Franz von Holzhausen to Tesla Motors as Design Director!
August 4, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Darryl Siry and Mike Bumbeck at Tesla Motors have confirmed that Franz von Holzhausen, the designer who since February of 2005 oversaw the design and development of all concept and production vehicles for Mazda North America, has moved on to the EV startup, where he will be the Design Director. He was reportedly ‘hand-picked’ by Elon Musk for the job. Considering just how dramatic the Furai concept from the last Detroit Auto Show was with its E100 fueled three rotor Wankel engine, it looks like Tesla’s got a good one on their hands here.
Von Holzhausen will need to hit the ground running and assemble a team of designers who will then likely get right to work on Tesla Motor’s next batch of electric cars. This hiring also means that Tesla’s future designs will all be created in-house, ending the need to bring in outsiders like the company had to do with Henrik Fisker.
GM Volt Ready by 2010?
August 4, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
In the last week GM has announced that the next generation of Chevy Volt test vehicles would soon hit the road, meaning many Volt components and subsystems will be assembled together for the first time. “More chassis, brakes, batteries and other components that affect ride and handling,” will finally hit the road AutoWeek reported. Read more
Can Hybrid Production Survive an Economy in Recession?
August 4, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
When gas prices were increasing, every major automaker announced big plans to increase production of hybrid gas-electric vehicles. But the cost of gas has started to recede, and the price of a barrel of oil has dropped from nearly $150 a barrel to below $120. At the same time, the new car market has shrunk by millions of units. This raises questions about the ability of cash-strapped carmakers to look past the short-term economic picture and maintain their commitment to hybrids? Read more
