William Maley

Chrysler Group LLC Reports July 2013 U.S. Sales Increased 11 Percent; Best July Sales in Seven Years Best July sales since 2006 40th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT brands each post sales increases in July compared with same month a year ago Six Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in July Ram Truck brand sales up 31 percent; largest percentage sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand in July and best July sales since 2007 All Jeep brand vehicles in production record double-digit percentage increases Dodge Charger and Fiat 500 lead their segments in J.D. Power’s 2013 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study™; Ram Truck brand ranks as the highest non-premium brand in the industry August 1, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 140,102 units, an 11 percent increase compared with sales in July 2012 (126,089 units), and the group’s best July sales since 2006. The Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT brands each posted year-over-year sales gains in July compared with the same month a year ago. The Ram Truck brand’s 31 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand in July. Chrysler Group extended its streak of year-over-year sales gains to 40-consecutive months in July. “We continue to see strong retail sales, particularly with our pickup trucks and SUVs, and that has helped to propel Chrysler Group to our 40th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth,” said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. “In addition, the all-new Fiat 500L is off to a great start with 962 units sold in its first full month on sale.” The Ram Truck brand sales gain was driven by the 31 percent increase in Ram pickup truck sales. Dodge brand sales were up 18 percent in July, driven in part by the 88 percent increase in Dodge Durango full-size SUV sales. Jeep brand sales were up 2 percent as all Jeep brand models in production recorded year-over-year sales gains in July. FIAT brand sales were up 2 percent in July compared with the same month a year ago. Six Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in the month of July. Three Dodge brand vehicles – the Dodge Avenger mid-size sedan, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Dart compact sedan – each recorded their best sales for the month of July. The Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Compass also registered their best sales for the month of July. Sales of the flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee were up 30 percent, its best July sales since 2005. Chrysler Group finished the month with a 66-days supply of inventory (371,889 units). U.S. industry sales figures for July are projected at an estimated 15.8 million units Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR). July 2013 U.S. Sales Highlights by Brand Ram Truck Brand Ram Truck brand sales were up 31 percent, the brand’s best July sales since 2007. July was the fifth-consecutive month in which the Ram Truck brand registered the largest percentage year-over-year sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand. Sales of the Ram pickup truck were up 31 percent, its 39th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and its best July sales since 2006. Sales of the Light Duty Ram pickup were up 25 percent in July, driven by the Crew Cab pickups, while Heavy Duty Ram sales increased 35 percent. The Ram Truck brand in July celebrated the start of production of its new 2014 Ram ProMaster Van at Chrysler Group’s Saltillo Van Assembly Plant in Coahuilla, Mexico. The new 2014 Ram ProMaster is Ram Commercial’s latest addition to its popular vehicle lineup. The ProMaster takes its place in the expanding, purpose-built, full-size van segment with a number of best-in-class features focused on the commercial customer. Coming from a strong background of commercial vehicles produced by Fiat Professional, the ProMaster is based on the Fiat Ducato, which has been in production for more than 30 years. Also in July, the brand introduced its newest model, the 2013 Ram Black Express, distinguished by its all-black exterior. Dodge Brand Dodge brand sales were up 18 percent in July, the brand’s best July sales since 2005 and its 26th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The Dodge Avenger mid-size sedan and the Dodge Challenger each recorded their best July sales ever, while sales of the Dodge Durango full-size SUV were up 88 percent. The Dodge Dart compact sedan had its second straight month of year-over-year sales gains. For the third-consecutive year, the Dodge Charger has ranked highest in the Large Car segment in J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study™. Sales of the Charger are up 10 percent this year through July. The APEAL Study measures how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on customer evaluations of 77 