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Can Ranger crash GM's midsize pickup party? Michael Martinez, Automotive News / January 15, 2017 DETROIT — If General Motors struck gold by reviving the Colorado and Canyon midsize pickups four years ago, then Ford had better hope that mine isn't tapped out by the time the Ranger reaches dealerships early next year. The segment exploded in popularity this decade — it has surged 78 percent since 2014 — but that growth appears to be running out of steam. Last year's U.S. sales of 452,335 midsize pickups were less than 1 percent more than the year prior, and IHS Markit doesn't expect the segment to top 480,000 sales through 2025. "Ford is late to the party," Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader, said in an interview. "The question is: Is there room for yet another entry, or has the growth in that segment peaked? It's quite possible that it has." Still, Ford believes next year is the right time to resurrect the Ranger nameplate, which was discontinued for U.S. buyers in 2011 while remaining in many global markets. Officials are positioning the pickup as a lifestyle vehicle that appeals to younger, active buyers who may not want the herculean hauling capabilities — and higher price tag — of a full-size F-150. "It's really just not about growth and the segment size itself; it's about some of the dynamics that are happening within full-size," Todd Eckert, Ford's truck marketing manager, told reporters this month. "As transaction prices continue to grow, we see more of an opportunity than we did, say, five years ago, to bring in a midsize pickup ... and really get to that entry-level buyer, who's a very different customer." The Ranger, which Ford planned to unveil Sunday, Jan. 14, at the Detroit auto show, will differ significantly from the F-150. It has a mostly steel body, eschewing the aluminum diet the F series, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator have undergone. Instead of the multitude of powertrain options on the F-150, the Ranger will come with one: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It includes rugged front and rear differentials from Dana Inc., which also supplies the Jeep Wrangler. An available electronic-locking rear differential should give the vehicle better off-road maneuverability than its bigger brother. "These buyers have a work/play lifestyle that requires something of a different scale," Eckert said. Architecturally, the Ranger will differ little from the version sold outside the U.S., but it will be built in Michigan with parts sourced in North America. Interior and exterior designs have been changed to give the truck a more rugged look for U.S. buyers. "This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," Eckert said. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here." It will have lots of new technology, such as a standard 4G connected Wi-Fi hotspot, FordPass and precollision assist, as well as other optional driver-assist features. It will come in three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat. Ford will sell two-door SuperCab and four-door SuperCrew configurations. An off-road FX4 package will be offered across all trims. That will give drivers the terrain-management system first offered on the F-150 Raptor that includes four drive modes: normal, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, and sand. The package also includes a new "trail control," which acts as an off-road cruise control by accelerating or braking to maintain a set speed while traversing gravel or mountain trails. It's an extension of the automaker's hill-descent control, which controls braking on steep grades. The FX4 package will also come with standard automatic emergency braking. The Ranger also will have a blind-spot information system with sensors that can extend their line of sight to the back of a trailer up to 33 feet long. The system will be standard on the XLT and Lariat trims. The interior includes an 8-inch touch screen, as well as two liquid crystal display screens in the instrument cluster. The rear seats offer waterproof underseat storage. Ford said it expects the Ranger to have best-in-class payload capacity but declined to give details on power, fuel economy, dimensions or weight. The company hopes to recapture some of the midsize pickup buyers it abandoned when it closed the St. Paul, Minn., plant that built the previous-generation Ranger. It also aims to conquest from other brands, woo some F-150 buyers — though not too many, and only if they otherwise would have defected to a rival brand — and even snatch sales from small crossover and sedan buyers. It wants the Ranger to add to its strong overall pickup sales; its full-size F series has been the nation's best-selling pickup for 41 straight years. "We see an opportunity," Eckert said. "It's one thing to get on top, but it's also about staying on top."

Thank you Ted. I know the author, Steve Brooks. I told him that he's the best heavy truck journalist in the business.

