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Crunch watch Mar 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Ben Pulman and Tim Pollard Motor Industry 31 March 2009 13:48 Tuesday 31 March 2009• Porsche said that its earnings before tax rose to €7.3 billion in the six months to the end of January – including a €6.8bn windfall from its VW share options (Financial Times)• Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, will step up to replace Rick Wagoner, who was ousted on Sunday as CEO of General Motors (Financial Times)• President Obama is essentially CEO-in-chief of GM – despite not owning a single cent of stock, says Detroit News commentator (Detroit News)• German chancellor Angela Merkel gives assurances that any would-be investors in GM's European arm will be given state support. Opel is asking for €3.3 billion in aid – and up to 25,000 jobs in Germany depend on it, with up to 300,000 jobs across Europe including Saab and Vauxhall (BBC News)Monday 30 March 2009• General Motors' chief executive Rick Wagoner has been ordered to resign by US president Barack Obama with immediate effect. It's part of Obama's administration's critique of GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans – he's understood to be unhappy with the plans submitted (BBC News)• New GM non-executive chairman Kent Kresa has admitted that at the company's next general meeting it will have 'a majority of new directors' (General Motors)• Chrysler will receive US government aid for the next 30 days, but the Obama administration has said that if the company cannot secure a tie-up with the Fiat Group within that time period it will not receive any more money from the taxpayers and could go into liquidation.

Tesla Model S EV UK launch – Tesla considering patent giveaway

Elon Musk (pictured) launches RHD Model S in UK The electric Tesla Model S – probably the only electric car that makes sense – has finally been launched in the UK in right hand drive, with the first five Model S customers taking delivery of their cars. With a starting price of £50,280 (after the £5k taxpayer bribe) the Model S represents a real first for EVs; the first EV that can do pretty much anything an ICE car can, and more beside. With a range of up to 312 miles, seating for up to seven (well, 5+2), low running costs, great performance (0-60mph in 4.2 seconds) low service costs, no VED, no congestion charge and, at least until 2015, no BIK for business users, it’s not only almost as practical as a comparable ICE car it’s massively cheaper to run.

Ford Focus EV certified at 105 mpg-e by EPA

The Ford Focus electric is officially the country's most fuel-efficient five-passenger car. The Environmental Protection Agency certified the vehicle at 105 miles per gallon-equivalent (mpg-e) in the combined cycle of city and highway driving. Mpg-e is how the government measures the efficiency of alternative-fuel vehicles.