lunes, octubre 07, 2013
jueves, octubre 03, 2013
How Will the Government Shutdown Impact the Auto Industry?
How Will the Government Shutdown Impact the Auto Industry?
Thu, 10/03/2013 - 01:59 | CARY, N.C.
By Staff Writer Sarah Rubenoff
On the third day of the first partial U.S. government shutdown in 17 years, Congress will continue its negotiation efforts to pass a series of bills to fund the government. In the meantime, the country waits, as does the automotive industry.
The effects of the shutdown on the automotive sector are arising in a few different corners — perhaps most noticeably within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dealers and consumers should not expect to receive any notices from the NHTSA as long as Congress remains at an impasse.
An alert on the NHTSA’s website says:
"Due to a lapse of Federal Government funding, NHTSA is unable to post any new recalls after close of business September 30, 2013. Recall searches will remain available but are only current as of that time. Consumers can continue to file safety defect complaints via this website, but they will not be evaluated by NHTSA staff until funding and services are restored."
Automakers, of course, will still announce their own recalls, but we can expect no information to make it out of the NHTSA as long as the government shutdown continues.
And not only will new recalls not be announced, consumer complaints can be filed, but they won’t be touched or analyzed until the government reopens.
And the NHTSA isn't the only federal organization tied to the auto industry that has shuttered its doors this week.
The Federal Trade Commission is closed for the shutdown, with the majority of its branches put on indefinite hold.
That said, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has been active in automotive lender compliance regulation as of late, will not be impacted by the shutdown.
Potential Impact on Auto Sales
During any type of federal action as dramatic as a government shutdown, many wonder what the impact will be on the economy.
In the case of this market, how will the partial shutdown affect auto sales?
Edmunds.com chief economist Lacey Plache explained earlier this week that auto buyers have separated the economy from Congress in the past, and the industry most likely has little to worry about.
"The American people might be questioning their faith in government right now, but they still have confidence in the economy. In fact, American car buyers have been remarkably resilient in the face of the Congress' antics over past year," Plache said. "There's no reason to believe that auto sales will suffer in the coming days or weeks as this mess gets sorted out in Washington."
Kelley Blue Book analysts told Auto Remarketing that effects on auto sales may depend on the length of the government shutdown.
Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said, "We expect the government shutdown, which in reality is a very partial government shutdown, to have minimal effects on auto sales.
"If the shutdown is not resolved in the next several days it could have some effects in areas heavily populated by federal government workers, but the short-term effects won’t cause a ripple."
Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst at KBB, agreed, saying that if the partial shutdown lasts more than a couple of weeks, the auto sector may begin to see the effects as October’s sale numbers come in.
"The impact of the government shutdown on auto sales will be largely dependent on the length of time it lasts,” he said.
"If government workers are out of work for a few days, auto sales will likely continue on unscathed. Should this turn into a prolonged shutdown that lasts several weeks or more, expect to see the sales pace take a hit in October and the months ahead."
Ricky Beggs, editorial director at Black Book, gave Auto Remarketing a similar scenario, suggesting that we may begin to see some regional effects if it lasts longer than two weeks.
"Like all Americans, Black Book will be keeping a watchful eye on the negotiations taking place in Washington, D.C. At the moment we do not feel the current pause in government activity, including the work stoppage, will have any material impact on auto sales and auction activity," Beggs said.
"Should the pause linger for more than two weeks and we may start to feel some regional impact where government workers are heavily concentrated, but a lot can happen over the next two weeks and we hope for a quick resolution," he continued.
OEM Response
Ford executives, during their September sales conference call on Tuesday, gave their take on concerns regarding how the shutdown may impact the Blue Oval, in particular.
Jenny Lin, senior U.S. economist for Ford, explained consumer confidence could take a plunge, perhaps affecting the numbers of potential buyers on dealers' lots.
"Any type of disruption in government operations would adversely affect directly government spending, confidence, business consumer confidence and financial markets. So we urge our government leaders to continue to work together and we remain hopeful that shutdown won't be very long," Lin said, according to a quote published in a presentation transcription of the dealer group’s by Seeking Alpha that can be found here.
And some OEMs have focused on their customers that may be out of work when responding to the shutdown this week.
Hyundai Motor America revealed it has made an addition to its Assurance program that will potentially help federal employees.
Under the plan, Hyundai will defer all auto loan and lease payments during the shutdown for current Hyundai owners who are furloughed, the company said.
"We recognize the impact on family budgets that the furlough will drive,” said John Krafcik, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America. "Like we did almost four years ago when we launched Hyundai Assurance, this is our way of saying 'We've got your back' during this uncertain time."
