Continental Launches Production of Lithium-Ion Battery
Continental announced this week it will launch first-time volume production of a high-performance lithium-ion battery for hybrid vehicles at the end of this year. The battery will be used in the Mercedes S 400 BlueHYBRID. Aside from the lithium-ion battery, Continental also supplies the inverter and the DC/DC converter for the Mercedes S 400 BlueHYBRID.
Beck/Arnley Adds 362 New Part Numbers
SMYRNA, TN – Beck/Arnley has added 362 new part numbers to its product line in order to provide professional technicians with the crucial parts needed to repair today’s foreign nameplate vehicles. Included among the 362 new numbers are the following additions in Beck/Arnley’s product modules: • Brake & Chassis 160 • Engine Management 160 •
NTEA to Showcase Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Work Trucks
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — Work trucks — those vocational vehicles that labor every day to deliver packages, clear snow, build roads, repair utility lines and otherwise keep the country running — are getting greener. The rising cost of fuel, new emissions regulations and environmental concerns are making hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles increasingly attractive to
From Counterman.com: The Complexities of Multiplexing
We can surely count on multiplexing to proliferate throughout all vehicle lines and become a common issue in future aftermarket parts distribution and service. But only time will tell how the aftermarket will adapt.
Green Progress to Speed Up
From Detroit Free Press DETROIT – The green movement will gain even more steam in the next few years as the United States tries to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and cut carbon dioxide emissions, a panel of auto executives and environmental experts agreed Tuesday at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit .
Executive Interview with Nancy McLean, Director of Marketing for ACDelco GM Service and Parts Operations
Nancy McLean is director of ACDelco Marketing for GM Service and Parts Operations (SPO). Read on as McLean shares with aftermarketNews the details of the new ACDelco 360 initiative and other marketing initiatives and plans for the new year.
Landmark Fuel Bill Set for Bush OK
From The Detroit News and MEMA Industry News WASHINGTON — President Bush is expected to sign an energy bill this morning that will raise passenger car fuel efficiency standards for the first time in more than two decades, ending an epic battle to require automakers to dramatically improve the fuel economy of the nation’s cars
Iveco to Distribute Smart Energy Products
POMPTON PLAINS, NJ — Smart Energy Solutions, Inc., (SMGY), maker of the Battery Brain vehicle aftermarket device, has signed a distribution agreement with Iveco, a manufacturer of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles. Under terms of the agreement, Iveco will offer Battery Brain through its network of more than 340 dealerships worldwide. Battery Brain is
GM’s Lutz May Retire in 2010
Automotive industry icon Robert Lutz wants to retire from General Motors Corp. after the company brings a plug-in electric car to market, possibly sometime in 2010, he said Tuesday. The 75-year-old Lutz, now GM’s vice chairman for global product development, is shepherding development of the Chevrolet Volt, which the company sees as a mainstream electric sedan that can be recharged by plugging it into a household outlet.
GKN Driveline and ZF to Jointly Develop Vectoring Systems
DETROIT — GKN Driveline and ZF plan to jointly develop, manufacture and market rear-axle torque vectoring systems for rear and all-wheel-drive vehicles. The cooperative agreement between the two companies calls for the integration of mechanical and electrical components and the development of system software. The basic system under development includes two torque vectoring units flanged