Bush Passes the Buck on Emissions   21 May 2007 20:48 GMT
When it comes to combating climate change by limiting vehicle emissions, President Bush is full of hot air. The Prez will work with federal agencies to study what should be done about greenhouse gases and ensure that no new rules...
Source: wired.com

Is Chrysler's Buyout a Beginning--or an End?   21 May 2007 20:48 GMT
Almost a decade after Daimler Benz paid $36 billion for Chrysler, it is now paying $1 billion more to unload the company. Wall Street has been crowing about a new day in Detroit. Private equity will finally confront the intractable...
Source: wired.com

Toyota Says that Production Costs for Hybrids will Fall   21 May 2007 20:48 GMT
Despite the wild success of Toyota's Prius, profit margins are so tight that the car probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day were it not for die-hard promoters within the company. But last week Masatami Takimoto, executive vice president...
Source: wired.com

Is Your Child's Car Seat Toxic?   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
Some children's car seats contain several dangerous chemicals that can lead to serious health risks for children, according to the environmental group the Ecology Center. Several of the car seats of most concern include models from popular company Graco, which...
Source: wired.com

Audi Takes Aim at the Confusing Technologies in BMW, Mercedes Benz   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
BMW got a bloody nose for its eight-way controller knob iDrive system, which it rolled out on the company’s top-drawer 7 series in 2001. Mercedes Benz has come under consumer criticism for its “adaptive” cruise control on its latest S-class...
Source: wired.com

Gas Prices Reach Record--and Head North   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
Nationwide, prices finally topped their spike in the week following Hurricane Katrina, according to AAA. Average prices are now $3.09 a gallon for regular unleaded gas--and the summer driving season hasn't even begun. Despite these painful prices, forecasters are expecting...
Source: wired.com

Europe Carmakers CO2 Emission Reductions Slow Going   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
European carmakers are only slowly reducing the CO2 emissions of the cars they produce, government rhetoric and pending legislation aside. According to a study by French association Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie (Ademe), the average CO2...
Source: wired.com

Kia’s Rondo Hides a Minivan Inside a Station Wagon   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
The minivan fights an image of middle-aged mediocrity. Though millions of Americans acknowledge the practicality of these vehicles, snobbery prevails, which is why sales have been tepid in recent years. Kia’s answer is the highly affordable ($16,995) Rondo. Though it’s...
Source: wired.com

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Communications Gains Momentum   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
A consortium of eight automakers—with support from the Department of Transportation—is developing a wireless specification so that cars will be able to communicate with each other and with surrounding infrastructure. Cars equipped with GPS chips and sensors could transmit the...
Source: wired.com

Tax Payers May Still Get the Bill for Chrysler Split   21 May 2007 20:47 GMT
The Daimler-Chrysler divorce was motivated in no small part as a way to offload the $18 billion in health benefits that Chrysler will one day owe UAW retirees. Those benefits currently add about $1,500 to the price of a car....
Source: wired.com