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<title><![CDATA[RSS for Hybrid Vehicles]]></title>
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<title><![CDATA[Toyota plans big hike in lithium ion battery output]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130519/OEM05/130519888/toyota-plans-big-hike-in-lithium-ion-battery-output]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130519/OEM05/130519888/toyota-plans-big-hike-in-lithium-ion-battery-output</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 19 May 2013 12:22:52 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to increase production of lithium ion batteries by six times, as the automaker prepares to eventually use them in its flagship Prius gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday. Most of Toyota's hybrid vehicles use ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[In boost to EVs, report sees surge in charging outlets worldwide]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130516/OEM05/130519915/in-boost-to-evs-report-sees-surge-in-charging-outlets-worldwide]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130516/OEM05/130519915/in-boost-to-evs-report-sees-surge-in-charging-outlets-worldwide</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 16 May 2013 14:42:19 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The steady growth in sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, along with public and private investment, is expected to drive a sharp rise in the number of charging stations worldwide by 2020, a new study says . The study, released today by IHS Automotive, estimates that the gradual ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[BMW's Reithofer tells Germans to embrace EVs]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/305149937/bmws-reithofer-tells-germans-to-embrace-evs]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/305149937/bmws-reithofer-tells-germans-to-embrace-evs</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[FRANKFURT (Bloomberg) -- BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer told his fellow Germans to set aside their worries and embrace electric-vehicle technology. "Germany is respected and admired the world over for its engineering expertise and powers of innovation, but 'German angst' is also a concept the rest of the world is familiar with," Reithofer said on Tuesday in Munich. "We like to engage in long and fearful discussions because we Germans tend to see more problems than opportunities, and it is no different with electro-mobility." BMW aims to get its first electric vehicle -- the i3 city car, which will go on sale later this year -- off to a good start even as demand for battery-powered cars has disappointed because of cost and concerns about their range. The car is key for BMW's image as the world's largest luxury-car maker seeks to keep rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz at bay. To counter electric-car concerns, BMW started a global marketing campaign on Tuesday to promote its "i" sub brand through print and Internet ads and a series of nine online videos. The automaker manufacturer will also offer the i3 with an auxiliary engine that kicks in if the battery runs out of power. The range extender can allow the car to drive over 300 kilometers before needing to recharge, more than double the normal distance on the battery alone. 'Disenchantment phase' "After the hype, we're now in a phase of disenchantment on electric mobility," said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "In Germany, that's a good thing because you look at things more pragmatically." Bratzel estimates that battery-driven cars will account for just 2 percent to 3 percent of the global car market in 2020, while hybrid vehicles account for about 12 percent. BMW, which held its annual shareholders meeting in Munich on Tuesday, stuck to its goal of setting a sales record for the third consecutive year with the 4-series coupe set to help offset a slump in Europe. BMW forecasts that rising demand in China and the United States and 11 new models in 2013, including the i3 and coupe-like 3-series GT, will ward off the effects of the sovereign-debt crisis on Europe's car market, which is sliding to a 20-year low. 'Bold actions' The BMW Group is stepping up investment on new vehicles and technologies as Audi and Mercedes seek to claim the lead in luxury-auto sales by the end of the decade. The additional spending may hold back earnings growth, even as sales advance. "Being the spearhead of change means taking a calculated risk," Reithofer said Tuesday at the Munich meeting. "Progress has to be imagined, earned and paid for. The future belongs to those who dare to take bold actions." BMW reaffirmed its target that pretax profit this year will match 2012's figure of 7.82 billion euros. Earnings before interest and taxes for the auto division are forecast to be in a range of 8 percent to 10 percent of sales in 2013, compared with 10.9 percent last year. BMW shareholders voted at the meeting in favor of a three-year extension for Chairman Joachim Milberg, who was BMW CEO from 1999 to 2002. Investors also approved a dividend of 2.50 euros per common share and 2.52 euros per preferred share for 2012. Sales lead The manufacturer extended its sales lead over its main competitors through the first four months of the year, boosted by higher demand for the X1 compact sport-utility vehicle and the 3-series sedan and wagon. Deliveries of BMW's namesake brand increased 7.1 percent, beating the 6.7 percent gain by Audi and the 5.6 percent advance by Mercedes. In an effort to maintain its edge, BMW will roll out 25 new models by the end of next year, with 10 of them having no predecessor. Its rivals are expanding as well. Mercedes plans to introduce 13 all-new models by the end of the decade, while Audi will doubling its lineup of SUVs to six by 2020, a person familiar with the matter said in February.