WWF Study: Electric Cars Could Cut Pollution, Oil Dependence

BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- Electric cars are the best solution for reducing pollution in transport and the economy’s dependence on oil, a World Wide Fund for Nature study published Wednesday showed.

Electric engines can be as many as four times more efficient than regular motors, thereby consuming much less energy, the study showed. Since electricity can be produced by different primary sources, the use of such engines would reduce the dependence on oil, the WWF said.

“We need to accelerate the commercialization of vehicles with diversified primary energy sources, high efficiency and compatibility with sustainable, renewable energy future,” WWF wrote in the study. “The electrification of automotive transport offers a promising way to achieve this objective,” it said.

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German minister stops biofuel blending plans

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Friday he had stopped government plans to raise compulsory bioethanol blending levels in fossil gasoline.

Politicians and industry groups had criticized the plans to raise the level to 10 percent for some gasoline grades from five percent, fearing the increase would damage older cars.

Gabriel said more than 3 million cars were not ready for the new fuel and could be forced to switch to more expensive unblended gasoline grades because of possible damage.

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Daimler reports record first-quarter car sales

STUTTGART – Germanys Daimler AG reported record car sales for the first quarter of 2008 despite rising oil prices that have made driving more expensive.

The company said Friday it sold 318,700 Mercedes-Benz and smart models during the first three months, an increase of 11.1 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Sales of the companys flagship Mercedes brand climbed 4 per cent to 131,500 units.

Daimler benefited from a strong demand in Western Europe as well as a growing interest in the new model of the innovative two-seater small car smart for two.

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Alfardan Automobiles organize BMW Driver Training Program at Losail

For the fourth year in a raw, Alfardan Automobiles, the exclusive importer of BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina in Qatar, has arranged for a BMW Driver Training Program at the Losail Circuit to help BMW owners in Qatar make the most of their high performance cars. .

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Business briefs

Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan Mulally received compensation valued at $22.8 million in 2007, down nearly 42 percent from the prior year, when he joined the company and collected a hefty signing bonus, according to a federal regulatory filing published Friday. Mulally earned $2 million in salary and a $4 million bonus in 2007. The automaker lost $2.7 billion in 2007. Mulally also received $1.4 million in perks. Ford’s executive perks include personal use of all of these: company phone cards and cell phones, car and driver service, season tickets to athletic events, club memberships and fuel and car washes for evaluation vehicles lent to executives. For Mulally, the perks included $752,203 for his personal use of the company’s jet, as well as personal use of the jet by his wife, children and guests “to ease the burden of Mr.

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Car Seat Recall Underway

(Oklahoma City) — Motoring parents may want to check their child’s car seat today, to ensure it is not among those being recalled by their manufacturer. A recall has been issued for some Evenflo Discovery infant car seats after it was discovered that a small percentage of them were shipped without completed release handle assemblies, an oversight that could cause the seat to separate from its base and cause possible serious injuries. The seats in question were sold at Walmart and Target stores in Ada, Durant, Hugo, Moore, Norman, and Purcell between March 11th and March 21st, and bear model numbers 3021769Z and 3021854Z. They also bear a manufacture date of February 4th. Those with seats subject to the recall are asked to contact Evenflo directly at 800-233-5921. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) .

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Recent rise in auto burglaries reported

Campus police are advising students and staff to avoid leaving any items visible in their parked cars. Reports of auto burglaries, at various times and throughout campus, have risen since mid-March, according to Melissa Dubois, senior program manager of community outreach for the Department of Public Safety.

Among the items stolen are electronic navigational devices, iPods, computers, briefcases, luggage, clothing, handbags, duffel and tote bags and various electronic accessories. Police urge individuals to remove from plain view window or dashboard mounts that might indicate devices are hidden elsewhere in the vehicle—such as in the glove compartment.

Police have no suspects, and the break-ins have occurred in parking lots throughout campus, in Escondido Village and on Stanford Avenue, near the Dish.

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MOIT suggests car registration quota

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) on April 3 asked the government to re-apply the quota scheme for car registration, or raise three kinds of taxes (luxury, registration taxes, and import taxes on car parts and less-than-9-seat CBU cars) in an effort to reduce car imports. 

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Search for information on your favourite model of car, including road tests and news.

451,642 new cars – 0.5% more than expected – were registered in the UK in March, leading the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to review its 2008 estimate upwards from the current 2.345 million units.

March is by far the most significant month in the first quarter of any year; the number plate change means that far more cars are bought in March than in January and February combined. None of this alters the fact that the Ford Focus (which EurotaxGlass’s reckons will be worth up to £500 more in resale values than the previous version) remains the most popular car in the UK, but it does show other intriguing trends, such as the ever-increasing appeal of superminis.

The Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 207 did particularly well last month. The Fiesta, in fact, came within 1500 units of pushing the Focus off the top slot for March, and it has now overtaken the Vauxhall Astra as the UK’s number two car for 2008 so far.

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2008 New York International Auto Show Steve and Thom Wrap-Up

Four major US auto shows with international importance keep us busy all winter. Los Angeles begins the season in November where the Asian influence is felt and where automobile enthusiasm is most pervasive in the general populace. Detroit is next in January drawing by far the most international media attention and therefore the most new product introductions. But space is seriously limited. Chicago in early February is a wide open show mostly in terms of having the most space, but we always find great new stuff there as well. Now, here we are in New York in March where we see most of the fresh new products from the other three shows plus a few treats the manufacturers have saved for this final blast into the model year.

We, your intrepid Detroit Bureau team of Thom and Steve, drove the 11-hour, I-80 trek so we wouldn’t have to suffer the ongoing indignities of airline travel.

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