The Japanese Trade Ministry is going to provide $1.7 billion in assistance to local carmakers over the next five years to help them develop cleaner cars. They will kick in about $42 million a year toward developing better cheaper batteries for…

Ford's all-new 5.0 V8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
For 2011, Ford is playing powertrain catch-up with General Motors and its new Camaro. The Mustang is getting all-new engines and transmissions that have significantly more power and lower…

Over the next few years, Renault is planning a complete revamp of its powertrain lineup in an effort to cut CO 2 emissions. The updates will affect both gas and diesel engines, transmissions as well as advancing electric drive systems. Renault wants…

Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW 750Li
When the 2009 BMW 7 series was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last fall, BMW's fifth-generation flagship had an anvil-sized burden to bear. Although the last 7 series was a milestone in the sales…

California-based Fisker Automotive has signed a letter of intent with Valmet Automotive to assemble its Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan in Finland beginning in late 2009. Valmet assembles cars under contract for other brands. Since the launch of…

Click above for a high-res gallery of the smart ed
The rumors were true. At the Society of Automotive Analysts outlook conference this morning, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that his company will supply lithium ion battery packs and charging systems…

When Saab debuted the 9-X BioHybrid concept at the recent Geneva Motor Show, aerodynamics was a big part of the equation. The compact 9-X has a smooth, rounded nose, a raked back wrap-around windshield and a downward sloping roof. To help reduce the…

As part of the launch of Project Driveway, GM is conducting a series of Electric Drive University programs in the areas where the fuel cell Equinox will be available. Autoblog's Alex Nunez will will be attending one such even this week in Westchester…

The ranks of non-hydrogen fuel cells continues, with a new design from Dr. Shelley Minteer of Saint Louis University. Dr. Minteer has developed a fuel cell that develops electricity from sugar. The cell can use almost any sugar source such as sap,…

Now that General Motors has decreed that Buick will be one of its four core brands, its lineup will need to be fleshed out a bit. The Lucerne is going away momentarily and the mid-size Regal is on the way. However, that still leaves only three…