Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Hyundai and Kia seen using fleets to boost sales numbers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/13/hyundai-and-kia-use-fleet-sales-to-boost-numbers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/13/hyundai-and-kia-use-fleet-sales-to-boost-numbers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/13/hyundai-and-kia-use-fleet-sales-to-boost-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



While most automakers are reporting double-digit drops in sales each month, Hyundai and Kia continue to swim against the current and maintain (or even increase) units sold. According to Automotive News, a significant part of their success is attributable to fleet sales - large numbers of cars going directly into rental and corporate fleets. During the first quarter of 2009 alone, more than 33 percent of Hyundai's first quarter sales of 95,854 units were fleet related. Rental car sales represented nearly 35 percent of Kia's sales during the same period.

There is nothing inherently wrong with fleet sales, but many in the industry see them as a historically-abused method to inflate numbers, an inaccurate reflection of actual showroom traffic, and a potential liability for residual values. "We accept the criticism that our fleet is up," Hyundai Motor America's sales boss Dave Zuchowski said when he addressed the issue. "But our retail share also is up and outperformed the industry."

Utilized heavily by the Detroit Three in the past, fleet sales are a double-edged sword. Automakers get a strong boost in sales when the vehicles are delivered, but then pay heavy consequences with an oversaturated segment when the cars are dumped back into the used car market. It will be interesting to see how the Korean sister brands will address this repercussion in the near future.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req'd]

Hyundai and Kia seen using fleets to boost sales numbers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dave ZuchowskiDaveZuchowskifleetfleet salefleet salesFleetSaleFleetSalesHyundaiHyundai salesHyundaiSalesKiarental carsrental fleetsrental saleRentalCarsRentalFleetsRentalSaleMon, 13 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Daimler's Car2Go program coming to Austin, Texas this fall]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/daimlers-car2go-program-coming-to-austin-texas-this-fall/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/daimlers-car2go-program-coming-to-austin-texas-this-fall/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/daimlers-car2go-program-coming-to-austin-texas-this-fall/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Last October we advised you not to hold your breath for Daimler's Car2Go program to come to America. You can breathe again. If you live in Austin, Texas you'll be able to rent a mild hybrid Smart ForTwo by the minute this fall. Austin was chosen because of its university population and its concern for the environment.

Car2Go makes its fleet available on-demand, with a clear price structure, and you can keep the car as long as you wish. Those in the program access the vehicles by swiping a tag on their driver's licenses over a card reader on the car. As with the pilot program in Ulm, Germany the service will start in Austin with an initial fleet, expected to consist of around 200 Smarts that will be available to city employees first and then expand to public use at the conclusion of a trial period.

Gallery: smart fortwo in Texas and Germany


[Source: Canadian Driver]

Daimler's Car2Go program coming to Austin, Texas this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>austinaustin texasAustinTexascar2gocoupedaimlereconomyhatchbacklifestylemild hybridMildHybridrental carrental carsRentalCarRentalCarsrentalssmartsmart fortwoSmartFortwotexasThu, 02 Apr 2009 08:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Rental fleet sales down last year, 2009 will be worse]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/rental-fleet-sales-down-last-year-2009-will-be-worse/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/rental-fleet-sales-down-last-year-2009-will-be-worse/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/rental-fleet-sales-down-last-year-2009-will-be-worse/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Last summer, it was the Detroit Three that were restraining themselves from dumping cars into the gaping maw of fleet sales just to boost the bottom line. Turns out they had some help with that discipline: Due to last year's events, rental car fleets shrunk by 400,000 units from 2007 to 2008. As we begin 2009, rental car companies have declared they will be trimming their fleet orders and curbing the number of vehicles they keep on hand even further.

Rental car companies have been thrown under a number of buses as of late. They can't borrow money to finance purchases; the recession has hammered the travel industry; wholesale used vehicle prices are falling (making rental car fleets less valuable); and besides that, car dealers can't get the money to buy the retired rental cars anyway, which subtracts yet another revenue stream.

Rental companies have been good for something like 15% of sales from General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. But not this year: Enterprise, which also buys for National and Alamo, will buy half the number of cars it did last year, and they'll keep those cars a couple of months longer. Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty also said they will buy fewer cars and work them longer. The automakers have doubled incentives to encourage sales, but there are simply no teeth left in the rental business with which to bite.

Thus, don't be surprised to find a few more stains on the seats and a few more miles on the clock the next time you find yourself at the wheel of a rental car.

[Source: Automotive News, Sub Req.]

