Auto News 5

A number of significant vehicle recalls were announced today, affecting various Ford and Lincoln models.

On 13,200 Ford Taurus sedans (model years 2010-2014) registered and operated in areas where road salt is used on the roadways during winter months for extended time periods (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland-Labrador), corrosion may occur inside the license plate lamp assembly which could result in high electrical current draw, excessive heat, or a fire. Dealers will therefore replace the license plate lamp assembly.

Meanwhile, a safety defect may exist in Ford's aftermarket all-weather floor mats sold as accessories or service replacement parts for 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The floor mats are secured by a single retention device, which could allow the driver's floor mat to move out of position and interfere with the accelerator pedal. In this case, dealers will replace the floor mats with an updated design having two retention devices.

Finally, on 11,923 Ford Explorers from 2011-2013 and 134,568 Explorers from 2008-2011, a fault in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system could result in an immediate loss of power steering assist without any warning to the driver. This would unexpectedly increase the steering effort force necessary to steer the vehicle at lower speeds, which could increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will affect repairs as necessary and will reprogram the EPS controller with updated software. In the event that an EPS fault occurs, this updated software would allow for continued EPS function while displaying visual and audible warnings to the driver until the end of the drive cycle.

Source: Transport Canada

There's just no stopping technology: Toyota and Panasonic are working on a new system allowing users to remotely control their home appliances right from their car!

Forget about having your refrigerator prepare you dinner while you're driving back home (although this may become possible at some point in the future). Using cloud computing, you'll be able to adjust the interior temperature of your house, start your washing machine or turn off your TV if you left it on as you rushed to work.

The good news is that this system could become operational by the end of 2014.

Source : cnetfrance.fr

After discovering an error with the fuel consumption ratings on certain vehicles through its internal testing, Ford has notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and made the necessary corrections.

Six different vehicles are affected including 2013 and 2014 hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, as well as most 2014 Fiestas.

“Ford is absolutely committed to delivering top fuel economy and accurate information,” said Alan Mulally, Ford president and CEO. “We apologize to our customers and will provide goodwill payments to affected owners. We also are taking steps to improve our processes and prevent issues like this from happening again.”

Ford reviewed its entire lineup to determine the vehicles that required further testing and revised the fuel consumption ratings for the affected vehicles. No other label adjustments are planned.

According to a Ducker Worldwide study commissioned by the Aluminum Association, three out of four trucks will have aluminum bodies by 2025.

It all started with the all-new 2015 Ford F-150, which is expected to sell 650,000 units per year. GM and Chrysler have already shown their interest, as well.

2015 Ford F-150 (Photo: Ford)

“The truck business is competitive. They are lemmings, they follow each other,” said Richard Schultz, managing director of Ducker Worldwide.

Stricter fuel economy standards are forcing manufacturers to find ways to make their vehicles lighter, and naturally that includes using aluminum for body panels. The new F-150 is projected to be 10%-15% more fuel-efficient than the previous steel-bodied generation, with an estimated increased production cost of about $750 per truck.

The study also reveals that demand for aluminum sheets for light vehicle body parts will grow from less than 200 million pounds in 2012 to nearly 4 billion pounds by 2025. Companies like Alcoa and Novalis have recently announced plans to increase their production capacity.


_{Source: Automotive News}

According to the Japan Times, Toyota's upcoming fuel cell sedan will go on sale in mid-December of 2014 rather than next year as previously reported. The automaker plans to build dozens of units every month at its Motomachi plant.

Each one will likely be priced at around ¥8 million, but Toyota will work to lower it to around ¥3-5 million in the next decade.

North American availability and pricing have yet to be disclosed.

Photo: Toyota

^{Source: Japan Times}

From GMM

The title could be the next target for F1's newest race winner.

Impressive Red Bull newcomer Daniel Ricciardo drove past Mercedes' technical trouble in Canada last weekend to record his first grand prix victory.

The feat earned the ringing endorsement of his predecessor and countryman, Mark Webber, who is currently preparing for the weekend's Le Mans 24 hour race.

"He hasn't put a wheel wrong all year so far," Mark Webber told NBC.

"There's been testing regulations, wet qualifyings, all sorts of stuff thrown at him. But for him to notch up his first win is a big step for him."

Ricciardo, 24, is currently riding a wave of form that even his teammate, the reigning quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, is struggling to match.

But he might not stop at beating Vettel. Since Bahrain in April, Ricciardo has notched up three podiums and never finished lower than fourth.

He even stood on the podium on Red Bull debut in Australia, but was disqualified amid the fuel flow saga. He then struck more technical trouble in Malaysia.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, winner in Montreal. (Photo: WRI2)

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko told Auto Bild: "Just imagine, if Daniel had not had two zero points results, he'd be even closer to (Lewis) Hamilton."

Indeed, even amid Mercedes' total domination in 2014, Ricciardo - the highest-placed non-Mercedes - is just 39 points behind Briton Hamilton after seven races.

Double world champion Mika Hakkinen is impressed.

