Autoblog

George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Auctions, Ford, Celebrities

President George W. Bush was known as much for the many liberties he took with the English language as he was for being a Texan, and, in the latter regard, it is not all that surprising that the 43rd President's truck of choice was a Ford F-150... the key word here, of course, being was. The truck used by the former president around his Crawford, TX ranch, a 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4x4 SuperCrew, will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson next month with the proceeds of the sale going to the Fisher House Foundation.

President Bush bought the truck new in 2009, and used it to drive around his ranch with families and dignitaries. As a part of the auction, President Bush autographed the instrument panel, and there will also be an accompanying video of him signing and driving the truck. It isn't clear how many miles are on the F-150, but it sounds like not too many, if any, were from driving on public roads.

"I haven't driven on a street in many, many years, but I have been able to drive this truck on my ranch," said President Bush. "I want to thank all those who are supporting the Fisher House. In supporting the Fisher House, you're supporting our veterans. And in supporting our veterans, you're helping America."

More about the Barrett-Jackson auction is posted after the jump.

Continue reading George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson

George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New polls indicate Americans warming to auto bailouts

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, GM, UAW/Unions

Even as Republican presidential candidates soldier on in their opposition to the auto industry bailout, new polling indicates that the American public has changed its attitude about the $80 billion spent to help both Chrysler and General Motors restructure. According to The New York Times, a poll conducted in February shows the gap between those who approve of the measures and those who remain opposed has shrunk, while a different, more recent poll shows a slim majority of Americans now support the bailout. In the midst of the 2008-2009 crisis, polls suggested that three out of four people were against government intervention.

The New York Times suggests the post-bailout success of the automakers is the most likely driver of the change in attitude, citing the return to profitability of both Chrysler and GM. That success has resulted in real job creation, with some 126,500 positions in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry added, according to the report. GM has promised to spend $2 billion on factory investments this year and next, including $385 million at its Romulus, MI, engine plant pictured above.

That the actual cost of the bailout has been revised downward by more than 80 percent, to $14 billion, has likely played a part in public perception as well.

New polls indicate Americans warming to auto bailouts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memo says Bush administration almost pushed GM and Chrysler into earlier bankruptcy

Chris Shunk — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM, Earnings/Financials

2008 was one crazy, almost surreal year. It was the year when the economy took a nosedive, and the U.S. auto industry nearly ceased to exist. One of the last major decisions former President Bush made before he left office was to give Chrysler and General Motors a combined $17.4 billion to keep their doors open.

That money held over the two automakers for a few months, but The Detroit News reports that the Bush administration almost took a different tack. The New Yorker published a 57-page economic memo that was written by economist Larry Summers to President Elect Obama. The memo claims that President Bush was noodling an earlier bankruptcy for the automakers, backed by up to $100 billion in government financing.

By instead forwarding GM and Chrysler a bridge loan, Bush (pictured here with former Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli) effectively prolonged the inevitable and pushed the tough decision on to the next administration. But that could have been the best possible action to take - Summers was reportedly of the opinion that pushing the automakers through bankruptcy too early could have severely damaged the entire U.S. auto industry - not just at Chrysler and GM.

In the end, Chrysler entered bankruptcy in April, followed by GM in June. Chrysler no longer owes the federal government any money, though Uncle Sam still owns 26.5 percent of The General. As a result of the Bush administration's choices, the Obama administration is the one that gets the blame and credit (depending on your political viewpoint) for shepherding the two automakers through bankruptcy.

Memo says Bush administration almost pushed GM and Chrysler into earlier bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bush defends auto bailouts

Zach Bowman — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM, Celebrities

Former U.S. President George W. Bush is set to release his memoirs under the title Decision Points on Tuesday, November 9. The book is slated to delve into the eight years of the Bush Administration, touching on everything from the war in Iraq to the reasoning behind various economic policies. The Detroit News was able to get its hands on a pre-release copy of the text and found Bush had committed to bailing out the auto industry as early as November of 2008, despite having misgivings about government intervention in private industry and the management of both Chrysler and General Motors.

Still, the memoirs say that the move was designed to "safeguard American workers from widespread collapse."

Additionally, The Detroit News reveals that Bush finally decided to pull the trigger on the bailouts to keep Barack Obama from having to make a decision on the situation right off the bat. Bush writes that "I had to keep my successor in mind. I decided to treat him the way I would have liked to have been treated if I were in his position."

