Playinghardball (1,838 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
Ford Earns Nearly 500 Hybrid Patents with 47-mpg Fusion Hybrid,
Projected as America's Most Fuel-Efficient Sedan
New Ford innovations have led to a 50-fold increase in hybrid patents to nearly 500, which is expected to help the new Fusion Hybrid achieve an unprecedented 47 mpg and would make it America's most fuel-efficient, non-rechargeable sedan
Ford's transformed lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles reflects a continued commitment to growing the company's intellectual property portfolio with significant investments during economic downturn
New Ford Fusion is the first sedan to offer gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains – each with expected top fuel economy – underscoring Ford's commitment to give customers the power of choice
The road to the new Ford Fusion Hybrid's 47 mpg – expected to be America's most fuel-efficient non-rechargeable sedan – can be traced back to Ford's electrified vehicle team and the nearly 500 patents Ford now holds for its hybrid technology.
More: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ford-Earns-Nearly-500-Hybrid-prnews-2691540604.html?x=0
Kwarg (36 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
1. A fantastic car...
What the Volt shoulda been...
freeper troll
DCKit (15,365 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
3. GM just hasn't had the time or money to put into research.
hater
TlalocW (7,814 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
2. News like this is making it hard for me to continue to hate Ford...
Not that I like Chevy any better.
TlalocW
but hate you must.
n2doc (20,340 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
5. nice looking car
Wish it were available now.
Yeah! It's totally weird.
It's like they needed to sell them at a profit so they relied on broadest-possible market appeal instead of government subsidies.
Progression (15 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
20. This is the way to go
Fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly technology are the way to go in this economy. I'd say that is a good investment especially for this particular industry.
And not one damn taxpayer dime.
You'll also notice the RW tree-haters aren't complaining either.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002309891meanwhile let's look across the street at a government-owned, government mandated enterprise:
(I promise, you will not like what you see.)
marmar (53,454 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
GM eliminates traditional pensions for salaried workers
from the Detroit News:
General Motors Co. is eliminating traditional pensions for all U.S. salaried employees, but the automaker is softening the blow by giving all salaried workers an extra week of vacation.
The company said that it would also announce bonuses for its approximately 26,000 U.S. salaried workers during its 2011 earnings call on Thursday. Those bonuses will be tied to GM's global performance.
GM also said it will give pay increases to workers with critical skills this year, but said there would be no across-the-board raises.
"These changes, I believe, really permit employees to share in the success of the business, while at the same time supporting our ability to be profitable, to strengthen our balance sheet and to reduce risk," said Cindy Brinkley, vice president of global human resources for GM. "We're really improving GM's ability to grow profitably." ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120215/AUTO0103/202150397/GM-move-all-salaried-workers-401-k-plans?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002314355BUT
baldguy (27,013 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
GM records its highest profit ever: $7.6 billion
This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lone_Star_Dem (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors earned its highest profit ever last year.
The 103-year-old company made $7.6 billion in 2011, up 62 percent from 2010.
Full-year revenue rose 11 percent to $105 billion.
North America led the way with a $7.2 billion pretax profit. But problems surfaced that could hurt future earnings. GM lost $700 million before taxes in Europe and lost $100 million in South America.
GM'S fourth-quarter profit was flat with 2010. GM earned $500 million, or 28 cents per share. Revenue rose 3 percent to $38 billion. Before one-time items, GM earned 40 cents per share.
http://news.yahoo.com/gm-records-highest-profit-ever-7-6-billion-123523501.html;_ylt=AgYIGKNyG.am5zK5EcgJ6oKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtcXJpN2ZhBG1pdANKdW1ib3Ryb24gRlAEcGtnAzVlY2YzYTc4LTg3OTctMzNjYS05MzVjLWE2Y2ViNTExZGIwMwRwb3MDMgRzZWMDanVtYm90cm9uBHZlcgNkNDRkMGNhMC01ODliLTExZTEtOWExZi0yZTFjN2UwOTYyOGY-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101452939And the most distressing:
n2doc (20,340 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
Armored SUV could not protect U.S. agents in Mexico
By Nick Miroff and William Booth,
MEXICO CITY — When U.S. special agent Jaime Zapata was shot dead one year ago on a notorious stretch of highway in central Mexico, he was driving a $160,000 armored Chevy Suburban, built to exacting government standards, designed to defeat high-velocity gunfire, fragmentation grenades and land mines.
But the vehicle had a basic, fatal flaw.
Forced off the road in a well-coordinated ambush, surrounded by drug cartel gunmen brandishing AK-47s, Zapata and his partner, Victor Avila, rolled to a stop. Zapata put the vehicle in park.
The door locks popped open.
That terrifying sound — a quiet click — set into motion events that remain under investigation. When Zapata needed it most, the Suburban’s elaborate armoring was rendered worthless by a consumer-friendly automatic setting useful for family vacations and hurried commuters but not for U.S. agents driving through a red zone in Mexico.
more
http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/armored_suv_could_not_protect_u_s_agents_in_mexico_1
And they never noticed before this point???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002317402
