Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Opinion: The case of Heather Peters and the Honda Civic Hybrid sets an alarming trend]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/10/the-case-of-heather-peters-and-the-honda-civic-hybrid-sets-an-al/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/10/the-case-of-heather-peters-and-the-honda-civic-hybrid-sets-an-al/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/10/the-case-of-heather-peters-and-the-honda-civic-hybrid-sets-an-al/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What are you going to do, sue? Good luck.

Heather Peters Honda Civic Hybrid

This week's Superior Court verdict suggests there's little to no recourse for consumers.

As Autoblog readers likely have already learned, a Superior Court judge in California has tossed out a judgment issued by a small claims court earlier this year awarding nearly $10,000 to Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters. She had taken the Japanese maker to court claiming it used misleading advertising promising the sedan would get significantly better mileage than proved true in the real world.

In overruling the lower court, Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II wrote that, "Federal regulations control the fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles and advertising claims related to those fuel economy ratings."

Well, um, no. That was my understanding, too, until I had the chance to pursue the matter with the EPA a couple years back. In fact, I was told, the law simply sets an upper limit. If the tests determine a new model gets 50 mpg - as with Peters' Civic Hybrid - that's the most a maker can advertise or use on the Monroney window sticker. But should a manufacturer like Honda realize through its own tests that the vehicle's real-world mileage might be noticeably less they can mark it down to whatever they think is valid.

Of course, who would do that? With mileage now one of the top things on the consumer's shopping list, who can blame a manufacturer for wanting to put the prettiest lipstick on a gas hog. And this week's Superior Court verdict suggests there's little to no recourse for consumers who only discover that fact after they've given it a big smooch.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading The case of Heather Peters and the Honda Civic Hybrid sets an alarming trend

The case of Heather Peters and the Honda Civic Hybrid sets an alarming trend originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Editorialeisenstein on autoblogfeaturedheather petershondahonda lawsuithybrid mileageopinionPaul EisensteinThe Detroit BureauThu, 10 May 2012 18:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Beijing Motor Show is further proof of China's automotive importance]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/24/beijing-motor-show-is-further-proof-of-chinas-automotive-import/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/24/beijing-motor-show-is-further-proof-of-chinas-automotive-import/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/24/beijing-motor-show-is-further-proof-of-chinas-automotive-import/#commentsFiled under: ,

Why The World's Top Automakers Are Flocking To Beijing

Beijing Motor Show

Beijing's government has had to resort to a registration lottery to hold down its growth.

Skip a couple years in China, as I had, and you're not likely to recognize it when you return, especially the capital city of Beijing. Peering out from my hotel, through the ever-present smog, new high-rises have transformed the landscape and even on the Sunday afternoon I arrived I could see and hear the construction crews at work across the city.

My first trip to China came shortly after General Motors opened its first joint venture assembly plant a dozen years ago. Back then, Beijing was a city of countless hutongs, the narrow alleys and neighborhoods where most residents once lived. Today, most of those traditional communities are gone, the few remaining ones hidden behind modern skyscrapers.

Those old streets never could have handled today's traffic. Not that the grand new boulevards and highways are coping much better. You can still find the odd rickshaw in tourist neighborhoods. And motorcycles and electric scooters are everywhere. But today, the automobile is king, and traffic is so thick the local government has had to resort to a registration lottery to hold down its growth.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Beijing Motor Show is further proof of China's automotive importance

Beijing Motor Show is further proof of China's automotive importance originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beijingbeijing 2012beijing motor showchinaeisenstein on autoblogopinionPaul EisensteinThe Detroit BureauTue, 24 Apr 2012 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: "It's partner or die" in today's automotive world]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/its-partner-or-die-in-todays-automotive-world/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/its-partner-or-die-in-todays-automotive-world/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/15/its-partner-or-die-in-todays-automotive-world/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Why Automakers Are Increasingly Entering Alliances

Mazda president and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi

It's only a question of how deeply the knife will slice as Mazda's desperate cost-cutting measures take aim at its U.S. workforce this week.

The maker has signaled it will post a $1.2 billion loss when the Japanese fiscal year wraps up on March 31, its worst performance in 11 years, and only by offering more than a billion dollars in new stock is it likely to head off a more serious crisis. For now, anyway.

