Audi News - Audi going to full LED lighting on the R8 for just $5,600

, MPG, Audi

In the ongoing effort to improve fuel efficiency on vehicles, automakers are looking for ways to reduce parasitic losses that absorb power from the engine rather than sending it to the drive wheels. That means replacing constant drive hydraulic steering assist systems with on-demand electric equivalents and just generally trying to cut the power requirements for all accessory systems. One area that draws power is the lighting system. Cutting the power requirements for headlights is a tricky problem since performance needs to be maintained for safety reasons. One of the best new technologies for lighting is LEDs. Last year Lexus launched LED low beam headlamps on the LS600h and now Audi is taking the next step with the R8 sports car.

Audi has just added a new full LED light option that includes high and low beams, turn signals and daytime running lights. The cluster contains 54 LEDs that never wear out, provide better lighting performance and use less power. There is just one problem, as usual with new technology: it’s expensive. Audi is charging a €3,590 ($5,600 U.S.) premium for the full LED system. Eventually the price will come down, hopefully sooner rather than later and on a car like the R8 it probably won’t make much difference to the mileage. Nonetheless all of these little things add up and help. Going forward as we move to electrified cars, reducing the electrical power draw will be even more critical. By the middle of the next decade when we have significant numbers of electric cars coming to our roads we will probably start seeing LED lighting going mainstream. Details from Audi after the break.


Press Release:

Ingolstadt, 2008-05-30

The finest in lighting technology:

First full-LED headlamp for the Audi R8

• 54 high-performance LEDs provide all lighting functions
• Color similar to daylight offers advantages at night
• Innovative lighting technology as option

Ingolstadt - Effective immediately, the range of equipment available for the Audi R8 sports car now also includes the first full-LED headlamp. In addition to the daytime running light which now features 24 LEDs per headlamp, light-emitting diodes are also used for the turn signals, the low-beam and the high-beam headlights. The €3,590 option rounds out the list of equipment available for the high-tech, mid-engine sports car.

The earlier launch of LED technology at the front of the car required a waiver by the European Union. The prominent advantages are lower energy consumption and a color that more closely resembles daylight, provides greater contrast and is easier on the human eye. LEDs are also non-wearing, require a lower voltage, are compact and offer greater design freedom.

The new full-LED headlamp represents the pinnacle of Audi’s lighting strategy. The use of LEDs already enjoys a long tradition. This innovative technology has previously been used in production vehicles for tail light functions, brake lights and daytime running lights. Since early 2003, Audi has also used the semiconductor technology in a number of concept cars to implement some or all of the lighting functions at the front of the car.

The brand with the four rings first introduced a strip-shaped fog lamp at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. That same year, the Audi Nuvolari quattro showing the first full-LED headlamp was a highlight of the Geneva Auto Show. And the Le Mans quattro - a legitimate predecessor to the Audi R8 - illuminated the Frankfurt night with LEDs on the eve of the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Additional concept cars and many refinements to the light source and headlamp geometry followed. This technological highlight is now available as an option for the Audi R8, where it joins other very well-known high-tech components such as the aluminum Audi Space Frame, ceramic brakes and the mid-mounted V8 engine with FSI technology.

[Source: Audi]

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Ford News - Officially, official: Ford to build Fiesta in Cuautitl n, Mexico, US gets hatch!

, Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

Ford has finally made it official: the upcoming Fiesta for the North American market will be built at the company’s assembly plant in Cuautitl n, Mexico. Job 1 for Ford’s new B-class car will be coming up in early 2010. The plant near Mexico City currently builds F-Series pickups for the Mexican market and will be re-tooled starting later this year after production of the current generation trucks winds down. Once the revamp of the factory is complete, it will supply Fiestas for all North American markets. As part of the announcement, Ford also confirmed that U.S. customers will also get three body flavors of the Fiesta to choose from. In addition to the originally planned four-door sedan, we will indeed get both the three- and five-door hatchbacks. No word yet on which powertrains we’ll get for the Fiesta.

Ford also announced that the Chihuahua Engine Plant that builds four cylinder engines right now will add a new line to produce diesels for the light and medium duty trucks. This would be the 4.4L diesel V8 that is being added to the F-Series lineup next year.

