| A.M. Costa Rica fifth news page |
Are
you
still
spending 70 percent You need to fill this space ASAP! |
||||||||
| Home |
Tourism |
Calendar |
Classifieds |
Entertainment |
Real
estate |
Rentals |
Sports |
About us |
|
|
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
| Go home HERE!
Go to second newspage HERE Go to third newspage HERE! Go to fourth newspage HERE! Sports page HERE! |
Food & Entertainment |
 |
Nissan says it will
market all-electric car by 2010 By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Record high oil prices and sluggish sales are forcing the world's biggest automakers to turn to electricity to power their vehicles. Nissan Motor Co. is the latest automaker to move in that direction, officially announcing Tuesday it plans to introduce an all-electric vehicle for sale in the United States and Japan by 2010. Nissan's chief executive officer says the company will mass-market electric cars globally by 2012. Nissan also forecast its profits will decline by 30 percent this year to $3.4 billion compared to $4.6 billion last year. Nissan, Japan's NO. 3 automaker, joins Toyota and Honda in predicting smaller profits, as car buyers shun fuel-thirsty vehicles. The senior editor of the Web site GreenCarAdvisor.com, John O'Dell, said many auto industry executives will be watching Nissan to see if its electric car venture succeeds. He says Nissan is trying to become the market leader by being the first major automaker to promise — and deliver — an all-electric vehicle for sale in a large market by a certain date. The associate editor of the Web site WardsAuto.com, Mike Sutton, said the announcement is "fairly significant," but Nissan's move is mostly about market positioning. Sutton said that other major automakers are also planning to introduce electric-powered vehicles in 2010. American car company Chevrolet plans to introduce the Volt, a plug-in hybrid, in 2010. And Toyota says it will unveil the next generation of Prius hybrid vehicles the same year. Hybrids use less fuel than conventional vehicles because they combine a gasoline engine with high-tech batteries and electric motors. Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Subaru are also working on electric cars. Fuel-efficient vehicles have recently been the lone bright spot for the auto industry. Toyota says sales of its hybrid cars have jumped 42 percent in the past year. Some dealerships in the United States say they have waiting lists for would-be buyers. Arias will be sidelined for several weeks By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
President Óscar Arias Sánchez has irritated vocal cords and cannot speak well, said a release from Casa Presidencial. And a spokesman sent along a doctor's note as evidence. The doctor, Mauricio Buitrago Poveda, said that Arias should rest his vocal cords for the next several weeks, according to the note. Arias was reported ailing Monday, and Vice President Laura Chinchilla was dispatched to a meeting of heads of state in Perú in his place. Casa Presidencial said that Arias will keep on top of political developments via e-mails. He received some unspecified medial treatment, said the report. Dobles seeks 7 million trees By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The environment minister has pledged that the country will plant seven million trees this year, up two million from the amount planted last year under the “A que sembrás un árbol” program designed to make the country carbon neutral by 2021. The minister, Roberto Dobles, said that the program is designed to counter changes in the climate. A Casa Presidencial summary said that global warming would cause famine, drought, and a vulnerability to diseases. It predicted a temperature increase of 6.4 degrees C (about 12 degrees F), based on United Nation's research and the elimination of 20 to 30 percent of the species on the planet. |
|
| Go home HERE!
Go to second newspage HERE Go to third newspage HERE! Go to fourth newspage HERE! Sports page HERE! |
Food & Entertainment |
| Home |
Tourism |
Place
classified ad |
Classifieds |
Entertainment |
Real estate |
Rentals |
Sports |
About us |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |