Cars-Automobile News

HOUSTON Additech today announced that it ranked number 141 on Technology Fast 500™, Deloitte LLP’s ranking of 500 of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the five-year period from 2004–2008. Additech grew 1,057 percent during this period.

OSHKOSH, Wis. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) today announced it met the November MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) production requirement ahead of schedule on Nov. 19. This marks the fifth consecutive month the Company has exceeded the accelerated M-ATV delivery schedule. Oshkosh will continue to increase production to meet December’s requirement of 1,000 vehicles, with output remaining at that high level through April 2010.

COLUMBUS, Ohio The State Auto Insurance Group has been named 2009 Company of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana (IIAI). According to the IIAI, this award recognizes the company that most demonstrates a strong commitment to the independent insurance agency system in Indiana.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. As the end of the year approaches, Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, today reminds consumers that their new car purchases may help reduce their 2009 taxes.

DUBLIN Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/eee139/natural_gas_vehicl) has announced the addition of the "Natural Gas Vehicles" report to their offering.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) will participate in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2009 Credit Conference to be held in New York, on Wednesday, December 2, 2009. Tenneco’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gregg Sherrill, will present at 9:50 a.m. ET.

CLEVELAND Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation (NYSE:ETN) today announced that the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alexander M. Cutler will participate in the Credit Suisse 2009 Aerospace and Defense conference in New York City on December 3 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Eastern time. The purpose of Eaton’s presentation is to discuss the company’s business prospects with securities analysts and institutional investors.

BURLINGTON, Mass. & AACHEN, Germany Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced that it has extended its relationship with Mio Technology, which develops and markets products including personal navigation devices, to meet the latest developments in mobile services with Nuance Vocalizer for Automotive text-to-speech. As part of the relationship, Mio will bring Nuance’s text-to-speech to a broader range of its personal navigation devices. Nuance Vocalizer for Automotive is optimized for personal navigation devices and will enable Mio’s customers to enjoy the ease and convenience of a speech-enabled mobile experience from behind the wheel.

DUBLIN Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/77d034/2009_plimsoll_anal) has announced the addition of the "2009 Plimsoll Analysis - Motor Legal Expenses - A comprehensive profile of 41 companies operating in the UK market" report to their offering.

DUBLIN Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d4e140/radio_cabs_market) has announced the addition of the "Radio Cabs Market - India" report to their offering.

QUINCY, Ill. Titan Wheel Corporation, a subsidiary of Titan International Inc., announces it has been certified to the new ISO 9000:2008 Standards for the company’s facilities in Quincy, Illinois, and Saltville, Virginia.

SEAL BEACH, Calif. The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), a southern New Jersey-based services authority providing waste management and recycling services in Atlantic County, has awarded a contract to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE) to design, build, and maintain a new public access compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel station. The facility will operate 24/7 to support ACUA’s growing fleet of CNG refuse trucks, as well as municipal and private CNG fleet vehicles in the area.

DUBLIN Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/194a56/2009_plimsoll_anal) has announced the addition of the "2009 Plimsoll Analysis - Car Dealers - A comprehensive profile of 1000 companies operating in the UK market" report to their offering.

DUBLIN Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/212264/analyzing_the_braz) has announced the addition of the "Analyzing the Brazilian Biodiesel Industry" report to their offering.

IRVINE, Calif. Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leader in providing online consumer leads and marketing services to the auto industry, and Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc., www.kbb.com, today announced an extension of their current agreements to expand the reach of Kelley Blue Book’s industry-leading vehicle values, pricing and specifications data, and editorial content to the millions of car-buyers who visit Autobytel’s network of Web sites, including autobytel.com, car.com, myride.com, autoweb.com and carsmart.com. A new agreement was also reached under which Autobytel will license its lead distribution technology to Kelley Blue Book for use in its online vehicle classifieds, The Trusted Marketplace^SM, a new online car shopping experience on Kelley Blue Book’s top rated Web site www.kbb.com.

OSHKOSH, Wis. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) announced today that it is working with the city of Oshkosh on plans to expand the Company’s manufacturing facilities in Oshkosh, Wis. Oshkosh Corporation and the city of Oshkosh have been in good faith discussions since April 2009 on assistance from the city through the creation of a new tax increment financing (TIF) district. The TIF is pending approval by the Oshkosh Common Council and has the support of the city of Oshkosh and its partners, Chamco, Inc., the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, the Oshkosh Area Economic Development Corporation and Winnebago County.

