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Tampa Tribune (FL) (KRT) via NewsEdge Corporation :

Oct. 25–PLANT CITY — Before flames engulfed Michael and Deborah Wolfe’s Walden Lake home Wednesday morning, the couple received a letter from their car manufacturer informing them of a potential safety hazard, fire officials said.

The Wolfes are uncertain when they received the recall letter from Ford Motor Co. about their 2000 Expedition and are trying to find it, Plant City Fire Rescue Capt. Vince Kiffner said.

The red Expedition “caught on fire without anyone around” while it was parked in front of the couple’s home at 2710 Pine Club Drive, said fire rescue Training Chief David Burnett.

Since 1999, Ford has issued six recalls about faulty components in their vehicles that can overheat and burn, even when not running, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ford issued its most recent recall about the hazards in August, which affected 3.6 million vehicles made as far back as 1992. There have been two other similar recalls since 2001. The make and model year of the Wolfes’ sport utility vehicle was identified in both.

In 2001, 1.1 million Ford vehicles were recalled because of a switch on windshield wiper motors that could malfunction and cause a fire. Models such as the 2000 and 2001 Expedition and F-series pickups were involved.

In 2005, faulty cruise control switches that could cause corrosion and start a fire affected 3.8 million Ford SUVs and pickups, including Expeditions made between 1997 and 2002.

A Ford spokesman did not immediately return a phone call asking for comment.

Kiffner said investigators with the state fire marshal division are determining whether deficient parts triggered the fire that destroyed the SUV and caused about $200,000 in damage to the Wolfes’ home.

Michael Wolfe had recently brought the Expedition to the dealer for routine maintenance, but Kiffner said he was uncertain whether Wolfe had it serviced because of the recall. The couple bought the SUV when it was new, Kiffner said.

The blaze started about 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Burnett said. Deborah Wolfe was inside her home with her two dogs and had no idea the Expedition was on fire, Kiffner said.

Wolfe escaped with the dogs before the flames quickly spread from the garage to the attic, and a portion of the roof collapsed, Kiffner said. No one was injured, and adjacent homes escaped damage, he said.

Firefighters from Plant City and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue brought the blaze under control in about 45 minutes, Kiffner said.

Researcher Buddy Jaudon contributed to this report. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at rreyes@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4433.

<<Tampa Tribune (FL) (KRT) — 10/26/07>>

PR Newswire via NewsEdge Corporation :

You are invited to participate in Ford Motor Company’s (NYSE: F) OctoberU.S. sales conference call hosted by George Pipas, U.S. Sales AnalysisManager. The conference call will begin at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on Thursday,November 1, 2007 and last 45 minutes.

To access the call, please dial 800-299-0433 about 10 minutes prior to thestart time and ask to be connected to the Ford sales conference call. Forinternational participants, please dial 617-801-9712. Following the call,there will be a telephone replay available through Thursday, November 8 at888-286-8010 or 617-801-6888 (for international participants), passcode18342934.

The call also will be webcast live, on a listen-only basis, atwww.shareholder.ford.com or www.streetevents.com (subscribers only). Replayswill be available on demand.

Ford Motor Company October U.S. Sales Conference Call Date Start Time (ET) Phone Number Conference Call 11/01/07 1:00 p.m. 800-299-0433 Telephone Replays 11/01/07 2:45 p.m. 888-286-8010 (Continuous through 11/08/07) Passcode — 18342934 Webcast at www.shareholder.ford.com or www.streetevents.com(subscribers only). — Live 11/01/07 1:00 p.m. — Replays On demand. If you have any questions, please call Debra Bettendorf (313-390-4563).

SOURCE Ford Motor Company

<<PR Newswire — 10/26/07>>

Wireless News via NewsEdge Corporation :

Jasper Wireless, a licensed global machine-to-machine (M2M) mobile operator, announced that Dash Navigation, Inc. is relying on the Jasper Wireless service to provide the M2M connections powering the Dash Express, the first Internet-connected GPS device.

The success of Dash’s National Road Test - with 2,000 drivers enjoying real-time traffic updates and conducting more than 185,000 Yahoo! Local searches - and Dash users’ superior out-of-the-box experience with the device confirm the advantages of the Jasper Wireless service.

