NEWSWORTHY

Automotive Industries,  May, 1999  

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Hyundai and Kia have a long-term strategy in place to cut their number of vehicle platforms from the current 23 to just seven by 2004. Hyundai now has 13 and Kia 10. Up to six different cars will be sprung oft each platform, with savings of approximately $100 million for each platform eliminated.

Unexpected high demand for Ford's 5.4L V-8 and 6.8L V-10 Triton engines has resulted in Ford adding a second shift at its Windsor engine plant. The move creates 300 new jobs and adds output of 100,000 engines. Runaway sales of Ford's F-Series and SUVs are behind the increase.

BMW is working with Delphi to develop a new kind of fuel cell that runs on gasoline. The solid oxide fuel cell, or SOFC, converts hydrogen to electricity at 800 degrees C. A "hot" reformer evaporates gasoline and "splits" it to obtain the hydrogen. Initially, it will be used as a battery/APU.

The Automotive Composites Alliance projects 27% growth for reinforced thermoset composites between 1999 and 2003. Most use will be in exterior body panel applications, with some in structural and drivetrain components. The industry used 300 million pounds of composites this year.

GM started production of Buick (Regal) sedans in Shanghai, China, with targets of 20,000 units this year, gradually increasing to 100,000 units. The first four months of production have already been sold, but the mix represented far more private orders than was expected.

Mitsubishi says it will have a low-cost hybrid electric vehicle available by the end of 2000 that will sell for half of Toyota's $18,000 Prius model. Mitsubishi President Katsuhiko Kawasoe say the savings come from low-cost motor and battery technology.

Automakers and suppliers are investing $10 billion over the next two years to grow the OE auto parts business in Mexico. The components will be marked for duty-free export to the U.S., as provided by the 1994 NAFTA agreement. Asian and U.S. companies are investing most heavily.

Ford will be the first major automaker to install emergency trunk releases as a standard feature on most of its cars. The system will have a cable release with a glow-in-the-dark handle. Nineteen children have died over the past 10 years after being locked in a trunk accidentally.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Cahners Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group