BRIEFS - New BMW plant
Published:Sunday | September 4, 2011 | 12:00 AM
- New BMW plant
MOSES LAKE, Washington (AP):
German carmaker BMW AG and a European carbon manufacturing company celebrated the opening of a new plant to produce carbon fibres for the automotive industry last Thursday.
Drawn to the region by cheap hydropower and Washington state's renewable-energy efforts, the SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers plant could become the largest facility of its kind in the world because of strong demand for the composites.
The plant is a US$100-million partnership of BMW and SGL Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of carbon-based products.
Historic moment
"We just might be witnessing a piece of industrial history that is being made here," SGL Group CEO Robert Koehler said.
Depending on their application, carbon fibres can be lighter, stronger and far more durable than many metals. Boeing Co's new 787 jetliner is mostly made out of the material, and the composites - long a force in some car-racing circuits - are increasingly being used in the commercial automotive industry.
- Strong August sales
UNITED STATES (AP):
Fears that car buyers would stay away from dealerships in August never materialised.
Instead, Americans were lured by new models, cheaper financing and the need to replace ageing cars. As a result, August sales rose 7.5 per cent, compared with the same month last year, according to Autodata Corp.
Most automakers reported increases in August, led by Chrysler with a 31 per cent jump. Toyota and Honda saw double-digit declines.
Results were better than expected. Some analysts thought the volatile stock market and Hurricane Irene would hurt sales. While it was easy for carmakers to do better than last year, the results were also a sign that sales could pick up speed after a disappointing summer of little or no growth.