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Press Release:

FORD FIESTA PRODUCTION TO BEGIN IN EARLY 2010; EUROPEAN HATCHBACK ADDED FOR NORTH AMERICA

• Ford Fiesta for North American customers will be produced at Ford’s Cuautitl n Assembly Plant beginning in early 2010
• Sporty European hatchback model added for North America, alongside popular sedan
• Cuautitl n Assembly Plant transformed from large-truck to small-car production as part of Ford’s manufacturing realignment and investment in smaller, fuel efficient vehicles
• New diesel engine line at Chihuahua Engine Plant and a new joint venture transmission plant with Getrag in Guanajuato also planned

MEXICO CITY, May 30, 2008 - Ford Motor Company today announced the new Ford Fiesta small car for North America will be produced at the company’s transformed Cuautitl n Assembly Plant beginning in early 2010 and a sporty European hatchback model is being added to the North American lineup alongside the popular sedan.

Transformation of the facility near Mexico City begins this year, as the plant is converted from its current production of F-Series pickups for the Mexican market to small cars for all of North America. The Chihuahua Engine Plant, which builds I-4 engines, also will assemble diesel engines for light- and medium-duty trucks in a variety of global markets. In addition, through a joint venture with Getrag (GFT), Ford will establish a new transmission plant in Guanajuato to support various Ford products. Company officials announced the trio of investments jointly with Mexico President Felipe Calder n Hinojosa.

The new multi-plant development effort represents a $3 billion U.S. investment, including the support of local suppliers. It is Mexico’s largest ever automotive investment. The moves are expected to create approximately 4,500 Ford jobs. Together with all direct and indirect employment at suppliers, the moves affect 30,000 jobs in Mexico.

“Ford is absolutely committed to leveraging our global assets to accelerate the shift to more fuel-efficient small cars and powertrain technologies that people really want and value,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally, who was in Mexico for the announcement. “Our investments in these facilities in Mexico are part of our plan to further realign our manufacturing capacity in line with the introduction of more small cars and crossovers.”

A small car concept called the Verve showcased the design direction for the new Fiesta when it debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Both sedan and hatchback models were displayed - with high praise from customers and the news media.

“Customers responded very positively after seeing both the sedan and hatchback versions of the Verve small car concept,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas, Ford Motor Company. “We know the market is headed toward more small cars and crossovers. With our product and manufacturing flexibility, we will be able to offer both models and add production capacity.”

The New Ford Fiesta

When it goes on sale in North America in 2010, the new Fiesta will be bold and sophisticated - to help it clearly stand out from other small cars on the road. Ford is building on decades of small car leadership in Europe as it develops the new Fiesta for North America to appeal to increasingly savvy customers who value technology, design and fuel efficiency.

Momentum in small-car sales is outpacing overall industry growth worldwide. Globally, small car sales have grown from 23 million units in 2002 to an estimated 38 million in 2012.

Driving the growth in the North American market is a group of young people aged 13 to 28 years - dubbed “Millennials.” Today, this group stands 1.7 billion strong worldwide and will represent 28 percent of the total U.S. population by 2010.

The Fiesta is the first of Ford’s new global family of small cars set to debut in Europe and Asia later this year and next year - and in North America early in 2010.

“We’re looking at every aspect of what’s defined Ford as a small-car leader in Europe and working to build on this expertise in driving dynamics and design across a global family of Ford cars that are as exciting to drive as they are to look at,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Fiesta is designed to set a new world standard for quality, design, fuel economy and comfort in the small car segment.”

Ford in Mexico

With this investment, Ford - the first automaker to establish operations in Mexico - is building on a manufacturing presence of more than 80 years and an equally long tradition of supporting local communities.

“This opportunity to strengthen our business and the local industry has been made possible through support from the federal and state governments,” said Louise Goeser, president and CEO, Ford of Mexico. “We look forward to working together to drive continued success in the future.”

Ford officials made the announcements in a joint event featuring President Calder n as well as Governors Enrique Pe a Nieto, Jos Reyes Baeza and Juan Manuel Oliva Ram rez.