vehicle attributes of new 2013 model year vehicles. According to J.D. Power, the most appealing vehicles have greater owner loyalty, command higher transaction prices and spend less time on dealer lots before purchase. Jeep® Brand Jeep brand sales were up 2 percent in July, the brand’s best July sales since 2005. All Jeep brand models in production recorded sales gains in July compared with the same month a year ago, led by the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Sales of the Grand Cherokee were up 30 percent, its best sales month since 2005 and largest percentage increase of any Jeep brand model. The Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Compass each had their best sales for the month of July. Sales of the Jeep Compass were up 27 percent compared with the same month a year ago. The new 2014 Grand Cherokee was the winner in July of the 2013 Cars.com/USA Today Midsize SUV Challenge. The Grand Cherokee topped five other popular SUVs. Evaluators included experts from Cars.com, USA Today, Motorweek, and a family representing the average midsize SUV buyer. FIAT Brand FIAT brand sales were up 2 percent in July compared with the same month a year ago. It was the brand’s best July sales since the Fiat 500 was launched in 2011 and its 17th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The Fiat 500 was ranked highest in the City Car segment in J.D. Power’s APEAL Study in July. Sales of the Fiat 500L, the newest addition to the FIAT brand product lineup, increased 78 percent compared with sales in the previous month of June. FIAT studios across the U.S. began selling the all-new 2014 Fiat 500L in June. The 500L expands the appeal of the iconic 500, with two more doors, accommodations for five passengers, best-in-class interior volume, and advanced European technology. The all-new fully electric Fiat 500e, which went on sale in California in July, was voted “Top Electric Vehicle” by the Northwest Automotive Press Association during its first annual “Drive Revolution” green-car competition in Portland, Ore. NWAPA members tested 17 of the market’s most technologically advanced and fuel efficient models around Portland – including electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and clean-diesel models from both import and domestic manufacturers. Chrysler Brand Sales of the brand’s flagship Chrysler 300 full-size sedan were up 12 percent, the vehicle’s best July sales since 2008. Chrysler brand sales were down 4 percent in July compared with the same month a year ago. Sales of both the Chrysler Town & Country minivan and Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan are up this year through July compared with the same period in 2012. The Town & Country was the highest-ranking minivan in J.D. Power’s recent 2013 U.S. Initial Quality Study.

AUG 1, 2013 | DEARBORN, MICH. FORD MOTOR COMPANY POSTS BEST JULY SINCE 2006 AND BEST RETAIL SALES SINCE 2005 Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales for July increase 11 percent compared with a year ago, for the best total July monthly sales since 2006; retail sales surge 19 percent, for the best July retail sales since 2005 Ford small cars – Fiesta, Focus and C-MAX hybrids – are up 32 percent, driving coastal retail share gains Ford utility vehicles also strong, with Edge up 15 percent, Explorer up 13 percent and Escape up 4 percent, putting all three vehicles on pace for a record-setting year F-Series posts best July sales since 2006 Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales grew 11 percent compared with a year ago – the best total July sales since 2006. Retail sales are up 19 percent, marking the company’s best July retail sales month since 2005. With tight inventories, retail car sales are up 13 percent, utilities are up 19 percent, and trucks are up 27 percent – with strong growth in the coastal regions. “We saw continued strength and growth in our retail business, particularly in the coastal regions of the country,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. marketing, sales and service. “Our small cars and hybrids continue to attract new customers to Ford and away from our competitors, thanks to the vehicles’ combination of styling, technology, fuel economy and performance.” Ford small cars – including Fiesta, Focus and C-MAX hybrids – are up 32 percent, with a combined 27,131 sales, making it Ford’s best July for small car performance since 2000. All three Ford utility vehicles are on pace to set sales records this year, with Escape up 4 percent in July to 22,343 vehicles sold and Explorer up 13 percent to 12,742 vehicles sold. Edge also posted a record July with 10,541 vehicles sold, a 15 percent increase from last year. F-Series sales increased 23 percent, with 60,449 vehicles sold. F-Series sales now have increased for 24 consecutive months, and July 2013 marks the best July sales month for F-Series since 2006.

