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March 2011

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Monday, March 7, 2011

Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation Announces Completion of its Equity Private Placement of $58 Million

Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation Announces Completion of its Equity Private Placement of $58 Million

PR Newswire KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 7, 2011 KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 7, 2011 -- Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation ("Smith") today announced the issuance and sale of $39 million of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and the conversion of Bridge Notes and the exercise of related Warrants into $19 million of Serie ... Continue reading

KAR Auction Services, Inc. Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences

KAR Auction Services, Inc. Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences

CARMEL, Ind.--KAR Auction Services, Inc. today announced its participation in the following investor conferences which will also be available via live audio webcast: Credit Suisse 13th Annual Global Services ConferenceEric Loughmiller, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President and Michael Eliason, Vice Presi ... Continue reading

Mineta Transportation Institute Study: Are Mileage Fees and Land-Use Planning Mutually Supportive?

Mineta Transportation Institute Study: Are Mileage Fees and Land-Use Planning Mutually Supportive?

PR Newswire SAN JOSE, Calif., March 7, 2011 For planners: mileage fees matters to land-use planning, and vice versa. SAN JOSE, Calif., March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) has just released its Research Report 10-04, The Intersection of Urban Form and Mileage Fees: Findings ... Continue reading

Alliance to Save Energy Says Greater U.S. Energy Efficiency Can Counter Spiking Oil, Gas Prices That Threaten Economic Recovery

Alliance to Save Energy Says Greater U.S. Energy Efficiency Can Counter Spiking Oil, Gas Prices That Threaten Economic Recovery

PR Newswire WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The recent gasoline and oil price spikes that threaten the nation's fragile economic recovery underline the urgent need to curb U.S. energy use and make a real commitment to energy efficiency as our "first fuel," the Alliance to S ... Continue reading

Chevrolets Tweet to SXSW Using Futuristic OnStar Technology

Chevrolets Tweet to SXSW Using Futuristic OnStar Technology

PR Newswire DETROIT, March 7, 2011 DETROIT, March 7, 2011 -- Ten teams from across the nation raise funds for a good cause powered by OnStar First public test for OnStar intelligent Twitter technology OnStar to lead panel on "The Connected Car: Driving Technology" at SXSW OnStar-equipped Chevrolet vehicles will come to ... Continue reading

Liberty Tire Recycling to Highlight Benefits of Rubberized Asphalt at 54th Annual New Jersey Asphalt Paving Conference

Liberty Tire Recycling to Highlight Benefits of Rubberized Asphalt at 54th Annual New Jersey Asphalt Paving Conference

PR Newswire PITTSBURGH, March 7, 2011 PITTSBURGH, March 7, 2011 -- Liberty Tire Recycling, the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America, will share the benefits of rubberized asphalt to attendees of the 54th annual New Jersey Asphalt Paving Conference, being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Br ... Continue reading

ZoomSafer Closes Additional $1.1 Million Financing

ZoomSafer Closes Additional $1.1 Million Financing

RESTON, Va.--ZoomSafer, the leading provider of risk management software to prevent employee use of mobile phones while driving, announced today that it has raised an additional $1.1 million round of financing from White Birch Capital and SugarOak Holdings. Proceeds will fund expanded marketing and further development ... Continue reading

Compli Appoints Jeremy Davey as Vice President of Engineering

Compli Appoints Jeremy Davey as Vice President of Engineering

PORTLAND, Ore.--Compli®, the nation's trusted provider of HR and compliance management software, has appointed Jeremy Davey as Vice President of Engineering. In his new role, Jeremy will be responsible for managing the engineering team as well as coordinating the company’s technology strategy to i ... Continue reading

Professor Bengt Johansson Awarded Volvo Scholarship

Professor Bengt Johansson Awarded Volvo Scholarship

GÖTEBORG, Sweden--Regulatory News: Volvo (STO:VOLVA)(STO:VOLVB): Today March 7, the Håkan Frisinger Foundation for Transportation Research will be presenting its scholarship for 2010 to Bengt Johansson, professor at the Lund Institute of Technology. The scholarship, worth SEK 250,000, will be awarded to ... Continue reading

