 News of November 23, 1999
Page 2 of 4
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Eldorado To Be
Built In Lansing, More Than 250 Jobs Added
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| Lansing, MI, Nov. 22, 1999 - GM workers will soon build the Cadillac
Eldorado at the Lansing Craft Centre and the company will add approximately 250 jobs to do
the work. Until recently, the Eldorado was built at GM's Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Center. According to Tim Lee, GM Car Group manufacturing manager, the move was made to
balance available facilities with market demand. |
2000 Cadillac Eldorado ETC
Photo: GM |
| "We must continually assess our manufacturing
capabilities in conjunction with our portfolio of products," Lee said. "The
Eldorado continues to be the best-selling prestige luxury coupe in the United States and
we are very pleased that members of UAW Local 1618 will be building this product."
Lee said the Detroit/Hamtramck plant will continue to build the new Cadillac DeVille and
Seville as well as the Buick LeSabre. By separating the Eldorado production from the
DeVille, Seville and LeSabre, GM can simplify the product mix, and achieve greater
manufacturing efficiencies, he added. Wayne McDonald, Lansing Craft Centre plant manager
says his employees are up to the task. GM will invest approximately $28 million to make
the move. A $500,000 grant provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
(MEDC) will help GM defray the costs of training workers in preparation for the production
change.
|
Dodge Dakota Quad
Cab™ Offers Best Of All Worlds
. |
| The 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab™ is expected to find instant success
among a broad base of consumers, many of whom may have never considered a pickup truck
before. Already the largest and widest truck in its class, the all-new Dakota Quad Cab
creates a whole new segment in the compact class with a reproportioned four-door cab and
cargo box. The Dodge Dakota Quad Cab enhances the versatility of the Dakota even more by
adding to its people-carrying capacity, without detracting from its best-in-class power
and payload. |
2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab™
Photo: DaimlerChrysler |
.
The Dakota cab is extended to incorporate full-size, front-hinged rear doors, along with
rear seats that will comfortably accommodate three adults. The box has been re-sized, yet
still delivers the best payload-carrying capacity -1,450 lbs. - of any compact domestic
pickup. Dakota Quad Cab's pickup bed wraps around the passenger cab for a more integrated
look, while the vehicle retains the same overall length as the Dakota Club Cab®.
Wide-opening rear doors with full roll-down windows offer unrestricted passenger ingress
and egress, and make loading and unloading large packages easy. Moreover, Dodge Dakota
Quad Cab features the most interior room in its class. As many as six adult passengers can
enjoy more total interior volume, more front and rear shoulder room and more front and
rear hip room than any other compact pickup.Quad Cab Meets Multiple Needs
Dakota Quad Cab, a natural truck-based extension of the Dakota line, should not be
mistaken for a sport-utility vehicle. Quad Cab is designed first and foremost to be a
pickup truck, but is sure to win converts looking for more utility than their current
vehicle can provide.
For three consecutive years, the Dodge Dakota has been recognized as America's Most
Appealing Compact Truck by the J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Study. Consumers give the
Dakota high marks for its storage space, convenience of controls and convenience of
cupholders. Dodge Dakota Quad Cabs will be offered in Sport and SLT models and carry a
three-year/ 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty as well as Roadside Assistance
for three years or 36,000 miles.
The Dakota Quad Cab is built at DaimlerChrysler's Warren (Mich.) Truck Assembly Plant
(Dodge City). Production began in October, 1999.
|
Ford’s
Ranger EV is the leading commercial electric vehicle in North America
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| ATLANTA, Ga., Nov. 17, 1999 – Ford Motor Company
today announced it is the leading manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles in North
America. The company’s Ranger EV model is the most widely distributed commercial EV
on the continent.
|
1999 Ranger EV
Photo: Ford |
| States currently utilizing 1998-99 Ranger EVs include
California, New York, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Alabama,
Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Colorado, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas
and Nevada, making it the most widely distributed commercial electric vehicle on the
market. "The Ranger EV’s success in North America is a testament to the
company’s commitment to engineer environmentally sound, zero-emission vehicles and
that fact easily makes us the national leader in electric vehicle distribution," said
John Wallace, director of Environmental Vehicles at Ford. During the past year, Ford has
leased or sold 561 lead-acid and nickel metal-hydride battery-powered 1999 Ranger EVs
throughout North America, including Canada and 26 of the 50 United States.
Organizations and companies that have purchased, or are leasing, 1998-99 Ranger EVs
come from a variety of industries, including utilities and government agencies. Most
notable are the United States Government, Georgia Power, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture at Miami International Airport, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,
Metropolitan Edison Company of Pennsylvania, Hydro-Quebec of Canada, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA).
Ranger EVs are a technically proven, cost-effective alternative to gasoline-powered
cars and trucks for commercial and institutional fleets. Because of their zero emissions
they can be used for indoor and outdoor applications, making them a perfect vehicle for
use in large facilities such as airports, universities and utility plants. Ranger EVs help
reduce emission levels for an organization’ fleet in order to meet stringent
government requirements.
The lead-acid (PbA) battery-powered Ranger EV – Ford’s first production
electric vehicle – can be driven about 50 miles before recharging and accelerates
from 0-50 mph in 12.5 seconds, similar to its gasoline-powered counterpart. When powered
by a nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery, the truck’s driving range increases to 80
miles with the same acceleration performance.
Ford’s announcement came as part of the North American Electric Vehicle and
Infrastructure (NAEVI) Conference in Atlanta. Organized by the Electric Vehicle
Association of the Americas (EVAA), the NAEVI conference was established as a forum to
advance electric vehicles and support infrastructure in the United States, Canada and
Latin America. Ford’s John Wallace is currently a co-chair of EVAA.
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