Altair Nanotechnologies has attracted a lot of attention in recent months for the claims they have made about their new ceramic nano-material based lithium battery technology. The first committed customer for the NanoSafe battery is Phoenix Motorcars…

In the wake of last week's announcement by President Obama that the proposed California greenhouse gas emissions rules would be adopted on a national level, Keith Crain, the publisher of Automotive News has published an editorial calling CAFE a…

Chrysler made it official this morning: the PT Cruiser will cruise on — for at least another year. Earlier this spring, the PT Cruiser was one of several products slated to get the axe as Chrysler madly tried to boost it's bottom line in a failed…

Many words have been spilled here and elsewhere about the Smart ForTwo since well before its recent debut in the U.S. market. One area that has not received much attention (perhaps for a good reason) is the Smart's prowess when being thrashed on a…

General Motors reported its second straight quarter of profitability this morning, something it hasn't done in many years. In fact, the first half of 2010 has been the automaker's best since 2004. In the April–June quarter, GM earned net profits of…

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In the course of my career, I've spent plenty of time driving all kinds of vehicles on frozen lakes and snow fields, the most powerful being an all wheel drive Lamborghini Diablo that I flung around on a lake in Northern Sweden some years ago.
I've…

Automotive factories tend to be very large buildings, more often than not on a single level in order to aid internal logistics. A byproduct of such a configuration is a large, flat roof. Such a surface can be be ideally suited to the installation of…

In a move that would have come as a surprise only if it hadn't happened, Chrysler has announced that the Aspen SUV will join the Dodge Durango early next year in getting a hybrid drivetrain. The Durango hybrid had already been announced and Chrysler…

For several years, Ford has been working to reduce waste, energy use and emissions generated by its manufacturing facilities around the world. Its latest step has been to join to the Climate Registry, a non-profit group that is developing standards…

Mugen is a name long associated with Honda Motor Co. as a specialist in tuning cars from that brand. Mugen's latest effort is targeted at the new Insight hybrid. Unlike their usual programs that include all manner of mechanical upgrades, this one…