Hot Topics
Dave Guilford
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Infiniti, Lincoln face one tough challenge
Sales for this luxury marque have been disappointing. In fact, there was talk that its parent company might kill it. Now a dynamic new leader is trying to create some buzz with a more exciting lineup. But the brand faces some of the toughest competition in the business: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, ...
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Not satisfied with OnStar's steady profits, GM wants to create a global 4G powerhouse
DETROIT -- General Motors' OnStar tele-matics unit has quietly become a profit margin superstar. Analysts peg OnStar's revenues at about $1.5 billion annually, with a margin of 30 to 35 percent. That's about five times the 6.2 percent margin from GM's first-quarter adjusted earnings before interest
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Why Infiniti, Lincoln face the same challenge
The luxury marque hasn't lived up to its dreams. In fact, there was talk that its parent company might kill it. Now with a dynamic new leader, it's trying to build buzz with a more exciting lineup. But it faces some of the toughest competition in the business: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus and ...
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Price is next hurdle for Tesla growth
Tesla has had one hell of a run lately. It reported its first quarterly profit. It's brainstorming self-guided cars with Google. The stock is sizzling. And Consumer Reports , which is not prone to gushing, said Tesla's Model S "performed better, or just as well overall," as any vehicle the magazine
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Next hurdle for hot Tesla is pushing EVs mainstream
Tesla has had one hell of a week. It reported its first quarterly profit. It's brainstorming self-guided cars with Google. The stock is sizzling. And Consumer Reports , which is not prone to gushing, said that Tesla's Model S "performed better, or just as well overall, as any other vehicle of any
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Audi's tight U.S. supply, fast turn rate lift dealer profitability
… Keogh, 44, became president of Audi of America in June, a promotion from chief marketing officer. He spoke to Dave Guilford , enterprise editor at Automotive News Europe sister publication Automotive News , at the New York auto show, where …
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Audi's tight supply, fast turn rate lift dealer profitability
… became president of Audi of America in June, a promotion from chief marketing officer. He spoke to Enterprise Editor Dave Guilford at the New York auto show, where Audi previewed the 2015 A3 sedan scheduled to arrive early next year. Q: Could …
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EcoMotors signs $200 million engine deal
DETROIT -- EcoMotors International, the suburban Detroit company developing an opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine, last week took a step toward automotive use of its fuel-efficient technology. EcoMotors signed a $200 million deal to build the engines in China. The move will get engines with ...
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EcoMotors signs $200 million deal to produce engines in China
EcoMotors International, the suburban Detroit company developing an opposed piston-opposed cylinder engine, has signed a $200 million deal to build the engines in China. EcoMotors' partner, Zhongding Power, will build a plant in China's Anhui province and will sell the turbodiesel engines to its
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Ghosn, Mulally revive touchy Japanese currency issue
NEW YORK -- A long-distance debate last week between two CEOs -- Ford's Alan Mulally and Renault-Nissan's Carlos Ghosn -- reignited a hot-button debate in the industry over the value of the Japanese yen. Is the weakening value of the yen giving the Japanese an unfair edge? In Thailand on Tuesday,
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Diaz: Ram weighs mid-sized pickup
NEW YORK -- Chrysler Group is seriously considering a mid-sized pickup for the Ram brand. But an entry-level Chrysler 100 sedan is not a priority. Brand executives Fred Diaz and Saad Chehab discussed the two rumored vehicle programs in interviews at the auto show here. Diaz, CEO of Ram, said
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Dodge: Bigger engine will boost Dart sales
NEW YORK -- Dodge brand chief Reid Bigland says the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine coming this spring in the new Dodge Dart GT model will boost sales of the compact car -- and may become the dominant engine for the Dart. The 184-hp engine will debut within 60 days on the Dart GT, Bigland said in an
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Diaz: Keep it simple
Fred Diaz, CEO of Chrysler Group's Ram truck brand, says the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup's Uconnect infotainment system has been well received by buyers because it's not designed with early adopters in mind. Diaz's approach to making Uconnect, created through a Chrysler-Sprint partnership, was to keep it
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Mulally, Ghosn revive touchy Japanese currency issue
NEW YORK -- A long-distance debate last week between two CEOs -- Ford's Alan Mulally and Nissan-Renault's Carlos Ghosn -- reignited a hot-button debate in the industry over the value of the Japanese yen. Is the weakening value of the yen giving the Japanese an unfair edge? In Thailand on Tuesday,
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Nissan sales chief Munoz aims for 10% U.S. share
NEW YORK -- Jose Munoz, who led Nissan's market leading team in Mexico, comes to the United States with a big sales bogey. His boss, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, wants the automaker to increase its share of the U.S. market to 10 percent by 2016. But Nissan North America, including the Infiniti brand,
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Nissan expects Leaf to set monthly U.S. sales record in March
… a month," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in a separate press conference. "The target is much bigger than that," Ghosn said. "But we will have to be patient and resilient." Philip Nussel and Dave Guilford contributed to this report
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Why the next wave of Italians is important
NEW YORK -- The next wave of Italians has arrived, as the wall at the Fiat stand here proclaims: The 500, 500c, 500e and 500L. You might argue there's only one Italian in U.S. Fiat stores -- the 500 -- and that until dealers get some more product, Fiat is extending the brand any which way it can.
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In N.Y., cars consumers actually want to buy
The automotive sales climate is quite different on the different sides of the Atlantic Ocean -- and the auto shows in Europe and the United States show it. The European auto market continues to crater, to put it bluntly. With the stream of unsettling financial news, European consumers seem ...
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Plugging along
Are sales of electric-drive vehicles disappointing? No doubt. Has the buzz faded? Undeniably. So are electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids dead? Not really. Despite the gloom, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are very much alive in the product plans of major automakers. Automakers will launch
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Fisker without Fisker: What's next?
… said: "Despite the difficulties, and setbacks, more than many big car companies have to face, Fisker Automotive tackled the issues head on and managed to sell more than 2,000 cars to date." Dave Guilford contributed to this report