DETROIT The man credited with designing the wildly successful Chrysler 300C sedan, Ralph Gilles, will speak on the subject of Renaissance of Design at the 16th-annual AutoWeek Design Forum.

NEW YORK Alcoa (NYSE:AA) today announced it will temporarily idle production at its two aluminum smelters in Fusina and Portovesme, Italy. The curtailment is a result of uncertainty in obtaining future power supply for the smelters at competitive rates and the financial impact of today’s European Commission (EC) decision that Italy’s extension of the existing electricity tariff after 2005 did not comply with European Union (EU) state aid rules and that a portion of the benefit received by Alcoa must be refunded. Alcoa is appealing the decision.

LOS ANGELES Carroll Shelby International, Inc., (Pink Sheets: CSBI) announced today that its Annual Shareholder Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2009, at 11:00 AM PST at the Shelby Automobiles Inc., facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shareholders will have an opportunity to vote on the election of the Board of Directors for the coming year.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, today issued the following comment on the controversial new breed of marketing known as behavioral targeting being discussed by legislators, privacy advocates and marketers in Washington D.C. this week.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

• ECOtality’s eTec Launches Approximately $100 Million Department of Energy Contract
• The Company Successfully Raised $20.5 Million and Converted $9.08 of Debt to Equity
• $15 Million in Manufacturing and Distribution Joint Ventures in China Established

CHICAGO Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ:LFUS), in partnership with Plant Engineering magazine, will offer a complimentary web-based seminar titled “Preventing Arc Flash through Resistance Grounding,” on December 2, 2009 at 2 pm Eastern Time (11 am PST/1 pm CST). This webcast will offer practical tips for reducing hazardous conditions, such as Arc Flash and ground faults, with minimal interruption to plant operations (click here to register for the Littelfuse Arc Flash webinar).

ROANOKE, Va. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is proud to announce that Advance Auto Parts, Inc., (NYSE:AAP) a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories, and maintenance items, and national JDRF corporate partner, has raised over $3.8 million in support of diabetes research in 2009. This year marks Advance’s 16^th consecutive year of support for JDRF in the search to find a cure for type-1 (juvenile) diabetes. Advance has raised over $20 million for JDRF over the 16 year partnership.

LOS ANGELES Advanced Engine Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets: AENG) announced today that its Annual Shareholder Meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, at 11:00 AM PST. Shareholders will have an opportunity to vote on the election of the Board of Directors for the coming year at the AET Development offices in Gardena, California.

CHICAGO Fitch Ratings has assigned a rating of 'BBB+' to the $500 million (with potential of upsizing) in new senior unsecured notes due 2014 issued by Harley-Davidson Funding Corp. (HDFC), a fully guaranteed subsidiary of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS). The Issuer Default Rating (IDR) for HDFS and ultimate parent Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) is 'BBB+', and the Rating Outlook is Negative.

CONCORD, Ontario Environmental Solutions Worldwide Inc. (OTCBB: ESWW) (Frankfurt Stock Exchange FWB: EOW) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary ESW Canada Inc. (ESWC) received notification from the Mississippi River Corridor –Tennessee (MRCT) that the Company’s Xtrm Cat™ High Performance Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) Marine/Locomotive catalyst technology has been selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a $2 million dollar funded grant program. This program is part of ‘The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009’ $300 million dollar Stimulus Fund directed towards the deployment of diesel emission reduction retrofit technologies.(1.)

DUBLIN Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/568591/light_commercial_v) has announced the addition of the "Light Commercial Vehicles Market in Norway to 2013" report to their offering.

WASHINGTON The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) conducted a policy briefing to make the case for legislation to help accelerate the commercialization of algal biomass-based energy solutions. In open forums and individual briefings with legislators, ABO and its members delivered key insights gleaned from surveys of more than 400 algae industry leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs and end users. They also identified and voiced support for several pieces of legislation currently being considered by Congress.

DALLAS The nation’s first by-the-mile auto insurance provider, MileMeter, is marking its anniversary this fall with several customer events in Waco and Dallas, Texas, while planning its expansion strategy in response to growing interest and demand from other states.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. This month's new vehicle sales (including fleet sales) are expected to be 710,000 units, a 4.5 percent decrease from November 2008 and a 15.0 percent decrease from October 2009, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.