Public Impound Cars is in reality a very common topic and you can easily find umpteen number of articles about public impound cars on the web.Thus, there must be something different in this article to expect one to read it. You would have to read this article to find that difference. http://www.publicimpoundcars.com Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:56:57 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/ford-plans-plug-in-hybrids-for-2012.html Ford Motor says it will have plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in showrooms in 2012, promising 30 miles on battery power before the gasoline engine kicks in. Ford plans to underscore that promise with an announcement here today that it has contracted for lithium-ion battery cells with Johnson Controls-Saft, a U.S.-French joint venture that manufactures the batteries in France. Ford's buying enough cells for 5,000 plug-in vehicles a year and will assemble them into auto battery packs in North America, says Nancy Gioia, Ford's hybrid chief, but she wouldn't specify where. Nor would she say what the plug-in vehicle would be. Ford is demonstrating the technology in a 2009 Escape SUV. Ford becomes the latest automaker to set a public deadline for offering the fuel-saving vehicles, known as PHEVs. General Motors says it will sell a PHEV version of the Saturn Vue compact SUV in late 2010 or early 2011. If the Saturn brand has been sold or discontinued, as GM has hinted, another GM brand would sell the PHEV. Toyota Motor says it will sell a PHEV soon but hasn't been specific. GM, Nissan and Chrysler have said they will sell battery-only vehicles in the U.S. in 2010; Ford in 2011. Those are not hybrids and must be recharged by plugging into a household outlet for hours. GM's Chevrolet Volt battery car, promised for November 2010, is unusual. It has a four-cylinder gasoline engine to recharge the batteries or run a generator to power the car, but the gas engine never directly drives the car, as it would in a true hybrid. GM says Volt can go 40 miles on a full plug-in charge. PHEVs have smaller, lighter, less-expensive batteries than pure electric vehicles. But they have bigger batteries than conventional gas-electric hybrids, so they can run longer on batteries only. As a result they potentially can use no gasoline... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/growth-market-for-suvs-iraq.html Just as General Motors is halting production of the Hummer, and other sport-utility vehicles fall out of favor with cost-conscious and eco-friendly Americans, the gas-guzzling behemoths are experiencing a rebirth among young and wealthy Iraqis. "Eighteen-year-olds, they buy the Hummer," says Hidar al-Dalfiy, who opened a dealership called Hummer Cars in eastern Baghdad five months ago. "It's showing off." Most Iraqis avoided driving flashy cars during the worst years of the war, fearing it would make them a target for kidnapping or worse. Now that security has improved, Hummers -- the slimmed-down, civilian versions of the U.S. military Humvees that have patrolled Baghdad for six years -- have earned a reputation as a sturdy car that can stand up to Iraq's crumbling streets. "The Iraqis are very rich," said Shwan Burhan, a car dealer in the Zaiuna district of Baghdad. "As soon as the security improved, they started buying cars." Lower-priced Korean and German cars are still the best sellers in Iraq, according to al-Dalfiy and other dealers. While there are no nationwide data on sales of American cars in Iraq, Burhan says he has sold 150 of them in the past two years -- compared with none before that. Other dealers also said sales were up. Hazam Bakir, a Baghdad businessman, says his regular drives from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra now look like caravans of American SUVs. The high prices of the American cars -- a lightly used Hummer H3 typically goes for a little more than $30,000 -- are somewhat offset by Iraq's low gas prices of about $1.65 a gallon. The nation sits on the third-largest oil reserves in the world, so prices rarely rise too much. Dealers said that high-ranking government and security officials favor large GMC Yukons, while families looking for cheap but reliable American SUVs tend to opt for... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/hard-times-rev-up-car-repairs.html More motorists are fixing their old cars instead of buying new ones, in hopes their jalopies will survive a long recession. Auto dealers and garage owners say they are seeing drivers pay more attention to regular maintenance and be more willing to spring for costly major repairs now that they are reluctant to trade in their junkers. "People are hanging on to them right now, and they've got to keep them running," says Tim Smith of Bob Smith BMW/Mini in Calabasas, Calif. Working to save Old Bessie: *Dealer servicing. Parts and service departments are expected to see a revenue gain of about 3% this year, forecasts Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association. That would be up from 1.8% for the first 11 months of 2008. Dealers count on servicing to offset falling new car sales. Jason Brickl of Ballweg Chevrolet in Middleton, Wis., says his service department has