Autoline Daily - Video

Earlier this week the Consumer Federation of America said that Americans overwhelmingly support raising the fuel economy standard to over 60 miles per gallon . . . but they have no idea what it's going to cost them! Audi's next-generation A6 Avant is scheduled for take off late this summer. There’s a storm brewing between Johnson Controls and its battery partner, French company Saft Groupe. All th...

A couple new studies just released differ on how much the auto industry will recover in the U.S. One says sales will rebound to pre-recession levels of 16 million units by 2013, the other predicts sales will be 14.5 million in 2013. And speaking of car sales, a new report says Japanese automakers could lose 193,000 sales in the American market this year. Saab is aiming to restart production next w...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel just unveiled plans to double financial aid to German automakers, with the goal of getting 1 million EVs on the country's roads by the end of the decade. Cadillac is gearing up for the debut of its new XTS by selling off the DTS and STS models it will replace. Audi is capacity constrained right now but at least it has a sense of humor about the situation. All that a...

Major automotive retailers in the U.S. are running out of inventory because of production disruptions in Japan due to the earthquake. Saab says it now has another last minute deal with Chinese automaker, Pangda which will reportedly pay $92 million for 24% of Saab. Toyota and Volkswagen have banned tobacco use at two of their plants in the U.S. All that and more, plus a look at a website Johnson C...

Chinese automaker Hawtai says its deal with Saab fell through due to "economic realities," not because it couldn't get the proper permits from the Chinese government. NASCAR's Tony Stewart and F1's Lewis Hamilton are going to trade cars in a demonstration run at Watkins Glen. The head of Bosch's North and South American operations predicts diesel powered cars and trucks will make up 10% of all new...

Earlier this week GM announced it will be hiring 4,200 workers at its plants in the U.S., and now Bloomberg reports that Chrysler may add 3,000 more jobs, too. And in another indication the American economy is clawing its way back, the big-truck segment had its best sales month of the year in April. The saga at Saab is going from bad to worse. The Swedish automaker thought it had a deal with Chine...

Toyota reported its net profit fell by 77% in its fourth quarter due to the earthquake in Japan and the strong value of the yen. The first hydrogen fueling station in the U.S. fed directly from an existing hydrogen pipeline opened yesterday. Google is lobbying the state of Arizona for it to become the first place in the world to allow autonomous cars to drive legally on streets. All that and more,...

China’s Ministry of Commerce is accusing the United States of dumping cars in China. Ford is teaming up with The Ohio State University to figure out how to use dandelions as a sustainable resource for rubber. Bob Stempel, the former Chairman and CEO of General Motors, passed away last weekend. All that and more, plus John shares his take on the Buick Regal Turbo.

Ford is paying U.S. line workers $8 an hour more than the foreign transplants and says it needs to close that gap if it’s going to continue investing in the United States. Low inventory levels of new cars in the U.S. is pushing prices of used cars up by as much as $3,000. The Chevy Volt may not qualify for incentives under China's New Energy Vehicle Development Plan because it's not built in the c...

Despite tripling its net profit, GM's stock dropped yesterday because Wall Street wasn't impressed with its operating profit. The Obama administration is looking at a new road tax based on vehicle miles driven to help raise money to fix our roads. Jaguar is going to build the C-X75 concept it unveiled at the Paris auto show last year. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline Detro...

General Motors absolutely blew through analysts’ expectations for the first quarter. New federal regulations are requiring suppliers to disclose their use of minerals that come from war-torn countries in Africa. Demand for diesel fuel and gasoline has been falling in the U.S. for more than a month. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the "You Said It!" segment.

April sales numbers are in and they're up over 13% compared to a year ago, coming in at over 1.1 million new vehicles sold. Even though sales were up last month, automakers were able to increase them with reduced incentives which were at there lowest levels since 2005. New York City announced that Nissan won its "Taxi of Tomorrow" competition with a modified version of its NV200 commercial van. Al...

