Tag Archives: Chrysler
Chrysler To Launch Electric Fiat 500 In 2012
Chrysler announced that they will be launching the electric Fiat 500 automobile in 2012. “The Fiat 500EV powertrain is comprised of three main systems; high power electric powertrain module, advance lithium-ion battery and an E.V. control unit to manage power flows,” stated Chrysler in a press release. The car will be developed at their headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Chrysler also received a $48 million Energy Department grant to build 140 Dodge Ram plug-in hybrids during a 3-year pilot. [NYT]
Categories Chrysler, Chrysler Fiat 500
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Apple Board Member and Former Chrysler CFO Jerry York Passes Away
Its a very sad day in the tech and auto community. Apple Board member and Chrysler CFO Jerry York has passed away according to a brief statement by Apple. He was hospitalized after suffering from a burst brain aneurysm yesterday morning. He died shortly after.
York was the chairman, President, and CEO of Harwinton Capital. He was also the former CFO of IBM and Chrysler. And he joined the Apple Board of Directors in 1997.
York was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1938 and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He also received an M.S. from MIT and an MBA from the University of Michigan. “It’s been a privilege to know and work with Jerry, and I’m going to miss him a lot,” stated Apple CEO Steve Jobs. [PRNewsWire]
Chrysler Recalling Over 300,000 Mini Vans As Part Of A Recall
Chrysler will be repairing 312,000 minivans that potentially have problems with air bags. The problem with the minivans is that the bearings that are part of the air-bag triggering sensors may corrode in places that use a lot of road salt. This may prevent air bags from deploying when needed. The vehicles included as part of the recall include the 2005-2006 Town and Country, the Dodge Caravan, and the Grand Caravan. These cars are being recalled in states around the East Coast, Mid West, and South East. [NYT]
AutoTech Roundup: Fiat’s $550 Million Plant In Mexico City, Nissan Going To Chicago Auto Show, Navigon iPhone App Going Social, Street View Snowmobile, BMW Sales Up 16.6%, Honda Recalls 378K Cars Over Airbags
Fiat’s $550 Million Plant In Mexico City
Fiat plans to invest $550 million in a Chrysler plant outside of Mexico City to assemble Fiat 500 vehicles. The $550 million investment will be financed mostly by loans from Mexican development plants. [Edmunds]
Nissan Going To Have A Booth At Chicago Auto Show
Even though Nissan skipped having a booth at the Detroit Auto Show, they will be attending the auto show in Chicago. Nissan will have about 1,000 on-site at the Chicago Auto Show which is about 300 more than what they showcased in Detroit. [EGMCarTech]
Navigon iPhone App Going Social
Navigon has announced that they will be updating their iPhone GPS application to support social features. There will be in-app connections to Twitter and Facebook. There will also be Panorama View 3D views that is being powered by NASA data. [CNET]
Street View Snowmobile
Google Street View is now being used on the snowy hills of Vancouver. Google was able to take pictures using a Google Street View snowmobile vehicle. Unfortunately, they captured a picture of someone sticking up their middle finger. The photo was taken at Whistler to prepare for the Winter Olympics. [Jalopnik]
BMW Sales Up 16.6%
BMW has announced that they have seen a 16.6% increase in sales for the month of January. They sold about 82,120 vehicles across their BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brand of cars. [BMWBlog]
Honda Recalls 378K Cars Over Airbags
Honda is recalling 378,000 additional vehicles because of air bag issues. The force in which the air bag deploys might be too forceful and affects certain Honda cars. Last year Honda had to recall 440,000 vehicles for the same reason. Cars affected include 2001-2002 Accords, Civics, Odysseys and CR-Vs. And 2002 Acura TLs may also be affected. [NYT]
Categories BMW, Chrysler, Fiat, Google, Google Street View, Honda, Navigon
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Chrysler Spending $179 Million On Michigan Fiat Engine Plant
Chrysler plans to spend about $179 million on a Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance facility in Michigan. Chrysler Group LLC will design a 1.4 liter Fiat-designed engine to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that the Fiat 500 engine will start production in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the assembly will take place in Mexico. The plant is in Dundee, Michigan. The plant will employ about 207 people and will produce 250,000 engines.
Categories Chrysler, Fiat, Sergio Marchionne
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Michigan Offering Refundable Tax Credits For Battery Companies
GM and Chrysler received $13.4 billion in emergency loans to help keep them afloat. The loans were given even though there was tremendous controversy around it. Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan decided that she did not want to take a chance for the automotive companies to revive themselves with just federal loans so she decided to offer major tax incentives to battery firms. If these companies are lured into Michigan, it makes it easier for automotive companies to use their battery technology directly.
This is especially important since hybrid and plug-in vehicles are becoming a heavy focus for the big three automotive companies. General Motors is investing a large amount of money into the development of the Chevy Volt. Ford has several hybrid vehicles being manufactured such as the Fusion and the Escape. And Chrysler has two SUV hybrids: the Durango and the Aspen.
Lithium ion batteries are extremely important for any hybrid vehicle. “It is imperative that Michigan possess this technology to keep Michigan the center of car manufacturing,” stated Senator John Pappageorge, member of the Michigan State Senate. The U.S. as a whole is lacking battery technology companies according to Granholm. It is not just the state. The batteries will store energy in cars, homes, and businesses too.
“All of that we want to make a big play for Michigan,” stated Granholm. “We want it to be an American solution produced by American workers.”
The state of Michigan is offering the battery companies refundable tax credits. These are more than just tax breaks. Refundable tax credits is when the state writes the companies a check if the credits exceed tax liabilities. The Senate passed the bill 31-3 and the House 94-0. Before the bill passed, the cost of the bill was scaled back by nearly $200 million.