by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 30, 2014
The official word at Ford is that the company is making a smooth shift in management, COO Mark Fields set to replace the retiring Alan Mulally on July 1. But whether or not you call it a shake-up, things are getting pretty busy on the design side of the automaker’s...
by Michael Strong | May 30, 2014
Ford is readying a new technology developed in concert with one of its suppliers designed to make vehicles easier to maneuver at low speeds and in tight spaces while making vehicles more agile at higher speeds. Called “Adaptive Steering,” it changes the ratio between...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 30, 2014
Step onto the pavement on a hot day and you might get a sense of the energy that Scott and Julie Brusaw hope to tap into. The Idaho couple hope to pave the country’s roadways with solar cells, rather than asphalt or concrete. It’s an admittedly edgy idea that the...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 30, 2014
Warnings have already been issued to expect the number of recalls from General Motors to rise this summer. Now, critics are claiming the number of fatalities blamed on an ignition-switch defect that forced General Motors to recall 2.6 million small cars will also rise...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 30, 2014
Roadway crashes are responsible for more than 30,000 annual deaths – they are, in fact, the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 34. But they also pose a serious economic burden for everyone living in the U.S. A new federal study found that crashes...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 29, 2014
The publishing crunch has caught up with another major automotive magazine, the parent of Michigan-based Automobile ousting its long-time editor-in-chief and moving its headquarters to California as part of a broader shake-up in its troubled media network. Along with...
by Michael Strong | May 29, 2014
Automakers in the U.S. are quickly closing in on the record for recalls of 30.4 million vehicles in 2004 with the latest round of actions announced by Ford today for 1.4 million vehicles. The Dearborn, Michigan-based maker is recalling 1.1 million Ford Escapes,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 29, 2014
It’s been a frustrating year for Volkswagen fans, the automaker forcing them to watch the roll-out of its all-new, seventh-generation Golf in Europe and much of the rest of the world while waiting for the Golf and GTI models to make the jump across the Atlantic....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 29, 2014
The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid is the latest among a growing list of gas-electric models to take hits for what critics contend are overly optimistic and misleading mileage claims. It’s not the first time Honda has been faulted for its hybrid mileage ratings – an...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 29, 2014
It may be the darling of Wall Street investors, but financial ratings agencies are far less smitten with California battery-carmaker Tesla Motors. Standard & Poors gave Tesla’s $2.9 billion debt a rating of B-, which is considered “junk,” based on concerns about...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 29, 2014
While autonomous vehicles may still be years away from production, one of the key technologies that will allow vehicles to drive on their own already has begun to find their way into today’s production vehicles, helping eight 2014 models earn top ratings from the...
by Michael Strong | May 28, 2014
Former General Motors CEO Dan Akerson came to the defense of his successor, Mary Barra, saying he doesn’t believe she knew about the ignition switch problem that kicked off the recall of more 2.6 million small cars. He also said the company’s board of directors didn’t...
