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Daimler, Honda slump following earnings reports

Posted Oct 28th 2009 3:15PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Daimler (DAI)

Tuesday, Daimler AG (NYSE: DAI) reported that it returned to profitability in the third quarter of 2009, and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) posted much lower fiscal second quarter earnings, but which were better than the loss the company had earlier expected.

In line with previously released preliminary results, Daimler posted a net profit of 56 million euros ($83.2 million), or 0.04 euros per share, down from 213 million euros ($316.5 million) in the same quarter of 2008. And it said revenue fell to 19.3 billion euros ($28.7 billion) from 24.5 billion ($36.4 billion) a year ago. The slump in sales was most substantial in its Daimler Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Vans units.

Continue reading Daimler, Honda slump following earnings reports

Best Buy starts selling green vehicles

Posted Jul 6th 2009 12:40PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive strategy, Best Buy (BBY)

Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) continues to sit atop the consumer electronics universe with its largest competitor (Circuit City) now defunct and mass retailers struggling to keep their consumer electronics categories as beefed up as Best Buy's is. So, with that in mind, what is Best Buy's next trick? How about selling eco-friendly vehicles?

Can you see the place where you buy flat-screen televisions and laptop computers selling scooters and Segways? That's what is going on in 19 Best Buy locations on the west coast already. Add to this Best Buy's roll-out of the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle this summer and the company may be on to something. After all, it has locations throughout the U.S., something most eco-friendly vehicle dealers would love to have but can't. Is Best Buy the next national vehicle dealer?

Continue reading Best Buy starts selling green vehicles

GM to shock market with 60,000 Volts

Posted Aug 22nd 2007 12:05PM by Tom Barlow (RSS feed)
Filed under: Forecasts, Products and services, Competitive strategy, General Motors (GM)

Bloomberg.com reported today that unnamed sources privy to Chevrolet's plans for their version of the hybrid, the Volt, say that General Motors (NYSE: GM) hopes to build as many as 60,000 of the vehicle in the first year of production, 2010-11.

In its current iteration, the car would be capable of traveling up to 40 miles on its lithium-ion battery alone, or 640 miles between gasoline fillups. A (much more expensive) fuel cell version is also in the works for the Chinese market.

Industry experts are skeptical of the company's ability to reach such lofty goals. The process will be expensive -- GM expects to spend a least half a billion dollars in bringing the vehicle to market. The plan compresses GM's normal development cycle, and will test its corporate flexibility. The projected quantities also represent a real gamble on the car's popularity.

Chevy is also depending on the timely development of a new type of battery to power the E-Flex system. This system would allow the car to cruise at highway speed on battery alone, and could be recharged via house current, overcoming the limitations of current hybrids from Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) and Honda Motor Ltd. (NYSE: HMC).

Hey GM! Paris Hilton wants to talk to you about Hummers...

Posted Aug 7th 2007 3:45PM by Julie Tilsner (RSS feed)
Filed under: General Motors (GM), Home Depot (HD)

When Paris talks, people listen. Or at least branding executives do. And let's be clear, Paris doesn't know much, but she sure knows Hummers.

I'm talking about the other kind of Hummer here, boys. The big, garish gas-guzzling ones on wheels. But Paris is eco-savvy. Paris wants a hybrid. A hybrid Hummer. And a cute one, too. Maybe in green.

Of course, as our sister blog AutoBlog Green points out, that kind of car doesn't exist. Yet.

What do you think, General Motors (NYSE: GM)? Gonna make it happen? Think of the publicity. Or heck, think of the commercial! It would, pardon the pun, blow that Carl's Junior commercial right out of the water. Tongues would wag!

After all, now that more Americans prefer foreign made cars, the Big Three had better bring out the big guns and prove they're really back on track. Maybe GM can design and roll one out just in time for $100 oil, too.

Although on second thought, maybe a Paris Hilton Hummer wouldn't be such a branding success story. Maybe it would be right up there with Cerberus hiring former Home Depot (NYSE: HD) Bob Nardelli to fix what ails Chrysler.

What do you think?

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Last updated: November 25, 2009: 01:53 PM

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