– The new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says he is prepared to propose additional safety rules for cars and trucks, disappointing automakers who had hoped to gain regulatory relief under the Bush administration. “I’m not convinced that we’ve reached the pinnacle in terms of regulations for vehicle manufacturers,” says Jeffrey Runge, who was sworn in as NHTSA administrator in August. Runge says that he is generally pro-business but that his role as the nation’s top vehicle safety officer would guide his priorities and management style. Runge says NHTSA will propose revised rules soon that require automakers to make roofs more crush-proof in rollover accidents.
– Chrysler Group hopes to reduce vehicle delivery time by 25 percent, or three days, through a venture with Union Pacific Corp. The new company, Insight Network Logistics, is a unit of UP and will use the Internet to track vehicle shipments from assembly plants to dealers. The process takes an average of 12 days, using a network of rail and over-the-road carriers and the services of several logistics providers, which will be consolidated by Insight Network Logistics.
– Oscar Mayer is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Wienermobile, which debuted in Chicago in 1936. The original, built by the General Body Co. of Chicago, was 13 feet long with an open-air cockpit. It has evolved into today’s 27-foot vehicle, built off a GMC chassis with a 5700 VORTEC engine, that tours the country.