Fred Meyer Stores Partners with ECOtality to Install Blink EV Charging Stations

Fred Meyer Stores Partners with ECOtality to Install Blink EV Charging Stations

SEATTLE--ECOtality, Inc. , a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, today announced the company’s partnership with food retail chain Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co. . Fred Meyer will install ECOtality’s Blink Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Commercial Pede ... Continue reading

GM Technical Fellow David Lancaster Wins SAE International Medal of Honor

GM Technical Fellow David Lancaster Wins SAE International Medal of Honor

PR Newswire WARRENDALE, Pa., March 7, 2011 WARRENDALE, Pa., March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Dr. David R. Lancaster, Technical Fellow in Engine Development, General Motors is the recipient of the 2011 SAE International Medal of Honor. The medal will be presented during the SAE 2011 World Congress. The Medal of H ... Continue reading

IDC Manufacturing Insights Teams with Society of Automotive Engineers to Study the Impact of New Vehicle Technology on Diagnosis & Service

IDC Manufacturing Insights Teams with Society of Automotive Engineers to Study the Impact of New Vehicle Technology on Diagnosis & Service

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--IDC Manufacturing Insights today announced the launch of a joint study with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) on the impact of increased vehicle technology on service, diagnostics, and technician safety. The study targets not only the technicians at dealerships and independent repair faciliti ... Continue reading

Chrysler Group LLC Celebrates Production of the All-New 2012 Fiat 500

Chrysler Group LLC Celebrates Production of the All-New 2012 Fiat 500

PR Newswire MEXICO CITY, March 7, 2011 MEXICO CITY, March 7, 2011 -- Mexican President joins Chrysler Group CEO to acknowledge Company's commitment to Mexico Significant launches and investments across the company in 2010 set foundation for 2011 New Fiat 500 heads to North and South America; Exports to China to begin i ... Continue reading

Dow Kokam Powers Medium-Duty PHEV/EV Commercial Vehicles for Fleet Operations

Dow Kokam Powers Medium-Duty PHEV/EV Commercial Vehicles for Fleet Operations

PR Newswire MIDLAND, Mich., March 7, 2011 MIDLAND, Mich., March 7, 2011 -- Dow Kokam, a leading large-format battery system producer, announced today in advance of the Work Truck Show that it has signed two new agreements to provide advanced lithium-ion battery solutions to power medium-duty plug-in hybrid electric (PH ... Continue reading

ECOtality Commences Blink Residential Charging Station Installations in Washington

ECOtality Commences Blink Residential Charging Station Installations in Washington

SEATTLE--ECOtality, Inc. , a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, today celebrated the installation of the company’s leading Blink™ Level 2 Residential Charging Stations in the state of Washington. The company will install Blink EV charging stations in homes thro ... Continue reading

Atterro Human Capital Group Awarded Three-Year Contract with Toshiba International Corporation

Atterro Human Capital Group Awarded Three-Year Contract with Toshiba International Corporation

MINNEAPOLIS--Atterro Human Capital Group, national provider of diversified human capital services, has announced the award of a three-year agreement to provide talent acquisition and contingent workforce management services to Toshiba International Corporation. “By leveraging Atterro’s talent acquis ... Continue reading

GM's OnStar to Tally 7.9 Million Subscribers in 2017

GM's OnStar to Tally 7.9 Million Subscribers in 2017

Note to Journalists iSuppli is now part of IHS. Please reference IHS iSuppli in terms of data and analysis. GM's OnStar to Tally 9 Million Subscribers in 2017 El Segundo, Calif., March 7, 2011-Subscriptions to OnStar <http://www.isuppli.com/Automotive-Infotainment-and-Telematics/News/ Page s/GMs-OnStar-to-Tally-9-Milli ... Continue reading

Consumers Pay Almost 200% More Than Necessary on Auto Loan Rates

Consumers Pay Almost 200% More Than Necessary on Auto Loan Rates

PR Newswire BURLINGTON, Mass., March 7, 2011 BURLINGTON, Mass., March 7, 2011 -- Auto finance is one of the largest lending markets in the U.S., second only to mortgages. Auto loans and leases make up about $850 billion in American debt, more than the credit card industry. Even student loans are only about half the siz ... Continue reading

More Than Half of AutoTrader.com Car Shoppers Looking for More Fuel Efficient Vehicles as a Result of Rising Gas Prices

