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Sunday, 3 March 2013

Honda, SolarCity will partner on solar-energy installments

Honda, SolarCity will partner on solar-energy installments For the longer term, the companies say they'll work on ways to further the possibilities for drivers of plug-in vehicles like the Honda Fit EV and the Accord Plug-in Hybrid to charge their cars via sunlight. Check out the press release below.

Honda, SolarCity will partner on solar-energy installments

Add Honda to the list of companies that Elon Musk is partnering with. This time, though the CEO of Tesla Motors is not involving his electric car company, but instead the home solar-panel installation company SolarCity, chaired by Mr. Musk, which will work with the Japanese automaker to increase the number of installations at homes and dealerships throughout SolarCity's 14-state territory.

Honda, SolarCity will partner on solar-energy installments

The two companies are starting a $65-million fund to be used to partially subsidize installation of solar-panel systems at Honda dealers and at the homes of Honda and Acura drivers. The companies plan on working with "hundreds" of Honda dealerships and "thousands" of homeowners. SolarCity says its systems can cut homeowners' utility bills by reducing power demands from the grid.

Honda, SolarCity will partner on solar-energy installments

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy The increasing sales success of Honda North America (HNA) has led to Honda brass in Japan reorganizing regional operations here. The management shuffling here and in Japan is intended to both streamline and confer more responsibility on HNA "as the region assumes a larger role in shaping Honda's global business," and as Honda builds more facilities that serve several roles in the product development pipeline.

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy logo

Honda's executive vice president and president of HNA Tetsuo Iwamura was named COO of automotive operations, taking over a position that had been handled by company president Takanobu Ito. Iwamura's new role puts him in charge of anything Honda makes that has four wheels, which Automotive News says equates to 78 percent of the company's global revenue.

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy

The current company CFO, Fumihiko Ike, will fill the now-vacant role of company chairman and Kohei Takeuchi will take his place. Takeuchi is presently the operating officer, general manager of the accounting division. The executive swaps take effect April 1, 2013.

Beyond that, a company called Honda North America Services (HNAS) will integrate IT systems, human resources and other responsibilities and streamline operations such as purchasing and manufacturing. It will pluck 50 employees from Honda's offices in Torrance, California, the new company being based in Honda's offices in Marysville, Ohio.

Honda wants to "deliver high quality products to the consumer more quickly and efficiently," and HNA is also expected to have more input into product development. Honda won't confirm it, but that could mean that the next Honda Accord is developed here. Read more in the press release below.

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy

Zipcar plugs Honda Fit EVs into Portland fleet

Zipcar plugs Honda Fit EVs into Portland fleet Portland, OR, is a smart place to go if you're in the car sharing or electric vehicle business. It's a town where it's cool to recycle, to embrace your eclectic or idiosyncratic side and to check out carsharing and electric vehicles.

Zipcar plugs Honda Fit EVs into Portland fleet

Zipcar and Honda are betting on Portland, and will be expanding their carsharing partnership there. The carsharing giant is adding a number of 2013 Honda Fit EVs to its Portland fleet, with the first ones rolling on campus at Portland State University There are a number of charging stations in town already, and Ecotality will be providing Blink charging stations and access to its network, where Zipcar members can make reservations to charge the cars.

Zipcar plugs Honda Fit EVs into Portland fleet

Portland State University made sense for Zipcar, what with its commitment to environmentally conscious innovations and Electric Avenue charging stations on campus and all. The new Fit EVs start at $10.25 an hour. Members who book Fit EVs in Portland will have full access to the Blink charging network throughout the Portland area. Every Fit EV in the Zipcar network comes equipped with a Blink InCard, providing complimentary access to Blink Network charging stations.

Zipcar plugs Honda Fit EVs into Portland fleet

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches General Motors has announced a recall of 118,800 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks due to the possibility of secondary hood latches not being installed at the time of manufacture. The affected vehicles are from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 model years, all of which were built between November 9, 2009 and August 28, 2012.

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches interior

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches back seat

According to the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, these trucks fail to "comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 113, 'Hood Latch System.' The hood may be missing the secondary hood latch." In other words, owners of these trucks could find their vehicles' hoods opening unexpectedly while driving.

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

The official recall campaign is expected to begin on January 17, 2013. Dealers will inspect the affected pickups and if a secondary hood latch is not present, one will be installed free of charge. Scroll down to read the official NHTSA report.

GM recalling 118K Colorado, Canyon pickups over missing hood latches

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition Another month, another car pack for Forza Horizon. This time it's the Recaro Car Pack featuring a motley gang of cars and trucks: the 1983 GMC Vandura G-1500, 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R, 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV, 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR, 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition and 2012 Lotus Exige S.

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

It'll be up for download on Xbox Live on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 for 400 MS Points. As usual, if you have the Forza Horizon Season Pass you can get them all free, and Season Pass holders will also get a bonus car that's not pictured: the 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster.

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

The Pagani is everything opposite to that Vandura, but while you might not ever win anything with the van, you can always use the back of it as a place to give out free hugs. Check out the video and press release below for more details.

Forza Horizon announces January Recaro Car Pack with LFA Nürburgring Edition

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs General Motors says its next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade models will offer shoppers improved interior differentiation. Car and Driver recently caught up with Chris Hilts, GM's creative manager of interior design, who said that the cabins will all feature unique instrument panels, consoles, center stacks and switchgear moving forward. Apparently GM is now aware that consumers may be bothered by the fact that today's $85,000 Escalade has effectively the same cabin as a $45,000 Tahoe. Hilts says SUV buyers want more refinement than their pickup purchasing counterparts – and those same buyers also want their SUVs to have more exterior differentiation between the company's Silverado and Sierra pickup lines. Shocking.

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum front 3/4 view

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum rear 3/4 view

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum front 3/4 view 1

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum rear 3/4 view 1

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum side view

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum front view

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum rear view

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum cup holder

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum dash

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum badge

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum engine

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum hybrid system info

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum headlight

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum rear seat television screen

2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum front 34 view 4

That all sounds good to us, but we've heard this song and dance before. GM made big waves about how different the new-for-2013 Silverado and Sierra would look from each other, but judging by what we've seen so far, GM's stylists are painting in shades rather than with the full spectrum. For more on the what to expect out of GM's new SUVs, click on the C/D link below.

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

GM recalls full-size truck, SUVs and vans over faulty shifter mechanism

GM recalls full-size truck, SUVs and vans over faulty shifter mechanism Twelve different General Motors vehicles from the 2013 model year, up to 54,686 units in total, are being recalled over two potential issues with their steering columns. The models in question, all full-size trucks, SUVs or vans, are the: Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Savana, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL.

GM recalls full-size truck, SUVs and vans over faulty shifter mechanism

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel front 3/4

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel rear 3/4

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel front

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel side

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel rear 34

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel CNG Fill 1

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel CNG Fill

2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel CNG nozzle

The affected vehicles were built with a fractured parking lock cable or "a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly." As a consequence, they could shift out of park without the brake pedal being applied or with the key removed or in the off position.

GM recalls full-size truck, SUVs and vans over faulty shifter mechanism

A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the recall should begin on January 17. GM will notify owners, at which time they can take their vehicles to their dealers for repair free of charge. Have a look at the bulletin below for more information.