With long-time partner Ford Motor Company slashing its stake in its Japanese affiliate from 33 to just four percent since Alan Mulally was named CEO, even Mazda's top executive Takashi Yamanouchi admits it will be difficult to go it alone, Yamanouchi recently acknowledging his company is "actively" looking for new alliance partners.

Of course, Mazda is not alone. General Motors confirmed this month that it would enter into a far-reaching partnership with Paris-based PSA Peugeot Citroen. And Germany's Daimler AG has repeatedly expanded the coalition it formed two years ago with the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading "It's partner or die" in today's automotive world

"It's partner or die" in today's automotive world originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto allianceautomotive allianceautomotive partnershipmazdapartnershipPaul EisensteinThe Detroit BureauThu, 15 Mar 2012 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: An early look at 2012 shows a radically new auto industry]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/an-early-look-at-2012-shows-a-radically-new-auto-industry/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/an-early-look-at-2012-shows-a-radically-new-auto-industry/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/an-early-look-at-2012-shows-a-radically-new-auto-industry/#commentsFiled under: ,

Detroit Gains Momentum As Japan Regains Its Footing

Happy New Year 2012

The automotive world as we know it underwent plenty of shaking last year and it was the result of more than just the tragic earthquake and tsunami that rattled Japan - costing makers like Toyota and Honda perhaps a million units in lost production.

While it's certainly too early to even guess at what the big stories for 2012 will be, we can suggest, with a high level of confidence, that what had long been the industry's established order won't be the same going forward. The playing field has clearly shifted. For some, it might now seem to be level for the first time in decades. For others, it is listing like the Costa Concordia, the doomed Italian cruise ship.

A week after the frantic media days, a less breathless review of the Detroit Auto Show offers some hints as to not only what's in play but who the big players likely will be.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading An early look at 2012 shows a radically new auto industry

An early look at 2012 shows a radically new auto industry originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 auto industryauto industryeisensteineisenstein on autoblogfordgmhondahyundaikianissantoyotavolkswagenThu, 19 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Detroit's Christmas Wish: Regain market share lost by Japan]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/14/detroits-christmas-wish-retain-market-share-lost-by-japan/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/14/detroits-christmas-wish-retain-market-share-lost-by-japan/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/14/detroits-christmas-wish-retain-market-share-lost-by-japan/#commentsHonda And Toyota Miscues Help Detroit Gain An Edge

fireworks in detroit

All three domestics have gained market share this year, the first time that has happened since 1998.
If Detroit's three automakers could each get a wish for Santa this holiday season, it would be to keep the healthy gains in sales and market share they've racked up over the past year. The so-called Big Three have come through the worst automotive downturn since the Great Depression in far better shape than even their most ardent admirers might have hoped.

Individually, all three have gained market share this year, the first time that has happened since 1998. And if they can maintain the pace of the first 11 months of 2011, they should be able to end the year with a collective two percent increase in market share - which they've gained at the expense of two import rivals who, until recently, seemed on an inevitable and irreversible path towards domination.

Of course, it certainly didn't hurt that Toyota and Honda saw much of their global production network idled for much of the past nine months, hobbled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Northeast Japan - home to much of that country's automotive supplier base. And just when the Japanese thought they'd weathered the worst, they were slammed by flooding in Thailand that put ambitious recovery plans on hold.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Detroit's Christmas Wish: Regain market share lost by Japan

Detroit's Christmas Wish: Regain market share lost by Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Will there be a Tokyo Motor Show in 2013?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/30/will-there-be-a-tokyo-motor-show-in-2013/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/30/will-there-be-a-tokyo-motor-show-in-2013/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/30/will-there-be-a-tokyo-motor-show-in-2013/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tokyo Struggles To Remain Relevant On The World Stage

2011 Tokyo Motor Show

The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show was largely ignored by industry and media alike.
There is one model that looks more like a phone booth than a car, another that dispenses its driver like candy from a vending machine. There are party concepts, complete with disco lights, and other concept vehicles that could have been a case study for a film like Transformers. One thing you always know about the Tokyo Motor Show was that you will get to see some of the wildest, weirdest and wackiest concept cars ever created - and occasionally some, like the snail-shaped Nissan S-Cargo, might actually go into production.