We have laws that are rigidly enforced.........and then we have laws which are not enforced. It sends a bad message. Not a good way to run a ship. If foreigners are only allowed, by law, to legally immigrate to the United States, then one would be sure that all "illegal" immigrants are detained and immediately deported (and denied the ability to legally immigrate, as a penalty, for a period of time if not forever). No child born to illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship (i.e. DACA). If they want to complain, they should address their parents. The U.S. has nothing to do with it. The current system is, if you were able to sneak in and not be captured for a period of time, you can stay. That doesn't fly with me.

I suggest, the demand for a manual transmission option in the Ranger segment is entirely different from the F-150 segment. The biggest deal breaker is the lack of the 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel and 3.2L 5-cylinder diesel (known to Americans by way of the U.S. market full-size Transit). That the truck has but one engine, in North America, is shocking. The fact that it isn't available with the standard cab and long bed means they don't care about the commercial segment. I was planning to purchase a US market diesel Ranger and Everest in the 2019-2020 period (whenever they launched). WIthout the diesel option, that plan is firmly cancelled.

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No diesel option and no manual transmission. Bob, as predicted, Ford ruined the global Ranger for the US market. I'm a U.S. buyer, and this truck was not "developed specifically" for me. "This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," said Todd Eckert, Ford trucks marketing manager. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here." Mr. Eckert, you should have brought over the global Ranger. You completely don't understand this product, nor the US market for it.

Ford Ranger (finally) returns to US market Michael Martinez, Automotive News / January 14, 2018 Ford aims Ranger at pickup buyers who want smaller, simpler package DETROIT -- After an eight-year hiatus, Ford Motor Co. is re-entering the midsize pickup segment with the 2019 Ford Ranger, which offers truck buyers some of the features and benefits they could get in an F-150 but with fewer customization options, a smaller footprint and lower price tag. The revived Ranger, which will be made in Michigan and go on sale next year, has a similar architecture to the pickup Ford sells in dozens of markets overseas, but its design and powertrain have been developed specifically for U.S. buyers. Ford, which plans to formally introduce the Ranger at the Detroit auto show on Sunday, will offer only one engine option: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The latest Ranger has a mostly steel body, rugged axles from Dana Inc. and an exterior design similar to its larger F-series counterparts. During development, it went through the same torture tests as the F-150. "This is not about bringing the global Ranger here to the U.S. and selling it in our dealerships," said Todd Eckert, Ford trucks marketing manager. "This is about designing and engineering specifically for the North American customer and the conditions the trucks will be put in here." The Ranger will include a host of new technology, such as a standard 4G-connected Wi-Fi hot spot, FordPass Connect and pre-collision assist technology as well as a number of other optional driver-assist features. It will come in three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat. Ford will sell two-door SuperCab and four-door SuperCrew configurations. An off-road FX4 package will be offered across all trims. That will give drivers the terrain-management system first offered on the F-150 Raptor that includes four drive modes: normal, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts and sand. The package also includes a new "trail control," which acts as an off-road cruise control by accelerating or braking to maintain a set speed while traversing gravel or mountain trails. It's an extension of the automaker's hill-descent control, which controls braking on steep grades. The FX4 package will come with standard automatic emergency braking. The Ranger also will have a blind-spot information system with sensors that can extend their line of sight to the back of a trailer up to 33 feet long. The system will be standard on the XLT and Lariat trims. The exterior will include frame-mounted steel bumpers as well as the Ranger's name prominently stamped into the tailgate and some grille designs. The interior includes an 8-inch touch screen as well as two LCD screens in the instrument cluster. The rear seats offer waterproof underseat storage. Ford said it expects the Ranger to have best-in-class payload capacity but wouldn't divulge any details on power, fuel economy, dimensions or weight. While the U.S. midsize pickup market peaked years ago -- at 1.32 million in 1986 -- it has staged a modest rally in recent years, yet remains small, with the introduction of revived models from General Motors. U.S. sales in the segment haven't topped 1 million since 2000 or 500,000 since 2007. The Ranger was always among the segment's top sellers, including No. 1 as recently as 2004. During the 1990s, Ranger sales routinely totaled more than 300,000 units a year before fading in the 2000s. Ford hopes to recapture some of the midsize pickup buyers it abandoned when it closed the St. Paul, Minn., plant that built the previous-generation Ranger. It also aims to conquest from other brands, woo some F-150 buyers — though not too many, and only if they otherwise would have defected to a rival brand — and even snatch sales from small crossovers and sedans. It wants the Ranger to add to its strong overall pickup sales; the full-size F series has been the nation's best-selling pickup for 41 straight years. "We see an opportunity," Eckert said. "It's one thing to get on top, but it's also about staying on top." Photo gallery - http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CA&Date=20180114&Category=DETROIT_AUTO_SHOW&ArtNo=114009999&Ref=PH&Profile=1115 .