Current Hyundai owners will have their payments deferred for as long as they are out of work.
And in a move that could potentially boost sales for the Korean automaker in the next few weeks, furloughed employees who buy a Hyundai in October will be offered a 90-day payment deferral.
Sarah Rubenoff can be reached at srubenoff@autoremarketing.com. Continue the conversation with Auto Remarketing on both LinkedIn and Twitter.
miércoles, octubre 02, 2013
HAMANN OLED-Display BMW X6
Everything at a glance -HAMANN presents an innovative auxiliary display for the BMW X6
HAMANN Motorsport, the specialist for high-quality vehicle refinements, has thanks to a modern OLED display, enabled the presentation of an additional unit and driving dynamics information. The BMW X6 (E71 model) reserved system reads data from the engine control unit and displays it on a dimmable display.
The monitor, which is built into the high-quality interior with a custom-fit housing, gives the driver details of useful information, and if nothing else, ensures an optical upgrading of the cockpit. The system can be comfortably operated via the buttons of the series steering wheel that are already available: Cooling water temperature, engine oil temperature, a diagrammatic representation of torque and horsepower, boost pressure, fuel pressure, as well as the temperatures of the individual sections of the exhaust system can be individually called up. Similarly, dynamic driving data, such as longitudinal and lateral acceleration, speeds driven, with Vmax details, as well as an acceleration measurement from 0-100 and 0-200 km/h, are available.
The scope of delivery of the completely pre-assembled system includes the display module, wiring harness, sensors and adapters, MDI (measuring data interface), fresh air duct as well as an installation and operating guide.
The HAMANN auxiliary display is offered with 24 months statutory warranty at a net sales price of 1,475.00 EUR.
The system is not intended for use within the Road Traffic Act (German StVO) or Vehicle Licensing Ordinance (FZV).
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martes, octubre 01, 2013
2013 Toyota Camry POV | "Toyota Camry Thrill Ride"
Want to see Camry like you've never seen it before?
Click on the cams to interact and change your point of view. Like and share your favorite feature of the #Camry #thrillride. Learn more at http://www.toyota.com/camry.
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2015 Ford Super Duty Features Improved
2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty Features Improved Power Stroke Diesel, Stronger F-450, Revamped King Ranch Edition
• Engineering improvements boost the performance, capability and durability of the Ford-designed and Fordbuilt 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel engine
• Upgraded 2015 Ford F-450 pickup offers more towing capability than ever
• 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty King Ranch restyled, combining authentic Texas heritage with modern luxury
Ford, America’s truck leader, introduces the 2015 F-Series Super Duty lineup today at State Fair of Texas, featuring a secondgeneration 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel engine; increased towing capabilities; and a refreshed, Texas-inspired King Ranch model.
“Truck leadership means never resting, and the Super Duty team has been tireless in finding ways to improve the industry’s most popular heavy-duty pickups,” said Joe Hinrichs, executive vice president and president of The Americas, Ford Motor Company. “Super Duty diesel customers will benefit from improved performance and features backed by outstanding Built Ford Tough durability.”
Since the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel debuted in 2010, Ford engineers have listened to customers and continued to examine each component of the engine to develop improved performance. Ford is the only heavy-duty pickup truck manufacturer that designs and builds its own diesel engine and transmission combination, ensuring the powertrain will work seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations – from concept to execution.
This approach also enables Ford engineers to optimize the vehicle’s performance across the entire lineup. A key Ford innovation on the original 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel was its so-called reverse-flow layout. The advanced design places the exhaust inside the engine’s V-shape while the air intake is positioned on the outside of the V. This segment-exclusive design naturally improves a variety of attributes:
• Shorter airflow from the exhaust system to the turbocharger sitting between the engine’s cylinder banks improves turbo responsiveness – key to providing torque quickly to truck customers when they need it most
• Positioning the turbo inside the engine’s valley helps isolate the engine’s hottest temperatures, improving performance and efficiency, while also reducing noise, vibration and harshness Ford engineers built upon the many benefits of this design as they upgraded the Power Stroke. One improvement is a larger GT37 turbocharger that replaces the previous GT32 model, enabling more airflow to the engine to produce more power beyond today’s 400 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. of torque.
Key components of the new GT37 turbocharger
The GT37 features a single, larger 88-millimeter compressor wheel that replaces the GT32’s dual-sided compressor design. The compressor forces air into the engine’s cylinders to improve performance – especially at high altitude where the air is thinner than at sea level. The turbine size is increased to 72.5 millimeters from 64 millimeters, so exhaust gases have a larger surface area to spin the turbo, providing extra power. The wastegate and the wastegate controls are eliminated, because the turbo operates at lower peak pressures than the GT32.