More Than Half of AutoTrader.com Car Shoppers Looking for More Fuel Efficient Vehicles as a Result of Rising Gas Prices

PR Newswire ATLANTA, March 7, 2011 ATLANTA, March 7, 2011 -- A full 53% of car shoppers on AutoTrader.com in February said they are more likely to consider a more fuel-efficient car than the one they currently own as a result of rising fuel prices, according to a just-completed survey of visitors to the car-shopping an ... Continue reading

Independent SAE-Type Test Confirms Hino Trucks 19.8% Advantage in Fuel Efficiency

Independent SAE-Type Test Confirms Hino Trucks 19.8% Advantage in Fuel Efficiency

PR Newswire NOVI, Mich., March 7, 2011 NOVI, Mich., March 7, 2011 -- The 2011MY Hino Truck model 268 (25,950 lbs. GVW) significantly outperformed a key competitor in fuel efficiency in a recent independent real world test. The Hino averaged more than 19% percent better fuel economy than a comparably equipped 2011MY Int ... Continue reading

SAE International 2011 World Congress Career Fair Offers Opportunities for Mobility Professionals

SAE International 2011 World Congress Career Fair Offers Opportunities for Mobility Professionals

PR Newswire DETROIT, March 7, 2011 DETROIT, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Companies seeking automotive engineering professionals will be able to meet with prospective candidates at the SAE 2011 World Congress Career Fair in Detroit. The career fair will be held Tuesday, April 12, and Wednesday, April 13, fro ... Continue reading

Carfax, DealerTrack Host Next PowerUp Webinar Mar. 11; Evaluating Core Inventory

Carfax, DealerTrack Host Next PowerUp Webinar Mar. 11; Evaluating Core Inventory

Please see the attached advisory for details about the next Carfax 'PowerUp' webinar taking place this Friday, Mar. 11. Carfax will be joined by Dennis Carey of DealerTrack to discuss evaluating inventory needs and best practices to help dealers sell cars faster for more money. Please contact me with questions or for m ... Continue reading

New Fujitsu CD-less Audio Design Kit Enables Low-Power, Low-Cost Digital Audio Systems for Vehicles

New Fujitsu CD-less Audio Design Kit Enables Low-Power, Low-Cost Digital Audio Systems for Vehicles

PR Newswire SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 7, 2011 SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 7, 2011 -- Fujitsu Semiconductor America, Inc. (FSA) today introduced a new CD-less Audio Design Kit, a complete reference solution featuring decoding and playback of popular digital audio files such as MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA), Ogg Audio and A ... Continue reading

Nelson Piquet Jr. Truck Series Advance: Darlington Raceway

Nelson Piquet Jr. Truck Series Advance: Darlington Raceway

DAMA DE PRETO (LADY IN BLACK): For the second race in a row, Nelson Piquet Jr. will face a new track as he attempts to tame the "Lady in Black," Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a 1.366-mile intermediate-length track with short track characteristics. Two of Piquet Jr.'s three top-10 finishes in 2010 came at intermediate trac ... Continue reading

Green Automotive Begins Final Testing of All-Electric SUV for US Delivery

Green Automotive Begins Final Testing of All-Electric SUV for US Delivery

DALLAS--Green Automotive Company Corporation (OTC:GACR) announced today that Roush Industries has been retained to provide structural and vehicle engineering support as the Company begins the process of testing and confirming that its All-Electric SUV meets or exceeds all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. “W ... Continue reading

Weekly NHTSA Recalls

Weekly NHTSA Recalls

NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 11V148 Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. Make / Model Years : TOYOTA / 2008-2011 Subject : TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM/FMVSS 138 NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 11V147 Manufacturer : TIMPTE, INC. Make / Model Years : TIMPTE / 2006 Subject : WHEEL SEPARATION-ARVINMERITOR NHTSA Cam ... Continue reading

Citroen Announces New LCV Management Team

Citroen Announces New LCV Management Team

With immediate effect Scott Michael has been appointed as Citroen's Commercial Vehicle Operations Manager, reporting to Martin Hamill, Head of Commercial Vehicles and Business Sector. Scott replaces Robert Handyside who has been promoted within Citroen to the Paris-based position of B2B Development Manager. ... Continue reading

