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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announced the appointment of Aleksey Beylin as Chief Information Officer and Corporate General Manager of its Global IT Office. Beylin, 40, takes over from Daimler-Benz's Bernd Staudinger, who will head the DaimlerChrysler University in Stuttgart, Germany.
Born in Russia and educated in the United States, Beylin started out at Chrysler in 1988, and was moved from Chrysler IT to become General Manager of DaimlerChrysler IT in 1998, shortly after Chrysler was acquired by Daimler-Benz. He was then made Director of IT Service and Computer Operations - Europe for DaimlerChrysler in 2001.
Analysis: Before the takeover, Chrysler was acclaimed for its efficient, advanced IT department. Many Chrysler IT people were reportedly forced out after the acquisition, though the Mercedes-Benz IT department in Stuttgart was said to be overstaffed. It appears that, over time, the value of Chrysler's IT operations and methods have become known to DaimlerChrysler executives, and have become de facto corporate standards. The appointment of a former Chrysler person to head a Mitsubishi department may be one additional indicator of a new respect for Chrysler Group (and the former Chrysler Corporation) by DaimlerChrysler.
Thanks to Dan Minick for pointing us to Mr. Beylin's appointment.
Now that it seems certain that gas mileage standards will not be raised by any substantial amount, Ford has, as expected, backtracked on its pledge to raise SUV gas mileage by 25%. The company now claims that goal is not possible to realize, though cynics may question whether Ford was ever serious about it.
NHRA fans will have the opportunity to chat with Mopar Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson on ESPN.com on Wed., April 23, prior to the third annual Mac Tools Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals at Bristol Dragway, April 25-27. The chat session is slated for 4:30 p.m., Eastern/1:30 p.m., Pacific.
The Chrysler Town & Country Natrium, a fuel-cell concept vehicle running on clean, nonflammable, and recyclable sodium borohydride fuel, will participate in a ride-and-drive display program at the Pentagon at the request of acting Secretary of the Navy. This program takes place on April 21 part of Earth Day celebrations and is an opportunity for top military officials to experience the advantages of the Chrysler Natrium fuel-cell vehicle.
The Natrium is the first fuel-cell powered vehicle built to operate on sodium borohydride, a fuel made from borax which is a mineral available in abundant supply in the Western United States. In the Natrium minivan, this technology delivers the environmental benefits of a fuel-cell vehicle without the loss of cargo or passenger space, while providing a range of 300 miles, longer than any other fuel-cell vehicle. Hydrogen is extracted from sodium borohydride to power the fuel cell. Sodium borohydride is a compound chemically related to borax, the naturally-occurring substance commonly used in laundry soap.
* Zero dependency on oil for propulsion
* Cargo and passenger space is not compromised for on-board storage of hydrogen
* Byproduct can be rehydrogenated and used again as fuel
* Near-silent operation
* Capable of producing 110- and 240-volt electricity
* Greater driving range than other fuel-cell vehicles
* Potential for zero emissions of smog-forming and greenhouse gasses.
"Chrysler ... has a long and proud history of supporting our national defense efforts," said Bernard I Robertson, Senior Vice President, Research and Regulatory Affairs. "This unique technology could have great benefits for the military: in particular, it is nonflammable, greatly improving safety in battle zones, and the main ingredient can be transported as a dry powder, dramatically reducing the enormous logistical demands of fueling our military in advanced battle settings. In addition, the greater fleet fuel efficiency would greatly reduce the amount of fuel used by our armed forces--fuel that can cost hundreds of dollars per gallon to deliver to the battlefield. And this technology produces zero smog-forming and greenhouse gases, contributing to a cleaner environment. Finally, sodium borohydride has the potential to reduce or eliminate our dependence on oil for our transportation needs."
The U.S. armed forces have expressed interest in alternative-fuel vehicles in order to stretch the military's mobility into the future with improved fuel economy and range. Benefits include a decreased dependency on oil which significantly decreases cost of operation and increases the range and reach of individual task forces.
The Chrysler 300C was introduced today. We have details here, but some additional news was announced as well. The LX series will most likely have the 3.5 liter V6 as the base engine, with some having the Hemi. There is currently no manual transmission planned, according to the VP of Engineering. The 4.7 V8, which many had guessed would be an intermediate engine, will not be used. The styling of the 300C is much better in person than in photos, as is the Dodge Magnum. While the 300C preproduction concept has 20 inch wheels and a very low ride, the final model may or may not have smaller wheels. We were told that the 300C will ride as low to the ground as the concept, and that it has been engineered to avoid scraping - the entry and exit angles have been carefully considered. We will have more updates later today, as well as new photos of the Dodge Tomahawk motorcycle. Keep an eye on the main index page.
The tradition of naming 300 series cars incrementally has been eliminated, as the new 300M replacement will be the Chrysler 300C. We have a full report including photos and specs.
We do not know if the LX will have a manual transmission. To date, all reports have discussed the Mercedes automatic, but none have denied (or suggested) the availability of a manual. This appears to be a "wait and see" issue.
The auto show is tomorrow, and the rumors have been flying. Cadillac's new CTS-V, with 400 horsepower, is bound to be shown, as well as two new Toyota hybrids (and the inevitable Camry Solara). The first is the new Prius, which is longer, more driver-friendly, and presumably faster as well. Corolland has a scoop on this one. The second may be a hybrid version of a current SUV. Toyota already sells hybrid minivans in Japan, and will make hybrid versions of all of their vehicles (most will probably not make it to the US) within the next few years.
We cannot comment on Chrysler introductions, but there have been rumors in the Allpar forums.
Cadillac has already scooped Chrysler's next 300 - not to mention the SRT-8 - with the CTS-V, a 400 horsepower, 390 lb-ft version of the popular CTS. Using a 5.7 liter V8, the General Motors Performance Division's take on the (relatively) small Cadillac uses no supercharger or turbocharger, unlike the Magnum SRT-8 concept, and is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission so that power isn't dissipated into fluid. It is scheduled to go on sale in the last quarter of 2003.
Chrysler will be using the Hemi engine in its large cars. Currently rated at 345 horsepower, it is expected to have higher horsespower ratings in cars, but matching the Caddie's horsepower and torque would be a challenge - and no manual transmissions are expected in any of the LX series cars. The Magnum SRT concept is rated with more power, courtesy of a supercharger, but it only has an automatic. The CTS-V, with its 5-second 0-60 time, will probably be considerably more expensive than the Magnum SRT or the next 300.
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