Decision Points will be released simultaneously in the U.S. and Canada in hardcopy, e-reader and audio formats.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Getty]

Bush defends auto bailouts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former President Bush asks Obama to exit the car business

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

When Former President George W. Bush spoke to the Montreal Board of Trade recently, he made a public appeal to the Obama administration to "get out of the private sector," adding "I hope our government gets out of the autos and the financials in which they have a stake." His premise is that it takes private companies to turn an economy around, not government-run ones.

As we have found out during America's recent economic troubles, a lot of people find it easy to say a lot of things when they're not on the hook. And the former Commander-in-Chief isn't the first (nor the only) ex-President to offer such advice; they've all done it - he's only the most recent. But this is coming from the man whose VP sold him out as giving TARP money to prevent General Motors and Chrysler bankruptcies on his watch. Lest we forget, Bush is also the man who said:

"Well, I have obviously made a decision to make sure the economy doesn't collapse. I've abandoned free market principles to save the free market system. I think when people review what's taken place in the last six months, uh, and put it all in one, in one, (sigh), you know, in one package, they're realize how significantly we have moved."

Forget about politics, it isn't even that what Bush has said is wrong, per se - by most accounts, the American government shouldn't be in the car business nor the retail banking business, and the current administration agrees with that, having said repeatedly it wants to get out of both. But they inherited the issue, and now it's up to them to figure out the best way out of it. Hat tip to Avinash!

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Getty]

Former President Bush asks Obama to exit the car business originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Cheney says Bush left GM bankruptcy for the next guy

Noah Joseph — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

The writing's been on the wall for years: GM would have to declare bankruptcy if it had any hope of restructuring in order to survive in the long-term. And though the Obama administration's effective take-over of General Motors was hardly the first case of the government nationalizing a private company, President George W. Bush didn't want to be the one to do it.

This, according to former vice-president Dick Cheney, who reportedly admitted in a recent interview on Fox News that the Bush administration floated the $17.4 billion auto industry bailout package in order to give the outgoing administration enough time to exit and for the next administration to settle in before the house of cards in Detroit came tumbling down. According to Cheney, President Bush "decided that he did not want to be the one who pulled the plug just before he left office."

[Source: Motor Authority | Image: Mark Wilson/Getty]

REPORT: Cheney says Bush left GM bankruptcy for the next guy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Group sues Obama administration over weak MPG standards

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

When the next step in the road to 35 mpg by 2020 CAFE standards was announced recently, those in the know made it clear that the Obama administration's upcoming goal of 27.3 mpg by 2011 would not be hard for automakers to meet. In fact, the 2007 average was already 31.3, so the 2011 goal would not require any change in product lineup (more difficult changes are scheduled to come into effect down the line). The 2011 standards were so light, in fact, that the Center for Biological Diversity took the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Department of Transportation to court last week, saying that the Obama administration's standards "ignore greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis, are illogical, illegal, and very disappointing from a president who has promised to make the United States a leader in the fight against global warming."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Center filed suit in the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to push the 2011 standards to "the maximum feasible level, in light of current technology, economic impact, and the nation's need to conserve energy." Read the Center's press release after the jump.

[Source: Center for Biological Diversity, San Francisco Chronicle]

Continue reading Group sues Obama administration over weak MPG standards

Group sues Obama administration over weak MPG standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Bush greenlights $17.4 billion Auto Rescue/Bailout package

Chris Paukert — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM, Earnings/Financials

President George W. Bush will doubtlessly be remembered for many things things, but his parting legacy may yet be his eleventh-hour pledge of $17.4 billion in low-interest loans to General Motors and Chrysler (Ford Motor Company has said it does not require relief at this time).

The funding will reportedly come from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the financial industry bailout package signed off on this fall. Up front, the White House will earmark $17.4 billion in short-term financing for December and January, and in February, another $4 billion will be disbursed, provided it can draw the funds from the second half of TARP's $700 billion.

More details are doubtlessly coming, but the bridge loans appear to hinge largely on whether General Motors and Chrysler are deemed "viable" enterprises by the government. In the terms of the agreement, that means that the automakers must prove whether they have a "positive net present value, taking into account all current and future costs, and can fully repay the government loan." There's no word yet on how they will prove said viability, but we expect to learn more soon. In the meantime, expect for both General Motors and Chrysler to stick to their previous production suspension announcements.

Politico has more specifics on the bailout here.

UPDATE: Press releases from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been added after the jump.

