fiat

FedEx Europe subsidiary FedEx Express plans to add 10 diesel-electric hybrid vans to its fleet, the company announced Monday.

The vehicles, made by Fiat Group company Iveco, will be used in routes around Turin, Italy, where the company has a manufacturing plant.

"FedEx is making smart strategic investments in projects that will help drive the commercial development of new technologies for industry. We expect these hybrid-electric vehicles to perform with increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions, making them ideal for city and urban environments," Robert W. Elliott, president of FedEx Express, said in a statement.

A sample van … Read more

Last July we wrote about the new Fiat 500, a modern take on a classic small car. Walking around the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, we saw it live for the first time, and didn't expect it to be so big. The Fiat 500 towers over the Fiat floor area, and could easily squash a Hummer. We're pretty sure European roads haven't gotten substantially wider, so we don't know what Fiat's engineers were thinking.

Oh wait, our mistake--the actual Fiat 500 was sitting nearby. The giant Fiat 500 is just a bit of booth dressing, although … Read more

A Chery red Fiat may soon be available to the Red consumer.

Fiat Automobiles and Chery Automobile, a Chinese automaker, have signed a "memorandum of understanding" to partner on a joint venture to sell and produce Fiat and Chery cars in China, according to a report from Forbes.

Among the cars planned for production and sale are Fiat's Alfa Romeo, as well as Chery's own brand of cars.

Production, if the partnership is completed, should begin as soon as 2009, with 175,000 cars a year planned to roll out of Chery's Wuhu auto production … Read more

Fiat's launch of its new 500 model will make fans of Italy in the 1950s, those who dream of Sophia Loren riding a Vespa, as happy as the new Mini made Anglophiles. Fiat combined the new trend toward city cars and retro design to come up with this new version of its iconic car. The original Fiat 500 was launched on July 4, 1957, and the new 500 was launched exactly 50 years later. Fiat takes a page from Mini by offering the 500 with all sorts of cosmetic accessories, including checker patterns for the roof.

Fiat used the … Read more

Is diesel the answer to more stringent emission standards?

Apparently it is, at least from the perspective of automakers.

Ford India announced Wednesday that it is launching a diesel version of the Ford Fiesta, the latest in a string of similar announcements in the industry.

"(This car) will dramatically change customers' perceptions about the traditional diesel vehicle. The car is designed to deliver responsive acceleration, outstanding fuel economy, and reduced emissions consistent with future norms," Scott McCormack, vice president of Ford India, said in a statement.

While environmentalists, consumers and politicians continued to discuss ethanol, hydrogen and electricity, … Read more

DaimlerChrysler, looking to meet tighter emission standards, on Tuesday announced a deal with Fiat for diesel engine technology.

The German-American company said the partnership will result in Fiat supplying 80,000 diesel engines per year beginning in 2009 to DaimlerChrysler's truck group, Mitsubishi Fuso. The group includes the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Fuso trucks brands.

Daimler said that it saw the deal as a way to more easily save money and accommodate future emission standards as they come due.

"Today's and future emission regulations demand a high level of investment and technological specialization. This agreement … Read more