Results tagged “cars”

With a $1 billion net income for the 3rd quarter, Ford is forecasting "solidly profitable" future by 2011. The AP reports: "The automaker said Monday earnings were fueled by U.S. market share gains, cost cuts and the Cash for Clunkers program, which drew flocks of buyers to showrooms this summer. Ford's shares rose 58 cents, or 8.3 percent, to $7.58 in pre-market trading." The company was the only Detroit automaker that did not receive government aid or go to bankruptcy court.

A crash between two vehicles left an apparent transient dead this morning during rush hour in North Hollywood. Around 7:53 a.m., the vehicles traveling eastbound on the 134 freeway collided, leaving the freeway over the side where an encampment was set up behind the McDonalds at Riverside Drive and Lankershim Boulevard. "He just happened to be there at the wrong place at the wrong time," explained California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Luevano over the phone.

Passing the measure known as "Cash for Clunkers" looms before lawmakers--and their summer recess--and has been met in the media with its fair share of critics and cheerleaders. Categorizing himself as the latter, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti published a post today on his website declaring his support--"love," actually--of the program that "gives car-buyers vouchers worth up to $4,500 for trading in their low-mileage vehicle for one that’s significantly more fuel-efficient."

How's this for punishment? Police checkpoints will be set up on Saturday around hillside areas not to make sure you're driving sober, but to see if you have fireworks. If you get busted, they could confiscate your car, throw you in jail or fine you $50,000, according to the Pasadena Star News. Remember, for the most part, fireworks are illegal and only some cities allow "safe and sane" ones. And of course, they'll be on the hunt for illegally parked cars.

After years of lawsuits against the Bush Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency today granted California the permission it wanted to impose strict emissions regulations on cars sold in the state. By 2016, fuel economy in cars and trucks sold in the state will need to have an average of 35.5 miles per gallon, a reduction of 40%.

If "Smokey and The Bandit" featured Colonel Sanders .... He seems to call The Chicken Shack home. We hear their Peruvian chicken is pretty tasty too. FYI: LAist loves Peruvian chicken.

Venice attracts a lot of people and has always had a number of vehicular homeless along its streets. More recently, thanks to the economy, the number of RVs, minivans and other vehicles housing people without a traditional home, have increased so much, that residents want to create overnight parking districts, effectively eliminating the problem... well, from their neighborhood, at least. KCET's SoCal Connected explored the issue last week in this above segment.

           

As the first stop on their world tour, 4 BMW Art Cars are now parked at the BP Grand Entrance of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The show opens today and runs only until February 24th, but Flickr photographer Rubenstein saw the exciting exhibit featuring four painted BMWs by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg. Hopefully you can make it to LACMA to see it, but just in case--or as a sneak peek--here are the four colorful cars.

Today President Obama is asking the EPA to reverse a previous Bush-era move that "stopped California and more than a dozen other states from setting their own stricter limits on auto emissions," reports the LA Times.

The Southern Californian Auto Club would like to remind all of us that 'tis the season for us to be stupid, particularly when it comes to locking ourselves out of our cars. During December the Club deals with more locked out members than any other time of the year. In fact, according to their press release, in December of 2007 "the Auto Club answered 76,346 calls for help by its members for keys locked in vehicles at shopping malls, retail centers, grocery stores and other locations." The busiest locked-out days fell on the weekend before Christmas--you know, right when you're at the peak of frazzled, desperately trying to get everything done and every errand run.

As the "Big Three" American automakers and the federal government get closer to determining what kind of bailout--if any--the struggling businesses can receive, things don't seem to be all that much better for overseas rival Toyota.

Today gas hit the average price of $1.784 per gallon of regular which has Californians paying lower average gas prices than people in twelve other states, according to Jeffrey Spring at the Auto Club. "It's an unusual situation for this state to have prices within a dime of the national average, but it is a welcome bit of relief for Californians who have been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn." That national average sits at $1.683 today.

                  

If you're in need of an escape from the forced awkward conversations with relatives that turkey and a day off from work brings, head downtown to the Convention Center and check out the LA Auto Show. All of the manufacturers you've heard of and a bunch you've never heard of, found enough money in their budgets to make the trip and fortunately they brought some of their best new cars with them. Ford premiered the 2010 Mustang, Mini unveiled an all-electric ride and Nissan busted out a cube-shaped vehicle cleverly titled Cube (For more new cars making their premiere at the LA Auto Show Jalopnik has their Top 10 Reveals).

Plans to vote on a $25 billion bailout for the "big three" automakers were scrapped by congress yesterday after discussions focused, not on how the industry will fix the problem with taxpayer money, but on how they each used corporate jets to travel to Washington DC.

This curious bit of info came to us via our tipline, and may merit the curious (or the foolish) to check it out: "Volkswagen made a car so bad, that Jennifer Boswell wants to take it out to a field and charge a dollar swing. Fortunately, NPR's famous Car Talk radio Tapert* [sic] brothers convinced Jennifer on air not to kill her car, but instead give away her green 2001 beetle to the most deserving stranger."

The price of gas in Los Angeles continues to drop as today's local average for a gallon of regular comes out to $2.730, more than 11-cents from Monday's reported average of $2.846. A week ago today, Los Angeles gas was $3.019, nearly 29-cents higher. Of course, you may have spotted cheaper gas in the city. If so, let us know in the comments!

Although Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze of Visalia introduced a bill that would fine people driving with animals on their laps $35, the Governor is giving it the ol' veto.

We can drive up to mail boxes, ATMs, and to fast-food windows. Now in Orange County you can do drive-through voting. Imagine that...voting without ever leaving the comfort of your car. It's so SoCal!

Advertisers will do just about anything to create a cool ad spot that will get their product noticed. That kind of thinking is probably what led American Honda to take over a stretch of Avenue K in Lancaster and set it up so that cars driving on it pass over grooves tuned to emit the notes of the "William Tell Overture."

The three major law enforcement agencies that operate within LA County (LAPD, CHP, and the LA Co. Sheriff's Department) are working together this Labor Day weekend as a team on the "Avoid DUI Task Force." As part of the program they will operate 18 DUI checkpoints as well as "42 patrols throughout the county in search of drunk drivers," according to abc7.com. Luckily, California leads the list of states that have seen a decline in drinking-related auto deaths last year (117 fewer than the year before).

"It is imperative to know that when purchasing items on-line, if the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good and is possibly a stolen item," said an e-mail sent out this weekend by the LAPD announcing a press conference regarding hundreds of stolen tires and rims from newer model Mercedes Benz and BMWs.

Now here's a sign of the times. Ford Motor Company has posted their 2nd Quarter results showing a $8.67 billion loss in the United States market. With gas rising, the economy struggling and a generally more eco-conscious(ish) nation, is this a surprise next move? "They will retool two more North American truck and sport utility vehicle plants to build small, fuel-efficient vehicles," according to the Associated Press.

The Bottleneck Blog is reporting this afternoon that the "California Transportation Commission just unanimously approved the plan in Los Angeles County to convert the carpool lanes on parts of the 10, 110 and possibly the 210 freeways to toll lanes." But blogger and LA Times Road Sage also cautions those who drive regularly on those freeways to not panic...yet. The plan still has to make it through the state legislature before you'll be coughing up cash for your commute.

After quickly championing the rights of vehicles and bicycles sharing the road in the aftermath of the Mandeville Canyon "road rage" incident, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl has canceled this Monday's community town hall that he quickly put together last week (he even changed locations once to accommodate the expected large crowd comfortably).

Yesterday, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley wrote a letter to President George Bush asking him to consider taking a stand against car idling in Washington D.C.

For 14 years California drivers have been able to select a whale-themed license plate designed by Laguna Beach artist Wyland which is offered by the DMV in partnership with the state Coastal Commission.

LAist Featured Photos contributor KeithJ recently found this SMUD plug-in Prius on the streets of Monrovia. Considering the price of gas, even drivers of "traditional" hybrid vehicles like the Prius are feeling the pain at the pump (albeit in smaller quantities). Maybe it will be sooner than we think when our streets are clogged with even more popular fuel efficient vehicles like plug-in hybrids...Could be something worth getting all charged up about, hmmm?

          

Driving around LA can often be a great adventure. Though we always encourage taking MTA and Metrolink, LAist spotted several other stylish ways to get around the city.

When it comes to the cost of a gallon of gas these days, it certainly doesn't seem to be the case that "it can't get any worse." We grumbled when it got to $3, winced when it hit $3.40, cringed when it hovered at the $4 mark, and now we're seeing prices in the $4.40 range at pumps all over SoCal. And, in true trend-setting fashion, our high gas prices have finally inspired the rest of the country to catch up; the national average is now over $4 a gallon.