Economic Slump Drives Used Car Sales, Prices Up
from USA Today
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. More

Washington State Legislation Would Harm Association Health Plans
from Automotive Service Association
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is urging automotive repairers in the state of Washington to contact their state legislators in opposition to House Bill 1714, concerning association health plans (AHPs). On Jan. 27, 2009, Washington state Rep. Eileen Cody introduced two pieces of legislation that could be harmful to state association health plans. The automotive repair industry, like other small businesses, is suffering through these economic times. These bills would place a significant burden on the small-business community and its efforts to reduce costs. More

NAVTEQ Map and Positioning Engine Development Platform Enables Immediate Testing
from ABRN
NAVTEQ, a global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has released its new Map and Positioning Engine Development Platform. The MPE Development Platform demonstrates the concept of an embedded ADAS map and electronic horizon in the vehicle to serve numerous applications ranging from driver assistance, to active safety to enhanced fuel economy and reduced greenhouse emission. More

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Teaming Up to Power Up
from The New York Times
Turbochargers and superchargers would seem to be archrivals in the world of modern engine design. Each of these power-boosting devices, which operate by forcing more air into an engine than it would draw on its own, has proved effective in making small, fuel-efficient 4- or 6-cylinder power plants deliver V-8 punch. But to this day, decades after they first appeared, there is no definitive answer as to which is better. More

Two ASA Benefit Providers Team Up to Bring More Value to ASA Members
from Automotive Service Association
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) announces sponsored benefit providers Mitchell 1 and Automotive Service Leaders (ASL) are partnering to provide ASA members and the industry with an educational Webinar on ShopMeter, a free ASA benefit powered by Mitchell 1. The ASL Showcase Webinar, “ASL Showcase and ASA – Know the Numbers. Use the Numbers,” will take place Thursday, March 26 at noon Central time. ShopMeter provides useful key performance indicator (KPI) data giving users the chance to see how their shop’s performance stacks up with other regional shops and compare these metrics with national averages. Armed with this information, ASA members can take proactive steps to increase their business. More

California Utility Prepares for Surge in Plug-in Electric Cars
from USA Today
Automakers envision electric cars as a solution to gas price jumps. Environmentalists see bluer skies. And electric utilities? They could be the biggest winners of all. Electric cars use lots of juice and are typically plugged in to recharge at night when utilities have excess power-generating capacity. That's great for power companies. More

Fighting for Time
from The New York Times
In his office at Chrysler's world headquarters, Robert L. Nardelli, the chairman, works standing at an elevated desk. He thinks better on his feet, he said, even when he uses his computer. But with the automaker Chrysler on the brink of insolvency, his legs must be getting sore. More

Coating Makes Scratches on Cars Disappear
from Reuters
Scientists have developed a polyurethane coating that heals its own scratches when exposed to sunlight, offering the promise of scratch-free cars and other products, researchers said. "We developed a polymeric material that is able to repair itself by exposure to the sun," said Marek Urban of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, whose study appears in the journal Science. More

Back by Popular Demand: ASA Announces Benefit Provider Networking Reception at 2009 Annual Convention
from Automotive Service Association
Attendees of the Automotive Service Association's 2009 Annual Convention will have an opportunity Friday, May 1, to meet and mingle with some of the sponsored benefit providers who provide products and services to ASA members. The event, which was added to the agenda last year and proved to be popular among attendees and vendors, will allow ASA members to learn more about the money-saving benefits available to them, while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and networking with peers. More

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Engines for Hybrids Take a Supporting Role
from The New York Times
Electric cars, in one form or another, are taking an increasingly important role in the future of personal transportation. That does not mean the internal combustion engine, our faithful power source for more than a century, is on its way to the scrap heap anytime soon. But the familiar petroleum-fueled engine is being reconfigured for a considerably different role in the electric propulsion era. More

Worst is NOT Over: RMA Sees Further Shipment Fall
from Tire Review
RMA now says that 2009 U.S. tire shipments will fall more than 7 percent, a sharp drop that follows a 9 percent overall decrease in 2008. RMA projects that total tire shipments will decline by some 21 million units to 261 million tires, "a level last experienced in 1993 and approximately 60 million units fewer than the 321 million unit peak in 2000," the group said. More

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GM CEO Sounds Alarm on Suppliers
from The Detroit Free Press
General Motors Corp. Chairman Rick Wagoner warned that the financial stability of U.S. auto suppliers was "getting more precarious," and that a GM bankruptcy could lead to the company's demise. Wagoner's comments came as President Barack Obama's auto task force told a group of Michigan lawmakers that the team would present a plan for addressing the crisis in the U.S. auto industry as soon as next week, with more substantial details to follow. More

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