Autoline Daily - Video

General Motors is back to being No. 1 in global car-sales for the first six months of the year, knocking Toyota from the top spot. Volkswagen is crying foul on the Obama administration’s proposed CAFE rules saying they favor large vehicles and pretty much ignore diesels. Chevy confirmed it will sell its small hatchback, the Spark, in the U.S. All that and more, plus a look at the fantastic paintin...

In a speech he gave at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne announced he plans to stick around until at least 2015 . . . and maybe longer. Aston Martin is feeling the squeeze. Without the backing of a major, volume brand it doesn’t have the resources to compete with other high-end automakers. Budget Rent A Car has come up with an interesti...

Automakers reported sales numbers for Jul and overall it was a pretty mediocre month with sales gaining less than one percent compared to June. But one company stands out from the rest. Toyota's sales numbers surged nearly 18% month over month. One analyst says South America is poised to become the best emerging global market for the auto industry over the next five years. All that and more, plus...

Volkswagen seems like a prime target for unionization, but manufacturing executives at the company say there haven't been any discussions between the UAW and its operations in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mazda is showing off its new CX-5 crossover before it premiers at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month. The new Honda Civic took it on the chin in Consumer Reports' latest round of testing. The perennia...

Honda reported its first quarter earnings which were way down due to disruptions from the earthquake in Japan earlier in the year. Global vehicles sales in the first half of the year were barely up compared to 2010 because of the disaster in Japan, a cooling market in China, and a drop in sales in Europe. BMW unveiled two electric vehicle concepts which hint at where its new "i" sub-brand is heade...

To hit the proposed CAFE target of 54.5 MPG automakers would have to improve fuel economy at a rate the industry has never achieved in 100 years. Sergio Marchionne announced management changes at Fiat-Chrysler, but one industry expert says he still has too many direct reports. Toyota is readying a product blitz in the U.S. in which it will introduce 20 new models by 2013. All that and more, plus a...

European automakers are posting exceptionally strong earnings today and we hit some of the highlights. The UAW wants a seat on GM's board of directors. Ford just released some pretty impressive numbers for the Explorer, which is getting an EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for the 2012 model year. All that and more, plus a look at the brand-new Nissan Versa.

Daimler and Nissan both reported financial earnings. The Obama Administration has agreed to a lower fuel economy standard but the biggest question is, what are the loopholes? Renault will introduce a small-van concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, called the Frendzy. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in the "You Said It!" segment.

Ford and Chrysler both reported second-quarter earnings this morning and the results are somewhat mixed. An innovative new technology developed in Australia allegedly reduces fuel consumption by 7 percent while slashing engine wear by 96 percent. Toyota is being accused of patent infringement on its hybrids . . . again. All that and more, plus another power-to-weight comparison, this time with V-6...

Labor issues are in the news today. The UAW would like to represent Volkswagen at its plant in Tennessee and the union begins its contract negotiations with the Detroit Three today. Waste plastic from Chrysler's Brampton plant in Canada is being converted to fuel. The world’s largest container ship is also home to the world’s biggest diesel engine. It weighs 2300 tons, is 90 feet long and 44 feet...

Fiat reached a deal with the Canadian government to buy its stake in Chrysler which makes the Italian automaker the majority owner in Chrysler. Saab announced that it's postponing production once more. Some Ford Raptor owners are complaining that they have managed to bend the frames of their trucks which obviously should not be happening. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline a...

We all know the UAW is targeting transplant automakers in the U.S., but Autoline Daily has learned its strategy includes going after suppliers as well. In a good sign for the entire NAFTA region, sales and production in Mexico posted big gains last month. Toyota and Tesla just signed a three-year, $100 million deal for batteries and electric motors. All that and more, plus a look at some advanced...

GM and OnStar will launch a pilot program for smart grid technology for EVs later this year. Nissan announced it's increasing the price of the LEAF because it now comes standard with a battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and heated seats. Sales of convertibles in the U.S. dropped after the economy crashed a few years ago. All that and more, plus John answers questions about Audi and the UAW in...