There is a serious side, as well. And that is really what has made the biennial Tokyo Motor Show one of the automotive world's most important events, journalists and industry executives jostling for space as each new car was unveiled. And there are plenty of unveilings, sometimes two, even three simultaneous news conferences stretching out over the two-days allotted for the gathered media.

But something went wrong two years ago, the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show was largely ignored by industry and media alike. Indeed, many suspected there wouldn't even be a 2011 show. But in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the island nation last March, organizers redoubled their efforts to save the show. And how things turn out later this week could determine whether the Tokyo Motor Show thrives, survives in downsized form or simply vanishes, Japan ceding to the twin shows in Beijing and Shanghai that are rapidly becoming the must-attend industry gatherings.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Will there be a Tokyo Motor Show in 2013?

Will there be a Tokyo Motor Show in 2013? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eisenstein on autoblogpaul eisensteinThe Detroit Bureautokyotokyo 2011tokyo motor showWed, 30 Nov 2011 17:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Is America's automotive love affair over? [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/01/is-americas-automotive-love-affair-over-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/01/is-americas-automotive-love-affair-over-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/01/is-americas-automotive-love-affair-over-w-poll/#commentsFiled under: ,



At first glance, Kerry Jenkins might seem to be a perfectly normal California girl, with her wispy blond hair and tanned complexion. But in a part of the country where getting an automobile has long been a rite of passage, the 19-year-old Los Angelino is quite content to live without a set of wheels, even though her parents offered to buy her a car when she graduated high school.

"I just don't see why," she says, ending her sentence with the Valley Girl's upturned lilt. "I can always hitch a ride when I need it from my folks and friends. I have my bike. And I just wish more people would stop driving everywhere."

While it's easy to dismiss Jenkins as an oddball, the fact is she's anything but unique these days. A number of her friends at college have also put off buying cars and industry research says that's becoming increasingly commonplace.

"It's something we're watching," acknowledges Mike Accavitti, the head of marketing for Honda of America. "There is a trend with kids under 30 that they put more value in their cellphones than in the cars they drive" - or the cars they decide not to drive.

Continue reading and take part in our poll.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Is America's automotive love affair over? [w/poll]

Is America's automotive love affair over? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car loveeisensteinfeaturedmillenialspaul eisensteinthe detroit bureauthedetroitbureau.comTue, 01 Nov 2011 14:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: UAW seems headed for a catastrophic confrontation]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/14/uaw-seems-headed-for-a-catastrophic-confrontation/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/14/uaw-seems-headed-for-a-catastrophic-confrontation/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/14/uaw-seems-headed-for-a-catastrophic-confrontation/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Future Of The Union Hangs In The Balance

UAW President Bob King

Autoworkers are damned and determined to win back concessions.
The noises you might here if you drop in at Solidarity House - the headquarters of the UAW - this week are the sounds of union leaders scrambling to prevent what could be a catastrophic confrontation that is beginning to look increasingly inevitable.

In the weeks leading up to the mid-summer launch of contract talks with Detroit's Big Three, United Auto Workers Union President Bob King stressed that he was pushing for "creative problem solving." The best way to read that statement was that he was looking for a way to keep the automakers competitive in return for more jobs - while also seeking a way to sell new contracts to workers who were damned and determined to win back the concessions they'd made in recent years.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading UAW seems headed for a catastrophic confrontation

UAW seems headed for a catastrophic confrontation originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chryslerfordford strikegeneral motorspaul eisensteinstriketentative contractthe detroit bureauuawuaw contractunited auto workersFri, 14 Oct 2011 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: What good is an electric vehicle if there's no electricity?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/28/what-good-is-an-electric-vehicle-if-theres-no-electricity/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/28/what-good-is-an-electric-vehicle-if-theres-no-electricity/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/28/what-good-is-an-electric-vehicle-if-theres-no-electricity/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A Glut Of EVs Could Make America's Shoddy Power Grid Even Worse

Power Outage

The increasingly rickety American power grid seems to short out for all sorts of reasons.
It took just one worker in Yuma, Arizona to plunge millions of people into the dark in the Southwest U.S. and Mexico, a few weeks back. A fluke, perhaps, but not a rarity.