[Sources: ABC NEWS, Politico, Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty]

Continue reading BREAKING: Bush greenlights $17.4 billion Auto Rescue/Bailout package

BREAKING: Bush greenlights $17.4 billion Auto Rescue/Bailout package originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bush looking into 'Orderly Bankruptcy' for Detroit, as opposed to...?

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM

The House of Bush told reporters this morning that the administration is looking into an "orderly" bankruptcy for General Motors and Chrysler that would be part of an overall rescue package. One possible plan is to give the two automakers enough cash to make it through the next few months (essentially the bailout funds that GM and Chrysler pleaded for in front of Congress) and after that time a federal overseer would sit down with the executives and other interested parties to discuss filing for Chapter 11.

White House spokesperson Dana Perino said during the press conference that "...the president is not going to allow a disorderly collapse of the companies... [it] would be something very chaotic that is a shock to a system. There's an orderly way to do bankruptcies that provides for more of a soft landing." Perino quickly added that no final decision has been made.

The plan would likely include major banks providing debtor-in-possession financing for GM and Chrysler (Ford isn't part of the plan), and would require serious concessions from the UAW, stakeholders, suppliers and investment banks.

[Source: New York Times]

Bush looking into 'Orderly Bankruptcy' for Detroit, as opposed to...? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada to the rescue! (after U.S.)

Alex Nunez — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

With all signs pointing to White House action on an automaker bailout despite the the bill not making it out of the Senate last Thursday, Canada has its taxpayers' wallets on standby as well. Our neighbors to the north account for a 20% share of the auto industry, and both the federal and Ontario governments are ready to add a commensurate amount of money to the bailout pot if U.S. government action does take place. So, assuming President Bush instructs Henry Paulson, the recently-crowned King of All Our Money, to give Detroit $14B out of TARP to tide them over and keep the RenCen escalators running until this all officially becomes Obama's problem next month, look for an additional $2.8B or so to float across the Detroit River. Thanks for the tip, BrandleSmith!

[Source: Reuters]

Canada to the rescue! (after U.S.) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown professor could land position as 'car czar' in Obama administration

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Soon after President-elect Obama and still-President Bush sat down on Monday, reports began to surface that the Obama camp was considering the appointment of a "Car Czar." The position would provide the new administration with analysis and advice on the auto industry and the financial (and product?) perils faced by Detroit Big 3(ish).

The original report by the Detroit News said that both Bush and Obama could be in favor of appointing an auto czar to oversee Federal efforts to provide emergency assistance to domestic automakers, and now Automotive News has thrown a name into the ring; Daniel Tarullo, a law professor at Georgetown University and expert on international economics.

Tarullo has held a number of positions outside of his teaching duties, including serving under the Clinton administration, acting as chief counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and working with the Brookings Institute on its Council for Foreign Relations. That's all well and good, but what's his background with the auto industry? In short, nada. Which makes us wonder: is it better to have someone who's had their hands in the industry for decades or a fresh mind that hasn't been sullied by time on the inside? And more to the point, do we even need a "Car Czar?"

[Sources: Detroit News, Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Georgetown professor could land position as 'car czar' in Obama administration originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If GM's situation worsens, McCain open to "every option"

Chris Shunk — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Ford, GM

In the wake of GM's Tuesday press conference detailing its plans to have enough cash on hand through 2009, politicians have been eager to voice their thoughts regarding the possibility of a government bailout. President Bush gave the possibility a strong no, but the two guys in line for his job have taken a different route.

Senator Obama has said that he supports automaker's attempts to restructure without outside help, but says he's willing to work with the companies on fuel saving tech. Republican Senator John McCain took an even stronger pro-automaker stance, saying "if it looks like it is approaching that, everyone has to consider every option." The Arizona Senator and presumed Republican nominee has stated in the past that he wouldn't support a buyout, but would instead provide tax breaks and infrastructure support to create more fuel efficient vehicles. McCain's "every option" comment may not sit well with his party, but it could sound good to Detroit automakers. McCain is visiting the GM tech center today. Both presidential candidates are working hard to woo Michigan voters, which will be a key state to win in the November election. Even though GM has stated it isn't looking for a handout, Michigan residents would love to know that the automaker would get one if it really needed it.

[Source: CNN Money, Image: Getty/Bill Pugliano]

If GM's situation worsens, McCain open to "every option" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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President Bush signs energy bill into law

John Neff — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

This morning President Bush put pen to paper (no doubt one of those really cool American President pens) and signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, all 822 pages of it. As we all know by now, the pillar of the law is an increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020. The increases will be built up over time beginning with the 2011 model year, which really isn't that far away. The measures regarding CAFE also don't apply fleetwide as one single standard, but will be adjusted based on the type of car or truck being measured. Nevertheless, after decades of nary a budge in this country's CAFE standards, an increase of some 40% is monumental and will likely begin immediately affecting the cars and trucks we buy.