The arrival of the Transit Custom (panel van) and sister Transit Tourneo (window van) is long overdue. But they would have had to add the US market-specific engine fire feature. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/47453-new-man-tge-and-volkswagen-crafter-launched-at-iaa-2016/?tab=comments#comment-350078

http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2018/jan/0113-2019-silverado.html

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GM executives defend NAFTA, Mexican truck plant David Shepardson, Reuters / January 13, 2018 DETROIT -- General Motors CEO Mary Barra expressed optimism on Saturday that the North American Free Trade Agreement would survive, and other senior GM executives stood by the company's plans to continue building trucks in Mexico. At an event to introduce GM's 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck ahead of the Detroit auto show, Barra twice did not answer directly when asked if the automaker is reconsidering current production in Mexico in light of potential changes or the collapse of the trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Company executives did not rule out future changes to its North American production plans depending on the outcome of ongoing NAFTA renegotiation talks, even though it would be costly to shift production of trucks. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Thursday it will move production of its next-generation heavy-duty pickup trucks to Michigan from a plant in Mexico, a move that reduces the risk that those trucks would be hit with a 25 percent tariff if NAFTA unravels. Barra sidestepped a question about GM's Mexican truck factory, saying, "When I look at our footprint, there is so much more work and negotiations to be done on NAFTA." Mark Reuss, GM's product development chief, said the company is using its existing truck plants in North America, but would not elaborate when asked if GM could stop building trucks in Mexico. "I'm not sure that we would tell anybody that," Reuss said. "I don't think we'd be talking about our footprint in the future."

The New 3.0L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel V6 https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu7WClcTW2AIVgeNkCh2F4wXpEAAYASAAEgKdVPD_BwE&searchid=757864977|39397447585|283121643333|&s_kwcid=AL!2519!3!244250334842!e!!g!!f 150 diesel specs&ef_id=WlbF0gAAA_YBFRGW:20180114034047:s#the_new_3.0l_power_strokeR_turbo_diesel .