"I've noticed that Ricciardo has been able to exploit his maximum potential almost constantly," the Finn said in his latest interview for Hermes, "whether it's qualifying, racing, overtaking.

"We can't forget that his teammate is the four-time world champion, but it has been Ricciardo who has been passing the chequered flag in front," Hakkinen said.

And Hakkinen said Canada will now put a lot more wind behind Ricciardo's sails.

"I experienced it myself when I got my first victory at Jerez in 1997," he said. "The self confidence you get is reflected also in your performance."

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, first win in F1. (Photo: WRi2)

However, the blunt Marko is keen to keep Ricciardo's feet on the ground. He said a cursory look at the results reveals a "distorted comparison" between the always-grinning Australian and the highly successful Vettel.

"Sebastian has had bad luck with the technology," said Marko. "But in Malaysia he had a trouble-free race and he was coming to the finish ahead of Daniel."

Marko said even Ricciardo's win in Canada needs a closer look, with only "bad luck" holding back the eventually third-placed and frustrated Vettel.

"Daniel was fast the whole race," he said, "but Vettel was not slower."

Marko said a failed GPS system on the pitwall, and a further "miscalculation" by Red Bull regarding Vettel's race strategy, thwarted the German's progress.

"It definitely was not Vettel's fault," he said, "that Ricciardo did not stay behind him."

Chrysler Canada is recalling 2,430 Ram Promaster vans from 2014 because water ingress around the in-floor battery cover and door footwell trim could cause electrical circuit corrosion, potentially causing the engine to stall and disabling the airbags, turn signals, parking, stop and/or reverse lamps.

Consequently, dealers will apply a sealer, relocate electrical components, and apply dielectric grease as necessary.

In related news, 949 Dodge Durango, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs from 2014 have a cruise control software defect that could cause momentary continued acceleration after releasing the accelerator pedal.

Since this could increase the risk of a crash, dealers will reprogram the driver assistance module.

Source: Transport Canada

From Albatec press release

Albatec Racing team principal Andy Scott has made the decision to surrender his No. 26 Peugeot 208 to former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, after the French-Canadian rolled his car in testing at Holjës, Sweden Wednesday.

Jacques Villeneuve, Albatec Racing (Photo: Albatec Racing)

The incident occurred late in the day, but the No. 25 208 of Villeneuve has incurred too much damage for the Dumfries-based team to repair ahead of the third round of the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy at Hell, Norway this weekend.

Scott will step aside to allow the enthusiastic World RX fans the chance to glimpse Villeneuve in action after he was forced to miss the previous round at Lydden Hill due to clashing commitments with the Indy 500.

The Albatec team is aiming to give Villeneuve the best possible chance of victory in the 600bhp, two-litre, 16v Peugeot 208 Supercar and urges the fans to show their support and get behind the former Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Series' Champion over the coming weekend.

From GMM

Ferrari is turning its attention towards 2015, president Luca di Montezemolo has hinted.

Having faltered at the very start of the new era of turbo V6 engines, the fabled Italian team is now a distant third in the championship, between dominant Mercedes and chasing champions Red Bull.

Maranello unveiled a car so modified for Canada last weekend that many dubbed it a 'B' version, but the F14-T still struggled at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Montreal, then, might be seen as having been Ferrari's last roll of the dice for the 2014 title, with more attention now to be shifted towards the 2015 project.

President Montezemolo does not deny it.

"I don't think we can work miracles in the short term," he is quoted as saying by Italy's Tuttosport, "but we are working hard for the future knowing that what was done this year was not done well enough.

"We are in a difficult moment, but there is little to talk about and much to do," Montezemolo admitted.

The two Ferrari F14 T in Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

However, on a visit to Florence on Wednesday, Ferrari's flamboyant 66-year-old president said Maranello is not about to stop working hard on the 2014 car.

"We must absolutely improve a lot this year, pursuing this plan with determination," he is quoted by La Repubblica.

At the same time, Montezemolo said new team boss Marco Mattiacci is also looking ahead at "a very big challenge for next year, in so many areas, because there really is a lot to do".

"In particular, we must work on having a much more integrated car and engine next year," he added.

From GMM

Toto Wolff has dismissed reports Mercedes could be eyeing a future with Fernando Alonso.

When rumours of the German marque's flirtation with the obviously frustrated Ferrari driver Alonso first arose recently, team sources immediately reacted by hinting that Nico Rosberg's contract is in fact on the verge of being extended.

But while Alonso's arrival would have reunited McLaren's exciting 2007 pairing of the Spaniard alongside Lewis Hamilton, team boss Wolff sounds less keen.

Fernando Alonso étudiant la Mercedes W05. (Photo: WRi2)

Indeed, when speaking to Spanish reporters at Mercedes' Brackley factory on Wednesday, he said Hamilton's rivalry with Rosberg this year cannot be compared with the "dirty" situation that existed at McLaren seven years ago.

"We'll let them keep fighting, so long as the war is not dirty," Wolff is quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.

"A conflict like the one between Alonso and Hamilton will not happen here," he insisted. "If something like that did happen, it would have serious consequences."

