| Watsco, Incorporated Earnings Conference Call (Q4 2007)
Watsco, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, distributes air conditioning, heating, refrigeration equipment, and related parts and supplies in the United States. Its products primarily comprise residential central air conditioners; light commercial air conditioners; gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment and systems; and other specialized equipment. The company also offers various parts, including replacement compressors, evaporator coils, motors, and other component parts; and supplies consisting of thermostats, insulation material, refrigerants, ductwork, grills, registers, sheet metal, tools, copper tubing, concrete pads, tape, adhesives, and other ancillary supplies. Watsco operates through approximately 380 locations in 32 states. It distributes its products to contractors and dealers who service the replacement and new construction markets.
Auto Tata Motors Unveils $2,500 "Nano" in New Delhi
The time to reach the stated maximum speed of 68mph was not given. This slow acceleration does let the Nano achieve excellent mileage -- estimates are 50mpg city and 60mpg highway. While other cars have exceeded these numbers, they don't share the Nano's low cost of entry. The Nano will be available in two trim levels, "Standard" and "Luxury." The "Standard" is truly spartan, with vinyl seats, a single-color interior, black plastic bumpers and not much else. The "Luxury" lives up to its name by comparison, offering a list of features such as: Body-colored bumpers Fog lamps Power door locks Power mirrors Air conditioning and heater Dual-color interior Fabric seats The sticker price for the Luxury model has not yet been announced. In addition to the two model choices, the Tata Nano microsite offers a range of accessories that can be viewed from the car builder, including pin striping decals, a choice of air scoop for the rear-mounted engine, and alloy wheels.
Green spaces? : Switching to hybrids could get a little more enticing
Driving a fuel-efficient vehicle could save a few dollars at the gas pump as well as the parking meter. The Off-Street Parking Improvement District No. 1 gave its approval Tuesday to an ordinance that would allow vehicles that can travel 40 or more miles per gallon of gasoline to park free in some areas of downtown Fayetteville. Sharon Crosson, parking manager for the city, said she wanted to get the district's blessing on the ordinance before going to the City Council. The city contracts with the district to lease three downtown parking lots: one behind the E. J. Ball Plaza, one catty-cornered to that lot and one at Spring Street and East Avenue. Some of the revenue collected by the district would be lost if it allowed free parking in those lots.
Auto GM to Focus on Small Turbo Fours to Improve Fuel Economy
GM's other turbocharged motors in the U.S. see limited duty in performance models from Pontiac and Chevy as well as GM's oft-overlooked Saab brand. The turbo Ecotec four-banger used in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line produces 260 HP and 260-lb-ft of torque from just 2.0 liters of displacement. According to GM product czar Bob Lutz, the move to bring engines to the U.S. that Europeans have enjoyed for years has more to do with CAFE than consumer demand. "Europeans, at their fuel prices, are willing to pay premium prices for premium small cars that deliver terrific fuel economy," said Lutz. "That is not the case here in America, land of the big truck, big horse and the big American." It remains to be seen how Americans will take to the turbocharged engines which will add anywhere from $250 to $450 to the purchase price of a vehicle.
How Tata has built a car that costs less than a motorbike
Tata has launched the Nano as a family car for four or five people, but the company concedes that the Nano is no limousine, with its dimensions of 3.1 m long by 1.5 m wide and 1.6 m high. Once again, though, the compact dimensions help to keep costs down, as the smaller the vehicle is, the fewer materials are required for its construction. A small, lightweight car can also be fitted with a smaller, lighter engine. In the Nano's case, the 624.6 cc, 33 PS, 48 Nm twin-cylinder aluminium engine is mounted transversely under the rear seats, ahead of the rear axle line and mated directly with the four-speed transaxle. No common components Because the Nano was being designed to be such a low-budget car, all components had to be designed from scratch, with nothing carried over from Tata's other vehicles.
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