'19 Silverado may emerge as efficiency leader Michael Wayland, Automotive News / January 13, 2018 DETROIT -- Industry-first engine technology, significant weight savings and a new inline-six diesel offering are among the enhancements General Motors is counting on to bolster the Chevrolet Silverado's position as the second-best-selling vehicle in America. The redesigned 2019 model, shown Saturday evening ahead of the Detroit auto show, is larger than current models yet as much as 450 pounds lighter. It features a longer wheelbase, more interior space and a new high-strength steel bed with increased cargo volume and an available power up-down tailgate that can be operated from the key fob, an interior button or by hand. 2019 Chevy Silverado · Interior · - Up to 8-in. touch screen · - Increased front and rear room · - Concealed rear-seat storage areas · Design/engineering · - 3.9 in. longer · - Up to 450-lb. weight reduction · - Next-gen cylinder-cutoff technology · - Optional 3.0-liter I-6 turbodiesel · - Available 10-speed transmission · - Redesigned suspension to improve steering/braking · - Power tailgate, up and down The enhancements and weight reduction could help the 2019 Silverado stake a claim as the most efficient full-size pickup in the market when it arrives in dealer showrooms in fall. GM product boss Mark Reuss called the redesign a “massive undertaking” that resulted in a “very responsive” truck that’s larger, lighter and more durable than ever before. “We are confident that the Silverado will be the very best truck for every customer,” he said Saturday following the unveiling of the trucks here. GM will offer six powertrain combinations, including a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel and 5.3- and 6.2-liter V-8s with a technology called Dynamic Fuel Management that can shut off cylinders, in a variety of combinations, to optimize performance and fuel economy. It's expected to increase efficiency by as much as 21 percent, though GM didn't give details. “It’s revolutionary,” Reuss said of the industry-first technology. “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before in terms of how many cylinders you can have at any one time in any one different condition.” The diesel engine -- the first in a full-size Chevy pickup since the late 1990s -- and 6.2-liter V-8 will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. GM didn't provide details of other transmission pairings or engines. Chevy currently offers a 4.3-liter V-6 as its base engine. The redesigned pickup will have six engine options. The base engine, Reuss said, could “quite possibly” be a new offering. He declined to comment on whether it will be a four-cylinder engine. On the diesel, he said: "I am really confident that we will have the best-performing diesel in the segment." Ford Motor Co. earlier this week announced that it expects its first diesel F-150, which goes on sale this year, to achieve a highway fuel economy rating of 30 mpg. The eight trim levels include two new Z71 Trailboss models and an RST, for Rally Sport Truck, trim. The models will be much more distinctive than the Silverado's current offerings, said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet truck marketing director. "We wanted to make it easier for consumers and dealers to find the right truck for what they're looking for, and we've further refined that notion," he told Automotive News, adding that consumers and dealers can expect a "similar price walk" to the current pickups. Pricing, fuel economy and other details have yet to be announced. During Saturday's event, GM product boss Mark Reuss called the redesign a “massive undertaking” that resulted in a “very responsive” truck that’s larger, lighter and more durable than ever before. “We are confident that the Silverado will be the very best truck for every customer,” he said. Production starts Production of the Silverado and the forthcoming redesigned GMC Sierra is expected to start at GM's plant in Fort Wayne, Ind., in the fall. GM also builds the trucks in Mexico. Reuss said the Fort Wayne plant will add production of the crew-cab models, which have been built only in Mexico. GM reportedly spent nearly $3 billion on updating its factories for its next-generation trucks in ways that allowed for streamlined manufacturing, fewer parts and lighter trucks. "This is a ground-up, all-new way of looking at a pickup from manufacturing, from design, from everything," said Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer of full-size trucks. "Every model got some level of weight savings, up to 450 pounds." Much of the weight savings came from the pickup's frame and body. All exterior swing panels (doors, hood and tailgate) are made of aluminum, while fixed panels (fenders, roof and bed) are made of steel. Eighty percent of the frame is made of high-strength steel, 2 to 5 millimeters thick. GMC Sierra The Silverado and Sierra, according to Reuss, will arrive in showrooms at the same time later this year. He said GM plans to unveil the Sierra toward the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter. GM hasn’t unveiled the pickups separately since the first-generation Silverado debuted as part of a rodeo-themed news conference in 1998. .

Hino's new US market COE is based on the Class 5/6/7 500 series. It's no Class 8 by any means. The GM-Navistar product is Classes 4 and 5. The DuraStar replacement is Classes 6 and 7. GM is venturing back into Class 6 with the 6500XD, derived from Isuzu's FTR. All rather convoluted, but the result of GM wanting to get back into the game without spending any serious money. http://www.chevrolet.com/commercial/low-cab-forward-cab-over-truck https://www.gmfleet.com/chevrolet/low-cab-forward-trucks.html