More Than 80 Percent of Car Shoppers Say Gas Prices Have Influenced Vehicle Purchase Considerations

More Than 80 Percent of Car Shoppers Say Gas Prices Have Influenced Vehicle Purchase Considerations

PR Newswire IRVINE, Calif., March 7, 2011 IRVINE, Calif., March 7, 2011 -- According to the latest Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com Market Intelligence survey concerning consumer sentiment and gas prices, the current economic situation coupled with concern over the rise in gas prices has caused an increasing number of new ... Continue reading

BAF Technologies Launches New Line of Bi-Fuel Ford Vans & Pick-Ups

BAF Technologies Launches New Line of Bi-Fuel Ford Vans & Pick-Ups

DALLAS--BAF Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp. , has expanded its CNG product line to include Ford vehicles equipped with the BAF proprietary bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) system. “Not only will our new BAF bi-fuel models provide commercial and municipal fleets with increased flexi ... Continue reading

Bosch Recognised as a Business Superbrand for 2011

Bosch Recognised as a Business Superbrand for 2011

DENHAM, England, March 7, 2011 -- The announcement of Superbrands 2011 confirms Bosch as one of the UK's leading business to business brands. The announcement follows a robust research process administered independently by The Centre for Brand Analysis, which analysed the views of an Expert Council and 2,000 UK busines ... Continue reading

Audi Adds Even More Power For Best Ever Silverstone Driving Experience

Audi Adds Even More Power For Best Ever Silverstone Driving Experience

Dreams of deftly tackling Silverstone in the formidable Audi R8 V10 can now be lived out in all their glory as part of the Audi Driving Experience, the 2011 version of which not only includes plenty of circuit time in the celebrated ten-cylinder, 187mph super car, but also the 450PS RS 5 and 340PS TT RS coupés. ... Continue reading

Haas Automation Racing: Ryan Newman Las Vegas Race Report

Haas Automation Racing: Ryan Newman Las Vegas Race Report

Las Vegas, Mar. 7, 2011: Ryan Newman overcame an ill-handling racecar to score a solid fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was Newman’s second consecutive top-five effort of the season, and it moved him to fifth in the championship poin ... Continue reading

Mobil 1/Office Depot Racing: Tony Stewart Las Vegas Race Report

Mobil 1/Office Depot Racing: Tony Stewart Las Vegas Race Report

Las Vegas, Mar. 7, 2011: Las Vegas Motor Speedway had been one of two tracks the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits where Tony Stewart had yet to win, and despite leading four times for a race-high 163 laps in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas, it remains one of two tracks where Stewart has yet to win. Despite h ... Continue reading

Bayne, Wood Brothers Pleased With Their Performance At Las Vegas

Bayne, Wood Brothers Pleased With Their Performance At Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Mar. 7, 2011: Although the final result didn’t truly reflect it, Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers left Las Vegas Motor Speedway looking a lot like the driver and team that won the Daytona 500 two weeks ago. Early in the Kobalt Tools 400, Bayne had driven his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion fr ... Continue reading

Kinetic Motorsports BMW Finishes In Top 15 At Homestead

Kinetic Motorsports BMW Finishes In Top 15 At Homestead

Homestead, Mar. 6, 2011: Homestead, Florida…The #33 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3 E92 of Jade Buford and Bryan Sellers finished in the Top 15 at Homestead Miami Speedway today in the Grand Sport (GS) class, but the team expected a lot more out of the car. After Jade Buford qualified the car 26th in the GS class, the ... Continue reading

Winners Crowned At Inaugural BFGoodrich SCCA Super Tour At TWS

Winners Crowned At Inaugural BFGoodrich SCCA Super Tour At TWS

COLLEGE STATION, March 6, 2011: The inaugural BFGoodrich SCCA Super Tour crowned 28 winners on Sunday at Texas World Speedway under sunny skies as part of the second race of the Texas Two Step Double National hosted by the Lone Star Region. 157 cars took the green flag during six group races in the first of six Super T ... Continue reading

