by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 30, 2013
Toyota Motor Co., the world’s largest automaker, is looking to expand its presence in Latin America where it has underperformed key competitors such as General Motors, Volkswagen and Nissan, a new member of the automaker’s board of directors said. Mark Hogan, former...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 30, 2013
Pushing to maintain its long-time lead in what is now the world’s largest market, Volkswagen is looking to boost production capacity while targeting regions of China only beginning to feel the benefits of the country’s rapid economic boom. The new VW plant...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 30, 2013
With its deeply rutted roads, Michigan just might turn into the energy capital of the world if ZF has its way. The German automotive parts maker has developed what it claims to be the “world’s first fully active, regenerative suspension.” While a number of other...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 30, 2013
The new Mustang Ford is expected to unveil next April is part of a rare breed. Only a handful of nameplates have ever lasted a half century. And during those five decades, an equally small number of possible Mustang successors have made it from the design studio to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 29, 2013
After an unexpected and worrisome jump in road deaths last year, preliminary federal figures indicate the numbers fell sharply during the first three months of 2013. The government also lowered its road death count for all of 2012, though the adjusted numbers were...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 29, 2013
Just weeks after announcing to the world his interest as serving as the chief executive of General Motors or Ford, Carlos Tavares has handed in his keys to the executive washroom at France’s Renault. While his comments about finding an alternative job in Detroit...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 29, 2013
Fewer people at work, fewer people driving. It’s a simple equation and one that a lot of experts pointed to as explanation for the notable drop in the total miles U.S. motorists clocked during the depths of the recession. So, how to explain the fact that even as the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 29, 2013
Toyota is developing a new hybrid system that is smaller, lighter and more efficient than the current version in effort to keep pace with technical changes in the auto industry. It expects the system to deliver at least 10% better fuel economy in the next-gen Toyota...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 29, 2013
Daimler AG, in a bold effort to catch its German rivals Audi and BMW, plans to sink $2.7 billion in China, starting with a new plant. The plant is scheduled for completion as early as 2014 and will help Daimler double China production to more than 200,000 units a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 28, 2013
Ford will roll out a concept version of its S-Max crossover during the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and it will feature a variety of new technologies that can even track a driver’s health. The 7-seat S-Max is the larger, more upscale version of the Ford C-Max...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 28, 2013
While traffic fatalities have fallen sharply over the last decade, deaths involving pedestrians and motorcycle riders have remained stubbornly high. But Honda is experimenting with a new, wireless technology that could significantly reduce those numbers in the years...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 28, 2013
Senior officials from the Department of Energy have signaled the Obama Administration is ready to restart a controversial automotive loan program designed to kick-start the development of alternative vehicles. The program was effectively put on hold two years ago...