The launch of the US market 500 Series COE is overdue. They've been talking about its launch for some time. That segment is about to become very crowded. The US market conventionals have a 500 Series-based cab. The 700 Series heavy truck range has a larger cab (which is to say that the 300, 500 and 700 Series trucks each have unique purpose-designed cabs). http://www.hino-global.com/content/dam/hino_global/pdf/catalog/HINO300_Series__Catalog_Right_Hand_Drive.pdf http://www.hino-global.com/content/dam/hino_global/pdf/catalog/Hino_500S_Catalog_LR.pdf http://www.hino-global.com/content/dam/hino_global/common/img/product/Hino_700S_Catalog_201607.pdf

The Sydney Morning Herald / January 13, 2018 The truck industry has demanded a cash injection of more than $12 million from the government for road safety, as industry leaders concede there is a "problem" with truck deaths and slow uptake of safer vehicles. The Australian Trucking Association has called for the formation of a National Road Safety Commission, and says the Australian Transport Safety Bureau should take over responsibility for investigating truck accidents. The government should spend another $8 million over the next four years on safety initiatives for heavy vehicles, the association argues in a pre-budget submission, as well as giving an extra $4.3 million to the ATSB. Separately, the Truck Industry Council told the government it could save four lives a year by subsidising the modernisation of Australian truck fleets. It follows Fairfax Media's revelation that truck deaths in NSW soared by 86 per cent last year, from 29 to 54, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all deaths involving articulated trucks in Australia. Deaths in other states decreased. "We've come a long way but we still have a long way to go," said the trucking association chief-of-staff Bill McKinley. "As long as a single person is killed in an accident involving a heavy vehicle, yes, there's a problem." Currently, fatal truck crashes are investigated by state coroners, a process that may take years. Under the truckers' proposal, serious truck accidents would be investigated by the ATSB, which is accustomed to making preliminary findings about aviation, rail and maritime incidents in just a month. There should also be a public, national database of coronial recommendations, the ATA urged. It also recommended the government take over management of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiatives program and to inject an extra $2 million a year to fund practical safety measures. Mr McKinley acknowledged there was also a role for the industry to play in curbing excessive overtime and drug-taking by truck drivers. He said a new national regime to commence in July – backed by the industry – would impose tougher regulations and penalties. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I am saying there is a strong push to stamp it out," Mr McKinley said. "Driver fatigue is a serious problem and companies have very stringent obligations to manage it." Anthony McMullan, chief executive of the Truck Industry Council, proposed a series of offsets – up to 50 per cent – for fleet operators to purchase newer, environmentally sound and safer trucks. According to his analysis, the safety features of new trucks – including lane assistance, electronic stability control and underrun protection systems – could save about four lives a year, based on factors contributing to previous fatalities. "The uptake of these [new] vehicles isn't as high as what one would expect or hope for. There is a problem there," Mr McMullan said. "It's not to say that [older] vehicles aren't safe. A truck properly maintained is safe. It's just that newer trucks have newer technologies and we should be trying to encourage the uptake of these newer technologies on to our road network."