Engine Malfunction Stalls Smith's Performance In Las Vegas

Engine Malfunction Stalls Smith's Performance In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS. March 6, 2011: For the second week in a row Regan Smith experienced the ugly side of auto racing. Last week in Phoenix Smith got collected in an early multicar accident. And in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway it only got worse for the Furniture Row Racing driver, who was forced to retire ... Continue reading

Toyota NSCS Las Vegas Post-Race Notes & Quotes

Toyota NSCS Las Vegas Post-Race Notes & Quotes

Martin Truex Jr. (sixth) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Camry driver Denny Hamlin (seventh) and 10th) also earned a top-10 in the 400-mile event. Other Camry drivers in the race at the 1.5-mile oval included David Reutimann (13th), K ... Continue reading

Team JEGS Pre-race Notes NHRA Tire Kingdom Gatornationals

Team JEGS Pre-race Notes NHRA Tire Kingdom Gatornationals

The Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals will mark the season debut for Troy Coughlin in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. There are ten Pro Mod events on the schedule for 2011. Last year, Troy Coughlin drove his JEGS.com Chevy Camaro to a fourth place finish in the highly competitive series. Troy will be racing a P ... Continue reading

New Chairman For Citroen National Dealer Council

New Chairman For Citroen National Dealer Council

Tom Lander, Operations Director of the Yeomans Group, has been elected as the new Chairman of Citroen's National Dealer Council. ... Continue reading

Mazda Launches New Brand Campaign In Europe

Mazda Launches New Brand Campaign In Europe

This year's Geneva Motor Show was the venue for the world premiere of Mazda's new multi-channel brand campaign that will tell the fascinating story of Mazda using new media forms. ... Continue reading

British Talent at the Core Of Vauxhall's Design Influence

British Talent at the Core Of Vauxhall's Design Influence

British Designers are playing a major role in the design of Vauxhall's new generation products and are also influencing pan-European and global designs. ... Continue reading

Kia Sportage Is Carbuyer's First Car of the Year

Kia Sportage Is Carbuyer's First Car of the Year

The Kia Sportage has been named CarBuyer's Car of the Year as well as Best 4x4 in the website's inaugural awards. ... Continue reading

Continued Success For Swift - Suzuki's Compact Supermini Global Sales Exceed Two Million Units

Continued Success For Swift - Suzuki's Compact Supermini Global Sales Exceed Two Million Units

When Suzuki launched the Swift six years ago; it brought a blend of eye-catching good looks, Japanese quality and European - inspired driving dynamics to the compact car segment. ... Continue reading

One Year's Free Insurance? Of Corsa You Can!

One Year's Free Insurance? Of Corsa You Can!

Vauxhall is offering a year's insurance-free motoring to all new pre-facelift Corsa customers this month, topped up with a range of attractive finance deals and zero-deposit offers that make the Corsa a must-see choice for buyers after the best new-reg deal in town. ... Continue reading

Vaux Rocks To No.1 Spot In February's UK Car Sales

Vaux Rocks To No.1 Spot In February's UK Car Sales

Vauxhall dominated UK car sales last month with a total of 9,812 cars registered, nearly 2,300 more than that achieved by any other manufacturer. ... Continue reading

Kia Motors Australia Extends Support To Timor-Leste

Kia Motors Australia Extends Support To Timor-Leste

Kia Motors Australia is helping the world's oldest Catholic Charity extend its palliative care and medical services throughout East Timor (Timor-Leste) by providing it with a Kia Sorento AWD. ... Continue reading

All-New Ford Ranger's Got Your Back

All-New Ford Ranger's Got Your Back

The all-new Ford Ranger has resolved one of the problems of high-riding pickups - limited rear vision when reversing. ... Continue reading

Hyundai Appoints Weber Shandwick As Its Australian PR Partner

Hyundai Appoints Weber Shandwick As Its Australian PR Partner

Hyundai Motor Company Australia has appointed Weber Shandwick to advise on a range of strategic initiatives that will underpin the company's public relations and communications efforts in 2011 and beyond. ... Continue reading

VACC Joins Chorus Of Opposition To Gillard's Carbon Tax

VACC Joins Chorus Of Opposition To Gillard's Carbon Tax

VACC, the peak automotive industry body in Victoria, has joined other leading Australian business groups in questioning the Federal Government's intended introduction of a carbon tax from July 2012. ... Continue reading

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