As the sale deadline grows near, Saab has postponed a board meeting and bidders such as Spyker Cars NV make last-ditch efforts to acquire the Swedish automaker before GM once and for all decides its fate. On the agenda will be a strategizing session examining how the company can re-start production after a four-week break, [...]
According to a study by Boston Consulting Group, Electric vehicles are unlikely to become a mainstream phenomenon by 2020. Price is the main culprit as automakers maintain a long-term cost target of $250 per kilowatt-hour for lithium-ion batteries; the current price is between $1,000 and $2,000. By the current price, a 20 kilowatt hour EV [...]
We’re pretty sure it feels amazing to break records – but what about breaking a record for speeding and ending up in court? An unidentified millionaire raked up a record fine of 299,000 Swiss francs ($290,000 USD) after Swiss police caught him driving his red Ferrari Testarossa through a village at 62 mph. He was [...]
Tesla Motors and Panasonic announced today that they will collaborate to develop next-generation battery cells for use in electric-vehicles. “Our collaboration with Panasonic will accelerate the development of next generation EV cells, enabling Tesla to further improve our battery pack performance,” said JB Straubel, Tesla”s Chief Technology Officer. “Combining Tesla”s rigorous cell testing and understanding [...]
In an attempt to beef up the performance of its sports cars, Lotus is considering an advanced dual-clutch transmission for future vehicles and is considering the possibility of selling it to other companies. According to AutoCar, the automaker has submitted a patent application for a lighter, simpler and more compact dual-clutch transmission system. As seen [...]
At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Toyota will show its U.S. version of the iQ minicar in concept form (it’s the lime green teasers we’ve been seeing for the past couple of weeks). According to Inside Line, the Toyota iQ will arrive on the stateside badged as a Scion with a hybrid setup under the [...]
Reva Electric Car Co., GM’s partner in developing an electric vehicle, plans to set up four overseas automating ventures that may be profitable while producing as few as 5,000 cars per year; a feat unheard of in the automotive business. The company intends to establish production facilities in the U.S., Europe, Southeast Asia, and South [...]
Plant closings have been the norm for the American auto industry these past few years, and more are most likely on the way. An annual survey conducted by accounting firm KPMG shows that 88% of top industry executives feel that North America has too many auto plants, and despite all the recent closings, the 200 [...]
Another day, another special-edition Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The Japanese automaker announced today that it has launched the new Subaru Impreza R205 in Japan. Based on the Impreza WRX STI, the R205 features enhanced driving performance with exclusive equipment making full use of performance parts from the “WRX STI spec C” model. The engine on [...]
If you’re driving a Porsche sports car, the last thing on your mind is probably how many miles per gallon you’re averaging or whether or not you’re being kind to mother nature – and Porsche CEO Michael Macht truly understands that. Macht told AutoCar that Porsche has no plans to build a hybrid version of [...]