The total investment is expected to increase Ford of Mexico’s annual production to nearly 500,000 vehicles and 330,000 engines by 2012, with nearly 80 percent of the vehicles and most of the engines slated for the North American market.

Today, Cuautitl n Assembly Plant makes trucks for the Mexican market, ranging from the Ford F-150 to the F-550. To meet future demand, trucks for Mexico will be imported from the U.S., making room for a new generation of small cars that are stylish and fun to drive.

Ford also has stamping and assembly plants in Hermosillo, Sonora, where the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans are built. These mid-size cars are sold throughout North America as well as Venezuela and Brazil and have won numerous quality awards.

“Our workers at the Hermosillo plant have been a key part in boosting Ford’s overall quality,” Fields said. “Ford vehicles are among the best in the business in terms of initial quality, and we intend to keep raising the bar with each new product we bring to market, including Fiesta.”

[Source: Ford]

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Toyota News - Toyota denies decision has been made to build Prius in U.S. at joint GM plant

, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota, Green Daily

Responding to a Tokyo Shimbun story that said discussions with GM were underway, Toyota says that no decision has been made about potentially building the Prius at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), the joint Toyota-GM plant in California. The AP reports that Toyota is stepping back from the rumor that the Prius could be built in North America for the first time. The Prius is currently made in Japan and China. Officially, Toyota’s statement said, “We are always considering the best places for production, but nothing has been decided about producing the Prius at NUMMI.” We do know that Toyota will build two new hybrid battery plants (and expand a third) in Japan for increased hybrid vehicle production. If the Shimbun story is true, then major components (like those batteries) would be shipped to NUMMI for final assembly. Something tells me we’ll hear more about this in the future.

[Source: Automotive News Europe (subs req'd), AP]

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[tags]toyota cars, toyota news, toyota suv, toyota[/tags]

CEO says Hyundai “green line more advanced than Prius”

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hyundai, Toyota

Toyota pretty much has the hybrid market cornered right now with its Prius sedan, and the automaker is reaping the benefits of the model’s fuel efficiency in the form of record sales. This fact also makes Toyota the envy of various other automakers, considering that their hybrid sales make up a sliver of the overall market. This being the case, nearly every competitor is currently developing advanced hybrid models of their own, including Hyundai, which plans on offering hybrid models for sale in the year 2010.

According to Hyundai CEO Dr. Kim Dong-Jin, its new hybrid technology is “more advanced than the Prius.” Don-Jin goes even further, calling the best-selling hybrid model “now quite old-tech.” The first Prius was designed back in the late ’90s while the current model has been on sale since 2002, and we all know how quickly technology advances. Still, calling out the Prius, which is pretty much the preeminent green car in the world, before your answer to it is even on the market, isn’t likely to win the Korean company any friends. Plus, a next-generation Prius with a new version of the company’s Hybrid Synergy Drive in on its way and will likely reach showrooms by the time Hyundai begins offering its own hybrid. Yes Hyundai, your first hybrid may be better than today’s Prius, but can it beat tomorrow’s?

[Source: Autocar (print edition) via Winding Road]

 

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Spy Shots: Pontiac G6 gets minor nose job

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac

Click above for high-res gallery of refreshed Pontiac G6 spy shots

The Pontiac G6 is one of those alright-looking cars that isn’t begging for a total redesign, so General Motors is planning a mid-cycle refreshening of the car’s nose instead. The updated design was recently photographed by spies, actual spies, around Detroit, and the changes to the G6 schnoz are clear. Pontiac designers will be adding some creases to the new front end giving it some angularity that’s lacking on the current model, while the twin air intakes of the current car that mirror the grille shape will be replaced with one central lower air intake flanked by two smaller ones and requisite fog lamps. There may be some tweaks to the rear taillamps as well, but we’re told those will be minor. Thankfully, the 2009 G6 comes available with GM’s new six-speed transmission for the first time, making the overall package much more enticing. Some minor plastic surgery should only sweeten the deal for this very competent car in Pontiac’s lineup.

[Source: KGP Photography]

 

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