by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 8, 2012
More and more, your car has a lot in common with your desktop computer or iPad – which is just great with the folks in Silicon Valley — and with Audi, which drove home with an award for having the top Infotainment Solution used by an automaker at the annual...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 8, 2012
The Texas Department of Transportation is getting to raise the speed limit on a stretch of toll road near Austin to 85 mph, which would be the fastest figure in the country and only about 1 mph below the limits set on a marked highway in Abu Dhabi. Speed limits have...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 7, 2012
With cellphones, texting and other distractions blamed for several thousand traffic fatalities annually, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today introduced a new “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving” that could effectively limit the fast-expanding world of...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 7, 2012
Verizon Communications Inc. has set its sights on the automobile business. The telecommunications giant has announced plans to acquire Hughes Telematics Inc., in what is described as a “definitive merger,” for an eye-catching $612 million. It is also creating a new...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 7, 2012
The Chevrolet Volt will be able to go an extra 3 miles – about 10% — further per charge when the 2013 models roll into dealer showrooms. Meanwhile, the EPA is increasing the plug-in hybrid’s rated fuel economy to 98 MPGe. General Motors is clearly hoping that...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 7, 2012
While few motorists seem concerned that India’s Mahindra & Mahindra’s U.S. launch is four years behind schedule – and counting – the delay has enraged plenty of potential dealers who reportedly ponied up millions of dollars in advance fees to reserve the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 7, 2012
Nissan will offer its new Easy-Fill Tire Alert system on all new and updated models as they come to market starting next year. The system — which will debut on the 2013 Nissan Altima when it goes on sale in the coming weeks – is designed to not only alert a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 7, 2012
“We call it the organ donor enhancement act,” said Dr. Bob, a physician at a large suburban Detroit hospital. “We’ve always had a shortage of donors but expect to see the numbers go way up,” said the emergency room veteran asking not to be quoted by his full name...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 6, 2012
It’s not been a good week for Kia – nor its customers. The Korean carmaker has announced its second recall in two days, the pair of problems involving nearly 100,000 utility vehicles and sedans due to brake and airbag problems. The latest service action involves...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 6, 2012
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson got an unexpected surprise this week when he was handed the keys to a new Tesla Model S – more than two weeks before the California electric vehicle maker had officially planned to begin retail deliveries of the new...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 6, 2012
Signs of a looming economic slowdown failed to stop General Motors and its joint ventures from chalking up record sales in China last month – though it remains to be seen if the U.S. maker can continue to defy the unexpected downturn that is tripping up much of the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 6, 2012
The new Honda Fiat EV has landed a 118 MPGe federal fuel economy rating, the highest ever granted by the Environmental Protection Agency. Scheduled to go into limited distribution over the summer the 2013 Fit EV is Honda’s first battery-electric vehicle in two decades...
