by John DeCicco | Mar 2, 2009
Toyota had its share of electrifying announcements this year, in keeping with the green glow automakers are trying to shine on an otherwise gloomy season. Many headline-grabbers were cars you literally do need to charge up, from GM’s Cadillac Converj concept to...
by John DeCicco | Feb 27, 2009
The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California is a storied institution that has brought forth numerous automotive styling luminaries, including Wayne Cherry, J Mays, Henrik Fisker and Chris Bangle. For the past several years, the Art Center has hosted a...
by John DeCicco | Feb 25, 2009
In what some observers are calling this year’s real “state of the union,” President Barak Obama challenged Congress and the country to join in a national recovery effort. While he covered many areas as he ranged from criticizing the nation for...
by John DeCicco | Feb 24, 2009
The White House energy and climate czar, Carol Browner, has just given the clearest indications to date that the Obama Administration plans to press ahead on both regulating CO2 emissions under the Clean Air Act and on developing a stronger program for reducing...
by John DeCicco | Feb 17, 2009
For years, the auto industry’s biggest complaint about fuel economy standards was, “You can’t make us build cars our customers don’t want to buy.” Of course, getting customers to buy their cars — or enough of them, anyway —...
by John DeCicco | Feb 12, 2009
General Motors is in a race for survival, with every day bringing news about the drastic steps it has to take. Rick Wagoner faces the toughest job any corporate leader has ever had to face. Even if he succeeds in saving the company, he’ll still be remembered as...
by John DeCicco | Feb 9, 2009
The holy grail of renewable fuels is a commercially viable process for converting cellulosic materials into convenient, combustible liquids that can power cars and trucks. The longstanding challenge is breaking down cellulose into smaller molecules that can be...
by John DeCicco | Feb 6, 2009
Auto sales are one way we take the economy’s temperature. Hot sales mean hot activity overall while an economic chill sends the sales-volume mercury plunging. But is putting a flame to the thermometer — subsidizing car sales in particular — a good...
by John DeCicco | Jan 26, 2009
As anticipated in our preview post early this morning, President Barack Obama today made some quick moves on the auto industry’s two biggest energy and environmental issues. Although he’s not yet named a “car czar” to oversee financial aid and...
by John DeCicco | Jan 26, 2009
It is being reported that on Monday President Obama will pledge a quick review of the Bush Administration’s decision last March to deny California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver that would enable the state to put in place its stringent greenhouse gas...
by John DeCicco | Jan 22, 2009
The whole world is remarking on how the incoming Obama Administration is moving quickly to take charge. In spite of the president’s comments shortly after the election that “there’s only one President,” it became clear (with relief to many)...
by John DeCicco | Jan 15, 2009
As I headed in a few minutes late — thanks to Detroit’s poorly snow-plowed freeways — for General Motor’s first Detroit auto show press conference this year, the cheers-on-cue rose from behind the crowds surrounding the stand. “Saturn Aura, the...
