Auto seems hott

Drive On took a spin in a Suzuki auto last week and we couldn't help but be impressed at the simplest of features: the replaceable yet built in navigation device.Other automakers embed their sophisticated navigation devices in dashboards where they are designed to last until the car dies. The problem, typical of electronics in general, is that electronics keep getting more sophisticated while your naChery Automobile Co, China's largest independent auto maker by unit sales, has resumed preparations for an initial public offering because stock markets have recovered, spokesman Jin Yibo said Tuesday.The Anhui province based auto maker submitted its application to regulatory officials at the end of March last year, but it shelved the plans because of poor stock market conditions, he said.We never gave up on our plans to list, he said.Mr. Jin declined to say where the company aims to list or how much it hopes to raise. He also declined to give a timeline for the listing.View Full ImageReuters An employee of Chinese carmaker Chery Automobile Co. works at the assembly line in Wuhu, Anhui province.Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index has risen more than automobile since thChery Automobile Co, China's largest independent auto maker by unit sales, has resumed preparations for an initial public offering because stock markets have recovered, spokesman Jin Yibo said Tuesday.The Anhui province based auto maker submitted its application to regulatory officials at the end of March last year, but it shelved the plans because of poor stock market conditions, he said.We nevergave up on our plans to list, he said.Mr. Jin declined to say where the company aims to list or how much it hopes to raise. He also declined to give a timeline for the listing.e start of the year, while the Shanghai Composite Index has risen almost China allowed new share listings to resume last month after a nearly year long moratorium on auto Earlier this year, Chery raised auto billion from domestic investors to help fund its development, including Bohai Industrial Investment Fund Management auto mobile Investments, China Huarong Asset Management Co, and a Shenzhen based investment fund.Chery Auto's domestic sales in the first half rose from the same period last year, but its exports declined sharply, Mr. Jin said earlier this month, without giving details on the decline.Exports account for about of the company's production and its largest export markets are Russia and Ukraine, said its so hot and it shows the hot ness of letest shows Worldwide analyst Yale Zhang.First half sales in China's passenger vehicle market rose from a year earlier to million units, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.vi remains in a time warp. Yes, my perfectly healthy Honda has a slot for cassette tapes. Automobile Suzuki sells its car with a Garmin Nuvi navigaCouncil member who owns an auto repair shop has withdrawn a plan to seek state funds to purchase and upgrade a vacant building that would have been used as a training facility for repair technicians.Charles Cloud, owner of Technical Cowboy and a Ward council member, told a group of Cody auto shop owners on Wednesday that he "saw something that could benefit the community" when he conceived of the program.But the response from some shop owners had "been nothing but nasty," he told the group, adding that "I've never treated anybody in this room with disrespect."But there has been quite a lot of personal stuff. So, as far as I'm concerned, forget it," he said.Cloud said other factors influenced his decision, including a building use agreement with the Forward Cody economic development group that would mandate up to auto seems hot in structural improvements not necessary for his venture, and that would allow him no equity stake in the property until after years.Cloud said he initially approached Forward Cody President James Klessens for help in finding funds to train auto technicians who wanted additional instruction, and for those employed as trainers.I went down to ask James, 'How does that training money work?' And James said, 'Let me tell you a good idea - to have this grant thing to buy a building,' " Cloud said.Under the original proposal, the city of Cody would have applied to the Wyoming Business Council for at least $1 million in public funds to purchase that was most recently used as an animal shelter.The city would transfer the building to Forward Cody, which would lease it at substantially below market rates to Cloud, using the rental income to fund future economic development ventures.But the council tabled a May vote on the application, citing a lack of information when Klessens and Cloud first shared details of the proposal. Cloud did not vote on the issue.Critics of the proposal said backers had provided only a one-page project summary and did not present a completed grant application, business plan, training curriculum, accreditation plan, building purchase agreement with current owners or building use agreement with Cloud.Reaction from the nearly two dozen local auto shop owners was swift, vocal and almost unanimously opposed to the idea. Cloud's competitors voiced their opposition on talk radio, in letters to the editor and at City Council meetings.Ron DeBerg, owner of Ron's Exxon, questioned how Cloud's proposed training facility would differ from the local shops that provide workers with training.tion dev DeBerg said at least three repair shops had closed in the past two years for lack of business, adding that bringing additional mechanics to Cody would put more technicians out of work.A study by the University of Wyoming's Market Research Center showed that demand for auto technicians in Park County is likely to shrink by more that percent between auto.It forecasts that Park County shops will hire technicians per year between and but it is unclear how many of those hired would be replacing employees lost to attrition.Klessens said the study also found that "Cody sits right dead in the middle" when compared with a dozen other Rocky Mountain resort towns its size based on gross receipts and per-capita income for each shop, adding that local demand for new mechanics was "thinner" than he had expected.Shop owners said the study shows there is not a strong policy or market reason to warrant publicly subsidizing an auto technician training facility in Cody.During a meeting last week, Morgan criticized Klessens for commissioning a study of auto shops in surrounding states without first seeking input from at least auto seems hot repair shops in Cody.The phone lines do work both ways," Klessens told Morgan.Cloud said he would probably still seek to expand his business using private funds, adding that he was unsure what his next step would be.It is not clear what Cloud's decision will mean to efforts by Forward Cody to finance its operations through the state-funded purchase of buildings to be used as incentives for relocating or expanding businesses.Klessens said that at least three other Cody businesses have expressed an interest in establishing training programs like the one proposed by Cloud.But none of the three others want to take a public beating," he said.ice that pops up out of the top of the dash. If it breaks or becomes outdated, you simply pull it out and replace it for a few hundred dollars. That's a lot better than having it entombed forever. Ford takes a different approach. It made its Sync system upgradable, able to handle software updates that keep it current. Whatever the approach, it makes sense to keep the electronics suite current in every car.And it gives much michalage and goes the hot speeds.