plus 3, City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette

City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette
Toyota Not Alone In Unintended Speed Complaints - NPR News
Lutz Plans to Retire From G.M. in May - New York Times
Having Reinvigorated Design at GM, Bob Lutz Is Retiring - Daily Finance

City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:50 AM PST

MILWAUKEE — Gov. Jim Doyle says a Spanish train company will create 125 new jobs at its new assembly plant in Milwaukee.

The Talgo plant is expected to begin production in November at the former Tower Automotive site.

Doyle said Tuesday at a news conference in Milwaukee that Talgo's decision to locate in Wisconsin means the state will lead the way in high-speed rail production.

Talgo executive Antonio Perez says the company chose Milwaukee because of its harbor and its proximity to a local rail station. Appleton was one of six finalists for the site.

Wisconsin has a $47 million deal with Talgo to build two 14-car trains for Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago line. It also has an option for two additional trains to serve a Milwaukee-to-Madison route.

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Toyota Not Alone In Unintended Speed Complaints - NPR News

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 03:26 PM PST

By Frank James

Sudden unintended acceleration in cars is a problem that goes extends to other auto manufacturers beyond Toyota, according to NPR's Robert Benincasa who's on our investigation team.

He dug into federal data, examining about 15,000 complaints going back to the 1990 model year, and found that owners of cars by other makers also reported they had the experienced unintentional acceleration.

Robert discussed what he found with All Things Considered host Michele Norris. A sample:

ROBERT: In the 2008 model year, Volkswagens had a high rate of complaint. Hondas in the early part of the decade had a relatively high rate of complaints. And then in 2004 they seemed to have fixed something and the complaints dropped...

... One interesting case is Volvo. In the early part of the decade, they had a significant rate of complaints. They had a recall and they fixed some of their electronics and some of the other issues. And then in the past several years, they've had a very low rate of complaints."

You can listen to the whole conversation below:

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Lutz Plans to Retire From G.M. in May - New York Times

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 02:15 PM PST

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Having Reinvigorated Design at GM, Bob Lutz Is Retiring - Daily Finance

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 02:22 PM PST

The man largely responsible for reviving General Motors' image as a maker of innovative automotive designs is calling it quits, the company said Wednesday. After 47 years in the automotive industry, Bob Lutz, 78, will step down May 1 from his posts as vice chairman and senior adviser.

"The influence Bob Lutz has had on GM's commitment to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles will last for years to come," GM CEO and Chairman Ed Whitacre said in a written statement. "I, along with many other men and women in GM and throughout the industry, have greatly benefited from his passion, wisdom and guidance."

Lutz said he chose now to retire in part because many of the products he help shepherd through development have made their way onto showroom floors and into consumers' garages. That, combined with the growing strength of GM's remaining four "core" brands, "prove that a product-focused mindset inside the company is in place for the long term," said Lutz, a former Marine pilot.

"I can confidently say that the job I came here to do more than nine years ago is now complete -- the team I have been fortunate to lead has far exceeded my expectations," Lutz said in statement. "Our product lineup is as strong as it has been in GM's history."

Lutz rejoined GM on Sept. 1, 2001 -- just days before the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. At the time, the Detroit-based automotive giant was struggling to compete with better designs from foreign manufacturers, which American car buyers were embracing in increasing numbers. Asian auto makers, such as South Korea's Hyundai, also enjoyed a considerable cost advantage at the time, to the tune of some $4,000, Lutz noted at the time.

News of Lutz retirement comes a day after the company announced it was reshuffling its leadership team in North America. Lutz's role wasn't mentioned in news of the shakeup, although Lutz himself said in January that he'd hoped to stay on at GM as long as it was feasible.

The Swiss-born Lutz made the rounds at Detroit's Big Three, serving time at Ford Motor (F) and Chrysler -- as well as BMW -- in his nearly half century in the business. Among the designs he is credited with are the Dodge Viper sports car, the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu sedan and the recently discontinued Pontiac Solstice convertible.

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