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2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo: March 2013

Much of my time spent with the Veloster Turbo was under gray skies dumping inches of snow.
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Hyundai to unveil hydrogen fuel cell semi truck

Small interconnected hexagons surround the lit-up badge on the nose of Hyundai's new semi-truck. Though some might see the angular lines as part of a simple grille design, Hyundai portrays it as a scientific symbol of what the truck is all about. The teaser above is the first look at the company's newest fuel cell electric vehicle. Hyundai has been experimenting with and producing fuel cell-powered products for years already. The Tuscon ( ix35 in other markets) is historic in that it's one of the only complete hydrogen vehicles to make it to market. The Nexo, which we had the chance to drive, is the company's first dedicated fuel cell platform, and a recent partnership with Audi demonstrates just how serious Hyundai is about the technology. The next step is applying it to commercial vehicles. While this is simply a teaser, the truck will officially debut at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show, which takes place from September 20 to 27 in Hanover, Germany. Hyundai held back on details, but the sketch does show the truck with numerous aerodynamic pieces, including a streamlined cabin, spokeless dish wheels, a spoiler and a "side protector" that runs alongside the truck and tucks the wheels underneath. At the event, Hyundai will announce official figures and specs on the truck. It is slated to hit the market in 2019, but as of now, it is expected to be in European markets only. Check back for updates soon. Related Video: News Source: Hyundai Green Misc. Auto Shows Hyundai Alternative Fuels Technology Emerging Technologies Truck Commercial Vehicles Electric Hydrogen Cars semi truck iaa

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs