“Gas prices would have to be $13 a gallon in today’s world for consumers to demand a fleet where half the vehicles achieved better than 35 miles per gallon,” said Paul Traub, an economist at Chrysler LLC.

Traub said that while smaller models have and will become more popular, manufacturers cannot depend on consumers to choose the most fuel-efficient options. “Americans still want to go to Wally World on the weekends, and we don’t want to leave our grandmas and dogs at home,” he addressed the Society of Automotive Analysts.

While it is apparent that customers are shifting to fuel-efficient cars, the trend is not enough to make all vehicles compliant with the 2020 mileage standard which was mandated by the Congress in 2007. Customer choices are limited to models such as Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius and General Motors’ Chevy Aveo.

Based on an Autodata report, sales of subcompact models increased 20 percent last year to 351,161 units, but Americans still purchased more than six times as many huge pickups.

Automakers could be forced to meet standards customers do not demand and will not pay a premium for, reported the Detroit News. That means automakers are required to build vehicles that can still carry seven passengers and haul a boat, but meet more stringent fuel economy standards.

As a direct consequence, aficionados will see modified BMW parts and other auto technology which entail more expense on their part. Chrysler estimates such technology would cost $6,000 to $7,000 per vehicle, Traub said. The said view is attested by Bob Lutz, the vice chairman at General Motors Corp.

“In a highly competitive market, car companies are unlikely to be able to pass that cost on to the consumer,” said Erich Merkle, vice president of forecasting at IRN Inc., who tracks vehicle sales trends. “If the consumer isn’t demanding those massive leaps forward, but automakers are forced to produce it, the automakers will have to absorb those costs.”

Absorbing the cost of fuel-saving technologies cuts into profits, which is particularly difficult for Detroit’s Big Three, which are already facing higher labor and health care expenses than their foreign competition, Merkle added.

But not everyone thinks more fuel efficient vehicles will have an average of $6,000 sticker price. The premium will be closer to a $1,500 average, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Some automakers have opposing view. “Consumers are going to change, we have already seen that in recent years,” said George Pipas, a sales analyst at Ford Motor Co.

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Parents, let’s face it. Sooner or later our kids will want to become drivers. It doesn’t matter why they need a car- to go to work or because all their friends already have cars. The reality is you will have to pay a small fortune to have your young one covered. The reason is that teens are more likely to get in an accident because their lack of experience.

When you start shopping around for car insurance, don’t settle for the first quote you are given. Shop until you drop. Speak with your insurance agent then go online to websites like eSurance.com, InsureMe.com or to the websites of each of the main insurers and fill out their online forms. Within minutes you will have the insurance companies literally fighting for your business.

One thing to consider is the type of the car your teenager will be driving. Are you thinking about buying a new one? It is not always worth it. What insurance companies value is a car with a lot of safety features like anti-lock brakes, anti- theft devices and air bags. Good news is most of the cars that have been manufactured within the last 10 years have them installed. So your teenager son or daughter may be better off with your old car.

If the car your teen is driving has an alarm you can shave off an additional 10% on your premium. The reason is that the insurance companies think that your car will not be stolen and they take less risk with you.

Another way to reduce the amount you pay to have your teen covered is to enroll him/her into a driving school. Before you do so, call your insurance broker to find out which ones in your area are licensed.

The safety features are a direct way to save money on car insurance for teenagers. There are some indirect ways too. Accident-free driving is one of them. The more your teen drives without an accident, the more the insurance premium will go down. And what is even more – some insurance companies will reduce your deductible with $50 per year for each year you stay accident-free up to $500, which is a significant saving.

The car insurance rate for your teenager can also go down if you add him/her to your policy. The reduction will not be big but it requires nothing in exchange to get it

Just be prepared to spend more when it comes to insuring your teenage son or daughter. It is inevitable because of there lack of experience as a driver. You can’t do a lot about that (getting a vehicle with more safety features and adding the young driver to your policy are proven ways to get a cheaper premium). There are many things that can be done, though, to ensure that in future your young driver will be getting better rates on car insurance like enrolling your teenager son or daughter in driving school. This will not only save you money in the long run but will also give you a peace of mind that your teen is safe on the road

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In order to find what may need replacing, visit your car maintenance log. If you do not have one of these, now is a great time to start keeping one. It is a good idea to keep track of all the maintenance activities performed on your vehicle so that you will always know when the time comes to perform them again.

The first thing you should do is to check your antifreeze. Your antifreeze/coolant performs an important service of keeping your engine from overheating. You should always have a mixture of 50/50 antifreeze and water in your tank. If you have only or mostly water, you could end up with a cracked engine block.

Next thing to do is check your tires. If your tire treads are worn down you could end up in the ditch if there is a heavy snow fall. It is recommended that your tires have a tread depth of 2/32 inch. In the winter, most people recommend that you have no less than a tread depth of 4/32 inch. It is easy to test your tire tread by simply using a penny. Always make sure that your tire pressure is good too, cold weather has a way of deflating tires.

If you have not replaced your windshield wipers in a while, now would be a good time. Winter weather can really do a job on your wipers, and they are all you have to keep snow, dirt, and wintry mix off of your windshield. Winter weather can really make driving difficult, so be sure that your wipers are in good working order. While you are at it, go ahead and check your windshield washer fluid as well. Make sure that you only use real washer fluid, not water. Water will freeze in cold weather.

Finally, there are a few other maintenance procedures that you should take care of as well while you are at it. These are not specific to winter, but it does not hurt to take care of them now. Clean your battery posts, inspect your spark plug wires, inspect your brakes, and check your engine oil. These are all simple to do and you might as well get them over with now.

If you live in a cold climate, you should be particularly careful to perform these simple maintenance procedures before every winter. The winter is one of the worst times to be in an accident, and simple maintenance procedures can prevent this from happening.

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Drive a suitable car

It’s been statistically proven that consumers who purchase fast cars are in fact fast drivers. The insurance companies are aware of this and they’re also only too well aware of the fact that the faster you drive, the higher the chances are that you’ll be involved in an accident. From an insurance company’s point of view, this makes you a bigger risk which they compensate for by charging you more. If you’re considering buying another car, you should seriously consider buying an economical model with a small engine capacity.

Less risk means lower premiums

The less risk there is of the company having to pay you out for theft, the lower your premiums will be. Installing tracking devices costs money but it will also save you money. Even some inexpensive security devices can affect your premiums so check the policy requirements to see if there are any features you can take advantage of.

Have a wedding

As strange as it may sound, the truth is, insurance premiums are lower for married people. Why? Well, insurance companies are of the opinion that as a married person, you’ll spend more time at home together, thus reducing the likelihood of an accident. Furthermore, when all the party animals leave the nightclubs, you’ll more than likely be at home instead of on the roads at such a hazardous time.

Grow old

Unfortunately if you don’t qualify for this yet then you’ll simply have to wait your turn because it’s a fact, older drivers pay less simply because they are no longer as reckless as young drivers. Also, after having been driving for years, older drivers are inevitably safer and more experienced.

Don’t have any accidents

The most successful way of increasing your premiums is to be involved in an accident. If you are in an accident, your insurance company will consider you to be a financial risk and in turn, they will respond by increasing your premiums. On the other hand, if you don’t have any accidents, they will view you as a person who simply requires insurance, rather than needs insurance. As you more than likely already know, many insurance companies offer attractive “No Claim” bonuses. Staying accident free is the single most effective means of keeping your premiums at a minimum.
By following these tips, you will be well on your way to also save a great deal on your insurance.

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Aisin Seiki is expected to announce the name of Don Whitsitt, who is a 19-year veteran of the company and has been appointed president of Aisin World Corp. of America, based in Plymouth.

The appointments of American executives to high positions in Japanese automakers are the result of shortages of Japanese managers. According to George Peterson, president of consultant firm AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, California, “The Japanese used to be very chauvinistic about using people of their own nationality but that’s loosening up. The engineering and management resources of many Japanese companies are getting stretched. They’re also finding that the best thing for them is to find the best and brightest managers,” regardless of nationality.”

Last year Honda has promoted Frank Paluch to head Honda R&D Americas’ engineering and design division, which has produced a third of the vehicles sold in the region. Honda spokesman David Iida said, “This speaks to the maturity of Honda’s local development capabilities.”

The increasing numbers of American executives at Japanese companies also signifies the importance of the US market to their bottom line. It is no secret that Toyota, Honda, and Nissan generate more than half of their earning in North America.

In what seem to be a symbolic move Toyota has also appointed its highest-ranking North American executive, Jim Press the very first non-Japanese member of its board last June.

Aisin Seiki part of Toyota’s network of affiliated companies contributes nearly fifth of its $20.2 billion in annual global ales in North America. The Aisin World Corporation of America has 28 manufacturing, sales, and research facilities in North America and about 10,000 employees. Last 2005 it opened a vehicle probing ground in Fowlerville.

Whitsitt in an interview with The Detroit News last Monday said, “As we expand in North America, we’ll localize production more and more, not just with our content but with our suppliers.”

