WCA January 2011

Automotive

The most environmentally responsible auto maker in the US is Honda, with Toyota and Hyundai the runner-ups According to a study released on 6 th October by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Honda Motor Co, of Japan, produces the greenest vehicles in the United States. Toyota Motor Corp and Hyundai Motor Co – Japanese and South Korean, respectively – are tied for second place. The study considered eight auto makers that together sold 92% of the vehicles on offer to Americans during the 2008 model year. This was the most recent year for which the non-profit advocacy group was able to gather comprehensive information from the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The results were derived from the predicted impact of auto makers’ fleets on global warming (based largely on miles- per-gallon of fuel) and the smog-forming emissions of the engines. The scores were calculated by giving the global warming and smog-forming emissions data equal weight. As explained by Christopher Jensen of the International Herald Tribune (7 th October), a score of 100 represents the average of the eight companies examined. Scores with lower numbers indicate better, greener performance. A score of 80 means that the auto maker beat the industry average by 20 per cent. Honda, which has taken the top spot every time over the five-year course of the study, received 86 points; Toyota and Hyundai, 87 points each; Volkswagen, 90; Nissan, 93; Ford, 108; General Motors, 109; and Chrysler, in last place, 113 points. Mr Jensen, who writes the “Wheels” blog in the Tribune , noted that, while all auto makers must meet certain minimum emissions standards, some manufacturers produce more sophisticated and cleaner engines. Jim Kliesch, the author of the study and a senior engineer in the group’s Clean Vehicles Program, acknowledged that selling a great many small, fuel-efficient vehicles could help an auto maker in the rankings. But, he pointed out in an interview with “Wheels”, to excel a producer must do well – on fuel economy as well as on emissions – with vehicles of all sizes.

Steel

Northeast Florida, on the Atlantic coast, gains in importance as a scrap steel exporter

As reported by staff writer Mark Szakonyi of the Jacksonville Business Journal , the growing demand from developing countries for steel scrap is a boon for northeast Florida, benefiting ports, transportation companies, and – increasingly – junk car exporters. Exports of scrap metal from the US, mainly from junked cars, totalled $21.4 billion in 2009.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2011