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industry news

Hyundai/Kia Pickup Truck Axed For U.S. Market, Georgia Plant Gets Compact Car Instead

More boring industry news from Korea — read it if you're interested, move on if you're not. We'd been told a while back by Automotive News and our friends at PickupTrucks.com to expect a pickup truck from the folks at Hyundai or their brand-brothers at Kia. Despite statements from Byung Mo Ahn, the new chairman and group CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia that a pickup was to be built in the Georgia plant, we were told today here in Seoul by Dr. Dong-Jin Kim, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Hyundai that
"we have interest in the pickup truck market and light truck market, but because of oil prices the market is declining. We don't think right now is the right time to introduce one to the market. We investigated when we built the Kia Georgia plant...but in this environment we were forced to give up thoughts of the truck...neither Hyundai nor Kia will produce one...for the U.S."
Well, that pretty much settles that. Now what will Hyundai and Kia do with all that excess capacity in the Georgia plant? Well, Dr. Kim has an answer for that too. More »

3:12 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By Ray Wert
1,760 views, 29 comments

Latest by EuropaBambaataa: @TechnoDestructo: Hey, I didn't even remember Asia Motors! Thanks for reminding me (Asia Rocsta FTW). The current Bongo is actually based on the previous generation Hyundai H-1. Which I'm not sure if it's a 100% Hyundai design or if it's still a more »

alternative energy

First Lithium-Ion Auto Battery Plant To Open In France

Johnson Controls and Saft Advanced Power Solutions have teamed up to open the world's first lithium-ion battery plant—for cars. The plant will be in Nersac, France and will churn out 5,000 batteries per year for clients such as GM, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz. More »

4:45 PM on Thu Jan 31 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,085 views, 9 comments

industry news

Hey Peugeot, Shatner Wants his Holodeck Back


It's not that easy, Peugeot. You can't just take the Captain's Holodeck, rename it the Holobench and not expect everyone to see right through you. Holobench is just one part of the Peugeot-Citroen virtual reality system designed to assist in all aspects of manufacturing and vehicular design for the French automaker. More »

2:15 PM on Tue Dec 18 2007
By Travis Hudson
1,547 views, 32 comments

Toyota to merge manufacturing of Hino and Isuzu to make super-awesome-Hin-uzu-mega-zord? [Automotive Business Review]

Comment

what would mark farner do?

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

The boffins over at Cars.com have compiled a list of the essentially Americanosity of vehicles on today's domestic market. Ford, Chevy, Pontiac and Toyota all made the list, with the Blue Oval scoring three entries on the list, the Tin Indian one, the Bowtie three and the boys over from Nihon three as well. The segments run from passenger cars through minivans to light trucks; Cars.com scored the vehicles based on sales, nationality of assembled parts and nation of assembly. It may be our country and the Silverado may be our truck, but the F-150 out-Yanked the Silverado to take the top slot. Hybrid versions not included in the stats. The list after the jump. – Davey G. Johnson More »

5:21 AM on Wed Jun 27 2007
By Davey G. Johnson
1,711 views, 14 comments

Latest by Packa: @Packa: "cars have a primary purpose, and that's to get people where they want to go. Get over it." @dculberson: Uhh..... yeah.... what? I think you just made my head explode. This isn't Consumer Reports, this is Jalopnik. Just because this more »

fred bear, walk with me, down to my wrx

Ad Watch: Subaru Is Kind To Small Animals And The Environment And...Oh Look, There's A Deer

More »
news

Challenger Pre-Production Body Shots Make Their Way To Web

Looks like information on new muscle cars just wants to be free, despite the fact that this AM it'll more than likely mean someone at the German-American hybrid or one of their suppliers won't be working there for much longer. That's because someone's gone and uploaded shots of Dodge's new muscle car in pre-production test bed format and we've re-broadcast said shots here for your personal enjoyment. As of now the only difference we can tell between the concept and these proto-mules is the rear quarter windows don't appear to be able to roll down. That was a question still left open from the concept car. What's not open is whether it's given us a full-on muscle car-gasm. Get one yourself via the gallery below. – Ray Wert More »

