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The author examines the role of country image in consumer evaluations of television sets and automobiles. Specifically, two alternative causal models are developed and tested: (1) the halo model hypothesizing that country image serves as a halo in product evaluation and (2) the summary construct model hypothesizing that country image functions as a summary construct. The test results indicate that when consumers are not familiar with a country's products, country image may serve as a halo from which consumers infer a brand's product attributes and which affects their attitude toward the brand indirectly through product attribute rating. In contrast, as consumers become familiar with a country's products, country image may become a construct that summarizes consumers' beliefs about product attributes and directly affects their attitude toward the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A powerful set of forces may exist which compels new buyers of certain products to act unwittingly as salesmen. These buyer-salesmen frequently promote their recent purchases to friends and associates. Their efforts may prove to be a powerful sales generator for the manufacturer. In this article, the author examines these dynamics as they operate in the case of people who buy uncommon makes of foreign cars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate spatial heterogeneity of country-of-origin effects (COEs) within a country and its determinants. Drawing on the literature of COEs and information economics, we maintain that COEs are heterogeneous across regions within a country, which bears important implications to better understand subnational heterogeneity of consumer preferences. We employ a geographically weighted regression model, a spatial analysis to estimate varying COEs across regions in the USA, and analyze online review ratings of US and foreign car bands in the US market during the 2008-2014 period. The results show that (1) COEs of car brands from Germany, Japan, Korea, and the UK are heterogeneous across regions in the USA; (2) geographic distance from the country-of-origin exerts negative influences on COEs; and (3) the proportion of population born in the country-of-origin positively influences COEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Official laboratory-measured monitoring data indicate a progressive decline in the average fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions of the European passenger car fleet. There is increasing evidence to suggest that officially reported CO 2 values do not reflect the actual performance of the vehicles on the road. A reported difference of 30–40% between official values and real-world estimates was found which has been continuously increasing. This paper reviews the influence of different factors that affect fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions on the road and in the laboratory. Factors such as driving behaviour, vehicle configuration and traffic conditions are reconfirmed as highly influential. Neglected factors (e.g. side winds, rain, road grade), which may have significant contributions in fuel consumption in real world driving are identified. The margins of the present certification procedure contribute between 10 and 20% in the gap between the reported values and reality. The latter was estimated to be of the order of 40%, or 47.5 gCO 2 /km for 2015 average fleet emissions, but could range up to 60% or down to 19% depending on prevailing traffic conditions. The introduction of a new test protocol is expected to bridge about half of the present divergence between laboratory and real world. Finally, substantial literature was found on the topic; however, the lack of common test procedures, analysis tools, and coordinated activity across different countries point out the need for additional research in order to support targeted actions for real world CO 2 reduction. Quality checks of the CO 2 certification procedure, and the reported values, combined with in-use consumption monitoring could be used to assess the gap on a continuous basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer, legal, and technological factors influence the design, performance, and emissions of light-duty vehicles (LDVs). This work examines how design choices made by manufacturers for the UK market result in emissions and performance of vehicles throughout the past decade (2001–2011). LDV fuel consumption, CO2emissions, and performance are compared across different combinations of air and fuel delivery system using vehicle performance metrics of power density and time to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph, tz-62). Increased adoption of direct injection and turbocharging technologies helped reduce spark ignition (SI, gasoline vehicles) and compression ignition (CI, diesel vehicles) fuel consumption by 22% and 19%, respectively, over the decade. These improvements were largely achieved by increasing compression ratios in SI vehicles (3.6%), turbocharging CI vehicles, and engine downsizing by 5.7–6.5% across all technologies. Simultaneously, vehicle performance improved, through increased engine power density resulting in greater acceleration. Across the decade, tz-62fell 9.4% and engine power density increased 17% for SI vehicles. For CI vehicles, tz-62fell 18% while engine power density rose 28%. Greater fuel consumption reductions could have been achieved if vehicle acceleration was maintained at 2001 levels, applying drive train improvements to improved fuel economy and reduced CO2emissions. Fuel consumption and CO2emissions declined at faster rates once the European emissions standards were introduced with SI CO2emissions improving by 3.4 g/km/year for 2001–2007 to 7.8 g/km/year thereafter. Similarly, CI LDVs declined by 2.0 g/km/year for 2001–2007 and 6.1 g/km/year after. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main challenge in the optimization of an internal combustion engine conrod bearing is to reduce the frictional loss while maintaining durability and reliability of the conrod. The calculation time of a single elastohydrodynamic (EHD) case can be quite important (about 3 h), making the optimization time-consuming. Thus, optimizations are often based on knowledge without real certainty on the optimality of the solution found. The optimization methodology developed in this study consists of creating an EHD surrogate of the conrod bearing and using it for the optimization step. A design of experiments (DOE) method has been used to create the surrogate, also called a metamodel. Then a multiobjective optimization based on an evolutionary algorithm has been performed on the surrogate and compared to optimization using full-scale calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse-gas emissions is the cornerstone of carbon pricing and management mechanisms. Here we consider peer-reviewed articles and 'grey literature' related to existing MRV requirements and their costs. A substantial part of the literature is the regulatory texts of the 15 most important carbon pricing and management mechanisms currently implemented. Based on a comparison of key criteria such as the scope, cost, uncertainty and flexibility of procedures, we conclude that conventional wisdom on MRV is not often promoted in existing carbon pricing mechanisms. Quantification of emissions uncertainty and incentives to reduce this uncertainty are usually only partially applied, if at all. Further, the time and resources spent on small sources of emissions would be expected to be limited. Although provisions aiming at an effort proportionate to the amount of emissions at stake - 'materiality' - are widespread, they are largely outweighed by economies of scale: in all schemes, MRV costs per tonne are primarily driven by the size of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automobile and auto-ancillary manufacturing in India is highly concentrated, with four auto clusters receiving approximately 91% of the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in this sector. Technological spillovers, factor endowments, etc., were identified as some of the factors influencing firm co-location. This paper observes the impact of agglomeration as well as state-specific endowments on the development of automotive clusters in India. In order to determine the motives deriving location choices of foreign automobile firms in India, one agglomeration and nine control variables were identified and tested using Dynamic Linear Programming Regression (DLPR) model. Presence of incumbent Indian automobile firms, higher per capita income and higher demand for vehicles turned out to be some of the important determinants of location choices of foreign automobile firms in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solution adopted by car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel consumption is to increase of the motor power liters. In other words it is desired that the engine displacements increasingly less power to achieve increasingly higher (engine downsizing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The transportation of cargos in containers has been intensively developing over the last decades. The world pace of growth in container transport is about 11% annually while in the Russian Federation from 2003 to 2007 the average growth was 21%. Container transportation is going to increase due to the construction of huge infrastructure projects for the Winter Olympics games in Sochi 2014, which implies the transportation of the required material flow. Foreign car assembly on Russian territory is developing, supplied by component parts delivered from Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as from China that now bring 21.3% import container transport to Russia. About 60% of Russian container traffic passes through seaports Saint Petersburg, Novorossiysk and Vladivostok. The scenarios for increasing capacity to meet demands ahead are enhancing the productivity of seaports sites or leading to the creation of terminals in the hinterland. Although the phenomenon of dry ports is spread all over the world, in Russia none of the seaports has sufficient number of these facilities. The inland terminals of Russian seaports will be analysed from a dry port perspective. Despite the impediments, there are ecological and economical benefits that are discussed in the article. The advantages to the transport chain suggest that dry ports are a promising area for Russian seaports’ welfare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on can connected vehicles be safe from hackers although wireless control techniques will cut accidents on the road and in the air. Topics discussed include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications will make it possible for cars to detect hazards, flight paths assisted by automatic control will keep aircraft at efficient altitude, fuel usage provides a push for vehicle autonomy and securing communication vulnerabilities to hackers will continue to be an uphill struggle.