seen a 17% sales gain the past 12 months. *Repair shops. Some 60% of the independent mechanics responding to a survey by Automotive Service Association reported sales up last year over the previous year. Only 14% reported a decline. This year, 76% say they expect more work. Shop owners say, "It's common these days to hear from motorists, 'I don't want to buy a new car right now so ... should I spend the money and fix this one?' " says ASA spokeswoman Angie Wilson. *Roadside assistance. Though AAA says roadside assistance calls have remained fairly steady at nearly 30 million a year, memberships, which usually include towing benefits, rose by about 500,000 last year to 51.3 million. "People are taking a little better care of their cars," says Michael Calkins, manager of AAA's approved auto repair shop program. Motorists are hanging on to vehicles longer. The average age of the entire U.S. fleet of cars... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/help-pave-the-way-for-greener-cars.html I support President Obama's directive to the Transportation Department requiring automakers to boost fuel efficiency for 2011 model cars ("The push is on for greener cars," Money, Tuesday). I also think allowing California to require more stringent greenhouse gas limits, which the Bush administration blocked, is an idea whose time has come. Maybe this time, rather than make special cars for California, the industry will adapt the standards for all vehicles. Some people in the auto industry object because "the moves could narrow car-buying options." My reply: "So what?" I would have no problem if my Ford didn't look very different from my neighbor's Chevy, if I thought I had successfully participated in reducing our dependence on foreign oil producers, some of whom might sponsor terrorism. Giving up a bit of style or size is one way we citizens can help make our country and the world a safer place. Besides, we Americans have enjoyed meeting the challenge to sacrifice things when it puts us in a position to end up the winner. This change has the potential for a big high-five down the road. Let's get it done. Jack Harney Venice, Fla. Focus on one standard President Obama's efforts to tighten auto standards come on the heels of other reversals of Bush policy. This action seems to be merely a demonstration of his stance on environmental policy or perhaps he is trying to distance himself from the Bush administration. Forcing automakers to develop cars to fit the new national fuel-efficiency standards and California's more stringent ones, if the waiver is granted, will only complicate an already sickly market. It would be better to focus on developing vehicles to fit one standard. Our auto industry is inadequately financed and would falter if forced to meet the demands of both policies. Meaghan McCafferty Fountainville, Pa. Let government buy cars Instead of coercing automakers... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/hybrid-cars-appeal-fades-so-do-prices.html Used hybrid values are down 23.5% since their peak last summer, says Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation for Kelley Blue Book. Just since the beginning of 2009, they've fallen 4.5%, while used vehicle prices overall are going up as more buyers opt for used over new. Last summer, when gas prices topped $4 a gallon, demand for hybrid cars skyrocketed. Used hybrids were selling for as much as a new hybrid's sticker price, Flores says, and new hybrids had waiting lists and sold for well above sticker. Now, Flores says, a one-two punch of the recession and low gas prices are hurting used hybrid sales. "The premium between a hybrid and a non-hybrid is probably not justifiable in the minds of the consumer during this recessionary period, because you're not going to make your money back," he says. Consumers have become much more price-sensitive, Flores says, and if they can't justify the extra cost upfront of a hybrid, they won't buy one. Many new hybrid cars cost about $3,000 more than their non-hybrid equivalent. When gas costs more, the math makes more sense. If gas costs around $3.50 a gallon, it takes about 3.5 years to recoup the extra cost of a Toyota Prius. When gas gets more expensive, it takes less time to make up that extra cost; when the price falls, it can take a decade to make up that money. Mike Jackson, CEO of auto retailer AutoNation, says demand for hybrids and other very fuel-efficient cars has fallen off a cliff. "The industry switched over to producing fuel-efficient cars all summer, and now, all those vehicles are in stock," Jackson says. "Now, we have fuel-efficient cars as far as the eye can see." Jackson has favored increasing the gasoline tax, bringing the price of gas to about $4 a gallon to stimulate consumer... