Polk Gives us a Peak at Vehicle Density in Emerging Markets

According to Polk, an automotive statistics website, one of the key performance indicators of a maturing auto market is the number of cars per 1,000 people or the nation’s “vehicle density”. Ten years ago in the U.S., for instance, it was 453 vehicles per 1,000 people. What with the global financial crisis and high fuel prices resulting in many people selling their cars, this has now dropped to 419 per 1,000 and is expected to continue its decline to 414 per 1,000 by 2015.

In the increasingly economically developed BRIC countries, that is Brazil, Russia, India and China, it’s not as dense but it is emerging. In Russia, for example, it’s 235 vehicles per 1,000. In India and China, it’s more like 27 vehicles per 1,000. Though consider this: with populations topping 1.6 and 1.3 billion respectively, 27 vehicles per 1,000 would be more like 100 vehicles or plus per 1,000 if those nations had population numbers equaling the United States.

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Study Reveals Steering Wheels Are Nine Times Dirtier than a Public Toilet

This disturbing conclusion comes from a UK survey done at the request of home store B&Q. While 80 bacteria are found on each square inch of toilet, around 700 harmful bugs lurk in the interior of a car and specifically on the steering wheel, gear stick and back seats. The study also revealed that 42 percent of motorists regularly eat meals while driving.

“A car is the perfect place for germs to breed, especially if you eat in it and leave litter or uneaten food around. To avoid potential health risks it would be wise to regularly clean your car inside and out,” said doctor Ron Cutler, director of biomedical science at Queen Mary University, London.

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U.S. Gov Study Reveals Significant Decline in Border Crossings through Canada and Mexico over the Past Decade

A new study by the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports a considerable decline in the number of people crossing from Mexico and Canada into the U.S.A from 2000 to 2009.

The report found that the number of people entering the U.S. through its land borders dropped 37 percent in this period, from 400 million people in 2000, to 252 million in 2009, with the majority (75 percent) crossing through Mexico. In the same period, border crossings from Canada declined by 40 percent and from Mexico by 36 percent.

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Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Car Interiors of 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

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New Study Finds Women Comprise 38.5% of U.S. Auto Sales

Americans love their cars. Whether it’s a humble family wagon, a muscle car, a luxury sedan or even a minivan: there’s nothing Americans like better than the automobile. What’s that, you say? What about women car owners?

Unsurprisingly for a species with just two genders, half the world’s population is female. And as everyone these days has to own at least one car, automakers obviously spend a lot of money catering specifically to that section of the market.

In a new study by automotive industry analyst R. L. Polk, it was found that some 38.5% of the last four year’s light vehicle registrations were made by – you guessed it – women. In “not-white” households, it’s more like 40 to 45%. It might not seem like much,

So what are the nation’s womenfolk buying? Would you be surprised to learn that nearly half of all MINI sales (47.9%) went to the fairer sex? Okay, so that’s not too surprising, but how are top five market leaders doing? Well, scroll down to see for yourself:

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EU White Paper Proposes to Ban Petrol and Diesel Cars from City Centers by 2050

The European Commission has unveiled a plan for transport in the European Union that will leave many of its citizens dumbfounded. It sets some very challenging goals with a 2050 deadline. The White Paper proposes the ban of conventionally fueled cars in the city centers, along with a 40 percent cut in shipping emissions. Furthermore, the plans envisions a 40 percent reduction in carbon fuels in aviation and a 50 percent shift in middle distance journeys by both passengers and freight from road to rail and other modes of transportation.

According to EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas, all these measures combined would generate a 60 percent overall cut in carbon emissions on the continent. In addition, the Commission wants to reduce deaths caused by road accidents by 50 percent in 2020 and hopes to “move close” to eliminating deaths by 2050.

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8 Out of 10 British Drivers use their Mobile Phones on the Road, Despite the Fact it’s Illegal

A UK website called GoodMobilePhones has polled some 1,859 visitors and found that 81% of respondents admit to using a mobile phone without a hands-free device while driving, despite the fact it’s been illegal to do so in Britain for over seven years.

Of those 81%, 52% use their mobile phones to make calls, 44% use them to send text messages, 31% use them to check their email and 24% use them to look at social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Of all the respondents, only 12% said they’d never make a phone call while driving without a hands free kit and just 3% said they’d never use their phone at all while on the road.

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Lincoln Brand and Porsche 911 Top JD Power's 2011 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study

Ford's luxury division Lincoln moved up one spot in the annual JD Power reliability study to gain the title of most reliable brand sold in the U.S., ahead of Lexus and Jaguar. The industry overall vehicle dependability has also improved compared to 2010, but automakers still have problems with new technologies and features.

The 2011 study takes into account problems experienced in the past 12 months by more than 43,700 original owners of three-year-old cars (2008 model year). JD Power determines the overall dependability by the level of Problems encountered Per 100 vehicles (PP100). A lower score reflects higher quality and the good news is the overall vehicle dependability averaged 151 PP100, the best value since the creation of the study.

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Study Shows What Brands Captured the Interest of Pontiac Owners in 2010

A new survey from RL Polk & Co. suggests that most Pontiac owners who bought a new car in 2010 chose a product from General Motors. More specifically, of the 57,641 Pontiac customers looking to replace their car, GM was able to recapture 53.3% of them, with 33.5% being a Chevrolet vehicle, 11.7% a GMC, 6.7% a Buick, and 1.5% a Cadillac model.

A significant percentage of buyers defected to the Ford brand, which ranked 3rd overall with 10.5%, while the Chrysler Corporation saw the Dodge brand ranked 9th, capturing 3.2%. Jeep and Chrysler together were able to capture the interest of 1.7% of Pontiac owners looking for a new vehicle in 2010.

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