Trailer-Body Builders / January 11, 2018 Four of North America’s leading truck manufacturers have announced they will unveil new vehicles at The Work Truck Show 2018. Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles will reveal its Silverado 4500HD and 5500HD chassis cab trucks. Ford Commercial Vehicles will launch a new commercial vehicle. Hino Trucks will introduce a line of Class 7 and 8 trucks. International Truck will debut what it’s calling “the driver’s ultimate work truck.” Additional OEMs with press conferences scheduled include Ram Commercial, which plans to announce work-truck-related news for the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 truck, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc. and Mack Trucks Inc. These manufacturers are among 100 exhibiting companies that have shared plans to introduce commercial vehicles and equipment at North America’s largest work truck event. The Work Truck Show takes place March 6–9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Educational sessions, Green Truck Summit and Fleet Technical Congress begin March 6, and the exhibit hall is open March 7–9. “Every March, Indianapolis becomes the North American epicenter for work trucks, as manufacturers showcase the newest vocational trucks, vans, components and equipment for any application to fleet managers, equipment distributors, upfitters, installers and other professionals in the vocational vehicle industry,” says Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. “If you want to be part of this year’s biggest product launches, you want to be at The Work Truck Show 2018.” Chevrolet says the new Silverado 4500HD and 5500HD chassis cab trucks will complete its commercial truck portfolio. Designed around how customers work, the OEM says the trucks will be highly maneuverable and among the easiest on the market to upfit. Hino reports that its new Class 7 and 8 trucks are the result of four years of development and hundreds of thousands of hours of engineering work that included building 10 prototypes. The vehicles will be powered by Hino’s A09 9-liter engine that provides a horsepower range of 300 to 360 hp. Overall, the 500 exhibiting companies at The Work Truck Show 2018 will showcase the latest products necessary to build, equip, customize and utilize the trucks that keep America moving forward. The Work Truck Show’s exclusive New Product Spotlight program makes it easy for attendees to identify new products in advance and on the exhibit floor. Participating companies provide a photo and product details for each new product which NTEA shares on the Show website and through The Work Truck Show 2018 app (scheduled for release in February). Information about “green” products featured in the Green Product Showcase, and a full list of first-time exhibitors is also available on the same webpage: worktruckshow.com/floorplan. For the complete schedule of events, educational session descriptions, Show floor plan and to register, visit worktruckshow.com. For more information, call 800-441-6832 or email info@ntea.com.

Fiat Chrysler to invest over $1 billion in Ram plant Trailer-Body Builders / January 12, 2018 Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) is planning to invest more than $1 billion to modernize its Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan and create 2,500 additional jobs so it can relocate production of its Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck from Saltillo, Mexico, by 2020. This investment is on top of the $1 billion the OEM committed to invest in the Warren factory last year to accommodate its Jeep product line, which included building its all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. FCA said its Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant will be repurposed to produce future commercial vehicles for global distribution. The company also noted that it has invested some $10 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations since June 2009, with some $3.5 billion alone focused on Jeep and Ram Truck production realignment that included the addition of 3,700 new jobs. That $3.5 billion investment and related actions involved production shifts at three plants in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan to gain capacity for the Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Ram Light Duty truck, as well as the introduction of three new Jeep models at plants in Ohio and Michigan. Broken down, those investments include: • $350 million in the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois to produce the Jeep Cherokee, which moved from Toledo, OH, in 2017. More than 300 new jobs were added to support production. • $700 million in the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio to retool the North plant to produce the next generation Jeep Wrangler. Approximately 700 new jobs will be added to support production, FCA said. • $1.5 billion in the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan to build the next generation Ram 1500 truck. More than 700 new jobs will be added to support production, the company noted. • $1 billion in the south plant of the Toledo Assembly Complex to prepare the facility to produce an all-new Jeep truck, and in the Warren Truck Assembly Plant to modernize the plant to build the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. More than 2,000 new jobs will be added at these two plants to support production, FCA pointed out. The company is also making a special bonus payment of $2,000 to approximately 60,000 FCA hourly and salaried employees in the U.S., excluding senior leadership. The payment, which FCA said “recognizes employees for their continued commitment to the company’s success,” will be made in the second quarter of this year and will be in addition to any profit sharing and salaried performance bonuses that employees would otherwise be eligible to receive in 2018. The special bonus will be paid to all eligible employees of the FCA automotive and components operations in the U.S., the OEM added. “These announcements reflect our ongoing commitment to our U.S. manufacturing footprint and the dedicated employees who have contributed to FCA’s success,” said Sergio Marchionne, FCA’s CEO, in a statement. “It is only proper that our employees share in the savings generated by tax reform and that we openly acknowledge the resulting improvement in the U.S. business environment by investing in our industrial footprint accordingly.”

I agree Bob, absolutely amazing.

