Tag Archives: milestones

VW Chattanooga builds 100,000th Passat

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Volkswagen Chattanooga has achieved another significant production milestone: The 100,000th Passat was delivered to its new owner, Joanne Benante of Atlanta, during an employee meeting this morning.

The Night Blue Metallic Passat TDI diesel with a Moonrock Leather interior was driven off the line and into the Conference Center by factory employees. The keys were then handed to Frank Fischer, CEO of VW Chattanooga who presented them to Ms. Benante, who had come to take the special delivery

Passat No. 100,000 was completed just nine months after the car went on sale in the U.S. and 114 days after building the 50,000th car. The plant builds all Passats for the U.S. and for export to Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and South Korea.

“We have built each and every one of those 100,000 Passats with a passion for detail that sets the standard for safety and reliability for the mid-size sedan market,” Fischer said. “I’m so proud of our team for reaching this milestone so quickly while maintaining the superior quality that earned the Passat the Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year award,” Fischer said.

“Producing 100,000 Passats so soon after the vehicle went on sale in September 2011 is a testament to all the hard work that has gone into making our LEED-certified Chattanooga plant and the Passat such a success, both here and abroad,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of Volkswagen of America. “It is further evidence that our momentum in the U.S. market is continuing and we are appreciative of our growing customer base, which has been drawn to the Passat’s outstanding fuel economy, German engineering and value,” Browning said.

Above: Joanne Benanti takes delivery of her new Passat from Frank Fischer, CEO of the Chattanooga plant. Behind Ms. Benante in the far right of the photo is Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of Volkswagen America. Volkswagen Media photograph.

Toyota worldwide hybrid deliveries hit 4 million

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Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan announced it has sold four million hybrid vehicles worldwide since the introduction of its first hybrid in 1997. That includes 1.5 million sold in the United States where it holds the largest share of the alternative fuel market.

From that first hybrid 15 years ago, the Toyota line has grown to 18 hybrids sold in 80 countries and regions around the world. This year, Hybrids have made up 15 percent of TMC’s total global vehicle sales.

“All of us at Toyota would like to sincerely thank our customers, who have made Prius the best-selling hybrid in the industry,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division. “While we’re proud of this accomplishment, we are not stopping here as hybrids will continue to be a core technology for Toyota.”

Toyota estimates that the hybrid vehicles it has sold 1997 have produced approximately 26 million fewer tons of C02 emissions than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.

Harold “Red” Poling, former Ford CEO, 1925-2012

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Harold A. Poling, better-known as “Red,” died Saturday at the age of 86. He was the former head of Ford Motor Co. who oversaw its restructuring and launch of key vehicles, including the company-saving Ford Taurus. A native of Troy, Michigan, Poling was living in Pacific Grove, California at the time of his death. He is survived by Marian, his wife of 55 years, and by his daughters Pam and Kathryn and his son Doug.

In a statement, Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, said: “Red Poling was an extraordinary leader who had a profound impact on Ford Motor Company and everyone who worked with him. With a list of accomplishments that span 43 years, including leading the company through a remarkable turnaround during the 1980s and 1990s, Red was respected by all for his leadership, his passion for being the low-cost producer and his genuine affinity for people. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Cars were always in Poling’s blood: one of four children born to a mechanic and a nurse, Poling remembered spending a lot of time with his father.

“We’d grind valves, change piston rings and clutches and do lots of other jobs,” said Poling. “It was serious work but to me it was interesting.”

After service in the Navy, Poling went to Monmouth College, graduating with a BA in 1949. He received an MBA in accounting from Indiana University in 1951. At Monmouth, he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

Poling’s automotive career began in 1950 as a Ford intern in the Rouge steel mill. After he completed his MBA, he returned to Ford and his first full-time job: cost analyst in the Steel Division controller’s office. Over his career, Poling held a series of finance positions in many different departments of the automaker ultimately rising to chairman and president of Ford of Europe in July 1977 and executive vice president – Ford North American Automotive Operations in March 1980.

Poling was made a member of Ford’s board of directors in May 1979 and was elected chairman in March 1990. On February 1, 1985, Poling was named Ford president and chief operating officer, and he became vice chairman and chief operating officer on Oct. 13, 1987.

Poling turned the sinking Ford of the late 1970s into the booming automaker of the 1980s with homeruns like Jack Telnack’s radical Taurus, which quickly became the best-selling car in America. During his time at the helm, Ford launched the Windstar minivan, the only domestic minivan model to pose a serious threat to Chrysler’s supremacy in the segment, as well as a new Mustang. He went to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving to learn about racing – but also to better evaluate the products the company was developing.

Poling retired in 1994 and was succeeded by Alex Trotman, a 38-year Ford veteran.

In 1986 Poling received the Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame and he was also honored by the Engineering Society of Detroit and received Horatio Alger award and the University of Michigan Business Leadership Award. He was even named Honorary Knight Commander of the Civil Division of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by the British Ambassador and in 1993 received the Albert Schweitzer leadership award.

Poling said his all-time favorite car was his first car: a 1932 Ford Model A bought used but in good shape.

CAFE hits new record

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The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) announced that the fuel efficiency of new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. set a new record of 24.1 miles per gallon in March.

The Institute’s average sales-weighted fuel economy is derived from monthly sales of individual light vehicle models and the Environmental Protection Agency’s combined city/highway ratings found on the Monroney label (window sticker) required for all new light vehicles sold in the United States. These same figures are compiled in the EPA Fuel Economy Guide. Using both both monthly and model year averages, UMTRI has calculated sales-weighted means since the fall of 2007, when the figure was 20.1 miles per gallon.

UMTRI also published unadjusted fuel-economy ratings showing the CAFE had increased from 24.7 mpg in October 2007 to 29.6 last month. These are the raw values and are not directly comparable to the “window sticker” ratings. These figures are adjusted by the EPA to derive the estimated on-road fuel-economy ratings that are published in the EPA Fuel Economy Guide and on window stickers.

The increase is not due solely to consumers selecting more fuel-efficient vehicles: manufacturers have increased fuel efficiency almost across the board, meaning even those consumers that replaced their old vehicle with the exact same brand, model and trim level would likely see improved mileage.

The data is available for viewing at the Transportation Research Institute’s website.

Though 24.1 miles per gallon is a real achievement for Americans, it is still far below the same figure for Europe. CAFE estimates for vehicles sold in the European Community range from 30 mies per gallon to well in excess of 40 miles per gallon. The European advantage can be traced to two factors: First, more efficient diesel engines make up a far higher percentage of consumer purchases, up to 50 percent in some markets, compared to 4.6 percent for America’s combined purchases of diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and straight electric vehicles. The second factor is vehicle size: Americans prefer larger vehicles. What we consider to be a small compact, like the Ford Focus or Chevrolet Cruze, is seen as a good-sized family car in Europe.

To see the potential impact of fuel prices on light vehicle choices, ACARPLACE and Allpar LLC obtained the national average retail price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from the United States’ Energy Information Agency (EIA) which has weekly data going back to August of 1990. The EIA figures for the price for each month’s last week were used in the comparison. The red line tracks the changes in retail fuel prices, the blue line shows the progression in vehicle fuel efficiency.