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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
BMW Group Middle East awarded 26 Sales Executives
Last November 1 at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, BMW Group Middle East has awarded 26 sales executives with official BMW Sales Certification. It was in the 5th graduation ceremony, which is part of BMW’s Sales Certification programme. There were three different certifications given, namely: BMW Certified Sales Executives, MINI Certified Sales Executives and Premium Selection Certified Executives (for Used Cars). BMW Group Middle East organized the BMW Sales Certification programme to make sure all sales executives for BMW and MINI are representing the premium values of the brands in dealing with customers. The programme provides the sales executes with a comprehensive understanding of the products and brands they represent. It includes a process of six training session modules. Every sales executive is required to pass all six sessions in order to qualify for the highly sought-after accreditation and be granted with a certificate. The BMW Sales Certification Programme’s objective is to efficiently uphold BMW’s brand reputation throughout the entire region. The training process will continuously persist in their careers. Their performance and achievement are also continuously monitored to maintain competence being part of the company. Well, it is good to know that there is such programme existing. In some way, it helps in building the foundation of a big company like BMW.
Posted at 11:36 pm by KimAnderson
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
UK as one of the Top Five Global Hybrid Electric Vehicle Markets
Nowadays, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are slowly but surely capturing the interest of everyone. Its popularity is spreading dramatically all throughout the world. The United Kingdom is enlisted as one of the top five global hybrid electric vehicle markets. Currently, the developed countries within are dedicated in promoting HEVs, while the developing countries are subsequently incapable of enforcing the use of such vehicles. Considering that there is increasing demand of gas along with price rise and environmental concerns, the market was driven to adapt the kind of vehicles as they are in need of alternative solutions. A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan World Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Battery market showed that the growth in the hybrid market exceeded all the hybrid sales forecasts. Since 2000, the UK hybrid market witnessed a steady growth pattern. From then on, it never has even a slight decrease in growth rate. In fact, by 2006, the HEV sales mounted to about 23 percent in developed countries, which included U.S., U.K. and Japan. So what makes the HEVs very much in demand? Well, it combines the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors, which can be configured in order to achieve improved fuel economy, increased power, and better performance, resulting from very low green house gas emissions. Amazing, huh? Instead, yes. That's why the concept of hybrids is currently used in a wide range of vehicles from bicycles, passenger cars to heavy vehicles like railway locomotives, buses, heavy good vehicles, and others. Passenger cars, which are classified as light weight HEVs, are more popular in the UK market, among that wide range of vehicles. Suba Swaminathan, Frost & Sullivan's Team Leader Power Systems Group, said, "The advantage that a HEV offers with regard to construction and design aspects is that the engine designed in a HEV is small, which makes these vehicles more efficient." To make it more precise, read on these following advantages of small engines in HEVs, featured in theautochannel.com: - Smaller the engine, lesser the weight. This makes HEVs lightweight compared with conventional vehicles, which makes the former consume less energy than the latter during uphill drives.
- The internal components and pistons are small for a small engine, and therefore, less energy is consumed for its operation.
- The displacement of engine cylinders are small for a small engine, and hence fuel usage is reduced.
- HEVs use regenerative braking mechanism by means of which energy is stored in the battery when the brake pedal is applied. This stored energy is utilized for the vehicle's operation, thereby minimizing the strain on engines.
- When a HEV is stopped at red lights, the engine can be turned off and operated on electric motor and battery, thereby minimizing the fuel usage to a significant extent.
Electric cars like G-Wiz, Sakura and NICE Mega City, together with hybrid cars such as Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Lexus RS, and GS Hybrids, have the privilege of exemption from the London Congestion Charges. Such exemption allows London commuters to save as much as £1600 every time they drive in and out of the city center. It is being implemented to boost EVs and HEVs market in UK. According to Swaminathan, "Although hybrids are available in the automobile for the past 10 years and are not as popular as conventional vehicles, the advantages of using hybrids are more with regard to economical and environmental aspects… One of the advantages of using HEVs is: improved fuel economy. Hybrids require much lesser fuel than conventional vehicles, offering greater savings on fuel costs. Another advantage is improved efficiency. In fact, they offer more mileage compared with conventional vehicles, which makes HEVs require minimal gas. They are environment friendly; hybrids have much lesser greenhouse gas emissions, and are therefore capable of reducing the smog-forming pollutants in the atmosphere; tax credits and incentives. Finally, many governments across different countries promote HEVs by offering tax credits and incentives that make HEVs affordable." Thus, HEVs are the most compatible next-gen vehicles that are not just user-friendly, but environment friendly as well. In time that the Asia Pacific countries join the venture, the growth of HEVs is expected to accelerate to a significant extent for the next five years or more.