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Michigan couple appeal sentence in GM trade-secret case]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130513/OEM/130519960/michigan-couple-appeal-sentence-in-gm-trade-secret-case]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130513/OEM/130519960/michigan-couple-appeal-sentence-in-gm-trade-secret-case</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 13 May 2013 18:07:02 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- A Michigan couple sentenced to prison for stealing General Motors hybrid-car technology trade secrets filed appeals Friday with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Former GM engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin, were convicted of stealing GM hybrid technology. ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. judge sentences couple to jail for stealing GM trade secrets]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130501/ANE/305019909/u-s-judge-sentences-couple-to-jail-for-stealing-gm-trade-secrets]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130501/ANE/305019909/u-s-judge-sentences-couple-to-jail-for-stealing-gm-trade-secrets</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 17:55:20 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT-- A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology was sentenced to jail in U.S. District Court in Detroit. Former GM engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin, stole GM hybrid technology for a business venture to provide hybrid ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. judge sentences couple to jail for stealing GM trade secrets]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/OEM06/130509970/u-s-judge-sentences-couple-to-jail-for-stealing-gm-trade-secrets]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/OEM06/130509970/u-s-judge-sentences-couple-to-jail-for-stealing-gm-trade-secrets</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 17:55:20 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT-- A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology was sentenced to jail in U.S. District Court in Detroit. Former GM engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin, stole GM hybrid technology for a business venture to provide hybrid ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Couple found guilty of stealing GM secrets set for sentencing]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130429/ANE/304299941/couple-found-guilty-of-stealing-gm-secrets-set-for-sentencing]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130429/ANE/304299941/couple-found-guilty-of-stealing-gm-secrets-set-for-sentencing</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology to help develop similar vehicles in China will be sentenced Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in Detroit. Former GM engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin, stole GM hybrid ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Couple found guilty of stealing GM secrets set for sentencing]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130426/OEM06/130429909/couple-found-guilty-of-stealing-gm-secrets-set-for-sentencing]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130426/OEM06/130429909/couple-found-guilty-of-stealing-gm-secrets-set-for-sentencing</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:17:32 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology to help develop such vehicles in China will be sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. Former GM engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin, stole GM hybrid technology ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Toyota hybrid sales gain as U.S. demand offsets slump in Japan]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130417/OEM05/130419913/toyota-hybrid-sales-gain-as-u-s-demand-offsets-slump-in-japan]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130417/OEM05/130419913/toyota-hybrid-sales-gain-as-u-s-demand-offsets-slump-in-japan</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:37:26 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest maker of hybrid vehicles, boosted first-quarter sales of dual-powered autos as a jump in overseas demand outweighed a drop in Japan, where government subsidies expired last year. Deliveries rose to 332,100 units worldwide in the three ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ford wants to see if smartphones can boost fuel