– Ford Motor Co. plans to install hands-free, voice-activated cellphones in some 2002 models. The Cellport 3000, made by Cellport Systems of Boulder, Colo., would be factory-installed and work with Ford’s Wingcast telematics system. It is designed to work with almost any cellphone, although an adapter for the buyer’s specific phone would have to be installed after the car is purchased. A price has not been set, although Ford is paying Cellport Systems $48 million to install the phones. The move comes as New York State has banned handheld phones while driving, although Ford said the decision was made based on customer demand.
– Honda has unveiled a concept motorcycle designed specifically for aesthetic appeal. Styling touches on the New American Sports concept include billet wheels, a floating rim-mounted front brake, illuminated instruments, and carbon-fiber and titanium skinwork shaped to create an airy appearance. New American Sports also has a liquid-cooled V-twin engine.
– GM is forming a new support business in Japan to take over some functions of its Asian operation. General Motors Asia Pacific (Japan) Ltd. will be 100 percent owned by GM and oversee finance, strategic planning, information systems, purchasing and logistics, human resources and corporate communications. The existing General Motors Japan will focus on sales, marketing and after-sales operations for GM vehicles in Japan. GM owns 49 percent of Isuzu, 20 percent of Suzuki and 20 percent of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries.
– The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered the city of Belleville, Ill. to take down its bicycle motocross park because it is built on a federally protected wetland. Several mounds of dirt used by BMX riders to perform tricks and jumps must be removed from the Richland Creek flood plain because they are displacing water from the wetland, Belleville Parks and Recreation Department director Gary Hopfinger said. Corps of Engineers spokesman Charles Camillo said the project likely would have been approved if the city had applied for the proper permits before building. Hopfinger said the city will try to move the park to a different location.
