by Michael Strong | May 6, 2014
BMW turned strong sales in China and a nice rebound in Europe into an 8.4% increase in profit before taxes in the first quarter of the year. The news is even better when going straight to the bottom line as the group’s net profit was up 11.4% on a year-over-year...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 6, 2014
Robust sales of trucks and small sport utility vehicle, which have been aided by stable fuel prices, reduced the fuel economy of the vehicles sold in the United States in April. The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in April was 25.2 mpg – down 0.2...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 6, 2014
As costs plunge, video cameras are becoming more the norm than the exception in vehicles, and federal regulators going so far as to mandate that all passenger cars and light trucks must be equipped with backup cameras by 2018, a move expected to save hundreds of lives...
by Henny Hemmes | May 6, 2014
The BMW i8 may look more like a concept than a production car, but it really is street legal. BMW’s first plug-in hybrid sports car has just begun rolling down the maker’s assembly line in Leipzig, Germany, and will soon join the i3 city car as the foundation of an...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 6, 2014
When a drunk driver killed a Houston boy over the weekend it was yet another in a seemingly series of instances in an intoxicated motorist slams into another vehicle, bicycle, even a day care center, crashes that add up to the deaths of hundreds of youths each year....
by Michael Strong | May 5, 2014
One of the General Motors engineers tied to the faulty ignition switch involved in the recall 2.6 million vehicles and the deaths of 13 people retired today. Jim Federico, 56, was executive director of global vehicle integration since September 2013, according to GM....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 5, 2014
Almost exactly five years after taking control of the bankrupt automaker, CEO Sergio Marchionne will outline his global strategy for both Detroit-based Chrysler and its Italian partner Fiat during a day-long strategy session this week. The marathon meeting will be a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 5, 2014
With the debut of the new B-Class Electric Drive, Mercedes-Benz not only becomes the latest entrant into the fast-growing battery-car line-up, but also sets out to prove that everything you thought you knew about electric vehicles is wrong. Well, almost everything....
by Joseph Szczesny | May 5, 2014
True to her blue-collar roots, General Motors Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told nearly 10,000 undergraduates from the University of Michigan that hard work can trump talent and encouraged them to remain optimistic about the future. Barra gave the commencement...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 5, 2014
While General Motors sales have held steady over the past two months, and even grown a bit, the automaker still isn’t free of the recall bug that hit the company hard during the first quarter, costing it an estimated $1.3 billion and impacting about 7 million...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 2, 2014
With the next generation Cruze making its debut in China last month, General Motors has committed to building the next generation Cruze for North America in its big assembly complex in Lordstown, Ohio. GM said is investing $50 million for a new flexible Trim Shop and...
by Michael Strong | May 2, 2014
Elio Motors’ three-wheeled car took another step toward fruition with the announcement that three guys named Manny, Moe and Jack will handle the servicing needs for future owners. The yet-to-be-built car’s service needs will be handled by Pep Boys and its 800...