“Jasper Wireless is focused on M2M devices, and it pays off for Dash and our customers,” said Rob Currie, president and chief operating officer of Dash Navigation. “We test each device at the factory, put it in a box, and ship it out. The customer simply turns the Dash Express on and within seconds it’s activated and connected, automatically. Jasper Wireless is the only company that can deliver that kind of out-of-the-box experience. In the consumer world, that’s crucial.”

“Dash is breaking new ground with an innovative approach to both automotive navigation and end-consumer experience,” said Scott Barkley, vice president, products at Jasper Wireless. “The company’s two-way connectivity and Dash Driver Network deliver relevant traffic and location-based information. And, Dash customers enjoy a flawless user experience from the moment they open the box. They turn on the device, and it just works. Jasper Wireless is proud to play this key role in the Dash service.”

Through its exhaustive National Road Test, Dash has already witnessed the high performance and reliability of the Jasper Wireless service. The test’s 2,000 drivers logged nearly 47,000 hours while driving more than 2 million miles in addition to conducting over 185,000 Yahoo! Local searches. While Dash devices support Wi-Fi connectivity, the vast majority of device communications are performed via the cellular data service provided by Jasper Wireless.

The automated provisioning process offered by Jasper Wireless enables Dash to cost-effectively support its retail business model and unparalleled end-user experience. When the consumer turns on the Dash device, the communications service is instantly activated - no phone calls, no Website registration.

Jasper Wireless offers local service in over 35 countries, and growing every month, giving Dash the option to seamlessly expand into new international markets.

Dash has also fully integrated Jasper Wireless M2M Control Center capabilities, via its standards-based API, into its own supply chain management, order management, provisioning, and billing infrastructure. The deep integration simplifies operations and gives Dash one central location for all device and customer information, including communications.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

((Distributed on behalf of 10Meters via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))((10Meters - http://www.10meters.com))

<<Wireless News — 10/26/07>>

Associated Press WorldStream via NewsEdge Corporation :

PARIS_French automaker PSA Peugeot-Citroen said Thursday that its third-quarter revenue rose 12 percent behind strong gains in new vehicle sales, higher prices and an improved product mix.

Peugeot-Citroen said revenues rose to €14.02 billion (US$20.06 billion) in the quarter _ above an average estimate of €13.12 billion (US$18.77 billion) of seven analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires.

Europe’s second-largest car maker by revenue after Germany’s Volkswagen AG said revenue for the first nine months rose 7.7 percent to €44.84 billion (US$64.16 billion).

The company reaffirmed a target for an operating margin of more than 2 percent in the second half of 2007, saying consolidated sales and revenue in the last quarter of this year are expected to increase from a year earlier in the period.

Revenue of Peugeot-Citroen’s automobile division increased by 12 percent in the quarter to €10.96 billion (US$15.68 billion), and by 7.3 percent in the first nine months to €35.13 billion (US$50.27 billion).

New vehicle sales increased 14 percent, Peugeot-Citroen said.

Compared with a year earlier, the third-quarter of 2007 saw a 3 percent improvement in the product mix, and a 1.4 percent increase in prices, the company said.

Peugeot-Citroen reported an 0.8 percent increase in registrations of its Peugeot and Citroen brands in the first nine months, compared to a 0.4 percent rise for the overall European market.

Peugeot-Citroen’s third-quarter performance was boosted by a better-than-expected 8.7 percent increase in revenue at Faurecia SA, its car parts subsidiary.

Peugeot-Citroen’s share price has risen by 15 percent this year, and on Thursday, the shares closed up 2.2 percent at €57.81 (US$82.72), beating the 1.5 percent rise in the CAC 40 on the Paris stock exchange.

___

On the Net: http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com

<<Associated Press WorldStream — 10/26/07>>

Agence France-Presse English Wire via NewsEdge Corporation :

PARIS, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) - French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen said Thursday its third quarter sales rose nearly 12 percent to 14 billion euros (20 billion dollars.)

For the nine months to September, sales were up 7.7 percent from a year earlier at 44.84 billion euros, it said, adding that it expected an operating margin of more than 2.0 percent for the last half of the year.

