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Continental AG’s U.S. subsidiary announced today that it will close its Huntsville, Ala., electronics plant by year end 2010 because the UAW failed to give contract concessions.

Tags: Alabama, close electronics, Continental, Continental Ag, Continental Electronics, Contract Concessions, electronics, Huntsville, Huntsville Ala, Subsidiary, UAW, United States, Year End

Continental AG’s U.S. subsidiary announced today that it will close its Huntsville, Ala., electronics plant by year end 2010 after the UAW failed to give contract concessions.

Tags: Continental, Continental Ag, Continental Electronics, Contract Concessions, Huntsville Ala, Subsidiary, UAW, Year End

Tata Motors, India’s largest vehicle maker, posted a consolidated loss for its fiscal first quarter, but remained confident about the prospects of its loss-making Jaguar and Land Rover unit.

Tags: Earnings, First Quarter, India, Jaguar, Land Rover, Prospects, Tata Motors, Tata Motors India, vehicle maker

Continental AG’s U.S. subsidiary announced today that it will close its Huntsville, Ala., electronics plant by year end 2010 because the UAW failed to give contract concessions.

Tags: Alabama, close electronics, Continental, Continental Ag, Continental Electronics, Contract Concessions, electronics, Huntsville, Huntsville Ala, Subsidiary, UAW, United States, Year End

A former Audi sales executive and YouTube’s communications head are both joining Tesla Motors, the start-up California automaker said today.

Tags: Audi, Audi Sales, Automaker, Execs, S Communications, Sales Executive, Tesla Motors, YouTube

The cash-for-clunkers program pushed Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. light-vehicle sales to the company’s second-straight year-over-year increase in August while lessening sales declines for Chrysler Group and General Motors Co., analysts say.

Tags: Chrysler, Chrysler Group, Ford, Ford Motor, Ford Motor Co., Ford Sales, General Motors, Light Vehicle Sales, Sales Declines

Canada’s Saturn stores will wind down by the end of the year as a result of automotive entrepreneur Roger Penske’s purchase of the brand, General Motors Co. spokesman Stew Low said today.

Tags: Canada, Canada Stores, Entrepreneur, General Motors, General Motors Co., Gm, Gm Saturn, Roger Penske, Saturn, Saturn Canada, Saturn Stores, Spokesman, Stew Low, Year End

Germany’s Robert Bosch, the world’s largest partsmaker, has a new battery rival.

Tags: Chem Team, Germany, Hyundai, Hyundai Mobis, Jv, JV Germany's Robert Bosch, Lg Chem, Rival, Robert Bosch

The United States on Friday welcomed Beijing’s decision to eliminate additional charges on imported auto parts in a landmark case that ended a grace period for China after it joined the World Trade Organization.

Tags: Auto Parts, Beijing, China, Grace Period, Landmark Case, Tariffs, United States, World Trade Organization

China’s Geely Automotive has submitted the only concrete bid so far for Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo unit, a Swedish newspaper reported on Saturday, citing an undisclosed source.

Tags: Bid, China, Concrete, Ford, Ford Motor, Ford Motor Co., Geely Automotive, Undisclosed Source, Volvo

General Motors said today it has agreed to set up a light commercial vehicle production venture with major Chinese automaker FAW Group, with total investment of 2 billion yuan ($293 million).

Tags: China, China Venture, Chinese Automaker, CNY, FAW Group, General Motors, Gm, Invest, Light Commercial Vehicle, USD, Vehicle Production, Yuan

A member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party has pushed for a delay of the decision about the fate of General Motors Co.’s European unit Opel until after Germany’s federal elections, a newspaper said.

Tags: Ally, Angela Merkel, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Conservative Party, Fate, Federal Elections, General Motors, General Motors Co., German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany, Merkel party, Opel

For more than two decades, Frank Ramirez has made a living working an unusual job in Silicon Valley: assembling cars and trucks for Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motor Co.

Tags: California, car woes, Cars, Decades, Detroit, Frank Ramirez, General Motor Co., Job, Motor Co, Silicon Valley, Toyota, Toyota Motor, Toyota Motor Corp, Trucks, Woes

The Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods.

Tags: Consumer Goods, Elements, Fuel Efficiency, Gadgets, Hybrid Automobile, Hybrid Cars, Prius, Rare Earth Metals, Rare Metals

Japanese carmakers are revamping their product plans to include the more fuel-efficient vehicles required by changing regulations for corporate average fuel economy. By 2015, Nissan expects 10 percent of its U.S. sales to be electric vehicles.

Tags: Carmakers, Electric Vehicles, Era, Fuel Economy, Fuel Efficient Vehicles, More Fuel Efficient Vehicles, Mpg, Nissan, S Sales

A controversial Chinese auto executive living in exile in Los Angeles is promoting a U.S. factory project that he promises will dwarf its rivals. Yang Rong is leading a venture to build a $6.

Tags: Living In Exile, Rivals, Yang Rong

For Hummer dealer Jim Lynch, shrinking sales of gas-guzzling SUVs triggered an idea. He decided to add new accessories to the product arsenal at his Chesterfield, Mo., store: guns and ammo. With payments on his $7.

Tags: Arsenal, Chesterfield Mo, Guns Ammo, Guns And Ammo, Hummer, Hummer Dealer, Slump, Suvs

South Carolina dealer John Isgett didn’t want the headaches of the federal cash-for-clunkers program. But he didn’t want to miss out on the buzz and the showroom traffic.

Tags: Buzz, Federal Cash, Government Deal, Headaches, Showroom Traffic, South Carolina

Jim Holden won’t be writing a five-figure check to the United Way this year. Jack Thompson recently canceled a trip to Europe.

Tags: Cancel, Donations, Execs, Jack Thompson, Jim Holden, Retirement, Sell House, Trip To Europe, United Way

Dealers say cash for clunkers sparked a positive shift in consumer attitudes that will lift new-car sales in the months ahead, especially if economists are right about a handful of positive indicators.

Tags: Ahead, Cars Dealers, Consumer Attitudes, Economists, Handful, New Car Sales

Nine years after consolidating its global advertising account at Omnicom Group’s BBDO, Chrysler is reaching out beyond its agency of record for creative ideas related to its fourth-quarter ad campaign, according to executives familiar with the…

Tags: Ad Campaign, Bbdo, Chrysler, Creative Ideas, Fourth Quarter, Global Advertising, Nine Years, Omnicom Group

For more than two decades, Frank Ramirez has made a living working an unusual job in Silicon Valley: assembling cars and trucks for Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motor Co.

Tags: California, car woes, Cars, Decades, Detroit, Frank Ramirez, General Motor Co., Job, Motor Co, Silicon Valley, Toyota, Toyota Motor, Toyota Motor Corp, Trucks, Woes

A member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party has pushed for a delay of the decision about the fate of General Motors Co.’s European unit Opel until after Germany’s federal elections, a newspaper said.

Tags: Ally, Angela Merkel, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Conservative Party, Fate, Federal Elections, General Motors, General Motors Co., German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany, Merkel party, Opel

General Motors said today it has agreed to set up a light commercial vehicle production venture with major Chinese automaker FAW Group, with total investment of 2 billion yuan ($293 million).

Tags: China, China Venture, Chinese Automaker, CNY, FAW Group, General Motors, Gm, Invest, Light Commercial Vehicle, USD, Vehicle Production, Yuan

China’s Geely Automotive has submitted the only concrete bid so far for Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo unit, a Swedish newspaper reported on Saturday, citing an undisclosed source.

Tags: Bid, China, Concrete, Ford, Ford Motor, Ford Motor Co., Geely Automotive, Undisclosed Source, Volvo