http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with automotive news that matters en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293333,opel-workers-to-strike-over-general-motors-u-turn.html Berlin - Workers at all four of troubled-carmaker Opel's plants in Germany were set to strike Thursday, following owner General Motors' surprise announcement that it would not now sell off its European subsidiary. The Detroit-based automotive giant s... Cars,General Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:10:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293333,opel-workers-to-strike-over-general-motors-u-turn.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293285,fiat-to-flout-four-new-chrysler-models-on-road-to-recovery.html New York - Italian car giant Fiat will use its new control of Chrysler to launch at least four new models in the US market over the next three years, Fiat's chief executive Sergio Marchionne said Wednesday. Marchionne also said Chrysler was able to p... Cars,General Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:40:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293285,fiat-to-flout-four-new-chrysler-models-on-road-to-recovery.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293137,volvo-to-offer-xc90-suv-as-seven-seater-only.html Stockholm - Volvo is to offer its Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the XC90 in only the seven-seat version on the European market with a third row of seats including two additional child seats by the end of this year, the Swedish manufacturer has announ... Cars,General Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:10:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293137,volvo-to-offer-xc90-suv-as-seven-seater-only.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293136,motorists-warned-to-be-alert-on-dark-days.html Munich - With dark, foggy and wet days of autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere causing slippery roads and poor visibility conditions, safety organisations have appealed to motorists to be especially alert. Here are some tips for safer motorin... Cars,General Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:10:34 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293136,motorists-warned-to-be-alert-on-dark-days.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293135,lexus-most-reliable-used-car-german-report-finds.html Hamburg - Lexus cars are the most reliable vehicles on the used car market in all age categories, according to an independent report released by the German technical authority (GTU). In the category of four- to five-year-old vehicles where owners cha... Cars,General Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:10:33 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293135,lexus-most-reliable-used-car-german-report-finds.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293132,airbag-must-be-deactivated-when-children-seated-in-front.html Munich -Children are only safely seated in the front of a car when they face backwards and the airbag is deactivated, recent tests by Germany's automobile association (ADAC) yielded. If the child is fastened to a baby seat and facing the windscreen t... Cars,General Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:10:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293132,airbag-must-be-deactivated-when-children-seated-in-front.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293123,gm-ford-report-sales-increases-chrysler-drops-30-per-cent.html New York - GM and Ford Tuesday released positive reports for auto sales in October, while struggling Chrysler said sales had dropped 30 per cent. General Motors' 4.1-per-cent rise from the year-ago period was its first annual increase in 21 months, s... Cars,General Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:28:28 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293123,gm-ford-report-sales-increases-chrysler-drops-30-per-cent.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292821,volkswagen-ends-production-of-iconic-golf-1-in-south-africa.html Midrand, South Africa - Volkswagen on Monday announced the end of South African production of the iconic Citi-Golf - the original Golf 1 - after 31 years. Today we are announcing the end of this legend called the A1 Golf or Citi-Golf, David Powels,... Cars,General Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:16:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292821,volkswagen-ends-production-of-iconic-golf-1-in-south-africa.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292409,bmw-invests-in-unit-to-build-ultra-lightweight-cars.html Munich - German carmaking company BMW and a partner said Thursday they will invest 90 million euros (133 million dollars) to make parts for ultra-lightweight cars out of carbon fibre, a material that is currently mainly used to make aircraft parts. L... Cars,General Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:58:45 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292409,bmw-invests-in-unit-to-build-ultra-lightweight-cars.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292378,geely-wants-to-help-volvo-in-high-flying-chinese-car-market.html Beijing - The Chinese carmaker Geely said Thursday that it plans to help Volvo Cars expand in Geely's home market, the world's largest car market, once it takes over the Swedish subsidiary of Ford Motor Co. Volvo's current management, its factories, ... Cars,General Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:46:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292378,geely-wants-to-help-volvo-in-high-flying-chinese-car-market.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292330,volkswagen-earnings-slide-sharply-but-carmaker-still-in-black.html Wolfsburg, Germany - Earnings at Volkswagen Group slid sharply in the first nine months of 2009, but Europe's biggest carmaker remains in the black, figures released Thursday showed. Profit after tax crashed to just 655 million euros (980 million dol... Cars,General Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:16:43 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292330,volkswagen-earnings-slide-sharply-but-carmaker-still-in-black.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292318,mazda-reduces-its-expected-annual-loss-as-it-cuts-costs.html Tokyo - Mazda Motor Corp, Japan's fourth-largest carmaker and second-largest car exporter, Thursday scaled back the losses it expects to incur this fiscal year as it cut costs and tax liabilities. The predicted loss for the year ending March 31 was 1... Cars,General Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:10:45 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292318,mazda-reduces-its-expected-annual-loss-as-it-cuts-costs.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292171,ford-chinese-group-geely-preferred-bidder-for-volvo-cars.html Stockholm - Chinese group Geely is the preferred bidder for Volvo Cars the Swedish subsidiary of Ford, the US automotive giant said Wednesday. Ford's statement issued at its US headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, confirmed speculation that Geely wa... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:46:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292171,ford-chinese-group-geely-preferred-bidder-for-volvo-cars.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292088,more-luxury-for-golf-estate.html Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen has given the Golf Estate more luxury in an exclusive version featuring several upgraded extras such as two-tone leather combinations and sports seats in the front. The leather combination can be ordered in Nappa a... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292088,more-luxury-for-golf-estate.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292087,honda-skydeck--van-for-the-future-at-tokyo-show.html Tokyo - Honda is unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show a futuristic Skydeck minivan concept with a combination of sliding and scissors doors. Although the Japanese manufacturer has released sketchy details there are indications the vehicle might be power... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292087,honda-skydeck--van-for-the-future-at-tokyo-show.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292086,vw-planning-clean-cut-look-for-new-golf.html Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen is planning a leaner and more clean-cut look for the seventh generation of the Golf that is expected on the markets late in the year 2012 with the choice of hybrid and electric engines, Germany's Auto Bild reports in i... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292086,vw-planning-clean-cut-look-for-new-golf.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292085,luxury-car-segment-takes-a-dive-as-financial-crisis-bites.html Hamburg - The Aston Martin, Maserati, Lamborghini Gallardo or Bentley was once a natural accessory for the successful trader in London or New York but the financial crisis is taking its toll with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over some of the famous... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292085,luxury-car-segment-takes-a-dive-as-financial-crisis-bites.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292084,toyota-launches-four-new-models-in-south-korea.html Seoul - Toyota Motor Korea has begun selling four flagship models in South Korea aimed at cracking a market dominated by native car makers Hyundai and Kia. The models are the Prius sedan, the Camry sedan and hybrid sedan, and the RAV4 sport utility v... Cars,General Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:10:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292084,toyota-launches-four-new-models-in-south-korea.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292059,us-electric-cars-to-be-built-at-old-gm-gas.html Washington - A fledgling US electric car maker Tuesday said it is converting an abandoned General Motors plant in the north-east state of Delaware to build two lines of plug-in hybrid cars. Fisker Automotive, which has another production line in Cali... Cars,General Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:34:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292059,us-electric-cars-to-be-built-at-old-gm-gas.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292041,hope-for-car-industry-detroit-show-is-booked-up.html Detroit/New York - The car industry has defied the sales slump and put on an optimistic face, booking up all exhibit space at Detroit's traditional Auto Show in January, the organizer said Tuesday. The show is full up, Doug Fox, who heads the show,... Cars,General Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:04:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292041,hope-for-car-industry-detroit-show-is-booked-up.html