by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 17, 2012
A123 Systems Inc., the Waltham, Massachusetts firm that had promised to revolutionize the car business with its batter technology, has filed for bankruptcy protection and announced it was selling all of its automotive assets to Johnson Controls Inc. for approximately...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
General Motors will invest $35 million in a Detroit assembly plant so it can begin production of the new Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid about this time next year. The ELR will be a luxury version of the more mainstream Chevrolet Volt and the European Opel Ampera. Though...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
There’ve been a lot of headlines written about so-called “Unintended Acceleration” in recent years. And there’s little doubt that there have been some legitimate problems leading to runaway cars, including the jammed carpets and sticky throttles that led Toyota to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
If there were any significant complaints when the quirky little Hyundai Veloster first hit the road it was a lack of performance – a polite way of saying the original version was slightly slower than a snail. Hyundai clearly signaled its intent to resolve that...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
Ford Motor Co. says it will recall 154,000 of its Fiesta subcompacts due to a problem with the vehicle’s airbag system. The maker has discovered that if the front passenger seat is empty the Fiesta’s side-impact airbags will not deploy in a collision, even if there...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
Fuel prices are continuing the dizzying rollercoaster rate that has plagued motorists for most of 2012, the good news being a sudden dip in what most Americans are paying at the pump – even in California, where refinery issues recently nudged gas prices up and above...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 16, 2012
Every so often, a product comes along that transforms the auto industry. Henry Ford’s Model T was one example. So was the original Volkswagen Beetle. Despite the usual marketing hype, the third-generation Beetle that VW launched last year is far from a revolutionary...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 15, 2012
Americans will soon get the chance to buy what is generally considered the world’s most inexpensive automobile. But considering the safety problems experienced by the little Tata Nano – which has received only a mixed reception in its home Indian market – it’s...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 15, 2012
Chrysler is taking its “Imported from Detroit” campaign a step further with two special edition sedans planned to celebrate the Motor City’s musical heritage. The maker will release a special version of the 200 sedan – which received its big send-off during a 2011...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 15, 2012
No manufacturer likes to see its name linked to a recall. But a minor headache for a maker like General Motors or Toyota can turn into a migraine for a cash-strapped company such as Lotus that is already struggling to keep its product development programs funded. The...
by Joseph Szczesny | Oct 15, 2012
The Buick Enclave has become the industry’s best-selling three-row luxury crossover, which is quite an accomplishment in a segment that includes respected competitors such as the Infiniti JX, Acura MDX, Lincoln MKT, Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. The challenge will be to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Oct 15, 2012
It’s first “people’s car,” the Beetle, was originally designed to help get a new generation of German drivers on the road – and during the ‘50s and ‘60s became the car of choice in the U.S. and many other markets for first-time buyers. But the latest version of the...