economy]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130408/RETAIL03/304089969/ford-wants-to-see-if-smartphones-can-boost-fuel-economy]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130408/RETAIL03/304089969/ford-wants-to-see-if-smartphones-can-boost-fuel-economy</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Editor's note: An earlier version of this story showed the incorrect Web address for the OpenXC platform. The correct address is www.openxcplatform.com . Ford Motor Co. wants consumers to see how their driving habits affect fuel economy and is offering big bucks to find an entertaining way to do that. Ford is offering software developers $50,000 in prize money for coming up with innovative smartphone apps that can take data from a vehicle's on-board computer and use it to coach consumers to drive more efficiently. In essence, Ford wants the automotive equivalent of the Nike FuelBand, which, when strapped on, tracks walking, running and other activities, as well as how many calories are burned. Results can then be tracked on a smartphone app. Ford will begin taking applications for the Personalized Fuel-Efficiency App Challenge on April 23. The contest will be open for about three months. The contest connects two of Ford's current themes -- fuel economy and smart technology -- in marketing vehicles to eco-aware, tech-savvy consumers. It also, not coincidentally, could take some of the heat off Ford and other automakers whose vehicles don't always deliver the miles per gallon promised by the window sticker. Too often, automakers say, lead-footed drivers don't realize that their driving habits can mean the difference between an EPA rating of 44 mpg and a real-world 35 mpg. But the proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones means "we have the opportunity to give consumers better and more relevant data to understand what they can expect in on-the-road fuel economy performance," said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president for global marketing, sales, service and Lincoln, during a speech at the New York auto show last month. "We need to help customers understand the concept of personal fuel economy -- based on their own individualized experiences -- and give them tools to see, learn and act upon all the information available to know what to expect, how to improve" their driving, Farley said. More readily available and comprehensible information could even "offer guidance in their shopping process," Farley suggested. Carmakers that figure out the best ways to help consumers measure their real-world fuel economy could enjoy a competitive advantage, Farley said. Real-world fuel economy has become an industry hot-button topic as carmakers make competing ad claims about the mpg ratings of their fleets. Farley noted that the fuel economy of hybrid vehicles seems particularly variable depending on consumers' driving habits. Ford has a growing number of hybrids and plug-in hybrids arriving in showrooms, including the 2013 C-Max Energi and Fusion Hybrid. Automakers often tout vehicles' EPA fuel economy ratings in ads and marketing materials, but that can backfire when real-world numbers don't match the lab results on which the EPA relies. In December, Consumer Reports said two Ford hybrid nameplates fell 17 percent to 21 percent short of the automaker's promise of combined city/highway 47 mpg in the tests. The Ford Fusion Hybrid achieved 39 mpg and the C-Max Hybrid averaged 37 mpg, the magazine said. To lure app developers interested in entering the contest, Ford is offering access to a portion of its computer database. Farley said the company will open its "OpenXC connectivity research platform as a sandbox" for developers to "create and test innovative ideas." In 2011, Ford and a software company named Bug Labs joined to create OpenXC as a standard way of creating aftermarket software and hardware for its vehicles. "Every new car is full of computers and electronics, and there is growing interest in connecting the output from those systems to third-party applications and the Web," says an explanatory note on www.openxcplatform.com . Using a small hardware device, the OpenXC platform can pull data from a vehicle's onboard diagnostic port, which is standard on every vehicle below the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel. Onboard computers collect a vast array of performance data, including the engine's revolutions per minute, fuel consumption, accelerator and brake pedal usage and steering wheel angle. To use a hypothetical example, an app that pulled and crunched that data then could tell a driver: "Jack, you were driving very aggressively last week. If you had backed off just a little, you would have consumed two fewer gallons on your commute last week." Consumers could compare notes with their friends on how efficiently they had been driving. A Ford spokesman said the company has not decided what it will do with the proposals that developers enter in the contest. "It's about trying to spur innovation," he said. "We want to have a contest and a prize to show that we appreciate developers' time and effort in helping us come up with innovative solutions."]