It's a very good question. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1932, President Hoover and the State Department essentially shut down immigration during the Great Depression as immigration went from 236,000 in 1929 to 23,000 in 1933. This was accompanied by voluntary repatriation to Europe and Mexico, and coerced repatriation and deportation of between 500,000 and 2 million Mexican Americans, mostly citizens, in the Mexican Repatriation. Total immigration in the decade of 1931 to 1940 was 528,000 averaging less than 53,000 a year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_laws_concerning_immigration_and_naturalization_in_the_United_States The National Origins Formula was an American system of immigration quotas, used between 1921 and 1965, which restricted immigration on the basis of existing proportions of the population. It aimed to reduce the overall number of unskilled immigrants, to allow families to re-unite, and to prevent immigration from changing the ethnic distribution of the population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Origins_Formula

Ford urges 2,900 pickup owners to stop driving after new Takata death Reuters / January 11, 2018 WASHINGTON -- Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it had confirmed a second death in an older pickup truck caused by a defective Takata airbag inflator and urged 2,900 owners in North America to stop driving immediately until they can get replacement parts. The second largest U.S. automaker said it confirmed in late December that a July 2017 crash death in West Virginia in a 2006 Ford Ranger was caused by a defective Takata inflator. It previously reported a similar death in South Carolina that occurred in December 2015. Ford said both Takata deaths occurred with inflators built on the same day installed in 2006 Ranger pickups. At least 21 deaths worldwide are linked to the Takata inflators that can rupture and send deadly metal fragments into the driver's body. The faulty inflators have led to the largest automotive recall in history. The other 19 deaths have occurred in Honda Motor Co. vehicles, most of which were in the United States. Ford issued a new recall for automobiles that had been previously recalled in 2016. Of those 391,000 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles, the new recall announced on Thursday affects 2,900 vehicles. These include 2,700 in the United States and nearly 200 in Canada. The new recall will allow for identification of the 2,900 owners in the highest risk pool. A Mazda Motor Corp. spokeswoman said Thursday the company would conduct a similar recall and stop drive warning for some 2006 Mazda B-series trucks, which were built by Ford and are similar to the Ranger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners to heed Ford's warning. "It is extremely important that all high-risk air bags are tracked down and replaced immediately," NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said. Ford said it would pay to have vehicles towed to dealerships or send mobile repair teams to owners' homes and provide free loaners if needed. Takata said in June that it has recalled, or expected to recall, about 125 million vehicles worldwide by 2019, including more than 60 million in the United States. Some 19 automakers worldwide are impacted. Takata inflators can explode with excessive force, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks and have injured more than 200. The defect led Takata to file for bankruptcy protection in June. Chinese-owned supplier Key Safety Systems Inc. has purchased Takata's viable assets out of bankruptcy court. Criminal charges In 2017, prosecutors in Detroit charged three former senior Takata executives with falsifying test results to conceal the inflator defect. None have come to the United States to face charges. Last year, Takata pleaded guilty to wire fraud and were subject to pay a total of $1 billion in criminal penalties in a U.S. court in connection with the recalls. Automakers have struggled to get enough replacement parts for the massive recalls. A November NHTSA report said about two-thirds of U.S. vehicles recalled have not yet been repaired. U.S. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said in a statement on Thursday the latest death is evidence of "the very definition of a failed recall" pointing to the earlier Ford death in 2015. NHTSA must do more, he said, to make the recall a priority. In November, NHTSA rejected a petition from Ford to delay recalling 3 million vehicles with potentially defective airbag inflators to conduct additional testing. In June 2016, NHTSA warned airbag inflators on more than 300,000 unrepaired recalled 2001-2003 model year Honda vehicles showed a substantial risk of rupturing, and urged owners to stop driving them until getting them fixed. NHTSA said they have as high as a 50 percent chance of a rupture in a crash.