The White House and automakers are warming up for a big fight over where the next round of fuel-economy standards should be set. Daimler is merging smart and Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Is it trying to recreate BMW’s success when it introduced the new MINI? According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, Volvo’s City Safety system on the XC60 SUV has dramatically reduced insurance claims. All that an...

Car sales in the U.S. are slow again in Jul. It's estimated that sales will barely top one million units because of low inventory at Japanese car dealers. Daimler plans to introduce a lineup of electric bicycles as early as next year. The new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is set to go on sale soon with a starting price just under $19,000. All that and more, plus a look at Audi’s all-new flagship sedan, t...

The amount of waste created by manufacturing a vehicle at Honda has plummeted. Sales may be slowing in China, but the first half of the year was still a staggering success. Ford is aiming for a greener image in Germany. All that and more, plus, a preview of this week's Autoline with the President of Bosch in America.

GM is all in a tizzy because it says Volkswagen has been spreading the speculation that Opel is up for sale and that it's hurting GM. Hyundai's home office in Korea wasn't very happy with the new Sonata, saying it was too radical. But that didn't matter to consumers as sales increased 30 percent over the old model. Instead of measuring things gone wrong, Strategic Vision is measuring things gone r...

Car makers and the UAW are in agreement, but not on wages or benefits yet, their new found common ground is that the Obama Administrations proposed 56.2 MPG CAFE target will hurt jobs. Speaking of the UAW, the union is in talks with Volkswagen about union representation at the company's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Toyota is merging its two subsidiaries, Toyota Auto Body and Kanto Auto Works t...

While Chinese car sales have slumped lately due to the expiration of government incentives, luxury car sales are booming in the People’s Republic. Peugeot is the first automaker to announce a diesel hybrid vehicle with their 508 RXH earning 70 MPG in European testing. Speaking of diesels, sources at GM have said the Cruze will offer an oil-burning engine in 2013 and that it will rival the Prius fo...

The UAW has its sights set on organizing the new VW plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the AP says some workers at the plant have actually reached out to the union. The new CAFE rules proposed by the Obama administration will not be as harsh for light trucks as originally thought. Trucar.com says young buyers prefer foreign nameplates, with Scion, Mitsubishi and Mazda leading the demographic. Je...

BMW just introduced the new 6 Series Coupe which is slightly larger and offers three engine choices. Fiat's commercial vehicle brand, Iveco revealed an updated version of the Daily which goes on sale in September. Land Rover released some important figures on the new 2012 Range Rover Evoque which gets impressive fuel economy thanks to lightweight construction and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cyli...

June sales in the U.S. market will be announced tomorrow and almost all the analysts are predicting it will be a decent month . . . at least by today’s standards. Michigan’s new Republican Governor, Rick Snyder, initiated a letter that was sent to regulators in Washington D.C. questioning the proposed 56.2 mile-per-gallon standard. 14 other state leaders followed suit. Around 85,000 hybrid drivers...

Carlos Ghosn, the head of Nissan and Renault, raked in almost $11.5 million dollars last fiscal year, which makes him the highest paid executive at a Japanese car company. Ford is working to increase capacity at its plant in the United Kingdom that builds four-cylinder EcoBoost engines because demand is so high in Europe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued fuel-pump labels for E-15 -...

Nissan released more details on its "Power 88" business plan including how it intends to average one "all new" vehicle introduction every six weeks for the next six years. Turkey of all places is really starting to emerge as an important market for vehicle assembly. Holden, GM’s Australian subsidiary, could be in deep trouble because of political flip-flopping and budget cuts in the country. All t...

Saab announced it will pay its employees this week, after getting an infusion of $18 million from a Chinese company that ordered 582 cars. Nissan just announced a new midterm business plan called "Power 88" to pull itself out of the sales doldrums. The Obama administration is proposing a new CAFE standard of 56.2 miles per gallon. All that and more, plus a look at how Mini is letting drivers conne...