Thomas Edison is probably spinning in his grave.  Suddenly, it seems, the automotive industry is going electric.  There have been announcements galore about electric vehicles.  Much of the current buzz began with GM’s unveiling of its E-Flex architecture back in 2006.  This has given rise to the “production” version of the Chevrolet Volt.  I use the scare quotes around the word production for the simple reason that while the sheet metal, interior setup and whatnot may be ready for production, the lithium-ion battery system that is meant to power the wheels is not yet ready for prime time.  So until that situation is resolved, the Volt is essentially a piece of sculpture.

Meanwhile, over at Chrysler, things have been somewhat dour of late.  It seems as though all of the announcements out of Auburn Hills, with the exception of that about the new Ram pickup, have been about cuts and reductions.  The cars and SUVs and, yes, trucks, especially the last two, haven’t been selling all that well, which is certainly no surprise in this environment of reduced sales across the board. ...Read More...

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When '10' Isn't Enough
In the movie This Is Spinal Tap, the numbers on the amps went to 11. Judging from the release about the new audio system created by Bang & Olufsen and Aston Martin for the latter’s DBS (hence its BeoSound DBS name), their hype machines go just as high. – View More 

Shocking News
The folks at electric car maker ZAP! have joined with Integrity Automotive to break ground on a new joint venture production facility in Franklin, Kentucky. The goal is to build a one-million square-foot production facility on the 200-acre site for $100-million, and have it producing electric vehicles within 12 months while employing 1,000 locals. – View More 

What a Smart Astra
Saturn has narrowed the number of contestants in its Kiss My Astra contest to 20, and is asking the public to go to the contest web site and vote for their favorite picture. The Grand Prize winner gets their own Saturn Astra, apparently suitable for kissing, while the next five runners up receive $300 gift cards. – View More 

In the Pink
Dr. Elizabeth Hodds of Rugby, England says she never was "a girlie girl" when she was younger, but became obsessed with the color pink as she grew older. That’s why the consultation room at her practice is pink, as are her stethoscope, mobile phone, camera, and shoes. The only thing that wasn’t that color was her car. – View More

Uncle Bob's Vocabulary Lesson
GM has teamed up with the folks from the Weekly Reader Publishing Group to supply an updated version of their middle school curriculum, The Energy Highway – Solutions Ahead, to help students better understand the energy challenges facing society as well as some potential solutions. A new poster celebrates GM’s centennial by mentioning noteworthy technologies of the past century. – View More 

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Just Another Day
On September 16, 2008 GM officially turned 100 years old. You would never have known it, however. There were no grand parades, looks back at its storied history, or even television commercials touting the fact that America’s largest car company had hit the century mark. Perhaps it didn’t want to be accused of trading on its past, or of appearing so old and out of touch that it had nothing better ...Read More...