By Stephanie Porteus

HotRodHoney

Ford Motor Co announced at the Detroit Auto Show back in January that they’d be investing $45 million into building battery packs for greener vehicles. They will utilitze their Rawsonville Component Plant in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan to begin building these battery packs for their next generation of electric-powered vehicles.

This investment is going to bring many new jobs to an economically depressed area, in addition to protecting hundreds of jobs already there. It’s a move that should coincide nicely with their plans to build a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-powered electric version of the Focus at their assembly plant in Wayne, MI. In total, Ford expects to create 1000 new jobs in Michigan by 2012.

By Jay Wyman

Tuner Maneuver Magazine

For most of the industry leaders I’ve talked to recently, getting though this year has taken a lot of effort. Satisfying wary customers and clients with tight budgets meant paying attention to the smallest of details like going that extra mile to make a tough decision which in the end makes things harder than ever. Many companies basically just seemed to try to survive while doing some long term planning. Working just to make ends meet doesn’t leave a lot of room or time to look at the big picture.

If you’re reading this and your company or your employer has survived this year, congratulations. You should be proud and have a story to tell for years. You know your company or employer must be doing something right if you managed to ride out the storm while spending slowed to a small trickle. Heading into the new year of 2010 we have a lot to look forward to but also a lot to plan for. Look at where your company is heading not only for the show/race season but for the next 2 years, 5 years, and more. Continue reading over at Tuner Maneuver Magazine.

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

Take a close look at this picture. No, it’s not some crazy piece of artwork. Sadly it is just one of many pictures that show new cars from around the world that remain unsold. My friend Dale sent me an email which has been doing the rounds, showing pictures of new cars being held in storage by various manufacturers. And I thought I had problems storing three cars at home! More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "New Car Overload" »

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

The Daytona Beach News-Journal is reporting that Crane Cams has shut down. This is bad news for the tons of moderate-displacement engine builders who relied on Crane for cam and ignition solutions. I’m not surprised, considering the state of the economy and all. I was pretty hyped to see the Crane logo on the Toyota NASCAR engine display at this year’s NAIAS.  Now I’m sad.