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kia eyes BMW, Audi; aims to add technology]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130405/ANE/304059999/kia-eyes-bmw-audi-aims-to-add-technology]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130405/ANE/304059999/kia-eyes-bmw-audi-aims-to-add-technology</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[SEOUL -- When Lee Soon-nam joined Kia Motors Corp. three decades ago, his job was buying engines for Kia's vehicles from Japanese rivals such as Hino Motors Ltd. and Daihatsu Motor Co. At international motor shows, Kia's executives spent their time scrutinizing the latest models from Japan. The ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Track tricks could add mpg, cut hybrid cost]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130401/OEM06/304019975/track-tricks-could-add-mpg-cut-hybrid-cost]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130401/OEM06/304019975/track-tricks-could-add-mpg-cut-hybrid-cost</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES -- Engineering advances achieved on the racetrack often find their way into the showroom, though usually in high-performance, street-legal sports cars and beefed-up sedans. But recent breakthroughs on the track for Toyota and Porsche could lead to big gains in fuel economy and lower prices for hybrid vehicles. Toyota says its TS030 supercapacitor energy storage system helped win several races in last year's FIA World Endurance Championship series by delivering rapid bursts of power on demand. But on the street, supercapacitors could be used to accelerate from a dead stop -- or for a sudden burst of acceleration that might save a larger battery pack from draining as quickly. Yoshiaki Kinoshita, chief of Toyota Motor Corp.'s global racing operation, says he doesn't expect supercapacitors to replace hybrid batteries in the short term. That's because hybrid-battery costs are dropping. But as a complementary system, he says, supercapacitors have potential. "Supercapacitors are most appropriate when a vehicle faces big deceleration situations and is making a journey which includes many stops with little distance in between," Kinoshita wrote in an e-mail. "This fits perfectly to motorsport and even sports-type road cars, but I can also imagine delivery trucks or city buses using such technology." Another Toyota source said Toyota is researching the use of supercapacitors as an advanced stop-start system in developing markets, where it would cost less than the regenerative brakes currently used by most hybrid-battery systems to store energy. "Braking times are so short in motorsport that we need a specific solution," Kinoshita wrote. "To have maximum benefit from the hybrid boost, the system must fully charge during less than three seconds of heavy braking. This is where supercapacitors have an advantage over other systems. They charge very quickly to deliver a very high level of energy from just a short braking zone." Storage is limited Supercapacitors do have their limits -- mostly having to do with lack of energy storage capacity. "The most important characteristic for motorsport energy storage is not energy density but power density," Kinoshita said. "Energy stream, recover and release, is 60 times bigger in motorsport than road car applications. On this point -- quick charge and quick discharge -- we believe the super capacitor is the best solution." Supercapacitor application isn't the only racetrack technology with possible street-legal ramifications. Although further from potential production, a hybrid flywheel accumulator created by Porsche's racing randd team could increase the fuel economy of mainstream cars. Now occupying most of what would be the passenger seat in the racing version of the GT3, the flywheel accumulator stores sudden bursts of energy from the brakes, to be released quickly upon coming out of a corner or on the next straightaway. At the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011, the Porsche 911 GT3 Hybrid gained seven cumulative laps -- or 96 more miles -- between pit stops because of increased fuel efficiency. At the six-hour endurance race at Laguna Seca, Calif., in 2011, the GT3 started last and won its class, requiring two fewer pit stops for fuel. Noise, packaging issues But the Porsche system is a long way from street-legal production. Not only is it loud, but the flywheel's size presents packaging problems. Even so, the potential is enormous, Porsche adherents say. Meanwhile, Audi is using its racing randd to wring more fuel efficiency from its production diesel engines. Typically, Audi turbodiesels produced 1,600 bar of atmospheric pressure in production cars. Once 2000 bar, or about 29,000 pounds per square inch, was reached, the fuel injectors couldn't handle the pressure and would break. But Audi's racing randd, working with Bosch, developed prototype injectors that could handle the added pressure and thus deliver more power and better fuel economy. Audi is now making that higher-pressure technology available in street-legal diesels. "The current 3.0 TDI engine being launched in the A8, A7, A6 and Q5, and which is already available in the Q7, is a direct result of the improvements developed by our race engineers," said Audi spokesman Mark Dahncke. So winning on Sunday may not sell more performance cars. But it might help create more economical cars.