He also added that Aisin aimed to expand its North American operations and at the same time diversify its customer base. At present Toyota is still the biggest client of Aisin World Corp. of America accounting to the company’s 50 to 60 percent of revenues. General Motors is also a client of Aisin World Corp.

Whitsitt will be replacing Jurichi Nishimura who will return to Japan to take care of the company’s global sales.

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Gas prices are always increasing at the moment, which is why all of us have started to think about the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. This is why buying a car that conserves fuel is so important. Not only does it help you to save money, but it also helps to stop air pollution in a way that doesn’t involve making use of public transportation.

No longer do you need to worry about the raises in the prices of oil, or even about the impact that your car is going to have on the environment. Since the latest technology has been integrated by car manufacturers, you can now get hold of hybrid car models that will bring you the technology of the future in terms of fuel.

Manufactures like Toyota and Honda are already producing these hybrid cars, which are considered some of the best available on the market today. Since they are fuel efficient and emit lower levels of pollution, these cars are only going to become more and more popular as the effect of humans on the environment becomes more apparent.

Hybrid cars work by combining the gasoline engine alongside an electric motor as a way of running the car. This means that you will effectively be cutting your fuel consumption in half. This is why hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular every day. However, if you want to buy one then it’s extremely important to understand exactly how they work.

The basics of the hybrid car involve the fact that it has two engines, the first being traditional gasoline and the second making use of an electric motor. When your car is running idly, or if it is switched on but not in motion, then the gasoline engine will switch off so that the car can run purely on electricity. When you use the accelerator pedal then the gasoline will switch back on to move the car. This means that whenever you are stuck in traffic, you won’t be wasting expensive gasoline.

When you are running the car, both engines will share in the task of propelling the car forwards. This is the main way in which your gas consumption will be cut down dramatically, meaning that much fewer pollutants are emitted than traditional car engines. This also makes these hybrid cars extremely quiet to run.

Other car manufacturers are now starting to develop their own version of these hybrid cars. Whichever one you choose, this kind of car should be able to help save you a lot of money as well as doing your bit to help the environment. It’s highly possible that just about everyone will be riving these cars in the future, so get ahead of the game by choosing a hybrid car now.

To make your own hybrid car, visit Water Car website and Water Gas website.

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The rate was unchanged on a month-on-month basis, reported CanWest News Service. From May to June, overall prices eased by 0.2 percent. Last month’s raise in the core inflation rate, which excludes volatile items such as energy, is now at a four-year high, matching the level reached in April, the report added.

The Bank of Canada is utilizing the core rate to monitor prices. And based on June’s increase, it could further result in higher interest rates. Last week, the central bank hoisted its key lending rate by a quarter point to 4.5 percent. That was the first increase since May of the previous year. However, the bank said that it may need to tighten the borrowing cost again this year to keep a lid on inflation.

Despite the fact that the previous month’s core rate was somewhat below analysts’ expectations, it remains above the central bank’s inflation target of two percent. “In the grand scheme of things, what this means is that the Bank of Canada is going to very much still have its finger on the tightening trigger,” said Marc Levesque, the chief strategist at TD Securities.

“This is well above the Bank of Canada’s target. We were saying there would be a rebound and that rebound did occur. This just continues to spell possible further Bank of Canada rate hikes,” he added.

But analysts do not share same views about the matter. Douglas Porter, the deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, has this to say: “The year-over-year comparisons get a bit friendlier for core CPI in the next three months, so this may mark the high-water point for the time being on that front. So, even while core inflation has now matched its four-year high today, the Bank of Canada is likely breathing just a wee bit easier today.”

Statistics Canada said that the biggest pressure on prices continues to be housing and gasoline costs. “For a third straight month, costs associated with owned accommodation accounted for most of the increase in average price levels over 12 months,” the agency said.

“Within this category, the component that contributed the most to the increase was mortgage interest cost, which rose 5.7 percent, the same growth rate as in May and April,” the agency added. “It was the fastest rate of growth since January 2001. For the past several months, the growth in prices for new houses has been driving the sustained increase in mortgage interest cost.”

Homeowners’ replacement costs also contributed to the increase in consumer prices, Statistics Canada said. Costs rose 6.1 percent year-on-year in June, up from a six percent increase in May. “Also a factor, but to a lesser extent, was a 2.8 percent increase in costs associated with operating a vehicle,” the agency said. This has greatly affected the sales of auto parts such as the alternator Canada.

Separately, automakers in Canada announced its plan to install anti-theft vehicle immobilizers in all new 2008 vehicles. The plan will be enforced on September 1, reported ExecDigital US.

