The Globe and Mail - Driving It Home

Ethanol worries

jcato — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:30 EDT

Beware of jumping on the ethanol bandwagon. Globe and Mail reporter Shawn McCarthy reported in the Globe on May 11 that despite opposition, Ottawa intends to push ahead with a plan to increase dramatically the use of grain-based ethanol in Canada. The ethanol debate is complicated and loaded with vested - Follow link to read full post

So long, LaSorda

jcato — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:15 EDT

Tom LaSorda has left Chrysler and more senior managers are ready to go, too. The question is, who will be left once the company goes through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy process? LaSorda, the Windsor-born son of a union leader, surely endured the worst 2.5 years of his life up to his departure this week - Follow link to read full post

Bimmer offers incentives to keep the metal moving

jcato — Fri, 8 May 2009 13:51 EDT

[amp]nbsp;“It is a highly competitive market out there,” says Joe Lawrence in his most diplomatic way. Lawrence, director of sales for BMW Canada, is on the line discussing his firm's latest round of cash and cash-like incentives designed to drive sales. It's never easy or fun for the sales - Follow link to read full post

Let the wheeling and dealing begin

jcato — Thu, 7 May 2009 13:52 EDT

Chrysler Canada clearly sees the situation and it's not pretty. The Canadian unit of Chrysler LLC is somewhat in limbo as the parent company goes through bankruptcy proceedings in the United States while simultaneously working out a deal with Italy's Fiat and the U.S. Treasury Department. To keep showroom - Follow link to read full post

To EcoBoost or not to EcoBoost?

jcato — Wed, 6 May 2009 14:56 EDT

Is a sophisticated engine, one not too big but plenty powerful, worth as much as, say, a V-8 or a V-10? This is Ford's dilemma. EcoBoost engines are about to go on sale, first in the Lincoln MKS premium sedan and eventually they will be available in 90 per cent of Ford's lineup by 2014. Ford hopes to - Follow link to read full post

Electro-skeptics versus the green optimists

jcato — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:03 EDT

Auto makers are placing their bets – essentially gambling – on an unpredictable future for vehicles powered by electricity – from hybrids to plug-in electrics and even fuel cell vehicles. That's the conclusion of a new study prepared for www.just-auto.com. “Electrical propulsion - Follow link to read full post

An unmatched perspective on Detroit's woes

jcato — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:05 EDT

Jerry Flint is a reporter and commentator who has covered the auto industry since 1958. That is longer than just about anyone. All that history gives him tremendous insight and unmatched perspective when the discussion turns to the current woes of General Motors and Chrysler. When he says GM has a future - Follow link to read full post

The energy debate

jcato — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:44 EDT

It's Earth Day and that led me to recall a wonderful afternoon I spent at the home of the late Dr. Geoffrey Ballard, once named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet.” Ballard, who passed away last summer at age 76, had a sharp intellect and an entrepreneur's zeal. He was the founder - Follow link to read full post

The X Prize stunt

jcato — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:17 EDT

I immediately thought of the famous huckster P.T. Barnum when I heard about the Progressive Automotive X Prize competition. No, I wasn't thinking about his notion that “There's a sucker born every minute.” Rather, this little bit of P.T. Barnum wisdom occurred to me: “Without promotion - Follow link to read full post

Your choice: Safety or fuel economy

jcato — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:16 EDT

Here's something for government regulators and policy-makers to ponder: Are they willing to trade safety for fuel economy and lower emissions? That's the stark choice that begins to emerge after the latest crash test scores from a highly influential safety research organization funded by the U.S. insurance - Follow link to read full post