Chrysler-Fiat Deal Needs U.S. Loans
from The Wall Street Journal
Chrysler LLC has found an international partner in Fiat SpA but the auto maker isn't out of the woods, mainly because the deal is contingent on Chrysler getting $3 billion in additional government loans, said people familiar with the pact. More

Obama Takes Office, Plans Massive Economic, Environmental Changes
from Fleet Owner
Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, and the transportation industry waits to see the impact of the economic and environmental plans the new President has promised to implement. A major component of the President’s Economic Recovery Plan is an investment of about $60 billion in public funds for infrastructure projects to repair U.S. roads, bridges and other projects over the next 10 years. More

Steel Prices Have Collapsed but Probably Won’t Touch Bottom Until Early 2009
from Purchasing Data
Steel transaction prices in December 2008 continue to seek a bottom that won’t come until the first quarter of 2009. That’s because there is a risk of early-2009 expanded supply of low-priced steel imports to the U.S., continued weakening of the U.S. economy and/or even softer demand for steel. In December, the purchase price average for benchmark hot-rolled sheet in coil was $566/ton. That’s a 47 percent decline from the cyclical peak of $1,068 in July. Cold-rolled sheet in coil also dropped and price slippage was evident as well for coated sheet, plate products, rods, light structurals and most bar grades. More

GM Falls Behind Toyota in Annual Global Sales
from Yahoo! News
Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. sold more cars and trucks last year than General Motors Corp., stripping the Detroit automaker of the No. 1 global sales crown. But it's a victory made hollow by the overall industry's continued struggle for viability amid one of its worst sales declines ever. More

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Toyota Reduces Production
from The Wall Street Journal
Toyota Motor Corporation is making further production cuts in North America as the Japanese auto maker seeks to reduce inventory levels by about half in the second quarter of the year. The company is expanding the number of nonproduction days at each facility in the first quarter by adding to cuts previously announced in January. The nonproduction days vary from plant to plant depending on the products and their inventory levels. More

Coca-Cola Enterprises Boosts Commitment to Sustainability with Launch of Largest Hybrid Electric Delivery Trucks in North America
from MSN
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg joined Coca-Cola Enterprises CCE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John F. Brock to announce the deployment of the largest hybrid electric delivery trucks in North America. As part of its overall commitment to energy conservation and climate change, CCE plans to deploy an incremental 185 hybrid electric trucks across the United States and Canada in 2009, bringing their total number of hybrid electric delivery trucks to 327, the largest such fleet in North America. More

Modern Technology Corp Announces New Gen-H Hydrogen Injector for Commercial Fleets and Rolls Out 2009 Business Plan
from CNN
Modern Technology Corporation announced its new Gen-H On-Demand Hydrogen Generator for Commercial Fleet Trucks. This newly designed system will be available for fleet orders March 1, 2009. The Gen-H system delivers increased fuel economy between 10 percent and 50 percent and significantly reduces or eliminates truck exhaust emissions. The on-demand hydrogen system ensures reliable fuel creation without the hazard of hydrogen storage. The Gen-H system creates fuel from water and delivers pure hydrogen and oxygen directly to the vehicle's engine. More