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NACE 2000 Entertainment Includes Beach Boys Show
From the planners of the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) comes word that an opening party on Thursday, Dec. 7, at Disney's-MGM Studios and a performance by the world-renowned Beach Boys on Saturday, Dec. 9, will highlight NACE 2000 entertainment.
In addition, NACE Exhibitor Hospitality Night will take place Friday, Dec. 8, during which exhibitor-hosted events (some by invitation only) will be held at area hotels and citywide venues. NACE has also arranged discounted tickets for many of the area attractions, including Walt Disney World parks.
NACE 2000, to be held Dec. 7-10 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla., is expected to attract more than 30,000 collision repair professionals worldwide.
For the first time ever, attendees may purchase individual tickets to Congress sessions and entertainment options offered during NACE. This new registration option allows attendees to select the sessions that work with their individual schedule.
There's Still Time To Register For CARS 2000 Convention
There's still time to register for CARS 2000, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Mechanical Division's annual convention, to be held Nov. 2-4 at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. You can register by calling ASA's Meetings Department at (800) 272-7467, ext. 241.
The all-star event will feature eight technical courses; three Automotive Management Institute (AMI) seminars; and an update from Bob Redding, ASA's Washington, D.C. representative.
Also during CARS 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will unveil its Greenshops program, a new initiative for federal government recognition of environmentally friendly shops.
“A League of Our Own” will be the theme for the three-day event. It will feature an ongoing “baseball” game in which teams vie for a berth in the CARS World Series.
On Nov. 1, one day before CARS begins, ASA and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) will co-host a forum on safety and emissions inspections. The forum is open and there is no fee, but reservations must be made by calling ASA's Membership Department.
GM To Make Pickup Truck With Hybrid Power Train
General Motors Corp. will produce a full-size pickup truck featuring a gasoline-electric hybrid power train in 2004, and will begin delivery of hybrid power trains for transit buses this year.“It's simple: We lead in truck fuel economy today and General Motors intends to remain the leader in five years,” said Harry Pearce, GM vice chairman.
The announcement came one week after Ford Motor Co. said it would improve the fuel economy of its sport utility vehicles by 25 percent by 2005. Ford's announcement was immediately followed by Detroit's other members of the Big Three each pointing to its own list of environmental achievements in an effort to out-green each other.
Report Provides Consumer Tools For Deciding When To Keep Car
Consumer Reports in August ran a story designed to provide consumers with the decision-making tools they need to determine when to give up on their old cars. Titled “Your old car: Fix it or sell it?,” the report contains a five-point check list - and valuable information on the reliability of popular makes and models - that consumers can use to determine how to proceed.Consumer Reports says consumers may want to think twice about getting rid of an old car. Manufactured in the late '80s and early '90s, today's highway veterans are an exceptionally dependable generation of used vehicles. That's good news for the repair industry. The report says the median age of cars on the road today is 8.3 years, up from 5.9 years in 1979. An analysis shows that consumers can potentially save thousands of dollars by holding onto their old set of wheels.
Southwest Research Institute Wins $26 Million EPA Contract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Southwest Research Institute a three-year contract worth up to $26 million to provide engineering support in reducing automotive emissions and improving fuel efficiency.As part of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative, a private and public partnership between the U.S. government and three major automotive manufacturers, the EPA is examining the role of hybrid vehicle technologies. The Institute will provide support to areas that apply to hybrid vehicles, but the work may also play a role on vehicles in general.
AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLVIII, October 2000
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