truth about domestics

Ford’s Transit Connect small commercial van has been a big hit, pushing sales estimates to nearly double their originally predicted mark.  Not content with owning the small van market, Ford has decided to bring out two new variants of the Transit Connect.  The first is a completely battery electric vehicle that will provide up to 80 miles on a single charge, provide the same cargo space as the non-battery version and can charge from either a 120 or 240 volt outlet.

The second version is the Transit Connect Taxi.  The TC Taxi will be available with the same gas 2.0L found in the standard Transit Connect, but will be offered with a package to convert the engine to compressed natural gas or propane fuels.  It will also be available with Ford Work Solutions that includes high-speed internet and navigation.  For the full story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

For those of you who don’t know, B20 is a fuel made from mixing 20% bio-diesel with 80% petrol diesel.  The thinking behind this fuel is that the bio-diesel portion comes from mostly renewable resources, making it a greener alternative to regular petrol diesel.  Why the mixture?  Well most diesel engines wouldn’t run on straight bio-diesel but work is progressing in those areas to overcome the obstacles associated with running bio-diesel.

Starting this Spring, General Motor’s new 6.6L Duramax diesel will be B20 capable.  For more information and news from the Chicago Auto Show check us out later in the week or head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

According to Automotive news (via Autoblog) General Motors is planning for its next generation 2-mode hybrid system to be 25% smaller, while packing 20% more power.  This is good news, but the best bit comes from the statement that GM’s next hybrid systems (due out around 2013) will be less expensive for customers and GM alike, meaning more availability and more potential for profits for GM.  On top of that, GM’s vice chairman of global product operations Tom Stephens says that the new system will still be available in SUV’s and trucks, but that it will also find its way into rear-wheel drive platforms.  The money is on the next generation CTS and ATS from Cadillac, as those vehicles will command a premium to begin with, why not tack on the hybrid powertrain cost too.

(Image source: GM)

The Chicago Auto Show may not be starting until next week which means preparations are being set as we speak!  Ever wonder what is going on at an auto show to prepare for all of the people who will be in attendance?  Well now you can see it first hand with the Chicago Auto Show webcams!  That’s right folks!  By clicking this link right here, you can see all that goes on when setting up a massive car show!  I can’t wait to bring you shots from the show floor myself, so stay tuned right here for all the latest Chicago Auto Show coverage!

(Image source: h-e-r-a.org)

This video is GM’s attempt at explaining how the Volt works in more basic terms.  I for one am really excited about this vehicle, it could be a real game changer for General Motors and for transportation in general.

The ads you see above are Ford’s latest round of Drive One ads.  The segments are only 15 seconds long but they feature real Ford owners talking about their cars in a natural setting – their car.  The ads were filmed with the owners not knowing the video would be used for a Ford commercial, making the messages they’re sending even more authentic.  For more, head on over to The Ford Story.

First comes news of Ford adding 1,200 jobs in Chicago to build the new Explorer.  Now GM has announced that it will be creating 200 jobs in Baltimore at its transmission plant.  The move will cost some $246 million, but will allow the plant to make its own motors for the next generation of GM hybrids, due in 2013.  The plant already builds transmissions for GM’s full size SUV hybrids, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.  For more details, head on over to USA Today.

(Image source: GM)

In a move that doesn’t really surprise anyone, GM has announced that the Washington D.C. area will be the third market for the initial launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, following California and Michigan.  All three of these areas were picked for basic fundamental reasons; California has a large concentration of hippies environmentally conscious consumers and utility companies willing to help the electric vehicle charging issues, Michigan because it is the home of the Volt in design, development and production, and Washington D.C. because that’s where all the government know-it-alls types reside.

For more on this story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

During my visit to the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I got a chance to witness Ford’s Active Park Assist technology in action.  Ford set up a mock parallel parking situation and showed off how a Ford Escape maneuvers itself into a parallel parking spot without the driver’s steering input. The driver simply shifted gears into forward and reverse and controlled the speed via the gas and brake pedals – the car did everything else on its own, i.e. steer.

I watched Ford’s demonstration repeated over and over, and the car did not screw up once (which I cannot say is the case for many drivers I know) – awesome technology!

In an earlier post, we told about how General Motors could spend around $1 billion to make the next generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra more competitive in terms of capability and fuel economy.  The current Silverado XFE holds the best fuel economy of any light-duty pickup at 22 mpg highway but that won’t be enough come the new EPA regulations in 2014.

According to Automotive News GM will employ technology like active shutters on the grille opening that would close at higher speeds when the engine doesn’t need maximum cooling.  This feature was first shown on the Cadillac Provoq crossover concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.  This car later became the 2010 Cadillac SRX but it does not feature the electronically controlled shutters.  For more on this story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)