Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com about Hyundai products and the car market. Krafcik happily reports that “this is our best start ever. Some companies are reporting that this is their best start of a year since the great recession, but this is our strongest start E-V-E-R. We’re [...]
Tomohiko Ikeda, Executive Vice President, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Chief Director of Subaru Global Marketing and Director in Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd., talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com about the new crosstek hybrid, why they are bringing out a rear-wheel drive and Subaru’s concept car from the 2013 New York [...]
BYD is one of Chinas’s largest non-government controlled automakers. Wang Chuanfu is chairman of BYD, a company that is 9.9% owned by a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Wang has seen the price, and his net worth, go up and down as the price of the stock he owns fluctuates. According to Forbes, in [...]
Shanghai, China – Micheal Austin, BYD’s Vice President, BYD of America, talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com about BYD products in America, and the Qin (pronounced Ching) that will come to the United States in a couple years. The Qin is named in honor of the Qin (or Ching) dynasty. Austin explains a brief [...]
Dr. Ralph Cramer, President, Continental AG’s Chassis and Safety Department, talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com, at the 2013 Shanghai auto show. Around 1997 Continental AG sold the first anti-lock brake system (ABS) in China. Sixteen years later they have 18 locations (some with research and development arms) and 8 joint ventures. Since 1997, [...]
Mr. Harald J. Wester, Chief Executive of Maserati GB Ltd. Mr. Wester and Chief Executive of Alfa Romeo at Fiat S.p.A talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com about the Maserati Ghibli, Maserati and China. Maserati was purchased by Fiat in 1993. Maserati increased sales 2% from 2011 to 2012, with the United States having [...]
April 30, 2013 – According to China’s air quality index today in Shanghai, the air quality is 151, putting the air color in the red zone. The website, aqicn.com, explains the red zone as “Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.” The particulate matters are [...]
When Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America, was at the 2013 Washington Auto Show he talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com, about the difference diesel has made in the United States, “Since Audi brought out its first diesel in 2009 till now, it has reduced US fuel consumption by 4.6 million gallons, it has [...]
Paul Jones, product line developer for the Bentley Continental and Flying Spur talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com about the new 2013 Bentley Flying Spur. Bentley – Bent-ley – it even sounds British, but Bentley is owned by a German parent. What is the history of Bentley? The new Flying Spur comes with some [...]
Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), talked to Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, www.drivingthenation.com, about Jerry Seinfeld’s 911, 50 years of Porsche, the new GT3 and the awards Porsche won at the 2013 New York International Auto show (NYIAS). Porsche already has a Cayenne diesel and a Panamera hybrid. [...]
2013 Volkswagen Jetta hybrid
2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
2013 Nissan Sentra
2013 Nissan Juke
2013 Lexus LX570