If anything, major power outages are becoming an increasingly serious problem and at precisely the worst time possible - at least if you're an advocate of electric propulsion. Utility officials concede that it will be increasingly difficult to win over potential battery-car customers if they can't be certain of a steady supply of electric power.

Yet, that's precisely what American consumers are facing. In the Detroit suburbs, two months back, a heat wave popped the circuits at a number of sub-stations around the city. It plunged much of my own little community of Pleasant Ridge into the dark for as much as three days. We were lucky. The hurricane and tropical storms that struck the East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine, just days later, cut power to millions more utility customers, some for weeks.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading What good is an electric vehicle if there's no electricity?

What good is an electric vehicle if there's no electricity? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eisenstein on autoblogelectric carelectric car power outageelectricityev power outagePaul Eisensteinpower gridpower outageWed, 28 Sep 2011 17:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/stack-of-potential-suitors-line-up-at-ford-for-life-after-mulall/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/stack-of-potential-suitors-line-up-at-ford-for-life-after-mulall/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/stack-of-potential-suitors-line-up-at-ford-for-life-after-mulall/#commentsFiled under: ,

Who Could Possibly Replace Ford's Golden CEO?

Ford Executives

Insiders say the jockeying for Mulally's position has already begun.
There was a time when some folks in Detroit were convinced Lee Iacocca's last name was really an acronym for: I Am Chairman of Chrysler Corp. Always. Indeed, it took a shove from an increasingly frustrated board to finally get Lido to name his successor.

If anything, those on the Ford Motor Co. board of directors are putting CEO Alan Mulally in a bear hug, Chairman Bill Ford suggesting he'd keep the chief executive firmly planted in his office at Glass House until he was 80. For his part, the still-boyish former Boeing executive has said on more than one occasion that despite turning 65, he's not rushing to leave as long as he's having "fun." But as his fifth anniversary in Dearborn approaches it is no surprise that there's plenty of speculation about who might eventually replace Mullaly, if not when.

In decades past, Ford was land of the long knives, where power trumped all, and doing away with your rivals was only slightly less bloody than when the Borgias ruled in Rome. Mulally has made much of instilling a sort of "greater-good" mindset and one of the reasons for the maker's recent success has been that the highly political nature has been toned down a number of notches. Nonetheless, insiders say the jockeying for position has already begun.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally

Stack of potential suitors line up at Ford for Life After Mulally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan mulallyfordford ceojim farleyjoe hinrichslewis boothmark fieldsFri, 22 Jul 2011 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Shanghai Motor Show threatens to make New York redundant]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/opinion-shanghai-motor-show-threatens-to-make-new-york-redundan/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/opinion-shanghai-motor-show-threatens-to-make-new-york-redundan/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/opinion-shanghai-motor-show-threatens-to-make-new-york-redundan/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shanghai Struts its Stuff - Challenging the Big Apple
2011 Shanghai Motor Show entrance

Barely two decades ago, China's roads were ruled by bicycles, motorbikes and buses.
It wasn't all that long ago that the Shanghai Convention Center was little more than a rice paddy, but this week, the sprawling facility will play host to what has rapidly become one of the world's most important auto shows.

By a quirk of the calendar, this year's big Chinese car show not only overlaps but threatens to overwhelm the New York Auto Show and its ability to garner valuable media time - a development that echoes the rapidly transformation occurring in the global automotive business.

Michael Dunne, the founder of Automotive Resources Asia - today a part of J.D. Power and Associates - recalls his first trip to China, barely two decades ago, when the roads were ruled by bicycles, motorbikes and buses, and the sight of an automobile was enough to draw everyone's attention. Today, the most populous nation on Earth is also the biggest automotive market, having surpassed the U.S. two years ago, never to look back.

Continue reading...

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Philippe Lopez/Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Shanghai Motor Show threatens to make New York redundant

Opinion: Shanghai Motor Show threatens to make New York redundant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 shanghai motor showchinaeisenstein on autoblogfeaturednew york auto showopinionpaul eisensteinshanghaishanghai motor showMon, 18 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/07/opinion-if-distracted-driving-is-such-an-epidemic-why-dont-st/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/07/opinion-if-distracted-driving-is-such-an-epidemic-why-dont-st/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/07/opinion-if-distracted-driving-is-such-an-epidemic-why-dont-st/#commentsFiled under:

Declining Highway Death Rate Challenges Distracted Driving Fears

Distracted driving

The distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.
My weekend nearly got off to a disastrous start when a driver, busy texting, suddenly realized he was going to miss his exit. At the last possible moment, he slammed his brakes and surged across four lanes of traffic, avoiding the need to go a few miles out of the way - but nearly touching off a multi-car accident in the process.

