Archive for July, 2010
Bmws Pretax Profit To Ascend This Year
The Bayerische Motoren Werke AG BMW announced last Wednesday that its pretax profit this year was set to rise above the 4.12 billion euros it posted in 2006 on the sentiment that its car sales would also rise.
Norbert Reithofer the chief executive of BMW said the company planned “to beat the record pretax profit achieved in 2006.” Last week the automaker reported a 26 percent increase in 2006 pretax profit from 3.29 billion euros 4.35 billion in 2005 to 4.12 billion euros 5.45 billion in 2006.
BMW also reported 28 percent increase in net profit to 2.87 billion euros 3.79 billion. The profit boost was attributed to the onetime gain from the sale of a stake in RollsRoyce PLC the British aircraft engine maker.
Reithofer said that the rising euro and higher costs for the raw material it uses to make cars would “impact business performance for the current year albeit to a lesser degree in the previous year.”
Reithofer did not mention a specific forecast but in 2006 those issues injure the earning potentials of the automaker by about 844 million euros 1.12 billion. He said the company expects to report higher sales through the rest of 2007 in the upper singledigit percentage range. “We intend to sell more than 1.4 million vehicles” he added. “This year we expect a moderate start to be followed by strong increases mainly in the second half of the year.”
BMW has several new models including the 3Series convertible a retooled X5 and new versions of its 5 and 1Series models. The 3Series convertible which has debuted at the North American International Auto Show NAIAS in Detroit in January this year comes with a retractable hardtop with a poweroperated threepiece steel roof the iDrive with programmable memory keys a twinturbocharged 3.0liter inline sixcylinder engine direct injection and a BMW cold air intake.
The BMW X5 on the other hand is a midsize luxury crossover SUV based on the E39 5 Series. The vehicle features all wheel drive and a line of straight6 and V8 engines. The 3.0 L diesel engine is offered for the nonUS models.
The updated E60/E61 5Series features new front and rear bumpers restyled front and rear headlights a refreshed interior and the addition of the new BMW DriveByWire system. The 1Series on the other hand introduces a 3door sports hatch variant that is equipped with new front rear bumpers and a modified vehicle interior.
About the writer: Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.
Biofuels And What They Are
You have heard the term biofuel but arent sure what it means. Biofuel is any fuel that is derived from biomassrecently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts such as manure from cows. It is considered green because it comes from a renewable energy source unlike other natural resources such as petroleum coal and nuclear fuels.
Agricultural products specifically grown for use as biofuels include corn and soybeans primarily in the United States as well as flaxseed and rapeseed primarily in Europe.
Waste from industry agriculture forestry and households can also be used to produce bioenergy and include straw lumber manure sewage garbage and food leftovers.
The production of biofuels to replace oil and natural gas is in active development focusing on the use of cheap organic matter usually cellulose agricultural and sewage waste in the efficient production of liquid and gas biofuels that yield high net energy gain.
There are various current issues with biofuel production and use which are presently being discussed in the popular media and scientific journals. These include: the “food vs fuel” debate carbon emissions levels sustainable biofuel production deforestation and soil erosion impact on water resources human rights issues poverty reduction potential biofuel prices energy balance and efficiency and centralised versus decentralised production models.
What material can be used to make biofuels? Conventional ethanol is made from sugar cane corn and sweet sorghum. Soybean and rapeseed oil are often used to make biodiesel but coconut palm canola and jatropha nut oil are also being used throughout the world.
Trees grass agricultural residue and municipal solid waste can also be converted into biofuels. Cellulose makes up the majority of a plants structure and can be broken down into sugars which can then be fermented and made into ethanol. Recent research is making this process less expensive and more energy efficient.
As the worlds top producer Brazil uses sugar cane to make ethanol. Many other developing countries such as those of southern Africa produce large amounts of sugar and also have potential to become ethanol producers. The Midwestern United States relies on corn to produce nearly onequarter of the globes ethanol and China is quickly emerging as the third largest ethanol supplier.
Other countries with limited fossil fuel resources are examining the prospect of producing domestic fuel supplies. Thailand has an aggressive policy to make use of tapioca and sugar cane for ethanol production. In response to the recent passage of the EU Biofuels Directive member countries are ramping up biodiesel production. The Philippines recently mandated incorporation of coconut oil biodiesel into diesel fuel the first time coconut oil has been used as a motor fuel.
Cars trucks and farm machinery can all run on lowvolume biofuel blends without any alteration. Current car warranties cover operation with ethanolblended gas of up to ten percent. Flexible Fuel Vehicles FFVs operate on any combination of ethanol and gasoline. FFVs are being sold in the U.S. Brazil and China. As ethanol has a higher octane it is used as a gasoline additive to improve vehicle performance. In fact many international racing teams use ethanol because of its high performance qualities. Biodiesel blends of 20 show similar operation in conventional diesel engines as regular diesel fuel.
Are biofuels the answer for todays energy crisis? It may be too soon to tell but it certainly has been an alternative source in the meantime.
About the writer: Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgeable and leading provider of used cars trucks and SUVs. Since 1959 Chapman motors has supplied reliable used cars in Austin and the surrounding area and is known as one of the bad credit car dealers in Austin. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.
Be An Altruistic Driver
Indian car industry is predominated with countless car models. As more and more number of cars has started running on Indian roads driving has become a big challenge.
Driving in Indian cities with excess of traffic jam is considered to be an adventure. The key factors that add on the challenging drive are damaged roads clogged water ponds in between the roads mountain like speed breakers and cattle on roads. Not only these affect the traffic in the cities but also increase the number of road accidents.
Apart from these factors motorists and drivers are also to blame for the increased incidences of car accident. Everyone desires to overtake the other and reach his destination at the earliest. They forget that in this fast and unorganized race of overtaking other cars running on roads is equal to inviting a disaster.
All the drivers should drive with a thought in mind that many vehicles are sharing the same road. So dont be a selfish drive rather than be altruistic when behind the wheel.
Here are some tips that a selfless driver should follow to make a safer drive to his destination. These tips will not enhance the safety of the driver but will also help to make ease the adventurous driving in Indian cities.
Obey Traffic Signals and Signs
Every driver should obey the traffic ethics. Traffic signals are not just a piece of red yellow and green lights they are actually meant to make driving easier and reduce congestion on roads. Waiting at a red signal only takes a couple of seconds but the same couple of second may lead to a fatal accident if the signal is crossed at red.
Similar to the traffic signals traffic sings are also designed with a purpose. Dont ever park in the No Parking Zone. This may create congestion on road and block the way of other car drivers. When there is a No U Turn sign make sure to go ahead and take the permitted U turn. Dont ignore the sign and disturb the oncoming traffic.
Stay Alert
Stay alert when behind the wheel and keep a keen eye on road. Drive with a steady speed and comfortable speed so that its easy to halt the car in case of any emergency. There may be cases when a child or any animal just cross by the car in an oncoming traffic. Keeping a keen eye on road will prevent a collision.
Park as Per the Rules
Never park in the No Parking Zone. While parking keeps eyes and ears alert. In case of parallel parking leave enough space for other car drivers to drive out their cars. Ensure that the oversized cars are parked in ample of space without hindering the parking areas of other cars. Dont encroach on the road and create a hindrance for the traffic flow. Never ever park in double lines as this creates a lot of problem in the parking area. Other car drivers face a lot of difficulty while moving out their cars. Dont be selfish and leave ample of space for others to move in and out.
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