10:41 AM on Mon Apr 30 2007
By Ray Wert
5,670 views, 19 comments

Latest by 99b4c: They have got to lose the b pillar,the concept did not have one.This car has to have details that put it ahead of the other pony cars,and all four windows that roll down would be one.The Challenger will more »

news

Audi Represents Production, Takes Over Brussels VW Plant To Build A1


As Audi looks to beef up the brand by boosting sales from the 905,000 they rolled out the doors in 2006 to 1.5 million by 2015, they're going to need some new places to build all that precision. Guess that's why they're part of the Teutonic titan of an automaker that is all about representing Deutschland. That's because we've now got official word that Audi's going to be helping Poppa Bear out by snagging the Dubster's Brussels Golf plant. The multi-ringed automaker plans on building the A3 from 2007 to 2009, and then plans on building a "compact model" there starting in 2009. It makes sense that Audi'd look to the Golf plant to build the A1 as the current plan is to have it based off of the VW PQ35 platform which is the same platform the Golf is based on. Ah, it's all coming together. Full press release after the jump. – Ray Wert More »

11:30 AM on Tue Mar 13 2007
By Ray Wert
966 views, 1 comment

Latest by Turboner: This just might be the "Lebowski's rug" of the next five years in automotive history. Or, a good excuse to buy an R32 A1... more »

news

Beyond HondaDome: Five Thousand Men Enter, Eighteen Men Leave!


The sad fact of the current state of our manufacturing industry is the traditional US automakers just aren't hiring anyone these days. In fact, they're kicking 'em out the door as fast as it'll swing open. But hey, those new guys in town — automakers like the super number one awesome best automaker from the land of the rising sun and HoMoCo are hiring people — so that's like a net increase, right? Wrong. A new Honda plant in Indiana was inundated with over 5,000 applications for the new positions they're currently hiring for. That's not so many for a plant that'll eventually hire 2,000 when it ramps up late in 2008, right? Wrong. Those 5,000 applications were for 18 advertised positions. That's right, so if you multiply that... More »

9:45 AM on Thu Mar 8 2007
By Ray Wert
949 views, 7 comments

Latest by dculberson: Somehow I doubt there are 550,000 people willing to apply for those jobs. Oh, on a side note, I did my jeans laundry last night, and this big baggy pair I had shrunk. Now they're the rightsize!! oh, DAMMIT!! more »

ad watch

Super Bowl Ad Watch: GM Forces Robot To Kill Self

This teaser for GM seriously almost made folks here in the Gawker office cry. Despite the fact that the little guy's nothing more than a soulless and heartless robot, it's still heart-wrenching to see the little dude seek to end his life in such a way. Shame on the General for making it come to this for the little dude. What a douche-bag auto company. But we also heard the robot was sleeping around at the Pontiac factory so maybe it was just best for everyone. Oh, did we mention we'll have a poll up in a little bit for y'all to weigh in on what you think the best leaked Super Bowl auto ad teaser's been? While you're waiting, check out the other ads we've spotlighted so far — from FoMoCo and from the General's consumer-focused Chevrolet brand. – Ray Wert More »

3:01 PM on Fri Feb 2 2007
By Ray Wert
336 views, 12 comments

Latest by flintoid: Robot's new standup comedy routine: "I'm depressed. I called the suicide hotline, it wouldn't even let me negotiate the handshake signal." more »

news

European Cars Using More Aluminum und Less Shteel

According to a new study, use of aluminum in European car manufacture has risen from an average of 50 kilos per vehicle in 1990 up to 132 in 2005. According to the study, this means a savings of 1 billion litres of fuel and a drop in CO2 production of 40 million tonnes over the vehicles' lifespans. Plus, you know, it's just a really good setup word when you want to punctuate a sentence with "SHTEEL!" – Davey G. Johnson More »

1:40 PM on Tue Jan 16 2007
By Davey G. Johnson
183 views, 12 comments

news

Deliver Them From Bankruptcy: Ford Starts Shipping Edge Crossovers

And Saint Mulally (with Sir LeClair and of course Sir Fields) raised the Ford Edge up on high, saying,
'Oh, Lord, bless this thy Ford Edge that with it thou mayest blow
thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.'