Saab is saved . . . again. The Swedish automaker just received a €30 million loan plus an even bigger investment from Chinese car company Hawtai Motor Group. Audi is adding shifts and boosting production to keep up with brisk demand for its vehicles. Cadillac is expected to introduce turbocharged four-cylinder engines on its upcoming ATS and XTS models. All that and more, plus a look at Delphi’s p...

More first quarter financial numbers are in. Chrysler posted its first net profit since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009 and the tire maker Goodyear posted a record net profit for its first quarter. Ford will offer the Boss 302 5.0 liter V-8 as a crate engine through the company's performance-parts catalog. Fiat planted pear trees in eight different 500s to participate in New York City's, Million...

More first quarter earnings are in. We'll take a look at the financial numbers for Daimler, Kia and BorgWarner. Ford says demand for its EcoBoost engine in the F-150 is stronger than expected. Mazda North America announced that Robert Davis is being promoted to senior vice president of the company's newly created U.S. Operations Group. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline Detr...

Wow! Hyundai just surged past Honda in global sales in the first quarter. The federal government is downsizing . . . the vehicles in its fleet, that is. Six U.S. Senators - three Democrats and three Republicans - are working on a debt-reduction plan that includes a gas-tax increase! All that and more, plus a look at the power-to-weight ratios of some popular b-segment cars.

Volkswagen’s first quarter numbers are in and they are a record for the German automaker. Audi just completed its first public test of its latest diesel powered racecar, the R18 TDI, at Le Mans over the weekend. General Motors released a couple images of its next-generation Opel Astra GTC which is set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. All that and more, plus John responds to your...

Ford is back on track. It just posted impressive profits for the first quarter of 2011. Analysts are predicting the automotive industry in India will surpass those in Brazil, Russia and Europe by 2015. The Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF just aced the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s rigorous crash tests. All that and more, plus a look at a safer way to refuel racecars.

Toyota says production won't return to normal until December and doesn't expect to meets its full year global production goal of 7.7 million units. Six Japanese companies had their outlooks downgraded to negative from stable by the Standard's and Poor's Rating Service. Chinese automaker SAIC wants to export cars to the U.S. and other markets because the market in China is slowing down. All that an...

Inexpensive polymers may soon make paint scratches a thing of the past. The usage of public EV charging stations in France calls their worth into question. BMW will be the first manufacturer to equip all motorcycles with anti-lock brakes. All that and more plus a drive in the smart ED and a wrap up of the New York International Auto Show.

Fiat will take a controlling stake in Chrysler sooner than expected, with the company paying $1.27 billion in order to boost its stake. Scion unveiled a rear-wheel drive sports coupe concept in New York called the FR-S which will be the inspiration for a new model coming out next year. In order to get people to come check out the new A7 at the New York Show, Audi made a paper replica of the car. A...

The UAW takes a new negotiating tact by targeting the domestics for an early labor agreement. Mercedes takes the wraps off a dramatic new A-Class concept. Hyundai's new technology combines the functionality of Sync and OnStar. All that and more, plus John responds to your comments in this week's "You Said It!"

New York and Shanghai fight it out this week for auto show supremacy. Volvo reveals its stunning Universe concept in China. What will you have to pay to get your hands on BMW’s all-electric ActiveE? All that and more, plus Chevrolet officially takes the wraps off its new Malibu in a global reveal.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda now have all their plants in Japan up and running but only at half capacity. Nissan revealed a race car that's powered by the same EV technology as the LEAF, called the LEAF NISMO RC. Mazda announced that its crossover concept, the MINAGI, which debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show, will be called the CX-5 when it goes on sale next year. All that and more, plus a look...

Toyota will run at 50 percent capacity at all of its plants in Japan for nearly a month starting in May due to supply shortages. Chevy just announced a lineup of aftermarket parts for the Sonic called Z-Spec accessories. Ford plans to introduce 15 new vehicles and double the size of its dealer network in China by 2015. All that and more, plus guest host Murray Feldman from Fox 2 News, Detroit shar...