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| >> >> Auto Moving News: December 2009 U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced that Carver Federal Savings Bank will become the first to partake New York lender in the U.S. Department of Transportations Short Term Lending Program (STLP).This bank is the major African-American bank in the United States and the only participating lender in New York. The partnership with DOT continues Carver's long history of service to the petite business community. This program is administered by the USDOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. It is designed to help small and deprived businesses gain right of entry to the financing where they need to contend for transportation-related contracts, such as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA) projects. Under STLP, the DOT guarantees up to $750,000 in loans with participating banks for small & deprived businesses. The loan guaranty provides a spinning line of acclaim for effort on transportation associated contracts. "This statement is another instance of the Obama Administration's dedication to helping minority-owned small businesses realize the American revelation and contribute to making our transportation systems even better," said Secretary LaHood. The part of petite businesses in creating superior quality and stable jobs is vital to the American dream, and we are grateful to the Obama Administration and Secretary LaHood for their recognition of the significance of small businesses in underserved communities." said Carver The accord between Carver Federal Savings Bank and the Department of Transportation marks a fantastic chance for marginal owned businesses, not just in Brooklyn but across the region. This notice should offer much-needed admission to capital for minority businesses, which will lead to more jobs. The US DOT's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization was created as part of the Small Business Act (SBA) to ensure that petite and deprived businesses are provided highest feasible chance to participate in the agency's astringent process. Labels: U.S. DOTs Short Term Lending Program to motivate small businesses digg it                Six finalists for the 17th annual North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year were announced Dec. 16 at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada has selected the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and Volkswagen Golf/GTI as finalists for North American Car of the Year. Finalists for the North American Truck of the Year are the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, and Subaru Outback. Vehicles are selected based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar. To be eligible, vehicles must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. This year the jury considered more than 50 vehicles and finally focused on 16 cars and 10 trucks. Last year's winner of the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150. 2010 North American Car of the Year nominees: * BMW 335d * Buick LaCrosse * Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon * Chevrolet Camaro * Ford Fusion * Ford Fusion Hybrid * Ford Taurus/Taurus SHO * Honda Insight Kia Soul * Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3 * Mercedes-Benz E-Class * Porsche Panamera * Subaru Legacy * Suzuki Kizashi * Toyota Prius * Volkswagen Golf/GTI/TDI 2010 North American Truck of the Year nominees: * Acura ZDX * Audi Q5 * Cadillac SRX * Chevrolet Equinox * Ford Transit Connect * Honda Accord Crosstour * Land Rover LR4 * Lincoln MKT * Subaru Outback * Volvo XC60 Source: http://www.automotive-fleet.comLabels: 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists Announced digg it UK transport emissions could be cut by a quarter by 2020 if the government shifted its policies, a report claims. The Campaign for Better Transport study urges ministers to focus on the biggest possible savings by tackling Lorries, vans, and long distance commuters. It also proposes an extra tax on air passengers, with proceeds redistributed among the entire population. The government says it is moving freight off roads, and helping people make greener local travel choices. The report says that by 2020, the government could achieve emissions cuts of 26% on 2006 figures.
This is broken down as:
* Reductions in passenger travel emissions of 32%
* Freight emissions reduced by up to 19%
* Cars 25% more fuel efficient
* Car traffic reduced by 15%
* Domestic aviation emissions down 30%
However, the report says government attempts to make people who drive children to school feel bad about causing climate change have been misdirected. Using the government's own figures, it shows that the school run accounts for just 4% of the UK's passenger-transport carbon emissions.
For more info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7742917.stm Labels: Bid to cut UK transport emissions digg it NEW YORK - General Motors Co. said Friday it will unwind Saab after talks to sell the brand to Dutch carmaker Spyker Cars collapsed.
General Motors said in a news release that issues arise during the sale talks that cannot be resolved.
"Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction cannot be executed in a reasonable time," General Motors Europe President Nick Reilly said in a statement. "In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution."
General Motors was scheduled to provide more details in a conference call with reporters Friday morning. The Detroit automaker said it will go on to honor Saab customer warranties.
General Motors first sought a buyer for Saab in January as part of its restructuring, which included plans to downsize its brands to four from eight. It was previously in talks to sell Saab to a consortium led by the Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg Group AB, but it turned to Spyker after Koenigsegg withdrew from the talks in November.
Speculation has since been rampant on the future of Saab. Earlier this week, General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre told reporters he had "a sense it is possible" that the sale to Spyker would go through, but conceded the brand will close by the end of the year if the talks fell apart.
On Monday, China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings - originally part of the Koenigsegg consortium - announced it had decided to buy some powertrain technology from Saab. It gave no information about costs or timing of that purchase.
Labels: GM to discontinue Saab after deal talks collapse digg it New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) US car maker General Motors today said it will display six production and concept vehicles during the Auto Expo here next month, as well putting on display its soon-to-be-launched mini car "Beat". The production and concept vehicles which are to be displayed include the company's hybrid sedan Chevrolet Volt, sports-car Chevrolet Camaro, sports usefulness vehicle (SUV) Captiva Extreme, electric version of its small car Spark, the CNG version of Chevrolet Aveo and its race car WTCC Cruze.