Transport Canada will make it mandatory for all new cars, vans, light trucks and SUVs to be equipped with anti-theft electronic immobilizers, the report continued. Vehicles include Audi, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Saab, Subaru, Volkswagen and Volvo.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s 2006 listing of most frequently stolen vehicles, none of the top ten had an approved immobilizer. Auto insurers in Canada set rates based on claims.

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Hybrid cars are recognized to be one of the most innovative yet environment friendly creations of technology. The revolutionized and intricately planned design has given hybrid cars a global reputation in helping construct a safer and cleaner environment. Even though hybrid cars are not capable of directly healing Mother Nature, their usage is a big help in minimizing the possibility of global destruction.

Pollution has long been a diversified issue causing global warming. This detrimental factor is brought about by the long standing exposure of the environment to hazards such as vehicular smoke. Since more and more people feel the need to have their own cars as primary necessity, more and more cars are purchased and run in the streets. The pile up of the production results to a strangling clouds of smoke pollution accumulated in the air, and thus causing global warming in long term basis. The continuity of this scenario can be most lethal in the future.

However, as global warming begins to take its toll, there are still many ways wherein we can create a safer environment for the future generations. A simple and concrete way of caring for the nature is an enormous contribution. You do not need to be an environmentalist to grab the essence. You must just be fully aware of the factors which can directly or even indirectly affect the natural flow and condition of the environment.

More over, hybrid cars are not just genius creations in protecting the environment. A hybrid car can also help the shallow breathing economy. As we all know, fuel prices are choking our budget. Their sudden upsurge due to the downturn of the economy is a heavy load to Calvary. Maintaining our cars by feeding them with gasoline everyday is a big overhead. For some people, who have previously owned a car but are not able to sustain the maintenance, would just sell their cars and turn as public commuters. Some would just even sacrifice walking if they really are crunching financially. But for some people who have the budget to buy cars, it is highly recommended that they must consider hybrid cars instead of non hybrid ones. Hybrid cars are really expensive but the quality absolutely matches the tag! The price indicates the unique and healthy features of hybrid cars instead of being presented as a luxury possession.

To see how to make your own hybrid car, visit Water Gas and Water Fuel sites.

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Real Estate Finds

Investing overseas is not unusualm but for first-time investors who want value for their hard-earned dollars, this kind of investment is novel. However, scouting for breaks can be frustrating, especially if you don’t know where to look. Interestingly, Lebanon news classifieds have it all detailed and the best bet is real estate.

For your real estate investment, choose from chalets, apartments, industrial offices, land, offices, studio rooms, clinics, showrooms, retail, and villas. You also have the option to go for a share certificate. You can also advertise your real properties for sale in the online classifieds for a minimal fee.

If you’re deciding on a career move, the drop-down menu has an interesting list of available jobs from accounting to travel/tourism. Like the real estate and auto markets, you can choose your desired region and city for a new job. That’s how you get the break.

Jobs

Whether you are in Egypt or in another part of the globe, you can always get a job to match your expertise in Lebanon. If no match is found, click the “Notify Me” tab. Those new to the site are required to register. Don’t fret, though, because registration is free on Lebanon news sites.

For the adventurous, landing a job in Lebanon, whether in the picturesque valleys or commercial districts, gives you the chance to take in the scenic vistas, experience new culture, gain new friends, and learn new things that can benefit your career.

It is true that the political situation is unstable as posted in Lebanon news online. However, the presence of multinational corporations and the building of new infrastructure mitigate the situation. You could always choose a place farthest away from areas of conflict. Yet it is always best to consult with the embassy for your safety.

Import and Export

Lebanon offers top notch homegrown products. Wine, precious stones, pearls, electronic, and electric equipments. At present, the top importers are Switzerland, Syria, and Iraq. Also worth your investment are exotic food, fabrics, rugs, and jewelry. In the chat forums, you can find like-minded business persons who can supply your needs.

A thorough study is in order before you strike up a business partnership, though. Some background research on companies can assure of you of legitimate deals and a review of the country’s existing policies on the import business and taxes should give you the information before you make a deal.

Other Opportunities

Business people who have a keen eye for spotting business opportunities can find these in Lebanon news. They can analyze situations and events and evaluate the global market trends. Being updated with World News can give you more ideas to start a business anywhere in the world.

But aside from money-making ventures, there are opportunities to be had in the Middle East. There’s the chance to find affordable hotels, beach, and skiing resorts if you’re inclined to see this part of the world. It’s just a matter of time before you find the opportunity you’re looking for.

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