Industry

Update: Yesterday reports emerged claiming Chrysler was in talks with Tata and Fiat over a deal to sell its Jeep Wrangler SUV in India and other parts of Asia. Latest reports indicate that Chrysler is still in talks with Nissan, and is even considering building a new pickup truck for the Japanese...

Carbon-fiber is seen by many in the auto industry as one of the most effective ways of reducing vehicle weight and improving fuel economy and emissions levels, but the relative expense of the material means that it’s still reserved for only a handful of high-end production cars. BMW has...

General Motors is expected to announce heavy second-quarter losses tomorrow along with a new round of job cuts planned for North America. This time the cuts will effect salary workers, with latest reports indicating that up to 5,000 jobs, or about 15% of GM’s North American white-collar work...

Following the call by Michigan members of congress for the government to support a multi-billion dollar aid package for the auto industry, Senate Democrats have approved a $6 billion package to secure low-interest loans for the Detroit Three. The package will be financed by Congress for $900...

With its industry-leading hybrid program pushing it forward, Toyota has claimed the top spot in the annual CAFE fuel efficiency ratings in the U.S. The result confirms the company's fuel-efficient image as legitimate, though both Honda and Hyundai trailed within just a few tenths of a mile per...

The first EcoBoost engine to hit Ford's lineup will be powered in part by a Honeywell turbocharger. Lincoln's 2010 MKS (2009 model pictured) will feature a 3.5L V6 that is the first application of Ford's efficiency-enhancing downsizing EcoBoost strategy. Honeywell was chosen for its status as a...

On revenues of $13.3 billion, Porsche is expected to report a profit of $17.05 billion for the 2007 fiscal year. How a company manages to make more money than it takes in is a technicality of accounting, but the result is no less staggering. The upside-down figures are due to a revaluation of the...

The automobile industry - and especially the players in the U.S. market - have long been engaged in an all-out battle for more power and performance. The 2008 fuel crunch has shaken that strategy up somewhat, but General Motors says it still needs a signal from buyers that they are willing to...

Chase Auto Finance announced today that it will no longer offer leases for Chrysler vehicles, following a similar announcement made on Friday by Chrysler Financial to stop its own leases on August 1. The reason behind the latest decision according to a Chase spokeswoman is because of fears of...

Following on the heels of Detroit cohorts Chrysler and GM, Ford has announced it is having major lease difficulties as well. Unlike its competition, however, Ford will simply price its leases higher by readjusting residual values of several vehicles. The move will make it less affordable to lease...

The flailing U.S. auto industry could be thrown a lifesaver if congressional plans to stage a bailout go ahead. A party led by Michigan's congressional delegation is attempting to secure funds that would give U.S. auto manufacturers up to $27 billion in federal aid over the next five years and...

Today's superchargers are high-performance, computer-designed and thermally efficient, but they are still based on the same basic design that's been on the market for decades. New developments, including variable speed units and superchargers for hybrids promise to offer even more benefits...

Industry research and development specialist Ricardo plc has unveiled a research prototype car with a demonstration version of its new electromagnetically-actuated transmission technology. The solution promises to deliver low cost automated manual (AMT) and dual-clutch (DCT) transmissions to the...

In March, Aptera announced it had done all the development necessary to head to production, and that all it needed was to move into acquiring the right equipment and workforce to do so. Now the company has revealed that a new infusion of $24 million in cash is moving the process along. If...

Update: With General Motors publicly announcing its doubts about Hummer's viability and plans to sell the brand, many dealers were upset about the carmaker’s seeming lack of care for the predicament they had been placed in by the comments and the potential loss of the multi-million dollar...

Updated: In counterpoint to a recent Italian court's ruling prohibiting sale of Great Wall Motors' (GWM) GWPeri in Europe, a Chinese court has found Fiat's patent claim against the company to be without merit. Undeterred, Fiat is now weighing its options to continue prosecuting the matter. The...

As part of the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, finalized in June, Tata Motors secured the rights to the UK-based Daimler Motor Company name. That opens the door for Tata's revival of the marque and a new super-luxury brand to crown its range, even as it pushes Jaguar toward new heights. If Tata...

Updated: Audi CEO Rupert Stadler hinted back in March that U.S. production could be a possibility for the premium brand at Volkswagen's new plant, which was confirmed this month to be constructed in Tennessee. Latest reports are now indicating that executives are seriously considering building the...

Updated: Toyota announced today that it was lowering its global vehicle sales outlook for the year to 9.5 million vehicles, down from the 9.85 million units predicted at the start of the year. The lower figure is still higher than the 9.37 million vehicles Toyota sold last year and represents a...

Currently Ford's sales rely heavily on its pickup truck line, which constituted 52% of its volume last year. The rapid fall in pickup sales volume precipitated by a weak economy and rising fuel prices was reflected directly in the F-150's race down the best-seller list in the U.S. To fix the...