Pondering the Alonso rumours in even more detail, Toto Wolff explained that the Spaniard will not be wearing silver overalls "at least in the short term".

That, Wolff said, is because both Rosberg and Hamilton "have long term contracts".

"Fernando is one of the best drivers on the grid, but it is not in our plan to change the formation of the team," he added.

From GMM

Canada was a spanner in the works in Mercedes' otherwise flawless 2014 campaign.

Until both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton struck technical trouble aboard their silver W05s in Montreal, they had shared a total clean-sweep of one-two victories this year.

"You quickly get used to winning," team boss Toto Wolff told Spanish reporters at the team's Brackley headquarters this week.

"I never thought, unless there was a collision, that we could not finish a race even with one driver. But in Montreal it was about to happen. It was a good wake-up call," he is quoted by EFE news agency.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton leading the race for Mercedes in Canada. (Photo: WRi2)

The most immediate problem for Mercedes is getting to the bottom of the technical glitch.

Germany's Bild newspaper reports that the issue can basically be traced to the energy recovery systems, which overheated.

Toto Wolff said: "In Montreal, we were trying a new cooling system for the first time. The new software went crazy."

Team chairman Niki Lauda added: "It is a wake-up call. We need to check every detail on the car."

Wolff continued: "We have started new processes of quality control to make the car more reliable."

But another issue to consider is the intense driver rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg, who until now have appeared to have no external competitors for the 2014 crown.

Toto Wolff was asked this week if, given his Canada DNF, the new 'double points' innovation for the 2014 season finale might be Hamilton's saving grace.

"It might," the Austrian is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport, "but I have no doubt that, first of all, we must be careful to keep our gap to our rivals. Red Bull scored a lot of points in Canada."

As their personal battle waged in the most recent weeks, Mercedes' drivers have been told repeatedly that the Brackley team's main goal is actually the constructors' title.

But until now, Mercedes has let Rosberg and Hamilton wage their war almost unfettered, despite the risk of a crash.

"The team management is handling the situation very well," Hamilton told Germany's Sport Bild this week. "You have to realise that their ultimate goal is the constructors' title. That's what brings in the money.

"The team is number one," the Briton insisted. "Only after that do Nico and I have our personal battle."

One Mercedes W05 only at the arrival of the Montreal Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

At Monaco, however, that appeared not to be the case, as Hamilton had what many described as a 'tantrum', siding with those who believed Rosberg had committed a deliberate act of sabotage in qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton says now: "I called Nico, we talked about Monaco and the situation is resolved. It was really important for both of us to show the team that we can continue to work well together."

For Hamilton in particular, given his now 22-point deficit to Rosberg, the obvious fear is that Mercedes will end the 'free fight' between the drivers in the wake of the escalating driver battle and, now, reliability fears.

Recalling his situation in 1998, David Coulthard this week recalled that McLaren managed its position of early-season dominance by slowing down the drivers with strict team orders.

Wolff, however, rejected the theory that the reliability problems last week in Canada were caused by Hamilton and Rosberg pushing their cars too hard in battle.

"The damage would have occurred even if they had slowed down," he insists.

Wolff told Sport Bild: "We told the drivers how to manage it by changing the brake balance and braking more carefully. Both of them did it exactly to our specifications. That what happened to Lewis did not also happen to Nico was just pure luck."

Nonetheless, Wolff admitted that Mercedes' situation in mid-June is giving the team pause to "question whether we can let them continue to race so freely".

He is quoted by the Spanish daily AS: "We will continue to let them compete and fight as long as it does not undermine Mercedes.

"We are a F1 team, not a team of two F1 drivers. We are all rowing in the same direction and share the same goal, which is simply to win the title," Toto Wolff insisted.

"At the moment they continue to race freely, although the situation may change at any time. This is an ongoing, dynamic process," he added.

Infiniti will launch production of a new Mercedes-designed turbocharged 2-liter engine in Decherd, Tenn., this month, to power a Japanese-made Q50 that will sell only in Europe.

Mecum Auctions is preparing hundreds of vehicles to roll across the stage at its June 13-14 sale in Seattle. A low-mileage 2008

Woodhouse Auto Family in Nebraska has been weathering a flood of new customers in the wake of a hailstorm that damaged nearly 4,400 vehicles last week at its three stores.

Nissan's Latin American and Southeast Asian marketing companies went public today with the NP300 Navara, their version of the restyled mid-sized pickup. It provides an advance look at Nissan's future Frontier, expected in the U.S.

The 2015 Honda Fit is scheduled to start shipping this week after a series of small delays, and Honda USA has launched the

Honda is launching a major music-focused marketing effort to attract younger buyers who increasingly consume media online and on demand. At the heart of the initiative is a new music channel on YouTube.

The majority of pickups manufactured within the next decade will have aluminum bodies, according to a study commissioned by the Aluminum Association

Despite Audi's crash in practice at the Circuit de la Sarthe on Wednesday, the company is still the one to beat at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fiat's finance unit said it was confident of the legitimacy of a tax deal with Luxembourg that the European Commission is currently investigating.