We mustn't forget the path fraught with peril that this bill took to reach the President's desk. After being passed by the House of Representatives thanks to a compromise between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the bill moved to the Senate where it was voted on twice and failed before a large $21.8 billion tax provision was removed. Until that point, the President had promised to veto the bill. Without the tax provision, however, the bill was finally passed by the Senate, and then reapproved by the House just yesterday.

In order to meet the standards, we expect automakers to begin producing more mild hybrids in the near future, with full-on parallel hybrids being at least an option on most vehicles after that. The use of modern clean-diesel engines will also proliferate, especially in light-duty half-ton trucks like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado that would have trouble meeting their own CAFE targets with traditional V8 engines. Then there's more exotic technology, like the series hybrid system being developed by GM for the Chevy Volt. If successful, expect other automakers to very quickly follow suit with their own series hybrid drivetrains. There's lots of simple and more complex technologies on the table that automakers will utilize to increase their CAFE rating, and no doubt the cost of developing these systems will be passed on to the consumer to some degree, as well. Supporters of the bill, however, remind us that reducing our dependance on foreign oil is a very good thing, and in the end, we only get one Earth on which to live.

[Source: The Detroit News, Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty]

President Bush signs energy bill into law originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #63

Dan Roth — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:07:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Podcasts, Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford, GM, Suzuki

It's nice to be back in the swing of things. We're once again cranking out weekly podcasts, and #63 is a compact one. We start off salivating over the news that the next generation Suzuki Swift will be headed for US shores. We devolve from discussing an unsubstantiated rumor into wistful praise for the current can't have it Swift, and even make mention of Swifts from nigh on twenty years ago. The dustup over Alan Mulally's work of fiction at the New York Auto Show keynote draws our ire next. This one has it all, lies, grandstanding media with agendas, attacks, grandstanding media with agendas, misinformation, grandstanding media with agendas, disinformation, and finally, grandstanding media with agendas. Speaking of grandstanding, we nearly go as far as calling Lutz's bluff on the announcement that the hotly anticipated RWD cars from GM are on hold 'till regulators get their shizzle together. Whatevs. The entire GM turnaround is on hold? Not bloody likely. The consensus we come to is: Bad Lutz. So, turn on, tune in and peel out for our latest slice of podcast goodness.

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Autoblog Podcast #63 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alan Mulally, super hero: Ford CEO saves President Bush's life

Chris Shunk — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:07:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green, Ford

Allan Mulally has already lived a very successful life, having helped save American icon Boeing, then taking over the reigns as Ford Motor Company's Chief Executive Officer. Now he has added 'the guy that saved President Bush' to the list. Mr. Mulally used his media audience at the New York Auto Show to tell a pretty great story about his recent trip to the White House.

Ford Motor wanted to give President Bush a first-hand look at their hydrogen electric plug-in hybrid, so the company arranged to have a demonstration of the uber-tech Ford Edge right from the White House lawn. When walking with the President towards the vehicle, Mulally noticed that the extension cord was placed to the rear of the car, where the Hydrogen fuel tank resides, instead of the side of the car. As Mulally saw the President approach the rear of the car, he decided that he should physically grab the president and "make sure he plugged into the electricity, not into the hydrogen."

We obviously don't know for sure whether or not the leader of the free world would have stuck an electrified cord into the Edge's Darwin-hole, but we do think it was a damn good idea Mulally stepped in to make sure Mr. Bush did the right thing. We don't think Ford's green initiative would have been able to recover if the company's best and brightest technology fried the President. Then again, given the approval numbers of Mr. Bush... we kid, we kid.

Thanks for the tip Chris!

[Source: Detroit News via Think Progress]

Alan Mulally, super hero: Ford CEO saves President Bush's life originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Supreme court says EPA can regulate greenhouse gases

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:35:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

Admittedly, we're a little late to the party on this one, but thankfully, our greener sibling site was on top of things when the Supreme Court made an important ruling yesterday regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

The ruling revolves around the regulation of carbon dioxide, classifying it as a pollutant and, more specifically, a greenhouse gas. Considering that this is the first case involving global warming, the 5-4 ruling was a major blow to the current administration's opposition of mandatory controls on emissions.

