Autoline Detroit: #1213
May 13, 2008
SHORT PEOPLE
In 1978 when Academy Award-winning composer Randy Newman reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his tongue-in-cheek song about short people, the “little cars that go beep, beep, beep” he said they drive, it was nothing more than a creation of his fertile imagination. How could Mr. Newman know that the automotive industry was already hard at work designing versions of his imaginary little cars? Yet those vehicles wouldn’t take the leap from designs to drivable machines for another two decades when Daimler released what it called “The smart car” and they started to “beep, beep, beep” all over Europe. But as cute and economical as those cars were, there wasn’t a market for them in America…that is until now.
2008 saw Automotive Icon Roger Penske bring the smart car to the U.S. shores for the first time. His Penske Automotive Group struck a deal with Daimler and has opened up more than 70 “smart centers” — or dealerships — around America, and so far, the reaction has been overwhelming. Before Daimler even started delivering cars to the centers earlier this year, Penske had more than 30,000 orders. Everyone from Publishing Moguls to High School Seniors have taken to Smart. The question is how long will the car stay hot?
The man in charge of those predictions as well as everything smart-related from Connecticut to California visits Autoline this week. Dave Schembri, the President of smart USA at first joins John on set to talk about Smart and its U.S. strategy. And then Dave takes over as he gives John a tour of smart USA’s unique headquarters building in suburban Detroit that is built as an appendage to one of those 70+ smart centers.
So get ready to learn about the “little car that goes beep, beep, beep” from the big guy himself.
Also, don’t forget to catch Autoline EXTRA–our Internet-only interviews available at our website, http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/.
Autoline EXTRA: #1206
May 13, 2008
Fuel efficiency is one of the hot topics right now in the auto industry. And that’s the topic of this week’s Autoline EXTRA with the president and CEO of the Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally. Alan discusses the issue and how it relates to Ford’s sustainability efforts. Joining John McElroy for the interview are Joe White of the Wall Street Journal and Csaba Csere of Car and Driver.
FTC starts process to consider rule on oil market manipulation
May 5, 2008
Using authority it received in energy legislation late last year, the US FTC on May 1 took the first step to determine whether it should develop a formal rule defining and prohibiting oil market manipulation.
Source:FTC starts process to consider rule on oil market manipulation
Bush to Congress: remove obstacles to raise oil, gas supplies
May 5, 2008
US President George W. Bush urged Congress to send a positive signal to world energy markets by removing obstacles to more domestic oil and gas production.
Source:Bush to Congress: remove obstacles to raise oil, gas supplies
EIA: Lieberman-Warner bill could raise gas prices
May 5, 2008
Climate change legislation headed for debate on the US Senate floor in early June would significantly reduce domestic GHG emissions but also could dramatically increase gas prices, EIA said.
Source:EIA: Lieberman-Warner bill could raise gas prices
