On The Table

Monday

Jan032011

Monday, January 3, 2011 at 08:46PM

January 5, 2011

Beijing. From the "Way To Kill An Industry" File, the city of Beijing - in a panic, knee-jerk move to reduce vehicular traffic and pollution - is only going to allow 240,000 new cars to be registered in the city in 2011, shockingly, about one third the number of vehicles registered in 2010. According to the AFP - as relayed by our colleagues at Autoline Daily - dealer showrooms are, not surprisingly, totally deserted. One Chery dealer reported he had not sold a car since Christmas Eve and doesn’t expect to make any money this year. Estimates predict that up to 50 percent of dealers could be forced out of business. And U.S. auto dealers think they have problems? Memo to the stumblebums in Beijing's - and China's - government: The Freedom of Mobility Genie is out of the bottle and now that your population has a taste of it, there's no turning back. So, get your anti-pollution measures in order - how about those coal-fired power plants by the way? - and figure out a way to make money off of it, like every other government in the world does.

The Whole "Electrification" Thing. The reality of the headlong rush to electrification in our vehicles is that it's going to be a s-l-o-w ramp-up. Really s-l-o-w. Even with $4.00+ a gallon gas. Pure electric vehicles will be limited in popularity to certain parts of the country. Period. And even though extended-range electrics like the Volt will have more appeal, it will be limited in scope and reach as well. That's just the reality of the situation, as much as the "finger-snap" members of the Green Horde want to believe otherwise.

GM's Numbers. 2010 Calendar Year Sales for GM were up 21 percent in 2010. Significant stat? GM’s four brands sold 118,435 more vehicles in 2010 than eight brands did in 2009.

Toyota. With every other automaker seeing notable sales gains, Toyota saw basically flat sales in 2010, an ominous sign. To make matters worse for the Japanese automaker, Ford passed Toyota to take over the No. 2 position in sales in the U.S. market. Toyota's image took a drubbing in 2010 with its endless series of recalls, and its problems will continue well into 2011.

Nancy Pelosi. The former Speaker of the House is coming to the Detroit Auto Show Media Day on Monday because... actually, we don't have a clue why, other than it's an opportunity for her to waste everyone's time and contribute unnecessary chaos to the already chaotic press day. Thanks.

(GM)
This is the 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan, which will be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show next week. The Verano has the now obligatory array of contemporary luxury and technology features, including 10 standard air bags, an available heated steering wheel plus a next-generation radio system with OnStar-powered connectivity that enables seamless communication between the Verano and the driver’s smart phone. The Verano is powered by an Ecotec 2.4L (with 6-speed automatic, standard) delivering an estimated 177 horsepower (132 kW) and 170 lb.-ft. torque (230 Nm), a 0-60 mph time of 8.0 seconds and an estimated 31 mpg on the highway. A 2.0L turbo engine will be offered in the future. Verano goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2011. "Verano expands our lineup, continues Buick’s momentum and gives us a great opportunity to attract a new generation of customers with a product that delivers on their expectations for design, performance and technology,” said John Schwegman, vice president of Buick marketing. “It is a smart choice that delivers unexpected luxury in a compact sedan – and it will compete head-to-head with competitors from Audi and Lexus.” Really? We'll see about that.

(Ford)
A one-of-a-kind factory-painted Grabber Blue 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca will be sold to the highest bidder in January, with all proceeds from the auction of the car above MSRP benefiting JDRF, a leader in research leading to a cure for Type 1 diabetes. This Boss 302 Laguna Seca – a one-of-one production unit – was built specifically for the Barrett-Jackson auction. In addition to the Grabber Blue exterior, it features distinctive black accents on the roof, mirrors and spoiler with Citic Dicastal wheels and C-Stripe, Recaro seats with Grabber Blue seat embroidery and Rear X-Brace, and a Grabber Blue grille surround. The limited-production Mustang Boss 302 and Laguna Seca will be built at AutoAlliance International Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. During the past four years, Ford – partnering with Barrett-Jackson – has raised nearly $2.5 million for charity through sales of vehicles at auction.

(Ford)
Ford introduced its all-new Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday, January 7, billing it as its first fuel-free, rechargeable passenger car and one of five new electrified vehicles Ford will deliver by 2013 in North America and Europe. Clearly going after GM and Nissan, Ford says the Focus Electric will offer a mile-per-gallon equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt and competitive with other battery electric vehicles and that the car is capable of fully recharging in three to four hours at home using the available wall-mounted 240-volt charge station – half the time of the Nissan Leaf. Other notable features of the new Focus Electric? It offers value charging - powered by Microsoft - to help owners in the U.S. charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates, lowering the cost of ownership. Ford's new electrified Focus also features a special version of MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology designed especially for electric customers and introduces MyFord Mobile, a smart phone app and website for monitoring key vehicle functions and charge settings while mobile. Expect the Focus Electric in showrooms late this year.

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