And the Lord did grin, and people of Dearborn did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large...and then the Lord spake, saying,
'First shalt thou take out the Ford Edge.
Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt
be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting
shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two,
excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once
the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou
thy crossover utility from Dearborn towards thou foe, who being naughty
in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
More »

3:58 PM on Thu Dec 7 2006
By Ray Wert
243 views, 13 comments

Latest by Ideapimp: Look, let me go back in there and face the peril. more »

news

When Did "Consistency" Overtake "Quality" As Job One With The Ford Edge?

FoMoCo's still parroting the line that "the manufacturing process and the supply base aren't to the level of consistency and stability we'd like to see" as Ford's manufacturing boss, Joe Hinrichs, said to trade pub Automotive News when he was again asked what's up with the delay of the new Ford Edge. Yet AN's learned it's got more to do with the quality level of the parts coming in to the manufacturing center in Oakville, Ontario — as opposed to, you know the consistent nature by which those parts are coming in. Specifically, the parts they're having a problem with are outlined in: More »

9:05 AM on Tue Nov 21 2006
By Ray Wert
424 views, 5 comments

Latest by Bumblebee: I found it! "But if you modify your dynamic expectations, the Edge delivers responses that are quite respectable for a vehicle in this size class." I could pray daily that Penelope Cruz will modify her dynamic expectations of men so that more »

news

Jeep Suppliers Get JIT All Over The Assembly Line


Jeep's newest assembly line in Toledo, the one that's opening today to make the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited, is money when it comes to the JIT. That's Just-In-Time — the inventory strategy whereby parts are stocked and ordered only as needed and it's the way things've been done with suppliers and the automakers around this here town for a while. Apparently the folks in Toledo are doing something a bit different — and it takes JIT to a whole new level by integrating suppliers into the actual assembly line. Sounds like a blast right? Yeah — it bored the shit out of us too — but we'll do anything for a Jersey "money shot" joke. More »

1:26 PM on Mon Aug 28 2006
By Ray Wert
241 views, 2 comments

Latest by wohho: JIT is not biggie. This actually cuts the risk tremendously. The biggest issue with just in time is the supply lines. Having suppliers in house accomplishes two things: 1) elimination of freight costs and lowers dunnage investment 2) it shrinks the amount more »

ads/promotions

GM's Bill-Bored Of Toyota, Drops Pants And Shows Size


Toyota has a (sorta) new ad campaign we just saw while watching the Sunday morning talk shows touting Toyota and its investment here in the United States. The automaker from the land of the rising sun is all hard up on the ten assembly plants its got over on our shores. Somehow it kinda tweaked us the wrong way...especially considering Ford, GM and Chrysler have shuttered 3 times that many plants in the past seven years. And what have we gotten in return? Ten assembly plants. Well, before folks begin saying things like "Buy Toyota, it's the American thing to do", we wanted to provide a visual "nip" from the boys and girls at the General as a rebuttal to that budding notion. We kinda think the billboard speaks for itself, but the RenCen's got more to say — it's only one of three billboards... More »

12:44 PM on Sun Jul 30 2006
By Ray Wert
263 views, 2 comments

Latest by Sharky: How about, "We lose more money in a single year than your 10 puny plants are worth." more »

alternative energy

Volvo to Build Greenhouse-Gas-Free Truck Plant

A new Volvo Trucks plant in Tuve, Sweden will be the first CO2-free automotive plant in the world, with electricity and heating systems driven by wind power and biofuel. According to Green Car Congress, Volvo worked with technologists at G teborg Energi to build five wind power plants and a biofuel plant, which will be completed in 2007. The wind plants alone will increase the percentage of Sweden's wind-generated electricity to 4%. More »

2:48 PM on Tue Sep 27 2005
By Mike Spinelli
205 views