Some of the quotes from the court are worth a read (click here for AutoblogGreen's post), but in the end, it's not the court's place to make regulations, only uphold them. As such, the EPA has to make changes to the existing law and/or uphold current regulations. However, don't expect anything to change until later this decade, if and when the Executive Branch has a shift in its policy towards global climate change.

[Source: Reuters via AutoblogGreen]

Supreme court says EPA can regulate greenhouse gases originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOTU: Revised energy strategy includes alt-fuel increases and revised CAFE

John Neff — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

President Bush will be addressing his first State of the Union to a Democratic-controlled Congress in about a half hour. At that time, many people in the country will be in a bad mood because their favorite TV show on Tuesday night was just preempted. Many will change the channel to watch something on cable, but some will stay to watch the president speak, and energy is one topic that will surely be discussed.

We already know what he's going to talk about because Joel Kaplan, the White House deputy chief of staff (that would be Josh Lyman's position) told us today. The big, bold move Bush will make on energy tonight will be to call for Americans to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent by 2017. A fine idea for sure, though the new Congress will disagree with President Bush on how to achieve the goal.

The administration basically has a two-pronged strategy. The first is a new mandate proposing we increase the amount of alternative fuels blended into the national fuel supply to 35 billion gallons by 2017. These fuels would now also include biodiesel, methanol, butanol and hydrogen, in addition the politically popular ethanol. The second strategy is to further revise Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards by applying the same revisions to mileage standards used recently on trucks to passenger vehicles. This is where the President and the new Democratic-controlled congress will likely butt heads the most. The Dems simply want to raise CAFE standards for passenger vehicles from the current 27.5 miles per gallon, while the administration's sliding scale applies different standards based on a vehicle's footprint or size. It's all very technical and boring, which is what we imagine the SOTU address will be tonight, but we'll watch anyways 'cause the Commander in Chief's gonna talk about cars, and we're always up for some car talk.

Feel free to post your thoughts on the SOTU in the comments, but keep it civil or we'll have to turn the comments off on this post. Thanks.

[Source: AP]

SOTU: Revised energy strategy includes alt-fuel increases and revised CAFE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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President set to address automakers, again

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:06:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Daimler, Ford, GM

It's official. We have lost count how many times the Bush administration has setup, canceled, rescheduled, canceled, postponed and told the big two-point-five that they'll call, then never do.

Well, the newest round of "Date the leader of the free world" is coming around again and the word is that the heads of Washington are planning a meeting after the November elections. Why this impromptu quick fix? It seems that Bush is due to address some GOP constituents in Detroit this Friday and failed to send out valentines to the heads of Ford, GM or DaimlerChrysler.

When it happens we'll believe it and as Inside Line put it, "If Bush has time to meet with the American Idol contestants, he'd better make some time for one of the nation's most crucial industries." Well-said nameless Edmunds' writer, well-said.

[Source: Inside Line]

President set to address automakers, again originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Three executives meet with Washington lawmakers

Chris Paukert — Fri, 19 May 2006 06:52:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Daimler, Ford, GM

The much ballyhooed meeting between domestic auto industry leaders and U.S. lawmakers came and went today, with the net-net being that the Capitol gang has pledged to work with the manufacturers 'as partners.'

Rick Wagoner (General Motors Chair and CEO), Tom LaSorda (DaimlerChrysler President and CEO) and Bill Ford (Ford Chairman and CEO) met with a pool of congressmen to discuss such issues as expanding ethanol's availability, pension policy restructuring, trade imbalances, and health care costs, but if any specific initiatives or resolutions from Thursday's meetings were reached, none have been made public.

[Source: The Associated Press]

Big Three executives meet with Washington lawmakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 May 2006 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switch Grass - the grass that gives back

John Neff — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid

Much hay has been made of President Bush's statement that the U.S. is addicted to oil during the State of the Union address. Bush also managed to slip in a little mention of Switch Grass, a native grass of this continent that could be used for making fuel much like corn is used to produce ethanol.

We caught an NPR piece on the radio about Switch Grass in which one David Bransby, a Professor of Energy Crops at Auburn University, explains what makes the grass so special. Tree Hugger has lifted the finer points of the interview and posted them here.

Some interesting details about Switch Grass are that its very hearty and can grow in diverse climates, it has a very high yield per acre with little use of pesticides and its production costs are low. Because the whole plant is used in producing ethanol, Switch Grass can also net up to 100 gallons of fuel per ton, which is better than that of corn.

Switch Grass - the grass that gives back originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Feb 2006 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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