Automotive News - Audi purchasing chief Bernd Martens said the planned factory in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico, will buy 90 percent of its components from local sources in six years. So far no other Audi location has done that.Automotive & Transportation
Foto builds Veracruz plant to manufacture tractors
Maquila Portal - The Chinese company Foton has built an agricultural tractor assembly plant in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, that will employ 45 workers to produce 6,000 tractors of several models for the Mexican market. Foto is part of Beiqi Foton Motor Co., which operates 14 assembly plants in China and five other countries.
Thousands applying to get in clunker program
El Financiero - Thousands of motorists are waiting to become participants in the chatarrization, or cash for clunkers program. Applications to only General Motors and Nissan together exceed 4,300 with Nissan's Tsuru the most requested car.
Chinese car manufacturer coming to Tijuana
mexbiznews.com - Managers of an unnamed Chinese automobile manufacturer will visit Tijuana soon to work out details and arrangements for a manufacturing facility in the border city. The manufacturer's parent company is located in Changchun City.
Sonora inaugurates automotive, aerospace center
Maquila Portal - Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours inaugurated a $4.45 million center for automotive and aerospace technology at the Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey campus to strengthen second and third tier suppliers for the automotive and aerospace industries.
Cuernavaca, Queretaro airports being upgraded
Sentido Comun - A total of 246 million pesos ($18.47 million) will be spent to upgrade airports at Cuernavaca and Queretaro. The federal government contributed 49 percent of the resources.
Demise of low-cost airlines boosts ticket prices
Reforma - The demise of low-cost airlines, which reduced the number of carriers from six to two, has cost consumers. The average price of airline tickets fell 1.4 percent From January to April but rose 12.1 percent from May to August.
Seven brands capture 85.9% of car market
El Financiero - Of 28 brands of vehicles sold in Mexican, 85.9 percent of sales are concentrated in seven brands, Nissan, General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and Honda, according to the latest sales report from the Mexican Association of Automobile Dealers.
Kenworth adding new truck model for U.S., Canada
Maquila Portal - Kenworth, despite cutbacks in the first half of the year, is gearing up to add a new truck model to the eight already assembled at its Mexicali plant. The new model, the T470, will be sold in the United States and Canada.
Auto industry wants technical stoppages extended
El Economista - The Mexican automotive industry has asked the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit to extend the program of technical stoppages because the economic downturn is deeper than originally believed.
VW stops next week to reconfigure line for new model
El Economista - Volkswagen will have a technical stoppage next week at its Puebla plant to reconfigure its production lines to manufacture its new model being identified only as new compact sedan.