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kia aims to add technology, protect quality]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130401/OEM01/304019943/kia-aims-to-add-technology-protect-quality]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130401/OEM01/304019943/kia-aims-to-add-technology-protect-quality</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[SEOUL -- When Lee Soon-nam joined Kia Motor Corp. three decades ago, his job was buying engines for Kia's vehicles from Japanese rivals such as Hino Motors Ltd. and Daihatsu Motor Co. At international motor shows, Kia's executives spent their time scrutinizing the latest models from Japan. The German luxury brands were clearly out of their league -- no point scoping them out. "We had no chance to look at BMW, Audi. It was a waste of time and money," Lee, who now is vice president of Kia's overseas marketing group, said. "These days, we always allocate time" to checking out the top German automakers. Today not only is Kia benchmarking BMW and Audi; it is crawling out of the shadow of its bigger corporate sibling, Hyundai. Its new goal: model its own brand identity after Volkswagen's as it seeks to be mass-market yet one notch above the pack in terms of quality and flair. Oh Tae-hyun, COO in charge of Kia's international business division, said: "Eventually, Kia would like to be one of the mainstream brands like VW." In interviews with Automotive News , top Kia executives said the automaker has a two-pronged strategy to build and distinguish the brand: an unrelenting focus on quality and the rollout of a lineup packed with technology. But they also worry that the brand-building push could be undermined either by boosting output prematurely to meet sales targets or by decontenting vehicles to cope with unfavorable currency rates. Kia is on track to join the volume players, thanks to an explosive threefold increase in global sales since 2002. Kia sold 2.7 million vehicles worldwide in 2012 and targets a 28 percent surge to 3.5 million in 2016. It expects its U.S. sales to rise 6 percent to 590,000 this year from a record 557,599 in 2012. That rampant expansion has executives worried. Kia's global sales are constrained by a lack of production capacity. But executives are reluctant to invest in more output. They want to make sure the company and its suppliers can cope with the surging workload, lest quality deteriorate. Oh and Lee conceded that may mean sacrificing market share. Despite a 15 percent rise to record U.S. sales last year, for example, Kia saw its market share finish flat at 3.8 percent. In the first two months of this year, its share shrank to 3.5 percent from 3.9 percent a year earlier as Kia's sales fell 3 percent vs. the market's 8 percent gain. "For the time being, we have to look at quality over quantity," Oh said. "Who gives the final go-ahead for start of production? It's not the chairman. It's not a salesman. It's not the finance or planning or procurement people. It's the quality-control people. Without their agreement, we can't move one inch." Executives point to the carmaker's Pilot Center, which opened several years ago at the Hyundai-Kia tech center south of Seoul. Before being approved, each model runs through this test assembly line and is scrutinized for possibly production glitches. Lee conceded it is probably impossible to reach Kia's 2016 sales goal without a new plant. The target means selling 800,000 more vehicles, and Kia's capacity is already running flat out. A 300,000-unit plant opens in China next year. But that still leaves the brand a half-million cars short. "In my opinion, it's impossible," Lee said of hitting the target without another plant. "But no decisions have been made" about another factory. The technology part of Kia's brand-building strategy centers on powertrains. To set itself apart from Hyundai, Kia will expand the use of downsized turbocharged engines, introduce dual-clutch transmissions and expand its range of hybrid vehicles. Kia began using downsized turbos before Hyundai, to good effect. "We built a good brand image, we improved our customer profile and we conquered more premium customers," Lee said. He detailed more of the planned changes, all designed to hone Kia's sportier image. Kia's 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injection engine, currently used in the Optima sedan and Sportage crossover, will be deployed to other nameplates as those vehicles are redesigned. Lee did not identify the models getting the 2.0-liter turbo but said they would be Optima-class cars and above. A 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injection engine will be offered in the redesigned Forte small car arriving later this year. Hyundai's counterpart, the Elantra, doesn't offer a turbo. A new, as-yet-unannounced vehicle -- which Lee described as a "brand iconic model" -- also will get the 1.6-liter turbo. That car is expected to arrive in 2015, Lee said. He did not identify the new car. But it could be based on the Track'ster Concept unveiled last year. That car, which is essentially a three-door, all-wheel-drive version of the Soul city compact, is on the short list for production. In Europe, 1.0- and 1.2-liter turbos, also with direct injection, will be offered on the Rio and Cee'd small cars. Kia also will