LONDON, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

With more and more features being added to today's vehicles, their weight has increased, resulting in higher fuel consumption. However, there is growing demand to shift from gas guzzlers to fuel sippers. Even as gasoline prices have plunged, customers have become more eco-conscious.

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This is evident from the 25 per cent drop in the sales of sports utility and pickup vehicles in North America, says Frost Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Mohamed Mubarak M M. It has become imperative for manufacturers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles without compromising on performance. The key challenge is to keep an optimum balance between cost, weight and performance.

To provide decision makers with a comprehensive overview of the trends, strategies and prospects for producing more fuel-efficient vehicles, the Automotive Transportation Group at Frost Sullivan (http://www.transportation.frost.com) is pleased to announce it will be hosting an online analyst briefing presentation on Thursday 25 June at 2:00pm BST.

The discussion will benefit vehicle manufacturers, systems and module suppliers, interior designers, and material suppliers in the automotive industry.

European and the Asian manufacturers already have more experience in manufacturing fuel-efficient vehicles, Mubarak says. The American vehicle makers, for whom stringent fuel economy standards have just been introduced, will find it more challenging to shift from larger gas guzzlers to fuel sippers and convince their customers to buy smaller cars. Although the Americans can adopt certain successful European and Asian strategies in the short term, it is important to develop technologies for a long-term sustainable future.

To participate, please email Monika Kwiecinska at monika.kwiecinska@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail, address, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a registration link will be e-mailed to you. You may also register to receive a recorded version of the briefing at anytime by submitting the aforementioned contact details.

Attend an Analyst Briefing and receive a chance for a complimentary admission to Frost Sullivan's flagship event, Growth Innovation Leadership: A Frost Sullivan Global Congress on Corporate Growth. GIL Global connects senior executives with innovative ideas and strategies that will accelerate the growth rates of their companies. Please visit GIL Global at http://www.gil-global.com, for more information.

Frost Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Contact: Monika Kwiecinska Corporate Communications T: +48(0)22-390-4127 F: +48(0)22-390-4160 E: monika.kwiecinska@frost.com http://www.frost.com

Monika Kwiecinska, Corporate Communications of Frost Sullivan, +48(0)22-390-4127, fax, +48(0)-22-390-4160, monika.kwiecinska@frost.com / Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO