DETROIT—In a bid to cut the weight of its cars by up to 340 kilograms by the end of the decade, Ford Motor Co. is testing hoods and other auto body parts made from carbon fiber.
ATLANTA—Atlanta is renaming Henry Ford II Avenue to Ferdinand Porsche Avenue after the German automaker began building its new North American headquarters here.
KANSAS CITY, MO—Harley-Davidson Inc.’s assembly plant here is about halfway through a process to make it more flexible and efficient by employing lean manufacturing.
DETROIT—As consumers clamor for better fuel economy, suppliers and automakers are trying to reclaim some of the lost thermal energy produced by a vehicle’s engine.
CARTERSVILLE, GA—Voestalpine Metal Forming, a supplier of metal parts for the auto industry, is building a $62 million assembly plant here, creating 220 jobs.
TORONTO—The Canadian Auto Workers’ Chrysler members have approved a new contract with the automaker that delivers $9,000 in bonuses to the workers over the next four years.
WYOMING, MN—Polaris Industries has begun construction of a product development center here. The new facility will offer large work bays for off-road vehicles, conference and display space, a new electrical lab, and a new electromagnetic interference lab.