– Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Siemens Automotive have teamed up to develop an advanced tire-pressure warning system that will not only alert drivers when tire pressure is low but also when tires reach excessive temperatures. The federal government has required all new vehicles built after November 2003 to be equipped with a tire-pressure warning system.
– Ward’s Automotive Reports, a trade publication, says Siemens Automotive, of Auburn Hills, Mich., is developing electrical technology that will allow a single engine type to deliver different sounds and acoustics to provide a unique character when used in a variety of vehicles. Ward’s says Tenneco Automotive and ArvinMeritor Inc., also are working on sound-management systems using different exhaust tones via an electric muffler and tailpipe hardware.
– Baron Von Scoot, LLC, the motor scooter megastore with locations in Palatine and the Wicker Park neighborhood, is adding Lee Iacocca’s battery powered E-Bike, with prices ranging from $950 to $2,000. Visit www.baronvonscoot.com.
– The General Accounting Office reports that while urban highways carry more traffic and get more federal funding, more people are killed on rural roads, which account for more than half the 8.2 million miles of roadways in the U.S. The GAO said that though 40 percent of all vehicle miles are traveled on rural roads, about 60 percent of traffic fatalities occur on rural roads. The GAO pointed out that states generally spend the largest portion of their federal highway funding on interstates and arterials and the smallest portion on rural roads.
– GM’s Saab and Cadillac divisions plan closer cooperation in the European market. Cadillac, which has been selling roughly 1,000 cars a year in Europe through GM’s Opel subsidiary, will become available through Saab dealers in conjunction with the release of the Cadillac CTS rear-wheel-drive sedan. Though Saab and Cadillac are upscale brands, Saab President and Chief Executive Peter Augustsson said the strategy can help both companies increase sales because they are aimed at different market segments. The move is part of Saab’s plan to almost double its global sales to 250,000 in the next five or six years.
– Mid America Designs of Effingham, Ill., has begun a petition drive seeking a U.S. postage stamp to commemorate Corvette’s 50th anniversary in 2003. The company, which sells aftermarket parts and accessories for ‘Vettes, will solicit signatures in the next year through its parts catalog and by contacting car clubs. Call 800-500-1500.
– Navigation Technologies, which provides the digital map database for all navigation systems available in the U.S., has added 3.5 million miles of roadway to its maps. It system now includes 5.3 million miles of roads, which the company says is sufficient to deliver a route between any two points in the U.S. The data include 290,000 turn restrictions, 170,000 highway signs and 267,000 miles of one-way information, for route planning.
– In case your home away from home isn’t complete without something to get away from it, too, MHC Group Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif, is offering a motorhome with a garage. The Desert Fox has a storage space intended for motorcycles, ATVs, bicycles, canoes and other modes of transportation. At 8 feet long, 8 feet wide and 5 feet tall, it’s too small for any cars sold in the U.S. Desert Fox prices range from $275,000 to $325,000.
– Consumer Reports is featuring tips and stories on issues such as shopping for a car and auto maintenance as a free service of the Auto Hub section of its Web site. The page contains some Web-only content as well as stories from the magazine. Go to www.consumerreports.org and click on Auto Hub.