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/sales-of-new-autos-still-falling.html Sales of new cars and trucks this month are collapsing almost too fast to track. The February sales pace through the first half of the month appears to be at an annualized rate of fewer than 9 million. "Data collected from dealers suggests sub-9 million SAAR for February," says Jeff Schuster, forecasting chief for auto consultant J.D. Power and Associates. SAAR stands for seasonally adjusted annual rate, or total new vehicles sales if that month's pace held for a year. That's well off January's 9.6 million pace, which had been considered about as bad as things could get. It was the first month with an annualized rate below 10 million since August 1982, says sales tracker Autodata. The last time consecutive months were that low was June-August 1982. In 2008, 13.2 million new vehicles were sold. That was few enough to send Detroit automakers to the government for financial aid and cause even profit machines such as Toyota to forecast a loss for the year. New car shopper activity the first half of February was down almost 6% from January at auto shopping site kbb.com, spokeswoman Robyn Eckard says. "Nobody's buying cars," says Stephanie Brinley, analyst at AutoPacific. "If it collapses more than this, everybody will be back at the table" asking for even more federal emergency loans. The U.S. bailout so far -- $13.4 billion to General Motors, $4 billion to Chrysler -- has "allowed manufacturers to keep operating, but hasn't improved consumer confidence, hasn't opened the credit markets," she says. "It doesn't solve the problem." In progress reports filed Tuesday under the deal for those loans, GM asked the government for $16.6 billion more, and Chrysler said it needed another $5 billion to continue operating. But in calculating their needs, according to the reports, GM assumes 10.5 million total industry U.S. sales this year, and Chrysler... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/used-car-sales-and-prices-rise.html Used car salesmen are becoming the kings of the lot as demand for such vehicles is starting to rise. While new car sales continue to fall, many dealers are finding buyers are willing to spring for a good used car instead. The volume of used cars sold through dealers rose 3.1% in February compared with last year, the first year-over-year increase in 12 months, reports CNW Marketing Research. By contrast, new car sales slid 41.4% in February from a year ago. Wholesale used car prices have risen steadily since October, including a 1.1% rise in February compared with January, says Tom Kontos, chief economist for Adesa Analytical Services, though they remain lower than in February 2008. "People are trying to be a bit more responsible in their major purchases," Kontos says, making used cars more attractive. It's "another sign of prudence." AutoTrader.com, an online listing site for used vehicles, says it's seeing the same price trend at retail, especially for larger vehicles. The average price of all Ford F-150 pickups listed on the site is up 2.9% from October, spokesman Brian Gluckman reports. Driving the increases: *Necessity. A used car is a more economical alternative if the current car dies. "There are people who need vehicles," says Mike Maroone, president of AutoNation, the country's largest dealer chain. *Scarcity. Rental car agencies, a top source for late-model used cars, are clinging to their fleets longer to save cash. And poor new car sales also cut supply. "Dealers aren't getting any trade-ins," says Tom Webb, chief economist for Manheim Consulting. As a consequence, "they are bidding up prices at auction" to have used cars to sell. *Desirability. Dealers can buy just the used cars that they think will sell rapidly. With new cars, they often have to take an automakers' slow sellers if they want more of the hottest models. Plus, used... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100 http://www.publicimpoundcars.com/general/wheels-in-his-head-go-round-and-round.html For the past few years I have driven a neighbor's car to work. She hardly ever used it and made the offer one night over dinner. I accepted. It was a Nissan Maxima, although the car never lived up to the billing. Everyone called her Minima instead. I didn't care. I loved her, and I sensed a certain respect in return. Minima and I got along famously. Like the girl who's not much of a looker, Minima had a great personality. Yes, she had a few dents in her rear, a few rust spots on her belly, and you never, ever, felt as if you were riding on air, but Minima never failed to get me to work. And now she's gone. My neighbor retired last month and moved to Rhode Island, taking Minima with her. Minima's departure means I have returned to mass transit, not necessarily a bad thing in this age when we're all supposed to be green. Green is good. Even if Minima were hardly a huge gas-guzzling SUV, she was still a car taking up space on the road, polluting the air. So these days I take a subway to a bus that eventually gets me to the office. And in the process I have returned to my first love: I get to people-watch, analyze them, then write their life story. For as long as I can remember, I have passed time trying to figure out who people are. In airports. At the mall. On the subway and the bus. The woman reading the trashy paperback. Is she on her way to a job at Macy's? Does she still have issues with her mother? Does she like that book? The young man lost in the music that is rumbling through his headphones, music even I can hear three seats away. Is he hoping to start... articles - General Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:10 +0100