ANZ's Truckometer  rose 1.2% last month, reversing March's 0.8% fall, indicating that there may be a continuing trend back upwards.

The system is based on monitoring selected roads for traffic flow, which has proven to be a relatively good indicator of the economic condition of the country.

"With its unique six-month lead, the Truckometer is detecting glimmers of light that could signal the end of a tunnel that standard economic indicators are only just starting to reveal we are in," says ANZ economist Sharon Zollner, who designed the indicator.

Insurance firm Sovereign today became the first company in New Zealand to purchase the world’s first mass-produced, fully electric, zero emission vehicle; the Nissan LEAF.

Sovereign plans to use the Nissan LEAF as a company pool car, and Mercury Energy has developed a specially designed fuel package to ensure that Sovereign’s commitment to sustainability translates into real savings.   A purpose-built charging station has been installed on site at Sovereign’s head office at Smales Farm on Auckland’s North Shore.

Sovereign CEO Charles Anderson says the world is changing, and they wanted to show their leadership on the use of resources.

How often have you been able to secure higher profit returns for your dealership as you are pulling out of a difficult trading cycle? Often these trading cycles occur for reasons well beyond normal trading control, just as we have seen the recent GFC (glodal financial crisis) adversely impact on just about every trading sector.

So what normally happens during these difficult times? Often it depends on both the severity and the duration of the economic downturn. As an owner of a retail dealership it becomes a case of trying to cut your cloth to suit the situation. The obvious early targets are the large variable and semi-fixed expenses within the dealership such as staffing level, in particular non-productive staff, inventory reductions to lower interest costs and the many arms of advertising.

I wish to share with you today an article I came across in the US Automotive News this week covering a number of actions taken by Mike Shaw, owner of Mike Shaw Automotive in Denver, Colorado.

Holden has confirmed the Commodore will return to the US market, with racing leading the way.

Holden has announced the new export program, confirming today that Commodore will return to North America in late 2013 as the new Chevrolet SS performance sedan.

The limited production derivative of the yet to be launched VF Commodore will arrive in North American showrooms late next year. It will be the first time in 17 years that Chevrolet will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan for sale in the US.

Two new Mercedes have notched up 5-Star safety ratings, with the Automobile Association noting the result shows how powerful safety technology can be.

The AA and the NZ Transport Agency announced this week that Mercedes-Benz B-Class compact sports tourer and Viano van have achieved the highest possible safety ratings in the latest Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP).

The B-Class model includes features such as a radar-based collision warning system and brake assist.  Additional features such as lane keeping assist and blind spot assist are also available.

Ssangyong New Zealand is planning on making good use of its marketing partnership with rugby and rural legend Sir Colin Meads at Fieldays this year.

Sir Colin will be at the SsangYong stand at Fieldays meeting SsangYong customers and answering questions about SsangYong’s Actyon workmate. 

Special-edition Triton 4WD predicted to be Mystery Creek’s “best value”

Mitsubishi have announced a Fieldays special Triton, making a big claim about the deal it offers.

They predict the latest special-edition sport-specification Triton ChargerX will be the “value-for-money” star when Fieldays - the biggest trade show of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere - opens on 13 June.

The well-known former voice of the Greenland Boulevard of Cars is offering his dulcet tones and media experience to dealers off the famous strip.

Radio/ TV / commercial presenter David Burke-Kennedy is driving specialist PR marketing, advertising and media communications services to distributors, dealer groups and franchise dealerships.

While many know him as an experienced broadcaster and print journalist, he also has over 40 years' highly successful motor industry marketing experience.

A 14-year-old boy who stole his father's Western Star and took it on a 175km drive not only caused a major fuss, but even stopped along the way to refuel the truck.

The Christchurch teen, whose father had recently purchased a new truck, apparently decided to visit his mother in the vehicle, leading the father to report the truck as stolen and possibly under the control of his son.

The truck proceeded down State Highway One towards Timaru, when the teen stopped at Asburton for fuel. The teen was wearing a company t-shirt and didn’t raise any suspicion from service station staff.

The government has confirmed plans to replace the system for covering synthetic greenhouse gasses in the Emissions Trading Scheme with a levy - as requested by the auto industry.

Minister for Climate Change Issues, Tim Groser, announced the change on Monday.

"The ETS review panel, set up by the Government in December 2010, found that importers of synthetic greenhouse gases in refrigerators, air conditioning units, and electrical switchgear faced higher compliance costs than others sectors," says Groser.

The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association recorded a loss in the year to March 2012, despite an even bigger cost for the emissions fight.

The association, which in the previous year ran a fundraising auction to bolster its reserves, recorded a net loss of $19,460. The loss drops the association's equity from $292,677 to $273,037.

Funds for the association come largely from membership subscriptions, which fell from $351,417 in the 2011 year to $312,095 while costs for membership activities rose to $321,485 from $289,284.

The woman accused of manslaughter over the death of former high-profile car dealer Lance Bain is to stand trial.

Bain, 43, died in December, two weeks after being allegedly hit in the head with a mallet by Natalie Ann Van Breugel at her west Auckland home.