Japan’s official entry Tuesday into trade talks with Asian and Pacific countries is already drawing some concerns in the U.S.
After the U.S., Japan is now the second-biggest economy in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a group of countries that is seeking to finish negotiations on a wide-ranging trade deal as early as this year.
A trade pact among Pacific-region nations should include provisions to prevent currency manipulation, Representative Sander Levin said, siding with U.S. automakers in expressing concern about Japan’s economic policies as the nation formally joins the talks.
“We need an enforceable obligation to avoid manipulating exchange rates,” Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the House Ways & Means Committee, said today in remarks for a speech at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.
General Motors Co., in the midst of launching 20 new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the U.S. this year, is turning to some former white-collar employees to help it meet the challenge.
Among the most important new vehicles are the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Those big money-makers, last redesigned as 2007 models, are just hitting dealerships. GM North America President Mark Reuss said the launch is going smoothly, in part because the Detroit automaker has hired back retirees to work with suppliers.
DEARBORN, Mich., July 16, 2013 – As Ford’s share of the U.S. electrified vehicle market has quadrupled in the past year, the company is announcing improvements to the on-road fuel economy performance of its hybrid vehicles, hiring new engineers, and expanding its research facilities for expected continued growth.
This year, Ford’s share of the U.S. electrified vehicle market is up 12 share points to nearly 16 percent, while Toyota’s share is down 8 share points, and more customers are trading in their Priuses for the new Ford C-MAX Hybrid.
“Strong consumer acceptance of Ford hybrids shows that our plan to lead in fuel economy across our lineup is working,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. “Our commitment to deliver great fuel economy in our cars, utilities and trucks is a key reason we are seeing strong growth in coastal markets and with import buyers.”
Ford Motor Co. will double production of its MKZ Hybrid sedan for the 2014 model year, a top executive said this week.
Forty percent of overall MKZ production will be dedicated to building the hybrid model, said Raj Nair, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, at the automaker’s Dearborn campus on Tuesday.
That’s double the 20 percent production mix from the 2013 model year, the first year for the revamped luxury sedan.
DEARBORN, Michigan (AP) — Police could soon be getting some extra backup -- from their cars.
Ford Motor Co. has a new surveillance system for police cars that automatically sounds a chime, locks the doors and puts up the windows if it detects someone approaching the car from behind. The system — which Ford is patenting — is the first of its kind.
"It's like insurance. You hope you never need it. But if you do, it gives the officer a few extra seconds of warning," says Marc Ellison, vice president of operations at Auburn, Calif.-based InterMotive, which helped Ford develop it.
Toledo — Chrysler says its Ohio assembly plant should reach full production of the new Jeep Cherokee by September.
TOLEDO, Ohio- Chrysler Group LLC will show off a $500 million investment today in its Toledo Assembly Complex, home of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Wrangler.
The investment, which officials announced in November 2011, is for production of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The investment included a 260,000 square foot expansion of the plant’s body shop and a state-of-the-art, 26,000 square foot Metrology Center, which will help improve vehicle quality by verifying key measurements to ensure accurate fit and finish.
Ford Motor Co. will double production of its MKZ Hybrid sedan for the 2014 model year, a top executive said this week.
Forty percent of overall MKZ production will be dedicated to building the hybrid model, said Raj Nair, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, at the automaker’s Dearborn campus on Tuesday.
That’s double the 20 percent production mix from the 2013 model year, the first year for the revamped luxury sedan.