We've all seen the texters, the women putting on makeup, the guys checking their sports scores. Heck, a woman in Florida recently crashed while giving herself a bikini shave. But are we experiencing, as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood puts it, "a deadly epidemic" of distracted driving - one that can only be addressed by the most draconian of new laws?

There's no question that there are some things you just shouldn't be doing behind the wheel, and few would argue against the laws that many states have passed prohibiting motorists from texting while driving. But what other steps are needed? The latest federal data on highway fatalities suggests we've probably gone far enough - and that the distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.

Continue reading...

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Corbis]

Continue reading Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it?

Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaaauto safetydeath ratedistracted drivingpaul eisensteinray lahoodsafe drivingtelematicstextingtexting while drivingThu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Why Geneva has evolved into the must-see motor show of the year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/14/why-geneva-has-evolved-into-the-must-see-motor-show-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/14/why-geneva-has-evolved-into-the-must-see-motor-show-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/14/why-geneva-has-evolved-into-the-must-see-motor-show-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under:

Geneva Motor Show 2011

A recent study anointed Geneva the most livable city in the world. Sitting where Lake Geneva flows into the Rhone River, the old city has a surprisingly small town feel and probably wouldn't even be on the global map were it not for the presence of the United Nations - and the annual Geneva Motor Show.

The Geneva Motor Show takes place on neutral ground. Switzerland has no car industry.
There are plenty of international auto shows in cities across Europe, yet with the exception of those in Paris and Frankfurt, which occur in alternating autumns, none bears the significance of Geneva. The 81st "salon," which just opened to the public, will see 100s of thousands squeeze through the turnstiles at PALExpo, and for good reason considering the scores of new products unleashed during the two media days - which included 64 separate press conferences on the first day alone.

Why has the Geneva Motor Show become so important - so much so that industry leaders and media alike struggle to find $1,000 rooms, often staying an hour away and driving in during the pre-dawn chill? Organizers have taken to heart the very central tenet of Swiss existence - in a word, "neutrality."

Continue reading...

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Martial Trezzini/AP]

Continue reading Why Geneva has evolved into the must-see motor show of the year

Why Geneva has evolved into the must-see motor show of the year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eisenstein on autoblogfeaturedgenevageneva 2011geneva motor showpaul eisensteinthe detroit bureauMon, 14 Mar 2011 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Penske blindsided by Daimler's decision to take over Smart USA?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/25/penske-blindsided-by-daimlers-decision-to-take-over-smart-usa/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/25/penske-blindsided-by-daimlers-decision-to-take-over-smart-usa/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/25/penske-blindsided-by-daimlers-decision-to-take-over-smart-usa/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Roger Penske blindsided by Smart

On or off the track, Roger Penske is a force to be reckoned with. His team has taken the victory lap 15 times at the Indianapolis 500 and his business ventures have made him one of America's richest and most powerful entrepreneurs.

Sure, the dapper, silver-haired septuagenarian has had his failures, but they're few and far between - so it came as a stunning surprise when word came that, just days after officials from the Penske Automotive Group expressed their commitment to stand by the struggling Smart, they were given their walking papers by Daimler AG, which produces the minicar brand.

Apparently, the person most surprised may have been Roger Penske himself, as all indications suggest he may have been blindsided by the decision to pull the Smart franchise.

Continue reading...


Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Todd Warshaw/Getty]

Continue reading Penske blindsided by Daimler's decision to take over Smart USA?

Penske blindsided by Daimler's decision to take over Smart USA? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daimlereisenstein on autoblogfeaturedfortwopaul eisensteinpenskeroger penskesmartFri, 25 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/opinion-turning-the-tide-at-toyota/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/opinion-turning-the-tide-at-toyota/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/opinion-turning-the-tide-at-toyota/#commentsFiled under: ,



What price a reputation? That's what Toyota will be learning in the months and years ahead as it struggles to recover from the safety scandal that has enveloped the company since it announced the first recall for unintended acceleration in October 2009.