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 31, 2013 Ford announced today that the 2014 F-150 pickup equipped with the 3.7L V6 will come with a CNG/LPG Prep package, making it the first light-duty pickup in the class to come with this feature. The package includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and rings. The CNG/LPG Prep package will set you back $315. That doesn't mean you can head to your nearest CNG/LPG station and fill up though. You will need to visit a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier which will install the CNG/LPG-specific fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel injectors. When all is said and done, the conversion will set you back $7,500 to $9,500. Ford says an F-150 running on CNG/LPG gets 23 MPG on the highway and has a range of more than 750 Miles. “Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of the fuel’s low price and clean emissions. With the money saved using CNG, customers could start to see payback on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months,” said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager. Source: Ford William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 JUL 31, 2013 | DEARBORN, MICH. FORD F-150 TO OFFER ABILITY TO RUN ON COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS; SALES OF FORD CNG-PREPPED VEHICLES CONTINUE GROWTH 2014 Ford F-150 will offer a gaseous-fuel prep option on the 3.7-liter V6 engine; it will be able to run on compressed natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas With the addition of F-150, Ford will have eight vehicles available to run on clean-burning, inexpensive CNG/LPG. Sales continue to grow rapidly, with Ford expecting to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers offer a wide variety of CNG options to help customers find the best, most cost-effective solution to their diverse operating needs Ford, America’s truck leader, will offer the 2014 F-150 with the ability to run on compressed natural gas, making Ford the only manufacturer with an available CNG/LPG-capable half-ton pickup. The 2014 Ford F-150 with 3.7-liter V6 engine will be available this fall with a factory-installed, gaseous-fuel prep package that includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and rings so it can operate on either natural gas or gasoline through separate fuel systems. When the 3.7-liter V6 F-150 is equipped with a CNG/LPG engine package, it is capable of achieving more than 750 miles on one tank of gas, depending on the tank size selected. The Ford F-150 averages 23 mpg on the highway. “Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of the fuel’s low price and clean emissions,” said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager. “With the money saved using CNG, customers could start to see payback on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months.” CNG/LPG engine prep from the factory costs approximately $315 before the customer chooses a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and unique fuel injectors. Upfits run approximately $7,500 to $9,500 depending on fuel tank capacity. CNG conversions can provide stability against fluctuating fuel prices as well as lower vehicle operating costs for fleet administrators. CNG sells for an average of $2.11 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, and is as low as $1 in some parts of the country, representing a significant savings over unleaded regular fuel. The national average for unleaded regular fuel is $3.66 per gallon. In the next year, Ford will offer eight commercial vehicles with a gaseous-prep option, a number no other full-line manufacturer can match: Transit Connect van and wagon Transit van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab E-Series van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis F-Series Super Duty pickup and F-350 chassis cab F-Series Super Duty chassis cab (F-450, F-550) F-650 medium-duty truck F53 and F59 stripped chassis 2014 F-150 light-duty pickup Customers are enthusiastically responding to this powerful array of choices. Since reintroducing the option in 2009, Ford has established itself as the leader in CNG/LPG engine sales. Ford is on pace to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2012. AT&T is one of many Ford customers that are finding value in CNG. The communications giant recently purchased 650 F-350 chassis cabs with the CNG-prep option. “We’re almost halfway to our company-wide goal of deploying 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles by the end of year 2018,” said Jerome Webber, AT&T vice president, global fleet operations. “Vehicles such as CNG F-350s from Ford have helped us avoid purchasing 7.7 million gallons of gasoline over the past five years while reducing our fleet’s emissions.” Qualified Vehicle Modifiers Ford has established a rigorous qualification program for alternative-fuel vehicle modifiers. The QVM program is intended to help modifiers achieve greater levels of customer satisfaction and product acceptance through the manufacture of high-quality vehicles. QVMs offer a wide variety of CNG/LPG options to help customers find the best, most cost-effective solution to their diverse operating needs. Ford maintains the engine and powertrain limited warranty (five years or 60,000 miles); the modifier is responsible for the system component warranty. Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is mainly composed of methane. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of approximately 3,600 psi. About 85 percent of the CNG used in the United States is produced domestically. Another benefit of this alternative fuel: Cleaner emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certifies CNG usage can result in up to 30 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 30, 2013 More news coming out concerning General Motor's small car lineup. During labor talks with the South Korea labor union, GM announced that the next-generation Chevrolet Spark will go into production in the first half of 2015. GM also announced that new Sonic (a.k.a. Aveo) which was supposed to come out in late 2015 has been pushed back. "The management said it originally planned to launch the redesigned Aveo in late 2015, but the plan was pushed back. It also said it will produce the new Spark in the first half of 2015," said South Korean labor union spokesman Choi Jong-hak. This comes a couple weeks after a report from Reuters that says the next-gen Cruze has been pushed back till late 2015. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 30, 2013 Interested in buying a used car? Then we got some good news for you. According to Associated Press (via The Detroit News), prices of used cars are dropping. Despite hitting an all-time high back in 2011 thanks to fewer used cars in stock, prices since then have been declining. According to to data from auction company Manheim, the average sale price of a vehicle at auction in June was $11,031, down 6 percent when compared to the peak of used car prices in May 2011. The reason? Sales of new vehicles are on the rise, which means an increase of used cars. Which vehicle segment saw the largest drop? That would be hybrids which saw a 15 percent drop in their three-year value. Following that are compact cars which saw an 8.5 percent drop and small SUVs with a 7 percent drop. Luxury vehicles and trucks saw the lowest drop of one percent. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 30, 2013 In India, General Motors hasn't issued a recall since 1995. That trend ended this past week as GM announced the recall of 114,000 Chevrolet Tavera utility vehicles built from 2005 to 2013 and are equipped with the 2.5L and 2.0L engines. The reason? According to India's Economic Times via Automotive News, GM employees deliberately fudged emission inspections to meet the standards. "Over a period of time some employees of the company engaged in the practice of identifying engines with lower emission which were fine-tuned and kept aside to be used for installation on vehicles during inspection," said GM in a letter sent to Indian regulators on July 18th. GM also admits that the reported weight of certain models were "manipulated" to meet lest stringent emission standards. Now GM has halted the sales of Tavera 2.5L and 2.0L and says they and that the company "has since identified a solution to the issues and performed the required engineering validation, and is awaiting regulatory approvals." GM also fired a number of employees at GM Powertrain this week. Sources at the company say one of the employees fired is Sam Winegarden, GM's vice president for global engine engineering. Winegarden joined the company in 1969. He is known for overseeing oversaw the Northstar V8 and premium V6 engine programs and became the VP of global engine engineering in 2004. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), The Economic Times of India William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 29, 2013 Three computer scientists who were going to publish a paper on how to circumvent the security system that verifies the identity of an ignition key have been stopped by the UK High Court. Flavio Garcia, a computer science lecturer at the University of Birmingham and Baris Ege and Roel Verdult, two cryptography experts from Dutch university Stichting Katholieke were going to publish a paper at the Usenix Security Symposium in Washington DC next month. The paper was to outline how they were able to crack a system called Megamos Crypto, a system that allows a vehicle to check the identity of a ignition key. However, Volkswagen filed an injection against the publication of this report due to four of its brands (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche) using this system. Volkswagen told the court that the Megamos Crypto system was used in a number of its vehicles and other vehicles and that the publication could "allow someone, especially a sophisticated criminal gang with the right tools, to break the security and steal a car". Volkswagen goes onto say that they asked the scientists to publish a redacted version of their paper. They declined. The scientists argued that "the public have a right to see weaknesses in security on which they rely exposed". Otherwise, the "industry and criminals know security is weak but the public do not". They also argued that the paper would not increase the theft of vehicles due to the process to crack the system is complicated and costing £50,000 (about $76,785) to do it. Source: The Guardian William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

You think? I think this is the right price considering some of the items in the i3. I don't think it will do great in sales, but then again.. BMW did a program with a 1-Series EV (ActiveE) about two years ago. They were limited to a few states and you could only lease them.