Rental fleet sales down last year, 2009 will be worse originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chryslerDollar RentDollarRententerpriseenterprise rent-a-carEnterpriseRent-a-carfleetfleet salesFleetSalesfordgmHertzrental carrental car companiesrental carsRentalCarRentalCarCompaniesRentalCarsThriftySat, 10 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steve McQueen's stolen Cadillac recovered]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/steve-mcqueens-stolen-cadillac-recovered/#commentsFiled under: , ,



A busted car theft ring has turned up a vintage Cadillac once owned by one of the Magnificent Seven. The five-finger-discount drivers out of Colorado, headed by Jeffrey Earle Piper, would steal expensive rental cars, change their VIN numbers and "sell" them. The new "owner", who was in on the whole thing, would then report "his" car stolen and collect on the insurance policy. One of the cars found among the loot: a $133,000 1959 Cadillac - looks like a Series 62 convertible - that once belonged to Steve McQueen. It's other claim to fame: a guest spot on the TV show MacGuyver. The mystery we're still trying to solve is which one of its owners put the Yeti pelt over the driver's seat? Hat tip to Derek!

[Source: Denver Post]

Steve McQueen's stolen Cadillac recovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cadillacclassicclassic carsClassicCarscrimemacguyverrental carsRentalCarssteve mcqueensteve mcqueen cadillacSteveMcqueenSteveMcqueenCadillacstolenstolen carStolenCarFri, 26 Dec 2008 08:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Imports taking up the slack in fleet sales]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/imports-taking-up-the-slack-in-fleet-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/imports-taking-up-the-slack-in-fleet-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/imports-taking-up-the-slack-in-fleet-sales/#commentsFiled under:



OK, this seems like a no-brainer. As GM and Ford have gradually pulled back from the low-margin fleet sales market, import fleet sales have surged. After all, somebody has to keep the rental car lots filled. It's mostly been the mainline Asian automakers that have stepped in to fill the void. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and Kia have all increased their corporate sales of cars and trucks, but they still remain bit players overall. About 11 percent of U.S. import brand sales are to fleets so far this year. That is up from just 8% last year. In comparison, the domestics sell 31 percent of their overall production to corporate customers. Although some fleet sales can be quite lucrative, the vast majority of rental car sales are end-of-year surplus that is heavily discounted to move.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Imports taking up the slack in fleet sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>domesticsfleetfleet salesFleetSalesimportsrentalrental carsRentalCarsMon, 23 Jul 2007 17:56:00 EST<![CDATA[The Big-O of used car sales: Enterprise teams up with Overstock.com]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/the-big-o-of-used-car-sales-enterprise-teams-up-with-overstock/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/the-big-o-of-used-car-sales-enterprise-teams-up-with-overstock/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/the-big-o-of-used-car-sales-enterprise-teams-up-with-overstock/#commentsFiled under:

Although she might not be the spokewoman for Overstock.com any longer, Sabine Ehrenfeld is one minor celebrity we actively look for an excuse to mention. Second only to Nürburg-queen Sabine Schmitz, Overstock.com's Sabine Ehrenfeld is that super sexy, multi-talented spokesperson that reintroduced us to the Big-O a Christmas or two ago.

Well, that was sort of car-related, but there really is another reason to bring her up. It seems the online clearinghouse for seemingly everything else is getting deeper into the automotive market. Overstock has reportedly signed an agreement with rental giant Enterprise to clear out last year's inventory of fleet vehicles. With 15 million users a day, Overstock represents a huge built-in audience that Enterprise Rent-A-Car has apparently decided might be interested in their cars a,s well. As with other automotive offerings, Overstock will essentially act as a storefront rather than as an actual dealer. Maybe Schmitz will be interested in the spokesperson vacancy.

[Source: Winding Road]

The Big-O of used car sales: Enterprise teams up with Overstock.com originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EnterpriseEnterprise Rent-A-CarEnterpriseRent-a-caronline salesOnlineSalesOverstock.comrental carsRentalCarsSabine EhrenfeldSabine SchmitzSabineEhrenfeldSabineSchmitzused carsUsedCarsTue, 20 Mar 2007 16:34:00 EST<![CDATA[A dream fulfilled: Lotus Elise rentals are coming]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/16/a-dream-fulfilled-lotus-elise-rentals-are-coming/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/16/a-dream-fulfilled-lotus-elise-rentals-are-coming/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/16/a-dream-fulfilled-lotus-elise-rentals-are-coming/#commentsFiled under: ,



Yesterday, our vision of a perfect world took a small step towards reality, when Lotus announced that they would make the Elise available to select rental car agencies. The decision was made in response to the unbridled affection shown by the U.S. market for the sub-ton roadster, along with the number of requests the company received for such a service.

The press release explains that the Elise will be classified as an exotic, with all the pomp, circumstance, charges, waivers, and hefty insurance premiums that go along with the designation. The selected rental agencies weren't specified, but one could safely assume that your local Hertz, Budget, Avis or Joe's Rent-A-Wreck won't make the short list. Due to limited supply, the first batch of Elise's will only be available in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and... wait for it, Pennsylvania (?). Other states will be added as supply increases, assuming the loss ratio doesn't go through the ceiling (or, more aptly, the racetrack tire barrier).

We would ask that the first reader to find an Elise available to send us a tip, so we can do a "follow up" on the story.

A dream fulfilled: Lotus Elise rentals are coming originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Sep 2006 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eliselotusrental agenciesrental carsRentalAgenciesRentalCarsSat, 16 Sep 2006 10:08:00 EST