalent hybrid and diesel cars.

Cons: If this year was any indication, crude oil will remain volatile leaving us at the mercy of wildly fluctuating gas prices. A $100 per month gas budget today could quickly balloon to twice that in six months.

Models to consider: Hyundai Sonata, Kia Rondo, Pontiac Solstice.

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Top 5 Diagnostic Tools You Must Have in 2010

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

As automotive technicians have outrageous amount of money you have invested in tools to execute the order. The last thing I want to think about is how much money you will spend the next year. I have this list to help you decide which tools are designed to offer the best return on investment.

1.Laptop computer. Now is the time when you are not already on your machine. I can not imagine what they are not mine. Are alwaysGo over to my laptop to search for data of torque, is a wiring diagram or just to know how much oil is still in a rental car. I remember her to this day not so long that I travel along the road to the office and use of other technical fight that we had a PC at our disposal. With the cost of the notebook from falling any moment, is no longer an excuse. I think they are disposable and easy to buy the cheapest I can find. I suspect that I buy 5 $ 300 laptopthe price of a low-end Toughbook, so I said, if all of 2 years, the Toughbook would last 10 years, to justify the expense.

Interface 2.J2534 passthrough. The days of repairing an engine light control through the exchange of parts and remove the code is finished quickly. If you have a steady increase in the number of TSB for the code, the reprogramming of the ECU as part and sometimes include the entire repair, you are not alone noticed. In times like we are, you should be ableto keep the work as possible at home. If you do not reprogrammed ECU, sending thousands of dollars out the door to the distributor or competitor. Recommend iFlash interface, as is the cost of fully compatible interface currently available.

3.Smoke Machine. Prices have fallen so low, it's time to stop excuses and buy one. One can not correctly diagnose a evap without a loss. You know they need it.

4.IdentifixSubscription. I know it will be on the instruments. I think my Identifix subscription to one of the most valuable tools I have. The amount of time saved auto diagnosis is amazing.

5.Training. Yes, I know, that probably are the tools. Do yourself a favor and get up and learn something, something new next year. If you attend a class, read a book or watch a DVD, do something. The only way to come to the fore the increase of the profession, is to learn continuously. Iwould recommend a course of hybrids. This is a market that keeps the independent stores over the next few years. If hybrids are not yet seen, are waiting to come.

Finally, the expenditure of money to pay for your useful tool in the coming years sales and ultimately more money in their wallets.

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Nissan Altima Hybrid Overall Review

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Due to increasing global demand for fuel-efficient cars, Japan, Nissan Motor Company Limited has come under pressure to develop a new hybrid version of the popular Altima model for its similarity to the luxury-1957 Nissan Bluebird popular. As a result, in 2007 the new Nissan Altima Hybrid has been launched.

There is a continuous pressure on car manufacturers to produce hybrid versions or lose with modern market the ever increasing demand for this type of car. Nissan Altima Hybrid is both a model of energy efficiency and a car that was designed to include several special features to ensure the popularity and increase sales.

The Nissan Altima hybrid is a Toyota in many ways, the comparison ironic considering Toyota is one of the biggest competitors of the company. Nissan Altima Hybrid 's mimic functional tools directly from Toyota.Ensure> Nissan was that the new hybrid model particularly well in the market. Therefore in the development and conceptual design of the vehicle, Nissan has entered into an agreement with Toyota for car production technologies in the field of hybrid vehicles for use. This continuously variable transmission (CVT), the regenerative braking system, which allows the battery included, at no charge when the car brakes, power steering technology. TheBattery and electric motor are also two licensed from Toyota. The licenses were acquired at great expense of competitors from Nissan. Every effort has been made to ensure the finished product was an attractive, functional car, fared the best are in the new competitive market.

The result is a motor vehicle, which has become one of the most efficient models of energy on the road. Altima Hybrid is well beyond the states of Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, distributed,Connecticut, California, Maine, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

In relation to the cost of the Nissan Altima Hybrid is a bit 'more expensive compared to similar cars, size and power on the road, although hybrid vehicles, traditionally the top end of the market. Baseline costs begin to rise to $ 24,440, as between $ 26,000 to $ 31,000.

Production of the Altima Hybrid cars are unable to meet demand with current production only place in a selection of countries and weakness in the overall marketing strategy. Internationally, the car still has many of the largest cities in the world will be launched.

Testimonies of the hybrid Nissan Altima is also ranked top by the magazine Auto Motor Trend in the category for medium-sized hybrid car in 2007 JD Power and Associates has estimated the average "most attractive size auto '

Analysts expect significant improvements> Full hybrid models in the future in this economic and fuel efficient. How energy-efficient vehicles that do not compromise on style or functionality of the hybrid Nissan Altima is worth considering as an option in a saturated market in the central area of the car, especially with the rising cost of fuel.

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Nissan Altima Hybrid Car

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

If you’ve been intrigued by the fuel savings and advanced technology of a hybrid, but find a lack of styling in other hybrid offerings, then the Nissan Altima Hybrid might be the hybrid that puts you behind the wheel of a gas-electric vehicle.

Before we get too far, stop reading this article unless you live in one of these states: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island or Vermont. The Altima Hybrid is available only in these eight states. (This move helps Nissan meet stricter emissions standards in these eight states, all of which follow California tailpipe regulations.)

The Altima Hybrid is essentially a Toyota hybrid wrapped in Nissan’s attractive packaging. Nissan licensed Toyota’s hybrid technology, and except for a few key adjustments along the way, has simply transplanted the hybrid system and drivability into its own product.

The Altima carries a 2.5-liter engine versus the Camry’s 2.4-liter version, but the relative difference in performance between the vehicles is mostly a product of software. Nissan engineers inherited Toyota’s computer control system, but didn’t leave it entirely alone. Toyota opted for calm and comfort, the signature qualities of the Camry, while Nissan allowed a little more noise and rumble in exchange for more power in passing. The Altima Hybrid’s fuel tank, at 20 gallons, is almost three gallons larger than the Camry, boosting the driving range another 100 miles or so.

The Altima Hybrid is noticeably more responsive than the Camry Hybrid. If the extra pep is essential to you, and you’re willing to sacrifice the ultra-quiet (some may call it “numb”) ride of the Camry, then your decision is made.