Trump derides protections for immigrants from ‘sh*thole’ countries The Washington Post / January 11, 2018 President Trump grew frustrated with lawmakers Thursday in the Oval Office when they discussed protecting immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, according to several people briefed on the meeting. “Why are we having all these people from sh*thole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the lawmakers. Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt they help the United States economically. In addition, the president singled out Haiti, telling lawmakers that immigrants from that country must be left out of any deal, these people said. “Why do we need more Haitians?” Trump said, according to people familiar with the meeting. “Take them out.” Lawmakers were taken aback by the comments, according to people familiar with their reactions. Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) had proposed cutting the visa lottery program by 50 percent and then prioritizing countries already in the system, a White House official said. A White House spokesman defended Trump’s position on immigration without directly addressing his remarks. White House officials did not dispute the account. “Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement issued after The Washington Post first reported Trump’s remarks. “. . . Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation.” Outlining a potential bipartisan deal, the lawmakers discussed restoring protections for countries that have been removed from the temporary protected status (TPS) program while committing $1.5 billion for a border wall and making changes to the visa lottery system. Lawmakers mentioned that members of the Congressional Black Caucus had requested that some African countries be included in a deal, according to a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation. The exchange was “salty” on all sides, this person said, with the president growing profane and animated while discussing immigrants from other countries. “It did not go well,” this person said. The administration announced this week that it was removing TPS status for citizens of El Salvador. Haitians were added to the TPS program because of a strong earthquake that devastated Haiti eight years ago. Trump had seemed amenable to a deal earlier in the day during phone calls with lawmakers, aides said, but shifted his position in the meeting and did not seem interested in the bipartisan compromise. The scene played out hurriedly in the morning. Graham and Durbin thought they would be meeting with Trump alone and were surprised to find immigration hard-liners such as Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) at the meeting. White House and Capitol Hill aides say Stephen Miller, the president’s top immigration official, was concerned there could be a deal proposed that was too liberal and made sure conservative lawmakers were present. After the meeting, Marc Short, Trump’s director of legislative affairs, said the White House was nowhere near a bipartisan agreement on immigration. “We still think we can get there,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the daily White House news briefing.

FCA to shift heavy-duty Ram output to U.S. from Mexico David Phillips, Automotive News / January 11, 2018 Special bonus of $2,000 to 60,000 U.S. employees also planned FCA will invest more than $1 billion to modernize a Michigan truck plant to produce the next-generation Ram Heavy Duty pickup, which will be shifted from Saltillo, Mexico, starting in 2020. The investment at the Warren, Mich.., assembly plant follows plans detailed in January 2017 to expand the factory to build all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs. The company said the Saltillo truck assembly plant will be repurposed to produce future commercial vehicles for global markets. FCA said 2,500 new jobs will be created at the Michigan plant, in addition to the jobs detailed in January 2017 when FCA said it would move light-duty Ram truck output from the Warren, Mich., site to a nearby Sterling Heights, Mich., factory. The company also plans to make a special bonus payment of $2,000 to approximately 60,000 FCA hourly and salaried employees in the U.S., excluding senior leadership. FCA said Thursday the Michigan plant expansion and special payments were made possible in part by U.S. tax reform passed late last year that will reduce the company's corporate tax bill. FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said a year ago the company could shift heavy-truck output from Mexico to Michigan, depending on the outcome of tax reform legislation and proposed changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. President Donald Trump has threatened to force the rollback of NAFTA, which enables the free flow of goods across the borders of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Trump says NAFTA has hurt U.S. manufacturing employment and has blasted domestic and foreign automakers for moving jobs and factory investment to Mexico. Heavy duty pickups are among the most profitable vehicles produced by automakers and are sold mostly in the United States and Canada. Analysts say FCA's decision to move output of the trucks to the U.S. would also mitigate any risk of any unfavorable changes to NAFTA. The special payment will be made in the second quarter and will be in addition to any profit sharing and salaried performance bonuses that employees are eligible for in 2018, FCA said. The one-time bonus will be paid to all eligible employees at FCA's automotive and components operations in the U.S. “It is only proper that our employees share in the savings generated by tax reform and that we openly acknowledge the resulting improvement in the U.S. business environment by investing in our industrial footprint accordingly,” Marchionne said in a statement. .