expand its use of dual-clutch transmissions, bringing them to the United States in 2014 or early 2015, Lee said. Those transmissions tend to be more fuel efficient than standard automatics and have a sportier feel. Dual-clutch transmissions likely will debut with a reskinning of the Forte, which may come two years or so after the car is redesigned for the 2014 model year, he said. Kia will roll out gasoline-electric hybrid options on additional models starting in 2015. Lee declined to identify the vehicles but said hybrid drivetrains would be added to a Forte-class sedan and a compact crossover. The company also will launch its first plug-in hybrid by the end of 2015 in a version of an existing nameplate. That emphasis on performance-oriented technology is aimed at lifting Kia's image closer to VW's. "VW has everything from very small to very big, up to the Phaeton and vans and convertibles and everything, but within the volume brands they have a kind of premium quality," said Peter Schreyer, a president at Hyundai Motor Group overseeing global design at both Kia and Hyundai. "I think in both brands we have already reached quite a good standard in perceived quality that probably puts us ahead of other volume makers." Yet looming over this technology and quality build-out is a new threat: the South Korean won's recent climb against the dollar and Japanese yen. That currency shift makes Korea-built cars less price competitive in the United States and other overseas markets. For now, Kia expects to cope mainly by cutting costs in the randd stage of product development and shifting its lineup mix to upper-level trim packages and limited editions with fatter margins. But if the won woes worsen, it may mean decontenting, in the form of cutting features and content, or turning previously standard features into pricey options. "Currently we are discussing ways to find what are the optimized features," Lee said. There are some features, he said, that customers don't care about. "We are studying whether these features are important to customers or not. If we delete these features, what would be the problem?" he asked. "This is our new solution." Kia engineers haven't culled any features yet, Lee said. But he needs to consider such cuts if the won continues to rise against other currencies, to the detriment of exports from Korea. Japanese automakers have sought to hedge against currency swings by building more vehicles in North America, thus reducing their reliance on Japanese exports. But while Toyota, Honda and Nissan all have multiple assembly plants in North America, Kia has just one, in West Point, Ga., and some of its capacity is being used to make the Hyundai Santa Fe. So for Kia, the pressure to build another factory outside Korea is growing -- and not just to hit sales targets.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nissan plunges into hybrids]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130327/OEM05/130329874/nissan-plunges-into-hybrids]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130327/OEM05/130329874/nissan-plunges-into-hybrids</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:55:53 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Nissan brand plans to put at least four hybrid models into U.S. showrooms in the next four years as it prepares for what it expects to be the "era of electrification." Speaking at the New York auto show this afternoon, Andy Palmer, Nissan Motor Co.'s global head of product planning, predicted that ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[This Toyota Group hybrid has small sales, huge size]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130327/BLOG06/130329897/this-toyota-group-hybrid-has-small-sales-huge-size]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130327/BLOG06/130329897/this-toyota-group-hybrid-has-small-sales-huge-size</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:06:01 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO -- While the sales tally for these Toyota Group hybrids aren't huge, the vehicles themselves are big. Really big. In fact, given they are light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, it's perhaps surprising that Hino Motors Ltd. sold any at all. Hybrids are still a niche among passenger cars, but ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Carlos Ghosn doubles down on $5.2 billion EV bet]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130323/OEM05/130329947/carlos-ghosn-doubles-down-on-5-2-billion-ev-bet]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130323/OEM05/130329947/carlos-ghosn-doubles-down-on-5-2-billion-ev-bet</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO (Bloomberg) -- Carlos Ghosn laid a $5 billion bet in 2009 that the world's next Ford Model T would be electric, and that Nissan Motor Co. would lead a revolution embraced by nations such as Denmark. Three years later, sales of Leaf plug-in vehicles in the Nordic country: 73. Nissan's CEO has ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nissan may build Leaf EV in China, government says]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130314/OEM05/303149790/nissan-may-build-leaf-ev-in-china-government-says]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130314/OEM05/303149790/nissan-may-build-leaf-ev-in-china-government-says</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:34:20 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[BEIJING (Bloomberg) -- Nissan Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, may build Leaf electric vehicles in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, according to a government statement. Nissan's Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co. may invest 2 billion yuan ($322 million) on ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chrysler will build 9-speed in Tipton, Ind.]