by Stefania Revelli
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Think of it as community car sharing. RelayRides is a person-to-person car-sharing-service enabling users to rent their underused vehicles to others who need a ride (Springwise.com 1.28.10).
Car owners simply need to register online and arrange for a keyless system to be installed in the automobile. Owners determine [...]
by Cree McCree
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Think small. That’s the Millennial mantra when it come to cars. Half of today’s young adults are buying compacts or subcompacts, while only one in five are choosing a midsize model (New York Times 11.19.09).
With Millennials poised to become the largest car-buying cohort, Ford is betting its future on small cars; it’s [...]
by Hans Eisenbeis
WHAT’S HAPPENING
It’s a trend we’ve been watching: Some businesses are no longer accepting bills and coins, only plastic. First the airlines discontinued cash for onboard service, then a restaurant in Manhattan. By 2011, a section of the Florida Turnpike will have its tollbooths torn down and replaced with EZ-Pass-style readers and surveillance cameras [...]
by Sarah Barker
WHAT’S HAPPENING
For those who fear deplaning with bugs they originally didn’t board with, global defense and aerospace company BAE Systems and Quest International have joined to develop a filtration system that removes viruses, bacteria and pollutants from cabin air (TimesOnline.co.uk 9.15.09).
AirManager, which can be retrofit to existing airline air conditioning systems, zaps particles [...]
by Rocio Zamora Arzola
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Popular in Mexico and in Latino barrios of L.A., makeshift tin men called monos, made of old car parts, are being used by muffler shops, junkyards and auto repair garages as a way of promoting their business and appealing to their Latino clientele.
The funky aesthetic behind these marketing tools have some [...]
by Stefania Revelli
WHAT’S HAPPENING
At 48 miles per gallon, the Toyota Prius is currently the gold standard in fuel efficiency (FuelEconomy.gov 9.09). But it may not be for long.
General Motors announced that its Chevy Colt EV, scheduled to be released in 2011, will get 230 city miles per gallon. Using the same (blurry at best) methodology [...]
by Rob van Alstyne
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Cash for Clunkers may grab all the headlines, but Free Charity Cars has the gratis whips. After donating more than 4,000 cars to consumers since 1996, the service is now expanding its operations into the social media sphere with FreeChartiyCars.org.
In order to get in on the free auto action, users must [...]
by Rob van Alstyne
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Far-fetched flying fantasies will soon become boutique thrill realities thanks to JetLev, a personal jet pack company whose motto says it all: “Stop dreaming! Start flying!”
Superman needn’t look over his shoulder just yet; JetLev can get consumers airborne, but flying heights max out at 30 feet and any aerial maneuvers must [...]
by Sarah Barker
WHAT’S HAPPENING
OnStar has revved up their driver services with Remote Ignition Block, which prevents a subscriber’s stolen car from starting (Autoblog.com 7.21.09).
Together with OnStar’s existing Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, the GPS-guided crime-stopping features prevent dangerous high-speed chases and increase the likelihood the car will be abandoned and recovered.
OnStar estimates their services have helped in [...]
by Hans Eisenbeis
The Cash for Clunkers program is a classic government joint: well intentioned, a great merit badge come mid-term elections, with parameters so well defined that it can’t help but benefit the narrowest possible cohort: new automobile dealerships. Billed as free money to a nation in pain, the fact that it’s been a raging [...]
by Rob van Alstyne
WHAT’S HAPPENING
18-year-old Zion Badash has created a tiny device with huge carbon-footprint impact: a wheel-shaped auto add-on dubbed the Z5 that improves air flow to engines and increases combustion efficiency (The Jerusalem Post 3.15.09).
Made of a special alloy and with a suggested retail price of $208, the Z5 has no moving parts [...]
Consumer strategist Rob Tregenza analyzes General Motors’ painful bankruptcy process and future governmental restructuring.
Download the podcast here:
The painful birth of a new GM
4 min., 33 sec.
by Abelardo de la Peña Jr.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
What’s a Harlista? A Harley-Davidson-riding Latino who’s proud of being both. The motorcycle company is celebrating the dedication of its Latino riders by launching a section on its website telling true stories of Harlistas.
The interactive, English-language section features photos and personal accounts of Latino Harley riders. “Ivan” of Washington, [...]
Consumer strategist Rob Tregenza breaks down Chrysler’s “surgical” bankruptcy and looks ahead to the future.
Download the podcast here:
What’s next for Chrysler?
6 min., 22 sec.
by Stefania Revelli
Call me a hopeless romantic and you’d be right. I’ll admit I’m a total sucker for storybook romances — from Austen’s timeless Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to Meyer’s supernatural Edward and Bella. I guess I’m generally hooked on compelling relationship stories, especially the ones that endure through uncertain times.
Clearly, Cupid’s got his work [...]
