French Government Censors Report on Electric Cars
hybridcars.com — President Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of squelching a negative report about electric cars because of personal connections. Though the French government commissioned the report, it is preventing the public from reading the results.More… (Autos)
GM and Chrysler Reopen Talks on a Merger
online.wsj.com — GM and Chrysler have reopened merger talks, as Chrysler owner Cerberus has signaled willingness to give away part of its stake in the car maker. And aren't these the two begging for a handout? But yet they have the cash to merge now?More… (Autos)
World's first flying car on the roads from next year
dailymail.co.uk — It's been a pipe dream for 30 years and now a company is taking orders for the world's first fully available flying car - to be delivered next year.More… (Autos)
M. Barone: Who Is at Fault for the Decline of the Big Three?
usnews.com — The plight of the Big Three raises the question of why people ever thought Wager Act unionism was a good idea. Barone thinks unionism was seen as the antidote to Taylorism. That's not a familiar term today, but it was when the Wagner Act was passed in 1935. Taylor's time and motion studies were regarded as gospel by management in that era.More… (Autos)
Chrysler closing all 30 plants for a month
chicagobreakingnews.com — DETROIT -- Chrysler says it will close all 30 of its manufacturing plants for a month starting Friday. The company needs to match production to slowing demand and conserve cash. More… (Autos)
The Ruins of Detroit: 5 Abandoned Former Factories (PICS) view!
A Car in Every Port: China's first mass-produced hybrid car
grist.org — The car is made by BYD Auto, a Chinese company backed by American Warren Buffett, one of the world's most successful investors who owns 9.9 percent of the firm. The F3DM is also the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car.More… (Autos)
Inside The Chevy Volt [pics]
fastcompany.com — Amid record losses, plunging sales, a stock that has sunk as low as its 1950 price, and awkward merger talks, the 100-year old carmaker is hoping that its new Chevy, due in 2010, can reenergize its image and its bottom line. Volt design director Bob Boniface says his team wanted to make sure the car looked better than other electric-car concepts...More… (Autos)
The Foreign-Owned Southern Auto Industry and the GOP
newsweek.com — Less than two decades ago, Detroit's Big Three were the U.S. auto industry. But now there's a second auto industry: one that is nonunion, foreign-owned and Dixie-based. That's why Southern senators worked so hard to block the bailout.More… (Autos)
Baja 1000 Buggy: Green and mean desert racer
thedesignblog.org — Designed for an off-road race, scheduled to take place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, the Baja 1000 Buggy will incorporate radical new wheel and tire technology to enhance power.More… (Autos)
Are Speeders with Police Stickers Getting Away w/ Anything?
rd.com — You've seen those badge-like decals dot hopeful windshields across America—the ones that say something like Supporter, PBA. Typically, you make a donation to the group and you get a sticker as a “thank-you gift.” Then (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) the sticker goes onto a car window and becomes—you hope—an amulet against a $300 ticket....More… (Autos)
'Flintstones' Car First to Combine Pedals, Solar, & Battery
gas2.org — Students at San Jose State University have created a new type of hybrid—or perhaps tribrid?—that makes use of human pedal-power, solar panels, and a strong battery. They’ve dubbed the car the ZEM, or Zero EMissions Vehicle, and say it could be mass-produced for a mere $4,000.More… (Autos)
When the Auto Manufacturers Go Away
nytimes.com — Americans have wondered what it looks like when a giant automobile company goes under. The answer can be found in Detroit at the decaying remains of the Packard Motor Car Company headquarters. In the summer of 1956, the once-mighty Packard Motor Car Company closed its doors. Its decaying headquarters and chief production complex still stand here.More… (Autos)
GOP on the Big 3 bailout: Don't blame us, blame the UAW
politico.com — As GM announced the temporary closure of 20 plants Friday, Republicans who fought a White House-backed bailout plan want Americans to blame the UAW and think about Blagojevich. The GOP strategy, previewed in an action alert sent by a Republican lobbyist and outlined by Republican aides, is based on the idea that the best defense is a good offense.More… (Autos)
GM Retains Bankruptcy Counsel
online.wsj.com — GM hired experts to help it explore bankruptcy protection as allies in the Senate sought to muster support for the stalled bailout package.More… (Autos)