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130304/OEM01/303049973/chrysler-will-build-9-speed-in-tipton-ind]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130304/OEM01/303049973/chrysler-will-build-9-speed-in-tipton-ind</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chrysler Group, which is betting on high-tech transmissions as a way to improve fuel economy for traditional gasoline engines, will invest $374 million in several Indiana plants responsible for building eight- and nine-speed gearboxes. After months of preliminary steps, Chrysler said it will invest ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chrysler to spend $374 million on transmission plants in Ind.]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130228/OEM01/130229889/chrysler-to-spend-374-million-on-transmission-plants-in-ind]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130228/OEM01/130229889/chrysler-to-spend-374-million-on-transmission-plants-in-ind</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:11:16 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chrysler Group is investing $374 million into several Indiana transmissions plants responsible for building eight- and nine-speed transmissions, the company said. After months of preliminary steps, Chrysler will invest $162 million in an empty Tipton, Ind., plant to build nine-speed automatic ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[German car plans may breach EU carbon goal, Commission says]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130218/ANE/130219870/german-car-plans-may-breach-eu-carbon-goal-commission-says]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130218/ANE/130219870/german-car-plans-may-breach-eu-carbon-goal-commission-says</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:53:25 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[BRUSSELS (Reuters) -- Germany's tactics to safeguard its output of big, premium cars from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz threaten an EU target to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, a European Commission document said. Proposals from the German government and German Christian Democrat politician Thomas ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bosch exec expects global growth despite European woes]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130218/OEM02/302189997/bosch-exec-expects-global-growth-despite-european-woes]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130218/OEM02/302189997/bosch-exec-expects-global-growth-despite-european-woes</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Robert Bosch's auto division boosted global sales 2 percent last year to a record 30.9 billion euros, or about $40.83 billion, but missed its 2012 sales target by $793 million, mainly because of weakness in Europe. For 2013, auto division boss Bernd Bohr, 56, expects global sales to rise 3 to 5 ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bosch's auto unit boss expects sales rebound in 2013]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130213/ANE/302139999/boschs-auto-unit-boss-expects-sales-rebound-in-2013]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130213/ANE/302139999/boschs-auto-unit-boss-expects-sales-rebound-in-2013</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Robert Bosch's auto division boosted global sales by 1.7 percent to a record 30.9 billion euros last year, but missed its 2012 sales target by 600 million euros. Auto division boss Bernd Bohr said last year's forecast was too optimistic. For 2013, he expects sales to increase by 3 percent to 5 percent, but to reach that goal cuts will need to be made. Bohr recently met with reporter Matthias Krust of Automotive News Europe 's German sister publication, Automobilwoche , at Bosch's headquarters in Stuttgart. How did the vehicle technology division do in 2012? The growth in revenue has come in just under our expectations. While the first six months matched our forecasts, we were hit hard by the weakness of south European manufacturers. These manufacturers have a high percentage of diesels, and Bosch is a major supplier. The rise in gasoline direct injection was not able to offset this. The upshot is that 2012 was not a good year for the division as far as revenue goes. What do you expect this year? We are cautiously optimistic and expect revenue growth of 3 to 5 percent, with demand only likely to really grow during the second half of the year. We are assuming stable revenue in Europe. For the most part, we will clearly grow in gasoline direct injection in the two-figure percent range. The U.S. will grow. In China and India, we foresee market growth