Fourth quarter sales would continue to show improvement but at a slower pace than in the three months to September.

The company said sales by volume in Europe and Russia were in line with targets while after a difficult first quarter in China, steps had been taken to bolster the Citroen marque.

sbo/bh/bmm/nh France-auto-earnings-company-PSA

AFP 251729 GMT 10 07

<<Agence France-Presse English Wire — 10/26/07>>

Financial Times Deutschland via NewsEdge Corporation :

VW Financial Services, the financial services subsidiary of German car manufacturer Volkswagen (VW), has set up the first direct bank in Mexico, which is to begin trading at the beginning of next year. VW’s direct bank is one of the largest operators on the German market, where it has more than 650,000 customers and a total volume of deposits of over 9bn euros; the business model that has proved successful in Germany is to be transferred to Mexico, with some modifications.

Within the next five years, the bank is aiming to obtain 600m euros’ worth of deposits in Mexico. This sum is relatively low, as only one fifth of Mexico’s population has a regular income. In order to attract customers, the direct bank will not charge a fee for banking transactions. This is in contrast to Mexican competitors, which obtain a large proportion of their profits from fees.

Original article by Rolf Lebert

Abstracted from Financial Times Deutschland

<<Financial Times Deutschland — 10/26/07>>

La Tribune via NewsEdge Corporation :

French carmaker Renault generated turnover of 9.342bn euros in the third quarter of 2007, up 4.5 per cent year-on-year. In the first nine months of the year, sales were up 0.4 per cent to 29.904bn euros. The company confirmed it is targeting an operating margin of 3 per cent for the full year.

Meanwhile, chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn announced yesterday that the company, together with its Japanese partner Nissan, is to launch a low-cost car of less than 2,000 euros by 2010 to be sold in India.

Abstracted from La Tribune

<<La Tribune — 10/26/07>>

SinoCast China Transportation Watch via NewsEdge Corporation :

SHANGHAI, October 26, SinoCast — Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., a flagship joint venture between German car giant Volkswagen AG and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) (SAIC), might build a new plant in the neighboring city Nanjing, disclosed an insider. Shanghai Volkswagen will produce Santana 3000 cars in the Nanjing plant. The venture, which currently makes the car model in its second plant in Shanghai, once planned to only move the assembly workshop to Nanjing. Taking cost and geographic factors into account, it later decided to move the entire production line into the city, which is located in east China’s Jiangsu Province. Meanwhile, the venture has also entered into an agreement with Nanjing Fiat Automobile Co., Ltd., in a bid to rent the latter’s plant to manufacture Santana 3000. The deal is now still subject to the approval of Shanghai Volkswagen’s board of supervisors. After being produced in Nanjing, Santana 3000 cars will expand into other regions, such as rural areas, second- and third-tier cities due to the limited growths in large-sized cities. Notably, Modely, a competitor of FAW-Volkswagen’s Jetta and Shanghai Genral Motors’ Excelle, will be sold from next April as one of Shanghai Volkswagen’s strategic car models in 2008. Up to 140,000 Santana 3000 and Modely cars will be made in 2008. In July, 2003, German car giant Volkswagen unveiled a EUR 6 billion investment plan for the production capacity expansion in China in the following five years. In 2005, the carmaker saw a decline in its Chinese market share. Shanghai Volkswagen, which used to be the country’s biggest car seller, had once lost the champion title due to some factors like the lack of new models. Win-ried Vahland, CEO and president of Volkswagen China, declared in the third quarter of 2005 to cease investments in production capacity, drive down cost, and launch new products, with a view to regaining shares in the Chinese market. In 2006, it ranked only third with sales of roughly 340,600 cars, falling behind Shanghai General Motors Co., Ltd. and FAW- Volkswagen. In this August, it ranked first on the sales list again with sales of 42,518 units, according to the National Passenger Cars Association. Notably, the venture was one of the three biggest car sellers in China in terms of the accumulative sales for the first eight months of this year, surpassing the 300,000-units milestone. Daily sales volume of Skoda-branded cars has now hit 200 units. (USD 1 = EUR 0.70)

<<SinoCast China Transportation Watch — 10/26/07>>