Fuel cell partnership to yield vehicles from each company. The move to deeper and more significant collaboration between global automakers took yet another turn this week when Daimler AG, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and the Ford Motor Company signed a three-way agreement to jointly develop a common fuel cell system. … Read more
Last year, the General Motors Company and PSA Peugeot Citroën announced a global strategic alliance, but the details of that agreement were not fully made known. That is because the two car manufacturers were still examining how best to move forward in a declining European market where most of the … Read more
The Honda Accord Hybrid is back and this time it comes in both plug-in and standard hybrid configurations. The standard hybrid will be produced in the United States and go on sale this fall, while the PHEV hybrid is already available, a 2014 model that went on sale at select … Read more
Second blockbuster deal of the month for NY-based Sweetwater Energy. Americas dependency on foreign sources of oil will be broken once other forms of energy as well as a net reduction in energy usage is achieved. Coal, nuclear power plants, natural gas, our own oil reserves and ethanol will likely … Read more
Innovative hybrid system uses gasoline and compressed air. French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën no longer sells its cars in the United States and Canada, an absence that may not be remedied anytime soon despite the company’s new alliance with the General Motors Company. The PSA Group has had some struggles … Read more
Newest and smallest Buick is available for sale. Following a December 2012 dealer preview, the all-new 2013 Buick Encore is on its way to Buick-GMC retail outlets. The subcompact crossover SUV, a first for the Buick brand, is a 2013 model. It will retail from $24,950 and features standard front-wheel-drive … Read more
When Hyundai made it known in 2008 that it had no plans to launch a separate luxury brand to market its top of the line vehicles, this writer and many others did not expect that its marketing strategy would succeed. Five years have passed and we’ve been proven wrong as … Read more
First ever diesel hybrid showcased by VW. Since the late 1990s, we have seen a slew of hybrid vehicles enter the market with Honda and Toyota leading the way. Other manufacturers including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Hyundai and Kia have jumped in, while the German companies have chosen to stay out … Read more
Although it has been said that most concept vehicles are never built, there is a very good chance that the Nissan Resonance Concept will go into production or at least a vehicle very close to it. The concept crossover SUV was unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show … Read more
The 2014 Acura RLX will make its debut on March 15, 2013, following an announcement Acura made at this years North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new model is priced from $48,450 to $60,450, depending on the grade chosen. This five-passenger sedan is the new flagship of the … Read more
It will have taken nearly five years for the Cadillac Converj go from concept to reality, but the wait may well be worth it. This chiseled front-wheel-drive coupe goes into production in late 2013 and has a new name too: the 2014 Cadillac ELR. The ELR or extended luxury range … Read more
The future of the pickup truck is likely to face a big challenge in coming years as federal fuel economy mandates require that current manufacturer fleet averages must double by 2025 with incremental changes each preceding year. Pickup trucks wont go away, but they’re likely to become even more efficient, … Read more
Infiniti is in the midst of a transformation, one that has this Japanese luxury brand modifying its naming convention, by bringing clarity and renewed purpose to its vehicle range. The first model to feature the new nomenclature is its Q50, a luxury sport sedan introduced at the 2013 North American … Read more
The Chevrolet Corvette is a powerfully emotive vehicle, one with a loyal following of enthusiasts, representing the perfect halo model for the bow-tie brand. It is an iconic coupe in its own right, a model introduced 60 years ago just as the American auto industry was beginning to grasp the … Read more
Car manufacturers routinely introduce concept vehicles at popular auto shows to gauge customer and media feedback. Though most concepts are never built, in recent years weve seen a greater tendency for automakers to present a new idea and quickly find a way to bring that vehicle or something like it … Read more
The modern minivan segment was launched nearly 30 years ago when the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager were introduced to the market. Previously marketed small vans such as the Volkswagen Bus attempted to carve out a niche for families, but it wasn’t until the Chrysler Corporation introduced its K-Car platform-based … Read more
Small or compact crossover sport utility vehicles are popular models with vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and the Ford Escape leading the US sales pack. Car manufacturers with a stake in the small car market offer compact crossovers here, vehicles that are often built on the same … Read more
The compact car segment has strengthened in recent years as new models enter the fray, contending with established leaders including the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. These days, every major manufacturer has a stake in the segment with the Dodge Dart the most recent entry to hit the market. For … Read more
The Washington Auto Show may not have the international credibility that shows in Detroit, Buenos Aires and Frankfurt enjoy, but the show has worked diligently to raise its visibility across the United States in recent years. This years show will be held from February 1 through 10, 2013, at the … Read more
The General Motors Foundation, backer of the annual Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, has announced that it is accepting applicants for the 2013-2014 academic year. The program, now in its third year, awards 1,100 college scholarships annually. To date, more than $12 million has been disbursed to U.S. citizens across the … Read more
A new model is being added to the 2013 Dodge Dart line, the GT. Set for introduction at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month, the Dart GT will slot in at the top of this compact sedans trim line followed by Limited, Aero, Rallye, SXT … Read more
Auto trends has reviewed 2012 sales data and surprising absolutely no one, the Toyota Camry remains the best-selling midsize sedan in America. It is also the best selling passenger car trailing only the Ford F-Series as the top selling model for 2012. Best-Selling 2012 Midsize Sedans The Honda Accord is … Read more
Two winning models for the Blue Oval. The Ford Motor Company claims two best selling vehicles: its F-150 pickup truck and its compact Focus car. The former is no surprise as it has been Americas top selling pickup truck for 36 consecutive years. The latter is a best seller too, … Read more
It was 40 years ago when the first Honda passenger vehicle was introduced to the United States. That model, the diminutive Honda Civic, was one of the smallest cars on American roads, quickly gaining a reputation for exceptional build quality and very high fuel mileage. Today, Civic is a larger … Read more
An electrified Fiat takes to the California road this year. Yet another electric vehicle will hit the market this year and this one is a battery-electric Fiat. This month, Fiat introduced the Fiat 500e, a model that offers an EPA rating of 108 MPGe and a travel range of 87 … Read more
Chevrolet Volt sales tripled in 2012, but that increase still fell far short of the 35,000 to 40,000 units GM had said that its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would sell for the 2012 calendar year. Yet, in a market where EV demand is still anemic, the Chevy Volt managed to … Read more
Zipcar is the worlds largest car sharing service, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company that was launched in 2000. Based on a popular European car sharing initiative, the first Zipcars hit the road in 2000. Zipcar vehicles are typically found around large universities and in urban areas, a business model that has … Read more
The 1969 COPO Camaro is the stuff of legend. One of the most sought-after muscle cars in the world, collectors pay big money for genuine COPO Camaros (over $100k for a genuine COPO with documentation, according to http://www.firstgencamaro.com/yenko.html). These original COPO Camaros are treasured because of their rarity and their … Read more
Uniform Lighting Lens University students often lend businesses a hand in developing or improving technologies that make various consumer goods better. At Michigan Technological University, Consumer Product Manufacturing Enterprise students worked with Blue Marble Security Enterprise to test 3M’s Uniform Lighting Lens to investigate the optical properties of the micro-patterned … Read more