in the high single-figures. Nevertheless, reducing fixed costs is a top priority, right? We assessed the market trend a bit too optimistically during the first half of 2012. We should have stepped on the brakes somewhat earlier. What will you do differently this year? We are going to reduce the investment budget. We will take a close look at the head count trend in Europe, reduce the investment in equipment and facilities, and examine all the other budgets, starting with travel costs. But we won't cut randd since we can only continue to differentiate ourselves from the competition through innovation. Analysts estimate Europe has an overcapacity of up to 30 percent. Will Bosch have to close factories because of this problem? No, there are no plans for that. I also believe that you won't find the 30 percent figure that you cited at any supplier. As a supplier, you manufacture products in a factory for various customers, and you can align yourself with the average demand. In addition, there are opportunities for flexibility with shift models and, especially in Germany, very good opportunities to make adjustments due to collective bargaining agreements and temporary staff. Are you ruling out layoffs? We are pursuing a long-term policy related to our facilities and so far have not attracted attention by wielding a crowbar. We naturally must keep a close watch on the competitiveness of our facilities on an ongoing basis. If we start to make adjustments proactively and they run over a long period, it is possible to shape them in a socially responsible way. A number of electric vehicles will launch in Europe this year. Are we on the verge of a breakthrough that will lead to high-volume business? I don't see a mass market. Today, lithium ion batteries cost about 8,000 to 10,000 euros. That still makes electric vehicles too expensive. Moreover, for a substantial sum of money, you still only get a car with a short range and other limitations. How will the market develop? We currently put the global market for electric vehicles at about 2 to 3 percent of total car volume. That will change slowly in the coming years. Only the well-to-do and absolute enthusiasts will get an EV. We foresee a high-volume market starting in 2020. Then we expect 12 million electrified vehicles. About 3 million of them will likely be purely electric cars and another 3 million plug-in hybrids. In addition, there will be about 6 million hybrid vehicles. Overall, that means a global market share of 10 to 12 percent. Can Bosch play a significant role here considering it ended its battery partnership with Samsung SDI? We are currently very happy that we have no large volume production of lithium ion cells. In the cell market for automotive applications, capacity is currently more than double the demand, which is leading to extreme price pressures. But one thing is also clear: in the mid-term, we again want to cover the entire value chain for batteries and achieve decent market share.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA['Life is looking pretty good for a Cadillac dealer']]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130208/RETAIL06/302099996/life-is-looking-pretty-good-for-a-cadillac-dealer]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130208/RETAIL06/302099996/life-is-looking-pretty-good-for-a-cadillac-dealer</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[After a dry spell, Cadillac dealers' showrooms soon will be flush with new and redesigned vehicles. Last summer, General Motors launched the XTS large sedan and ATS compact, both new entries. Late this year, GM is expected to roll out a redesigned CTS sedan. The next-generation Escalade SUV and the ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[A123 says unsecured creditors to get 65% of claims]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130207/OEM10/130209895/a123-says-unsecured-creditors-to-get-65-of-claims]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130207/OEM10/130209895/a123-says-unsecured-creditors-to-get-65-of-claims</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:28:43 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) -- Unsecured creditors of A123 Systems Inc., a bankrupt maker of batteries for electric cars that had U.S. government backing, will likely collect around 65 cents for each dollar they are owed, according to court documents. The money largely comes from the sale of most of ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ford says 900 dealers will be EV-certified by spring]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130205/RETAIL07/130209944/ford-says-900-dealers-will-be-ev-certified-by-spring]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130205/RETAIL07/130209944/ford-says-900-dealers-will-be-ev-certified-by-spring</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:05:04 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- More than 900 dealers, about a third of the Ford-brand dealer body, will be certified to sell Ford-brand plug-in vehicles by spring, the company said today. That number of EV Certified Dealers has grown from about 200 dealers in November and is ahead of where the company projected it to ...]]></description>
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