http://www.just-auto.comDaily automotive news and comment - from just-auto.com© 2008 All content copyright just-auto.com. Published by Aroq Ltd.Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:24:36 GMTWed, 23 Jul 2008 22:24:36 GMTjust-auto.com - RSS feedjust-auto.comhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss20http://www.just-auto.com/images/small_logo_auto.gifhttp://www.just-auto.com10021Toyota vehicle sales worldwide rose 3% year on year to 4.8m, ahead of General Motors which it also beat in the first quarter.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95513Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:25:00 GMTContinental's supervisory board on Wednesday is considering ways to deflect a takeover by family-owned Schaeffler Group.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95509Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:05:00 GMTPSA Peugeot Citroen boosted first half 2008 operating margin to 3.6% from 2.7% a year ago, saying most of the improvement was due to recovery in its automobile division.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95508Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:18:00 GMTGM's head of product development Bob Lutz was at the London Motor Show this week to participate in the launch of the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia. just-auto's editor Dave Leggett caught up with him and heard the Lutz prognosis on GM's troubles across the Atlantic.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95504Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:56:00 GMTSpain's car production this year will match the 2.9m units made in 2007 as rising sales in key markets Germany and France offset falls elsewhere in Europe, a spokesman for manufacturers' federation Anfac told just-auto.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95501Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:41:00 GMTVolkswagen and Fiat - like PSA earlier - both posted better than expected results on Wednesday due to cost cuts, allowing them to keep their financial targets and boosting their share prices.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95514Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:42:00 GMTNissan Europe's sales and marketing chief has told just-auto that he believes electric vehicles (EVs) represent the future for Nissan and that the vehicle manufacturer that takes the lead in EVs in the next three to four years will likely lead the industry.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95512Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:20:00 GMTAs the US car shows signs moving towards small, fashionable and fuel-efficient vehicles, BMW's Mini unit is preparing its first electric vehicles for launch there in 2009 with a small crossover utility vehicle to follow.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95510Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:54:00 GMTAs a number of European vehicle manufacturers push ahead with plans to market more diesel cars in the US market, GM's global head of product development Bob Lutz told just-auto that there are significant problems for diesel that will hold back its market penetration there.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95505Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMTThe Times, citing unnamed sources, said Ford is expected to say it will convert three North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, will realign factories to make more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its next European car models for sales in the United States.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95503Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:49:00 GMTAs demand grows for smaller, fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota Motor Sales USA is adding the five-door hatchback version to its 2009 line, dubbing it the 'Liftback'.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95511Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:16:00 GMTKia will almost certainly make a convertible version of its European-built c'eed model, but not until the next generation model due in 2011.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95507Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:51:00 GMTLexus will only bring in to the UK hybrid versions of its RX sport utility vehicles when the new model is launched next year. Miguel Fonseca, UK managing director of Lexus and Toyota in the UK said that sales of petrol-only versions of the current are disappointing. He admitted that Lexus sales in general are suffering as consumers shy away from luxury vehicles as they tighten their belts.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95506Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:49:00 GMTToyota Motor Europe (TME) is to spend EUR26.7m relocating its parts centre in Spain (TPCES) to a newly constructed, larger facility scheduled for completion in 2010.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95502Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:23:00 GMTGeneral Motors in the US faces a two-year wait before employee benefit changes made to restore profitability can begin kicking in, according to General Motors Europe chief Carl-Peter Forster.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95500Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:18:00 GMTGeneral Motors' global product development head is a committed fan of electric vehicles, he said on the sidelines of the British motor show in London on Tuesday.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95497Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:51:00 GMTGeneral Motors has made a "complete total global commitment to a massive onslaught of new products in the next 24 months," vice chairman, global product development, Bob Lutz said at the London motor show on Tuesday (22 July).http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95494Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:56:00 GMTAs Henry Ford might have said, you can have any colour you like as long as it's green. Ford's new, low emission Fiesta ECOnetic follows the company's ethos of bringing motoring to the masses.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95495Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:32:00 GMTChevrolet has unveiled the production 2010 Camaro that will be built at GM's Oshawa Car Assembly Plant. GM trumpeted the fact that the heritage-inspired sports car includes a relatively frugal 9.0 L/100km estimated highway fuel consumption on the high volume V6 models. Sales begin in the first quarter of 2009.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95492Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:03:00 GMTFaurecia has announced first half financial results which show improvement on last year in line with the company's recovery plan. The results sent its share price up.http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?ID=95498Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:17:00 GMT