Posted at 01:40 am by KimAnderson
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2008 Volvo Calendar: “North American Iron Mark Tour”
Volvo presents its 2008 calendar entitled "North American Iron Mark Tour", which refers to the historic badge found on the grille of Volvo truck and to the way the photography of the calendar crisscrosses the continent. This calendar will be reflecting the combined efforts of Volvo and its dealer network. The Volvo Truck dealers are from the 12 cities in Canada, Mexico and the US. They all are the ones that provide trucks and local support to Volvo's photographic team. Tony Picarello, Volvo's executive director of marketing, said, "The support our dealers provided in creating this calendar mirrors the support they give Volvo customers every day in North America." "The photos in the calendar showcase our beautiful trucks, but the test for each month ties in how Volvo and its dealers drive success for our customers through parts, service and advanced features such as Volvo Link Sentry," he added. Don't get it wrong. The trucks shown in the calendar will not be "show trucks", but depicted vehicles that are real-world trucks, which are chosen straight from dealer inventories in each city. According to an article in trucknews.com, Volvo Trucks North America will take the two months in the 2008 edition dedicated to scenic Canadian landscapes as part of the new calendar. I suppose you guys wouldn't want to miss a copy of the new calendar. So, what are you waiting for? Go and grab one, as it is already available from Volvo dealers. Or, you could purchase online through volvocalendars.com.
Posted at 08:14 pm by KimAnderson
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Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Top 12 Drivers in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
I missed last weekend's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series becuase I was just too busy the past few days I could hardly check for updates. Good thing I got the weekly grading from sportingnews.com, the top 12 drivers in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points standings. These were from Sunday's UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway: - Jeff Gordon, A - 5,690 - If a horse or a long-distance runner lays back in the field and kicks at the end and wins, people celebrate the strategy. So why all the negativity because Gordon led only the final lap? Ali had the Rope-a-dope. Perhaps this should be called the Nap-a-lap. Bottom line: Gordon won, and he won within the rules. Enough said.
- Jimmie Johnson, A - 5,681 - For the skinny on second place Johnson, see Gordon.
- Clint Bowyer, B - 5,627 - Big day for Bowyer, who finished 11th for his best finish at Talladega (previous finishes were 40th and 35th twice). While other cars with RCR-DEI engines were developing problems, Bowyer's 07 was not as he employed the same conservative strategy of Gordon and Johnson.
- Tony Stewart, A - 5,536 - Stewart led 38 laps, second only to teammate Denny Hamlin's 40, and finished eighth. Stewart's average running position of 5.7 was best by far, as were his 180 laps in the top 15. He did everything but win. He even gave Gordon the winning bump. But Smoke was shuffled back on the last lap. Such is life at restrictor plate tracks.
- Kevin Harvick, C - 5,488 - Harvick was an RCR-DEI engine casualty on Lap 143 when he dropped a cylinder. He was running 28th at the time but was able to finish the race, coming in a respectable 20th.
- Carl Edwards, B - 5,485 - Edwards ran a similar race to Gordon and Johnson - he just didn't have a similar finish. Edwards was fifth at the start of the final lap and working with Denny Hamlin. But when Hamlin pulled out of line, there went Edwards' drafting partner. He was hung out to dry and finished 14th.
- Kurt Busch, A - 5,475 - Busch was right there at the end, pushing teammate Ryan Newman on the outside line. But the Hendrick train of Johnson, Gordon and Casey Mears had more power and steamed past low. Busch finished seventh and moved up two spots in the standings.
- Kyle Busch, F - 5,430 - Hendrick put three cars in the top six. Busch's was not one of them. He was caught up in a crash on Lap 144 and finished 36th with his second crash and DNF of the season. The other one? In April at Talladega.
- Denny Hamlin, A - 5,428 - Hamlin posted his best finish at Talladega, fourth. He drove so well that he finished with the best driver rating, 109.0 (Stewart was second at 104.2). By comparison, Gordon's rating was 76.0 and Johnson's was 78.7.
- Martin Truex Jr., F - 5,390 - Truex's RCR-DEI engine failed on Lap 113, and he finished 42nd.
- Matt Kenseth, C - 5,372 - Kenseth also was collected in the crash on Lap 144, but he was able to return to the race and finished 26th, 17 laps back.
- Jeff Burton, F - 5,354 - Burton's car was the first to have problems with the RCR-DEI engines. He lasted 91 laps and finished last.
So, there you go my co-aficionados.