"The Auto Expo in Delhi is the most ideal platform in India to highlight our new product range that will showcase GMs technological advancement and innovation," General Motors (GM) India Vice-President P Balendran said in a declaration. GM India will also display its mini car Beat during the January 5-11 expo.
The company had previous said it will be launching the car in January 2010. "The new addition to the companys product portfolio - Chevrolet Beat - will further combine GM's position in the small car segment," Balendran said.
The company will also display many of its existing models from the Chevrolet stable during the occasion including Cruze, Captiva, Tavera, Optra, Aveo U-VA and Spark, the statement added. GM India is a wholly-owned supplementary of the US-based car major. Labels: GM to present 6 concept vehicles in Delhi Expo digg it  Japanese auto maker Nissan is scheduling to launch its iconic sports car 370Z next month in India as the company looks to expand portfolio in the country. "The new sports car model 370Z will be introduced in India from January and it will be the third in the series of entirely imported cars launched here, after Teana and X-Trail," a company spokesperson said. Known as the Fairlady Z in Japan, the 370Z is powered by the VQ37VHR 3.7 L DOHC V6 with Variable Valve Event and Lift Control. The whopping 332 bhp delivered from this potent motor is transferred to the rear wheels through a new 7-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters or 6-speed manual transmission.
 With its standout performance, the car stands out from the crowd with its dramatic performance-oriented exterior and interior. The functional and fully integrated aerodynamic body pieces include an extended front nose with a canard design at all the corner for better downforce and a fully integrated chin spoiler.  A uniquely bolstered driver's seat along with an anti-slip material on the seat cushions hold you in place during spirited driving. Also, fine stitching and quality materials create one of the best-looking interiors ever put into a sports car.  The 370Z go on with the tradition of the original by offering unique performance and design attributes that true sports car enthusiasts are looking for straight from the factory.  Labels: Nissan 370Z set to scorch Indian roads digg it In 1909, former associates of Ransom Olds - Roy Chapin, Howard Coffin, Frederick Bezner and James Brady - began building a line of cars that became known for their value, performance and solid engineering. However, it wasn't until Joseph Hudson made the largest investment into the new motor-car venture that the car company received its official name; and,
The Hudson Motor Car Company quickly started production, with its first car driven out of a small factory in Detroit on July 3, 1909. The new Hudson Twenty was one of the first low-priced automobiles in the American market, with more than 4,000 cars sold in the first year; and,
Although the last automobile, that carried the Hudson name was produced in 1957, enthusiasts from all over the world still continue to celebrate it with its yearly International HET Club meeting; and,
With an expected number of nearly 1,000 Hudson automobile enthusiasts, the 2009 International HET Club meeting will feature tours of the historical sites and major car museums in the Detroit area;
That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, governor of the state of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of July 13, 2009, Hudson Motor Car Company Week in Michigan. On the 100th anniversary of the Hudson Motor Car Company and the 50th anniversary of the International HET Club, I offer my best wishes for a successful event. Labels: Hudson Motor Car Company digg it Rail transit is the only mode of transportation within DOT that operates without comprehensive Federal safety regulation, oversight, or enforcement. For the sake of the 14 million Americans who ride rail transit every weekday, we must close that gap.  So today I went to Congress to propose legislation reforming DOT safety oversight of America's rail transit systems. Traveling by rail transit in the United States remains extraordinarily safe. Yet serious accidents do occur, such as this summer's tragic Washington Metro crash and other recent accidents in Boston and San Francisco. And, as transit use increases in this nation, passengers need additional action to make rail transit even safer. Look, we have safety regulations in place for planes, trains, trucks, and automobiles. Yet rail transit riders enjoy none of the stringent standards that protect passengers on airlines and railroads. And, even though rail transit systems carry far more passengers daily than either airplanes or railroads, DOT is actually prohibited from issuing safety standards and regulations for these systems. This doesn't make any sense; the nation's rail transit passengers deserve to see it fixed; and this DOT wants to help fix it. I am pleased to be able to look back on this year and see a host of DOT efforts that show safety really is our number one priority. If you've been reading this blog, then you already know about these initiatives. Rail transit protection is a critical piece in the safety puzzle. I urge Congress to consider it. Labels: Rail transit proposal caps year of DOT safety initiatives digg it
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North America's worn out automobile industry is in the middle of an improvement and its gaining thrust. D.J Power and Associates, a leading industry analysis firm, declared that compared to the same period in the previous year the automobile sales are likely to secure 2009 up about 10 per cent from 2008. That's on pinnacle of December sales that are likely to be up about 7 per cent from the same phase a year back.
The U.S supported authority's encouraging evaluation is similar to a report earlier this month by Scotia bank economist Carlos Gomes that saw better trade in North America and also all over the world. Canadian sales have recorded a second successive double digit year increase compared to the same period in the previous year this is the best performance since near the beginning of 2008.
