China’s 42m people ‘mega city’

Posts Tagged Nbsp

China’s 42m people ‘mega city’

By Walter on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 | No Comments

Interesting article here on plans for an integrated connurbation in south China that links up major cities. Sounds like quite a plan. This is perhaps the kind of thing that the auto industry needs to be tapping into in terms of talking to the authorities about how electric vehicles can fit the transportation side of the plan, mesh with clean air and public transport strategies.

There is also the industrial contribution that automotive could make to this new connurbation – new factories making EVs and associated components. If the vehicles are made there and there’s ready demand via incentives for users, large-scale procurement by local authorities and state enterprises, investment in infrastructure, it could all add up to being quite an opportunity a few years down the line. Kind of thing the visionaries/planners/politicians setting this thing up would like to talk about?

This is a preview of China’s 42m people ‘mega city’. Read the full post (193 words, 1 image, estimated 46 secs reading time)

What can you get under 120g/km of CO2?

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 | No Comments

Someone in the office was just asking about new cars that put out less than 120g/km average CO2. Questions of tax efficiency prompted his request and he already knew that a BMW 1 Series would meet his needs. Ah, I said, but there’s plenty more to choose from and I know a comparison website that might help.

I must say, the extent of the product that now falls at or under the 120g/km threshold surprised me (Volvo V50; BMW 3 Series…). Have a quick gander yourself by following the below link.

Clean Green Cars

Permanent link to this post (90 words, estimated 22 secs reading time)

Fiat in UK

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 | No Comments

I’m heading down to the south coast this afternoon for a Fiat 500C (the convertible) press launch event. Should be a good opportunity to hear about the car (and drive it) as well as get an update on how Fiat is doing in the UK. Fiat has put quite a bit of effort into transforming its UK dealer network in recent years (Fiat’s UK dealers were, to put it mildly, under performers). Is it getting the desired results? Hopefully, I can also ask someone at the sharp end about the UK car scrappage scheme – which is attracting some criticism in the industry.

This is a preview of Fiat in UK. Read the full post (107 words, estimated 26 secs reading time)

‘Chevrolet Group’

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 | No Comments

Is the pending creation of a ‘New GM’ via a spell in Chapter 11 also a good point at which to consider some corporate re-branding? Yes.

It could be a way to jettison some of the negative baggage that comes with maintaining the name of the failed company, while emphasising that the new company really is a full-on fresh start – a new beginning. Hell, there’s a whole new name and the General is really gone.

Unlike Ford, ‘GM’ itself doesn’t figure too much as a brand on yer actual vehicles. It’s primarily a group umbrella brand that is perhaps crying out to be dropped or changed.

This is a preview of ‘Chevrolet Group’. Read the full post (278 words, estimated 1:07 mins reading time)

Magna gets ‘very aggressive’

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 | No Comments

I was having a discussion yesterday with someone about Opel. Look, I said, Fiat makes sense in many ways, but what Magna said was more attractive to German politicians in terms of plant closures and job losses.

Fiat was going to make a merger work by taking an axe to the combined unit’s operations – and capacity reduction is coming down the line for the whole industry in Europe, one way or another. Fiat also has a global footprint – manufacturing and distribution.

This is a preview of Magna gets ‘very aggressive’. Read the full post (210 words, estimated 50 secs reading time)

EVs – sensible perspective

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 | No Comments

My colleague and daily news supremo Graeme ‘Grobster’ Roberts is in Japan this week, as a guest of Toyota on a trip for European journalists themed around hybrids. Of course, Toyota is big into hybrids and has an ‘up’ story to sell where they are concerned. But what about the Toyota attitude to pure EVs?

There’s an interesting Toyota perspective on the subject that Graeme has filed this morning. It perhaps highlights a slight paradox in hybrids.

This is a preview of EVs – sensible perspective. Read the full post (141 words, estimated 34 secs reading time)

Opel mess in Berlin

By David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.com on Friday, May 29th, 2009 | No Comments

We’re doing our best to keep up with the twists and turns concerning negotiations over the future of Opel/Vauxhall in Berlin. It’s a right old mess, the waters well and truly muddied this week by moves on the US side that have angered the German government.

And now it sounds like Marchionne is either playing hardball or is feeling frustrated, given Fiat’s decision to sit out today’s meeting. Is Magna in pole position? Maybe, but a compromise agreement involving both Fiat and Magna is now being talked about in some quarters.

The simple looking question, who’s paying for what?, is far from simple to answer.

This is a preview of Opel mess in Berlin. Read the full post (106 words, estimated 25 secs reading time)

Automotive Journal

Posts Tagged Nbsp