There wasn't a single Toyota model that didn't land on the recall list at least once last year.
Going into the recession, certainly no company seemed better suited to weather the perfect storm than the Japanese giant, which had positioned itself as the leader in quality, reliability and dependability, or QRD in industry speak, as well as the benchmark for green mobility. Having ousted General Motors as the global king-of-the-hill, the Asian automaker seemed unstoppable.

Yet nearly seven years ago, I wrote a column suggesting Toyota might become the next GM if it weren't careful, and even as the company's sales continued growing, there were subtle signs of trouble in the offing - most notably in its slippage on the quality charts.

But few would have anticipated the sudden acceleration crisis, or the series of additional recalls that followed, month after month. In 2010, there wasn't a single Toyota model that didn't land on the recall list at least once - some repeatedly.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota?

Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bob carterihs global insightnhtsaray lahoodToyotatoyota recalltoyota safetyunintended accelerationThu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Chrysler no longer left for dead, biggest test still coming]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/04/opinion-chrysler-no-longer-left-for-dead-biggest-test-still-co/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/04/opinion-chrysler-no-longer-left-for-dead-biggest-test-still-co/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/04/opinion-chrysler-no-longer-left-for-dead-biggest-test-still-co/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Chrysler badge

Some years ago, sitting in my office with the windows open on a warm spring day, I heard a deep rumble - not unlike the sound of a freight train passing by... but closer, more menacing, and immediately followed by a violent shudder as a rare Midwest earthquakes rolled out from under Lake Erie.

This wasn't supposed to be a particularly good year for the smallest of the Detroit makers.
I'm starting to hear a similar sound, not quite so loud, but this time emerging from Auburn Hills, Michigan, where Chrysler is headquartered. Call it a hum, maybe a rumble, though definitely not yet the sort of buzz that would follow a similarly seismic event - in this case the turnaround of a company most folks had long written off for dead.

This wasn't supposed to be a particularly good year for the smallest of the Detroit makers. Its product pipeline, went the conventional wisdom, was all but empty, other than the completely-remade Jeep Grand Cherokee and redesigned Chrysler 300, due later in the model-year. But I think most of us in the media were delivered a pleasant surprise a few months back when we got a first good look at the rest of the maker's 2011 lineup.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Opinion: Chrysler no longer left for dead, biggest test still coming

Opinion: Chrysler no longer left for dead, biggest test still coming originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chryslereisenstein on autoblogfeaturedpaul eisensteinthedetroitbureau.comFri, 04 Feb 2011 16:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Opinion: Has Honda lost its footing?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/20/opinion-has-honda-lost-its-footing/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/20/opinion-has-honda-lost-its-footing/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/20/opinion-has-honda-lost-its-footing/#commentsFiled under:

Honda Civic Concept sketch

When Honda handed out sketches of an all-new Civic Concept last December, they received a warm welcome from those anticipating big changes for the maker's long-popular compact sedan.

So, the Honda press conference at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show last week triggered more than a bit of confusion - and even some disappointment. True, we journalists are used to seeing things watered down when an automaker moves from sketch to concept, and then from concept to production car. But the Civic Concept revealed in Detroit is no fantasy in chrome. If anything, in terms of design, it's only a moderately warmed-over version of the current compact sedan.

Which raises some serious questions about Honda's strategy at a time when the compact market is becoming more competitive than it has been in years. Until recently, Honda could assume that the only real competition for the Civic would be the Toyota Corolla. No longer.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading Opinion: Has Honda lost its footing?

Opinion: Has Honda lost its footing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredhondaThu, 20 Jan 2011 15:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Farewell, Chuck Jordan]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/farewell-chuck-jordan/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/farewell-chuck-jordan/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/farewell-chuck-jordan/#commentsFiled under:

Chuck Jordan

Even for those who didn't know him during his glory days, Chuck Jordan was a familiar face on the auto show circuit. Slowed only a bit by a stroke, he was still present at a surprising number of the major shows, squeezed in with the assorted reporters, photographers and videographers, paying close attention to - and offering his perceptions on - the latest and greatest the industry could roll out.

