by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 19, 2011
Ford Motor Co. plans to put its product line on a diet. The maker expects to trim 100s of pounds off the weight of its cars, trucks and crossovers over the next half-decade in a bid to dramatically improve fuel economy. The move won’t be easy, Ford officials warn. ...
by Joseph Szczesny | Apr 19, 2011
With an elaborately staged show worthy of a Las Vegas revue, General Motors unveiled a new Buick concept vehicle as Shanghai Auto 2011, China’s largest auto show, was getting underway. The Buick Envision SUV is a plug-in hybrid concept vehicle merging Buick’s global...
by Joseph Szczesny | Apr 19, 2011
General Motors plans to invest between $5 billion and $7 billion in a bid to double what are already record sales in the booming Chinese automotive market. Last October, the maker became the first ever to top 2 million sales in China during a single year, ending 2010...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
BMW customers can finally plug into the emerging world of battery car technology. The maker has formally announced pricing for its first electric vehicle, the ActiveE, while also making several other “green” announcements in advance of this week’s New York Auto Show....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
Chinese car buyers will get their first good look at the new Ford Focus, this week, at the biennial Shanghai Motor Show. The compact model is a critical part of the maker’s global OneFord strategy – but could be even more crucial if Ford hopes to finally gain some...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
It’s been nearly three-quarters of a century since the first Volkswagen Beetle made its debut – and more than a decade since the German maker unveiled the current Bug. So there’s been plenty of anticipation building for the all-new model getting its global launch...
by Joseph Szczesny | Apr 18, 2011
General Motors has received more clean-energy patents in the past year than any other organization, according to a new study. New data from the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of U.S. patents released Friday indicated GM’s 135 patents represent nearly 14% of the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
It’s been a busy year for Chevrolet – General Motor’s largest brand selling an all-time record 1.1 million vehicles during the first quarter of 2011. But anyone who still thinks of Chevy as the quintessential American brand, once celebrated with ad slogans that told...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
With new funding coming and reluctant suppliers now beginning to ship parts again, Saab’s headquarters plant could be up and running in a matter of days, according to company and industry sources. Operations at the maker’s Trollhattan, Sweden factory ground to a halt,...
by Joseph Szczesny | Apr 18, 2011
When Daimler AG’s shareholders quizzed Deiter Zetsche’s plans for the future he basically summed it up with one word – China. The booming Asian nation now dominates Daimler’s strategic thinking, which is why it’s no surprise that Zetsche will travel to Shanghai this...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 18, 2011
Who says green cars have to be slow and boring? True, you won’t set any land speed records with the likes of the Nissan Leaf, but the Japanese maker is nonetheless studying the motorsports possibilities of a specially tuned NISMO RC – as in Racing Competition –...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Apr 15, 2011
The snake is back. Well, almost. We were pleased to get a teaser shot of the 2013 Dodge Viper, though we’d have been a lot happier if it was the actual next-gen 2-seater, rather than a “mule” using the old model’s body and the ’13 Viper’s mechanicals. Still, Dodge...
