Car Chute

At midday on Wednesday 16th September 2009 Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) will be unveiling two new M1 classified electric cars at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show.

The REVA NXR is a four-seat, three-door hatchback family car suitable for urban driving that can be ordered at the show, with production scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2010.

The showcar, REVA’s model for 2011, is the REVA NXG; a sporty two-seater with a targa roof that was designed by Dilip Chhabria of the internationally renowned automotive design company DC Design.

Another world-first for REVA at The IAA is the launch of REVive, a technology unique to REVA that addresses ‘range anxiety’ and acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank. The customer just has to telephone or SMS REVA for an instant remote recharge should they run out of charge. Both the REVA NXR and the REVA NXG will feature the REVive telematics technology. Further technology and pricing announcements will be made at the IAA.

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The 2010 Ford Mustang – America’s favorite muscle car for 45 years straight – is ready to be customized. In fact, as one of the most customized cars ever, Ford is making it easier for pony car lovers to create the virtual Mustang of their dreams. With never-before-used digital technologies, Ford has created a customizer site within the car’s microsite at www.fordvehicles.com/the2010mustang. The site’s design is meant to reflect what the Ford Mustang is all about: a classic design and a hard attitude, coming together to create a revolutionary automobile.

One week after launch, almost 52,000 cars have been built with more than 16,000 of those saved into the site gallery. And more than 30 forums and blogs are sharing their own creations – all without a single dime put toward advertising.

The Mustang customizer site is not only fun, but it’s also simple to use. Choosing parts, changing colors, determining the intensity of your burnout cloud – all of these interactions are designed to be fluid and easy. There are 239 assets in the customizer, and visitors can even choose the decals and the environments for their Mustang. Accessories available include wheels, decklids, spoilers and grilles. Within minutes, 10 vastly different looks can be created and saved as desktop wallpaper.

There are countless customizer sites out there, but the 2010 Ford Mustang customizer sets itself apart, largely because it’s not designed to be a linear build and price experience, like most such sites are. Working with Wunderman/Team Detroit and Firstborn, Ford focused on bringing some fun back into dreaming up the ultimate Mustang.

Firstborn created a car customizer that would resonate with the target audience. A community customizer section is instrumental in doing just that. This multiuser mode lets four people work on the same Mustang in real time. Chat features create an even more social experience, and the gallery allows submitted Mustangs to be voted on by other users, with the winners displayed each week. Firstborn built the customizer section to facilitate multiple users in the same place, all customizing at the same time – thereby allowing users to watch others building their custom Mustang.

For those serious about making their custom car a reality, a downloadable PDF offers a detailed list of all the parts used to create that particular Mustang. The PDF is separated into three categories – Ford, aftermarket and concept accessories – and includes links to the applicable sites. The list of parts makes it easy to start a conversation with your local Ford dealer.

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ATX Group, a leading provider of connected vehicle (telematics) services to global automobile manufacturers, announced today the launch this week of the new Toyota/Lexus Safety Connect program on select Model Year 2010 Toyota and Lexus models in the U.S. The program marks the introduction of location-based safety and security services to Toyota’s vehicle line and an enhanced suite of services for its premium Lexus line.

ATX will provide both Lexus and Toyota with GPS satellite, location-based Automatic Collision Notification (ACN), designated in-vehicle Emergency Assistance (SOS) button, Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Location service, each entailing a connection from Toyota and Lexus vehicles to ATX‘s specialized Response Center and between the ATX center and local 9-1-1 or emergency dispatch centers.

Toyota Safety Connect and Lexus Enform with Safety Connect will be delivered as embedded, factory-installed hardware with a complimentary one-year trial subscription included for new vehicle purchasers.

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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.

Slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of mobility – the zero-emission era. The car is the embodiment of Nissan’s radical, transformative vision for the future and the culmination of decades of investment and research.

Key characteristics of the LEAF include:

1. Zero-emission power train and platform
2. Affordable pricing
3. Distinctive design
4. Real-world range autonomy – 160km (100 miles)
5. Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system

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Images from Hybrid Cars

AskPatty.com, Inc. announced the launch of their all new version 3.0 Certified Female Friendly Interactive Training Center for automotive retailers to effectively deliver interactive online training on how to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women.

Visit a demo of the AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly virtual interactive training here: http://www.certifiedfemalefriendly.com

The new online training was developed to provide new and used car dealerships, tire dealers, collision centers, franchised and independent repair shops and service centers with the more cost effective solution to train the entire staff. The new platform provides an opportunity for automotive retailers to train a larger percentage of their staff which has proven to be an advantage for both sales and service.

“Our goal is to provide training for automotive retail locations that is beneficial to the entire staff to help women have a great experience with all aspects of the car buying and automotive ownership experience. By utilizing this web based platform we can deliver timely video training along with testing to provide the participants with the necessary tools to increase sales and customer satisfaction with women,” according to Jody DeVere, Founder and CEO of AskPatty.com.

Certified Female Friendly helps automotive organizations build, develop and maintain a high-performance workforce aimed at improving communication with women by offering online interactive training that transforms workforce performance management into an ongoing, dynamic process.

The new Certified Female Friendly online interactive training design and functionality are another industry first from AskPatty.com; the company, which initially developed the most comprehensive solution available to automotive retailers for engaging, selling and retaining women customers.

Automotive retailers can sign up to get Certified Female Friendly here

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