If you are going to buy a new Ford Focus or a new Ford Mondeo, you would be delighted to find out that you would not need a key to open the door or even start the vehicle. The Ford Motor Company added a keyless entry system as well as a keyless ignition technology to the vehicles. When the driver pulls the vehicle’s door handle, the door automatically unlocks. To start the vehicle, with just one press of the Ford Power button, the engine roars to life.

Safety is not compromised though for the driver must carry with him a special transponder key. This would inform the car that you are the owner and it would open the doors once it recognizes the key’s signal.

One of the benefits of having a keyless entry system in your Ford Focus or Mondeo is not having to search through your bag, purse, or pocket to find your key. This means that you can rush to your car when it is raining and not have to fumble to open your car’s door.

There are areas where children are aplenty, like schools and residential areas. When driving through these areas, it is important that we learn to drive more carefully because we would never know when a small kid would appear in front of your vehicle.

Here are some tips which you might want to keep in mind:

• When backing, check if there are children around you. These kids could be walking, running, or maybe even driving a bicycle.
• When approaching schools, slow down.
• There are places where there are no sidewalks. When driving through such areas, always be on the alert.
• There are also plenty of children near bus stops. Also drive slowly here.
• When driving through a neighborhood, it is best if you are careful. Children could be playing around and you might not notice. They could be playing hide and seek and suddenly appear from nowhere.

[Via eHow.com]

BMW is expanding its current plant in South Carolina. The car maker would be investing $750 million more and this would be used to give the plant additional 1.5 million square feet. With such an expansion, the BMW South Carolina plant would need 500 new employees.

The Spartanburg County factory, BMW’s South Carolina plant, would be improved so it would help BMW meet its goal of producing 240,000 units come 2012. At present, the factory has an annual production of 160,000 units. The plant would also be manufacturing three BMW models composed of the BMW X3 sports activity vehicle, BMW X5 (also a sports activity vehicle), and the X6, a sports activity coupe.

BMW plans on using 1.2 million square foot for a new Assembly Factory. This factory would be responsible for manufacturing the BMW X3. Also, the company disclosed that it would be giving around 300,000 square feet to the current Paint Shop.

A convertible has been added to Avis Rent A Car System, LLC’s fleet in the country. This convertible is the Chevrolet Corvette and it has been added to the company’s ‘Cool Car’ collection which is known as a range of popular and sophisticated automobiles.

The 2008 Chevrolet Corvette comes with cruise control, auto-dimming mirrors, and power door locks and power windows. Its power comes from an LS3 V8 engine that is capable of creating 430 horsepower. The vehicle also has an auxiliary audio input jack as well as an electronic keyless ignition.

Avis has over a hundred various vehicle makes and models and these are readily available for consumers. Included in Avis’ car range are the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, Ford Escape, Cadillac CTS, Lincoln MKX, Hummer H3, and Chrysler Crossfire.

Customers can now rent this vehicle model which is available in select Avis branches in Arizona, Florida, California, and Las Vegas.

Taking a road trip with your friends or family can be exciting. However, you need to plan ahead so you would not be caught in the middle of nowhere without the right equipment in case your vehicle breaks down.

So what you do is you take out a map and note which route you are going to take. You can make use of the Internet to check which roads would bring you faster to your destination. Mapping out your route would not only help you reach your destination faster - it would also help you save on gas.

Equip your vehicle with the right tools in cases of car breakdowns. Jumper wires, tire sealer, a tire gauge, rags, a flashlight, screwdrivers, and pliers might just do the trick. But also have a map, a compass, extra fuel, a blanket, water, and food with you. Being prepared is a good thing always.

Before you head out to the open road, have your car checked. You may need to bring in your car for a total check-up two weeks before your scheduled trip so any repairs needed could be done. If there is a need to replace some parts, go ahead and do so. As they say, “Prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

During the 78th Geneva International Auto Show, Japan’s Hitachi, Ltd. announced that it has had an agreement with the General Motors Corporation that the former would supply lithium-ion batteries which would be used by the automaker in its hybrid-electric vehicles. GM also disclosed that it would be manufacturing over 100,000 HEVs each year and these vehicles would be available in the North American auto market by 2010.

GM’s order for a supply of lithium-ion batteries reflect the car maker’s trust in the products that Hitachi manufactures. In the history of Hitachi, the company has created lithium-ion batteries and other technology using the mentioned batteries. These products have been known for their performance, safety, and durability. Despite having such a high reputation, these Hitachi products also come with an affordable tag price.

Since 2000, the automotive market has received over 200,000 units of lithium-ion batteries and technologies and has benefited greatly from these Hitachi products.

For the first time, a tire supplier receives the Outstanding Achievement Award. The award was given to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and it was Penske Truck Leasing who gave away the award.

Goodyear was chosen by Penske as the deserving winner for the Outstanding Achievement Award because of the high quality tires that it has been supplying Penske. The tire company had been supplying Penske with truck tires of all types - from replacement tires to retread tires to everything else in between. Goodyear has also been providing tire services to Penske.

Aside from the Outstanding Achievement Award, Goodyear also received from Penske the Tire Supplier of the Year award. This is the 8th time in a row that Goodyear received such an accolade. Steve McClellan, the vice president of Goodyear’s commercial tire systems, have shared that the company looks at the recognition with much significance for it is a reflection of the kind of products and services and they offer.

Drowsy driving is just as deadly as drunk driving, the National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. disclosed. And most drivers are not really aware of this fact. Some think that drowsy driving is not a big deal.

A recent study done by the NRSFI reflected that 60% of drivers felt tired while they were out for a drive. More than 33% of the lot was brave enough to share that they even fell asleep while driving. This just goes to show that drowsy driving is dangerous and is one of the major causes of crashes.

The NRSFI sent out a list of signs that all drivers have to watch out for:

• Difficulty focusing, with frequent blinking
• Daydreaming or not remembering the last few miles driven
• Head nodding
• Repeated yawning or rubbing eyes
• Drifting out of your lane, tailgating or hitting shoulder rumble strips

If you notice yourself with at least one of these signs, it would be best that you pull over and let somebody else drive you home instead.

[Via The Auto Channel]

Changchun City in China’s Jilin province may soon be the home of another Toyota Motor Corporation facility. News reports state that the company is still working on the plans and if this pushes through, the plant would be the second Toyota facility in that province.

Toyota has been looking at the possibility of building a new facility so it can produce more units of its Toyota Prius hybrid. The company currently has a small plant which is in-charge of producing the mentioned model. Toyota is looking at an estimated 100,000 units as the capacity of the new plant.

The reports also continued that the new facility in Changchun would cost the company $468 million. That investment would allow the company to build a plant which would have the capacity to produce 100,000 units each year starting 2010.

However, a spokesperson from Toyota has denied that they are working on such a plan.

Statistics from the US Environmental Protection Agency show that keeping your cool can help you save on fuel. Speeding up makes your engine perform less and in the process, it makes your vehicle use up more fuel.

So what do you do to make your car use fuel efficiently?

Giving your accelerator even pressure makes your car use fuel efficiently. With that in mind, those quick starts and quick stops should be minimized - or even avoided. If your car is equipped with the cruise control, use this feature to maintain your speed.

Cleaning up your car could also help you save fuel. Unnecessary items you have in your car add to the total weight of the vehicle and that lessens the fuel efficiency of the engine. If you still have those soccer balls that your son does not even use anymore, your vehicle is not the right place to store them.