Posted at 05:54 pm by KimAnderson
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Sunday, October 07, 2007
Saab for GM Mobility Program
Recently, General Motors has decided to add the entire line of Saab vehicles to its GM Mobility program, as reported in huliq.com. Under such program, if you will purchase any new 2007 or 2008MY Saab vehicle as well as either install or reinstall eligible adaptive mobility equipment, you will be given financial assistance, and protection and convenience by OnStar. The GM Mobility Program made its debut in 1991. The program provided practical service through assisting the customers who have disabilities with their transportation needs. Under the terms comprised in the program, GM will be reimbursing customers to as much as $1,000 when they purchase or lease new GM vehicles. Such amount will be adapted to one or more of the 35 eligible aftermarket mobility equipment modifications, which includes hand controls, scooter hoists, OnStar TTY equipment or wheelchair lifts. If a customer avails of the said reimbursement from OnStar-equipped vehicles, he will be granted two extra years of standard OnStar service. Considering that the all new OnStar-equipped GM vehicles are provided with a year of OnStar service, the program gives it a total of three years of service. Aside from Saab, GM also included all its other brands in the program, namely Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn. According to John Gaydash, director of marketing for GM Fleet and Commercial Operations, "Saab has hundreds of thousands of loyal owners -- and now family caregivers, seniors and people who have limited mobility can enjoy the safety, technology and performance that are hallmarks of Saab vehicles." "We can't think of a better way to help celebrate October as Disability Awareness Month than to add Saab to the GM Mobility program," he added. The program will be providing the subscribers of about 50 GM OnStar-equipped vehicles with services that deliver safety and security, in the form of 24-hour emergency assistance, remote door unlock, stolen vehicle location assistance and Hands-free Calling. Providing such excellent service, General Motors will be able to capture the interest of the customers who seek for assistance, which of course will be a great help to boosting their sales.
Posted at 09:20 pm by KimAnderson
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Increasing Demand for the Nissan Qashqai
As most of us, or perhaps all, already know, the Qashqai model was launched last March. Since then or for about six months, the Nissan model has already obtained a total of 70,000 units sold in Europe alone. Nissan has anticipated the rapid growth of customers' demand for the Qashqai model. To compensate, Nissan opted to award 180 temporary workers with permanent contracts at its Washington plant, which turned to be their way of imparting the success of its latest model. They have announced the awarding two months after the firm invested approximately $2.4 million for the model's production in the Wearside plant. The announcement has been Nissan's way of boosting the workers dedication to produce the model. Nissan knew that as the workers got full-time job, they would be able produce enough number of the model for the market to possibly attain 20 percent more from the regular production. Danny Griffiths, the Nissan personnel director, said, "Typically we retain a certain number of staff on fixed-term contract to give us a degree of operational flexibility and allow us to match production to market demand." "Qashqai's continuing strong performance across all major markets puts us in the welcome position of being able to offer a significant number of these temporary employees a permanent contract at the plant� We will continue to review our staffing requirement on an ongoing basis and look to offer further permanent contracts as the business grows," he added. This wouldn't be considered as walking in the dark, since the Qashqai popularity is currently all over the world. The model even helped its Japanese creator in capturing the interest of the teenage and first-time Nissan buyers. In fact, there have been more than 100,000 units of the Qashqai produced at the Sunderland plant. And not surprisingly, it is still increasing everyday.
Posted at 04:52 pm by KimAnderson
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Picking the Right Repair Shop
Got no time and no knowledge regarding maintenance and repairs� Most of us might think that bringing our car to a repair shop would be the best option in times of car trouble, but how sure are we that our car will come out better? Not all repair shops are reliable enough to provide us the services we need and want for our cars. So how do we know which repair shop is good enough, or better yet, best for our car? Here are some tips on how to find a good repair shop: - Anticipate the need and look for an auto repair shop prior getting into automotive related problems. Avoid being rushed into last-minute decisions.
- Gather for recommendations. Word-of-mouth is often the best advertising for a good technician. Ask friends, family members and others for recommendations of repair shops or technicians they trust.
- State or local law may require the repair shop to be licensed or registered. So, you should ask for them to show their current licenses. You may also ask your State Attorney General's office or local consumer protection agency about the repair shop's complaint record.
- Make sure the repair shop is capable of performing the repairs needed, especially the major, complicated and expensive ones.
- Look for a repair shop that honors your vehicle's warranty.
- Try going over comparable shops to have the best deal.
Check as many repair shops possible before making a choice. Some repair shops can be checked online so you can also do the checking from the comfort of your home.
Posted at 06:04 pm by KimAnderson
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Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Why The Chicken Cross The Road?