Most East Asian auto transplants in North America are now a quarter-century or more old. This perspective should now allow their evolution from the original post-Fordist model and their impact on surrounding local and regional economies to be subjects for comparative analysis. This article seeks to contribute to this research task by assessing one joint venture and three auto transplants--the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, the Toyota plant in Cambridge, Ontario, the Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario, and the Hyundai plant in Bromont. Based on fieldwork and interviews in Canada in 1991 and 2004, it seeks to evaluate the promise and fulfillment and the successes and shortfalls of these four plants as instruments of work reorganization and business management and as catalysts of local and regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper focuses on how foreign automobile manufacturers in Brazil have implemented and benefited from strategic modularization. Based on our case studies and in-depth interviews, we developed a theoretical framework to examine the antecedents and outcomes of strategic modularization. Our theoretical framework suggests that strategic modularization may help improve a firm's positional advantage by reducing the cost of managing tacit knowledge. In addition, the adoption of strategic modularization influences the nature of relationships with major suppliers, further blurring the boundaries of the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the question of the appropriate functional form for an import demand model in the context of United Kingdom motor vehicle imports. Application of a range of tests on two import demand models; Test findings on commonly imposed linear or log-linear functional forms and its relation to price-income specification; Evidence the inappropriateness of functional form in import demand.

Investigates the spatial dimensions of imports and exports of automobiles and their parts for the United States. Automobile transshipment in 1988; Parts and trading partners; The role of trade with Canada; Transcontinental minibridge traffic; Lorenz curves; Gini coefficients; Relative stability between 1979 and 1988.

Discusses the regional versus global trade policy based on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with respect to products such as automobiles. Rules of origin and the Canada-U.S. FTA; Honda automobile manufacturers transplant in the U.S.; Looking over the rules of origin of the NAFTA; Reflections.

This paper reports on research which compared consumers' stated reasons for buying foreign cars (gas mileage, price, quality) with their beliefs as to the kind of person who drove foreign cars as opposed to domestic cars. (Trendy, modern, upscale individuals.) It is then suggested that the status-heavy motives are the operational ones; that foreign cars are bought for these affective reasons rather than the rational ones consumers believe they used. Possible shifts in marketing strategy to bring it into conformance with the real motives are discussed. Evaluated are; first, making domestic cars appear foreign, second, a head-on attack and third, a concentrated attack on any existing mechanical or design deficiencies. Finally, some generalization from the automobile history to the product life cycle, in general, is proposed. This suggests that as a sophisticated product matures, appeals must be shifted from technologically oriented promotion to promotion intended to highlight the high status of the owners of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]