“The original designers of the current Power Stroke V8 diesel forecasted needs for higher output. This facilitated the larger turbocharger, increasing airflow and creating more power,” said David Ives, Power Stroke technical specialist. “We’ve dramatically improved performance while reducing overall engine complexity by focusing on the turbo system.”
A further benefit of the larger turbo is improved engine exhaust braking, manually controlled by a push-button switch on the dashboard. Extra braking power helps reduce wear and tear on wheel brakes and requires less manual brake application from the driver, especially on downhill grades.
Fuel system improvements
Turbo changes drove improvements to the fuel delivery system, specifically a new high-pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors. The pump’s cam stroke is increased to deliver more fuel when desired for increased power. All-new injector tips better atomize the fuel, resulting in improved combustion that enables lower noise, vibration and harshness. Other benefits include cleaner emissions and a reduction in the buildup of fuel deposits on the valves over time. In addition, a new exhaust temperature sensor enables more accurate fuel control, which improves both durability and driveability – especially when towing – and helps the customer drive the Power Stroke diesel to its maximum capability.
Even though the fuel system delivers extra fuel as needed to provide more power, other efficiency improvements ensure 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup customers see similar performance to today’s best-in-class fuel economy.
Further enhancements to Ford Power Stroke diesel include:
• Ford-designed and -engineered 6R140 TorqShift® sixspeed transmission uses a new torque converter to manage increased horsepower and torque
• New polymer coating on main bearings for improved wearand-tear durability and lower friction
• Improved crankshaft fillet design – the transition point between the crankshaft’s journals – to increase crankshaft power carrying capability
• Increased crankshaft damper weight to reduce rotating forces on the crankshaft when the engine is performing at peak power levels
• New five-layer head gasket to handle wider range of engine firing pressures resulting from more powerful engine performance
• Added material to the engine’s cylinder heads, exhaust manifold and valvetrain to handle increased power levels
• Redesigned turbo oil and cooling lines to improve sealing
• Piston assembly upgrades to increase load-bearing capability
• New four-layer exhaust manifold gasket for improved durability
2015 Ford F-450 upgrades
The 2015 Ford F-450 tops the F-Series Super Duty pickup truck lineup with maximum towing and hauling capability. Changes for 2015 include a strengthened frame, suspension, new commercialgrade 19.5-inch wheels and tires, and core work components shared with F-Series Super Duty chassis cab models. Just as the next-generation Power Stroke engine reflects changes that improve power while maintaining durability, the Super Duty engineering team took specific actions to bolster key F-450 components to improve towing capability, including:
• Upgraded rear driveline U-joints
• Upgraded suspension components, including new rear leaf springs, front and rear stabilizer bars and shocks
• Increased fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer capacity
• Stronger steering gears and steering linkages
• Larger brakes shared with Super Duty chassis cab models, including wheel brakes, parking brake and new antilock brake calibration
• F-450-specific Power Stroke diesel engine calibration King Ranch expresses authentic, rugged luxury
King Ranch expresses authentic, rugged luxury
The reinvigorated update to the 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty King Ranch edition is inspired by the place where American ranching was born. “King Ranch is an American original with a proud heritage of hard work that defines the American ranching lifestyle,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck group marketing manager. “The 2015 Ford Super Duty King Ranch seamlessly combines elements of Texas-inspired luxury and Ford capability.”
As part of the Ford Truck commitment to continuous improvement, the F-Series design team traveled to King Ranch, founded in 1853, for fresh perspective and inspiration from the 825,000-acre working ranch, which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island. “What really stood out is how prominent the ‘Running W’ is, and how it defines and unifies the ranch,” said Barb Whalen, Ford color and material design manager. “Similarly, we wanted that brand to define the new Super Duty King Ranch.”
On the new Super Duty King Ranch, the Running W – the brand used on cattle raised at the ranch – provides a focal point for the interior. It is cut out and stitched to make the seat backs and center console appear to have been branded. A lighter, richer shade of Mesa leather trims the seats, center console lid, armrests and steering wheel. Exterior updates include the new, darker Caribou paint for the wheel lip moldings, bumpers and lower body. The bed rail caps, bumper caps and running boards are executed in black. The Running W brings focus to the wheel caps as well. “Through premium materials and thoughtful execution, we strived to make the 2015 Ford Super Duty King Ranch have a look and a feel as authentic as the ranch itself,” said Scott.
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