Auto Alliance

Arguments over whether cyber-security researchers should have the right to experiment on cars may not end when the U.S. Copyright Office issues a key ruling expected later this month.

"Automakers believe that strong consumer data privacy protections are essential to maintaining the trust of our customers." – Mitch Bainwol

Tesla took two more steps towards being allowed to sell its vehicles as it chooses (that is, direct to customers) this week. Legislative efforts in New Jersey and New York both gave the California automaker legal permission (or near permission) to operate its stores. It's gotten so bad – or good, depending on your views, that other automakers are starting to speak up.

Mary Nichols, chairman of California Air Resources Board, recently took a jab at automaker trade groups for urging the US Environmental Protection Agency to block California's zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates. They're undermining the progress they've been making in creating the market for electric cars and other ZEVs, she said.

Why Automakers Are Increasingly Entering Alliances

"I don't think we're very enamored with being Number One just to be Number One," Ford Global Marketing Vice President Jim Farley says of his expectations for the 2013 Ford Fusion. Interest in the Fusion spiked after the 2013 model's premium-look sheetmetal made a splash at this month's Detroit Auto Show, so it's na

What's the difference between 56.2 and 54.5 miles per gallon? Way more than 1.7 mpg, that's for sure.

What's the difference between 56.2 and 54.5 mpg? Way more than 1.7 mpg, that's for sure.

The fight against E15 is heating up as a group of automakers have joined together to file a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to make available higher blends of ethanol for newer vehicles.

Even though sales of its Mustang have been solid and even improving as of late, the powers that be have reportedly decided to eliminate the second shift at the Auto Alliance International (AAI) factory that assembles the Blue Oval's pony as well as the slow-selling Mazda6. The factory in Flat Rock, MI which is jointly owned by Ford and Mazda had

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources heard testimony on expanding the presence of electric cars in America. In short, the hearing gave plug-in vehicle supporters a chance to tell lawmakers what they think of this new breed of vehicles. There was a lot said in favor of plug-in vehicles, even if the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers did send a representative to voice some of the group's concerns about the bill under discussion (the Sebastian Blanco

The Auto Alliance does not like feebates as a way to get cleaner vehicles on the road. Dave McCurdy, Alliance president & CEO, says a "feebate tax" [his words] is not the way to enact change. Why does the Alliance feel the need to speak out against feeble? Because the California Air Resources Board is considering adopting them and has tasked researchers at the University of California – Davis to

First reactions to the new CAFE standards announced yesterday are positive, with both the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Auto Alliance praising the new Clean Cars rules. UCS called the new 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016 number "a really big deal" that will allow Americans to "driv

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and 13 other groups that make up over 90 percent of the retail gasoline providers in the U.S. have issued a joint letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and the White House asking that any decision on introducing E15 (a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent petroleum gasoline) into the national supply be made slowly. Last month, t

The Cash For Clunkers program, officially known as CARS, is a program in flux. If you missed the CARS news over the weekend, read this post. Here's what has happened since then:

Here's the thing: American automakers used to fully support E85-capable (aka flex-fuel) vehicles. With a few cheap additions to a standard engine ($100, or thereabouts), a car cou

I doubt that the Auto Alliance got official sanctioning for this (where would you go, Congress?) but May has been declared "National EcoDriving Month." That means that the Alliance and their EcoDrivingUSA program are out "encouraging all drivers to take simple steps to improve their fuel efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint." The main message of the month is that anyone, from you and me to the Alliance's racing partner, Indy Goes Green, sponsor

Today's EPA's decision to put CO2 on the list of greenhouse gases that endanger human health sets up a totally predictable confrontation with the Auto Alliance. The reason is that if CO2 can be regulated, then there is the potential for individual states (i.e., California) to enact their own greenhouse gas regulations. This, of course, could result in the Alli

Auto Alliance President and CEO Dave McCurdy has released an Op-Ed titled "Embracing Change" in which he unsurprisingly uses can-do enthusiasm to explain just how well the big automakers are gearing up for the low-carbon economy and don't want a nasty patchwork of laws. McCurdy repeats the automakers' new rallying cry for "a smart and predictable regulatory environment." Translation: California had better not get to Sebastian Blanco