The scorching sun heating the road, smoke and dust everywhere, you are thirsty and in the middle of nowhere� alone in the open road, winds billowing and shade to give you a breather. Then you begin to wonder, 'what am I doing in here?' It all happened after you got your promotion; you are now the manager of a particular branch of your company. The only draw back is that it is located in a certain state, in which a desert spans the distance between your previous location and the new one you will be transferring to. Certainly, your car is one of the most precious things in your possession. You need to drive to your work, be on time always, and without it you are simply at a loss. So the debate is done, you need the car, and decided to drive all the way to your new state, towards your new home, to your new office. And now you are stuck in the middle of the desert, having no one to talk to, and nothing to see but the open road that goes on winding left to right and again and again. It was only enjoyable for a while, but now it's not even funny at all. You know think that you might just be regretting your decision. So what's the solution, why not ship your car, you did ship your things so why not the car also? And then you could just board the plane and voila no problemo. But, it could cost you too much. Fortunately, there are sites out there than can compare shipping rates. And think about it, would the trouble be more worth than the cost? What about the time, would it be much efficient if you can go there, without worries and do other useful things than driving through the desert alone? That's why ship the car if the distance is really that great and the travel is more bothersome than it's worth. Why did the chicken cross the road? A child answered this question, "Because the road cannot cross the chicken". Looking at it on a different perspective, it's quite true, and also applies to driving long distances, why do you need to drive when you can ship it.
Posted at 09:08 pm by KimAnderson
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Monday, September 03, 2007
Autoblog Releases the Top Ten Green Cars Articles of 1924-1973
The US car market has the largest numbers of hybrid cars in the car market. This is because of the stricter standards set on the current vehicles of today. But did you know that there were also green cars before? Yes, they are even written on articles from 1924-1973. Autoblog.com has in fact, a list of the Top Ten Green Cars Articles of 1924-1973.
Here it is:
1. Low-Cost Homemade Car Runs 40 Miles Per Gallon (Jun, 1950). Former college professor builds a car with the frame and wheels of a 1934 Ford and scrap lumber and it gets 40 MPG. 2. Water Succeeds Gasoline As New Invention Is Perfected (Dec, 1935). G. H. Garrett's split water into hydrogen and oxygen and ran a motor with little modification. 3. Three-Wheeled Auto Makes Speed with Low Fuel Cost (Oct, 1924). Flivver was designed in Germany and uses very little fuel. It can go 10 MPH, there were no taxes on it and you didn't need a license to drive it. 4. Flier Designs Streamline "Push Button" Car (Nov, 1938). Built by a California airman, this car lowers fuel use through clever designs like a covered front wheel. I think car companies should do that today 5. Japanese Minicar (Dec, 1958). Subaru 360 gets 60 MPG and can go 50 MPH. 54 inches high, 51 inches wide and 117 inches long. 6. A New Switch for Electrics (Jul, 1973). "A NEW day is dawning for the electric vehicle" is the start of the article about the electric vehicles of the early seventies. 7. Motorcyclette Has Speed, Comfort (Feb, 1932). This little bike saves on weight by getting rid of the brakes and using the rider's feet instead. 8. Motor Scooter Burns LPG (Dec, 1955). Ralph Carlton converted his scooter to run on clean propane, which is in a tank at the front. Is that "Green's fuel" on that back? 9. Postman Goes Around on Motor Scooter (Jul, 1939). Take THAT Segway! Postman Henry R. Smith built this gas powered scooter for $150. 10. Auto Fuel From Cow Manure (Sep, 1949). What better place to end, than in the end? Cars that run on poop. The "bio-gas" generator is not a new idea, the 1949 article says, and mentions uses dating back to 1912.
Posted at 03:53 am by KimAnderson
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
Nissan reveals the 2008 version of Titan
I like the 2007 version of Nissan Titan. It was revealed last ago and I just can't seem to get enough of its features and gorgeous styling. And now, here comes the 2008 Nissan Titan. The full-sized truck is not getting a long-wheelbase on all its trimmings such as l XE, SE, and LE models. The new a PRO-4X model is a cross these models. The long wheel base model gets the pickup beds more than the size of the conventional Titan. A new 37-gallon fuel tank also gave the new version a more powerful engine part. The Rancho shocks also goes to the PRO-4X given lower final drive another row of skid plates plus locking rear differential as released by The Car Connection. The truck also comes in two cabs form, namely King Cab and Crew Cab in both rear and four wheel drives. There are also four different bed sizes and that includes the long-wheelbase models. The V8 5.6L engine gives 315 horsepower all in five-speed-automatic transmission. It also has the maximum towing capacity of 9400 pounds which also offers the factory-applied bedliner, bed extender, and an innovative customizable cargo tie-down system in the rear as released by new authority. These following auto parts are included on the new face lifted 2008 Nissan Titan:
New grille and fascia
New wheels
New seats
New instruments These options are also available on the new truck:
Bluetooth system
XM tuner
bigger eight-inch DVD screen for the entertainment system
Wood trim is offered on the LE version. Standard equipments for the Titan includes: anti-lock brakes
CD stereo
cruise control
tire-pressure monitor
Side and curtain airbags
stability control
a navigation system with park-assist proximity sensors
a rear-seat DVD entertainment system
a premium Rockford Fosgate audio array
Posted at 11:40 pm by KimAnderson
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