I last saw Chuck Jordan earlier this year, not long before his death last week at the age of 83. The silver-white hair had thinned and the face was a bit gaunt, but he was still the trim and dapper silver fox I first met shortly before he assumed the design helm at General Motors. As only the fourth global styling chief in GM's history, Jordan was a powerful man - too much so, contended his critics - one whose simple whim could transform or even kill an entire product program.

Jordan was a powerful man - too much so, contended his critics.
In his early years, the young designer earned kudos for stand-out efforts like the 1958 Corvette and, most notoriously, the '59 Cadillac Eldorado, with its over-the-top tailfins - which Jordan likened to "letting the tiger out of the cage." He was a critical force in the golden era of GM design, when the maker's striking approach to styling helped it capture more than half of the overall U.S. new car market.

By the time he assumed the title of vice president of the General Motors Design Staff, on October 6, 1986, however, GM was already in a steep decline. And the company Jordan left six years later was at best a hobbled giant. Today, looking back, it's disheartening to realize how few truly significant products made it through his lavishly-furnished office at the General Motors Technical Center.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Gallery: Chuck Jordan, GM Vice President of Design

Chuck Jordan, GM Vice President of DesignChuck Jordan, GM Vice President of DesignChuck Jordan, GM Vice President of DesignChuck Jordan, GM Vice President of Design1956 Buick Centurion

Continue reading Farewell, Chuck Jordan

Farewell, Chuck Jordan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chuck jordangeneral motorsPaul EisensteinThu, 16 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST<![CDATA[How the gas tax is under threat from green vehicles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/how-the-gas-tax-is-under-threat-from-green-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/how-the-gas-tax-is-under-threat-from-green-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/how-the-gas-tax-is-under-threat-from-green-vehicles/#commentsFiled under: ,

Can Governments Afford To Incentivise Electric Cars?

Exxon Mobile gas station

Live in the right part of California and work for the right company and you might be able to buy the new Nissan Leaf for as little as $12,500, as Autoblog has reported, due to the raft of incentives that are available for buyers of the little battery car and other high-mileage, low-emission products.

In recent years, lawmakers have been racing to come up with incentives designed to encourage motorists to migrate to clean, efficient vehicles. It's a clearly noble effort, but one that deserves a closer look in an era of fiscal restraint.

Several states are looking at a more direct form of taxation: a per-mile usage fee on battery-based vehicles.
The feds, and most states offering such incentives, have put caps on their zero-emission incentive programs, and most will vanish by mid-decade. But, ironically, if these programs do what they're intended to, the fiscal impact could be felt for years to come. It turns out that going green could plunge state and federal balance sheets into the red.

The short-term costs are already potentially significant. At the federal level, a $7,500 tax credit could drain billions of dollars a year out of the Treasury if major automakers come even close to their battery car sales targets by mid-decade.

Such cash incentives - along with other perks, such as access to California's HOV lanes - are designed to motivate the move to vehicles like the Leaf and the new Chevrolet Volt. Once momentum starts building, these givebacks can be phased out, proponents contend. But they're missing a big part of the picture.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading How the gas tax is under threat from green vehicles

How the gas tax is under threat from green vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric taxelectricity taxev incentivesfeaturedgas taxMon, 06 Dec 2010 16:35:00 EST<![CDATA[How does Hyundai do business in the shadow of war?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/24/how-does-hyundai-do-business-in-the-shadow-of-war/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/24/how-does-hyundai-do-business-in-the-shadow-of-war/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/24/how-does-hyundai-do-business-in-the-shadow-of-war/#commentsFiled under: ,

In the event of war, you can't hurl Hyundais at the enemy

North Korean Shelling

Former General Motors Chairman Rick Wagner used to talk of "externalities," those uncontrollable factors that he routinely blamed for the humbled automaker's continuing decline. Other industry leaders preferred the term "headwinds," but they were routinely referring to such matters as rising raw materials costs, unpredictable petroleum prices or, perhaps, an economic meltdown.

What most major automakers don't have to worry about is the idea of having a shell land in the middle of their boardroom. But the news out of the Korean peninsula makes it clear this is a very serious, very real possibility for the folks who run Hyundai and Kia.

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Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading How does Hyundai do business in the shadow of war?

How does Hyundai do business in the shadow of war? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredhyundaikoreanorth koreanorth korean shellingpaul eisensteinsouth koreathedetroitbureau.comWed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST