Autoline Daily - Video

Experts are saying the adoption of EVs may be derailed by the high cost of building the infrastructure to support them. Chrysler announced an agreement with parts supplier Magneti Marelli and Shell Lubricants that will allow its dealers to service competitors' vehicles. Volkswagen is introducing a new commercial van for the UK market. Called the Crafter, it's based off the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter....

Detroit automakers are having trouble delivering new vehicles by rail due to a shortage of freight cars and delays are taking anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Chrysler is developing compressed natural gas vehicles that could go on sale by 2017 in the U.S. Lexus revealed its LF-Gh hybrid concept before its debut at the New York Auto show next week. All that and more, plus guest host Rod Mel...

Big news in the Renault espionage scandal. A number of executives are resigning from the company. Daimler and Bosch have teamed up to produce electric motors for Mercedes-Benz and smart. GM has pulled the 2013 Chevy Malibu ahead by several months and it's expected to go on sale early next year. All that and more, plus guest host Rod Meloni of WDIV Local 4 News, Detroit shares a few of his thoughts...

A company owned by Russian billionaire Vladimir Antonov will purchase Saab assets from Spyker and then lease it back to the company. New fuel economy mandates are spurring automakers and suppliers to develop more fuel efficient powertrains and as a result they are hiring hundreds of engineers. Ford is using a nylon-based resin that’s made from 100 percent recycled carpeting to make plastic cam-cov...

Car sales in the U.S. and China are neck and neck, but America squeezes out a win — for now. John Mendel reports that Honda will make up for production lost during the Japanese crisis. Jaguar and Jeep both seem to be digging diesels. All that and more, plus maybe cell phones aren’t quite as bad as we thought.

Toyota has sold its 1,000,000th Prius, but is that really impressive? Returning from the brink of collapse, Ssangyong makes an impressive showing at the Seoul Motor Show. GM announces the number of miles Volt drivers are going between fill-ups. All that and more, plus a closer look at the BMW ActiveE.

Saab stopped production again because of another dispute with suppliers over payments. Toyota and Microsoft will team up to develop smart grid technology to use electricity more efficiently and harness power from renewable sources. Yesterday we reported Ford was raising prices because of the rising cost of raw materials, now automakers in India are doing the same. All that and more, plus John resp...

Toyota just dodged another bullet. Plaintiff attorneys who are suing the company over unintended acceleration tried to get people in foreign countries to join their lawsuit, but the judge overseeing the case dismissed them. Ford is raising prices across the board because of the surging cost of raw materials. One website has a great way to get back at drivers that don't park properly. All that and...

Toyota wins its first lawsuit over unintended acceleration but the company still faces many more on this issue. Former Formula One champion, Kimi Raikkonen will race a limited schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch's team. A software development company is introducing an app for first responders that lets them know where it’s safe to cut with the Jaws of Life. All that an...

Saab is running out of money fast and may be on the brink of collapse if it does not get new funding soon. Traffic deaths in the U.S. dropped for the fifth straight year to the lowest number since 1949. A couple reveals from the Seoul Motor Show. Chevrolet pulled the wraps off an ultramodern roadster concept called the Mi-ray, and Hyundai revealed its first-ever fuel-cell car called the Blue2. All...

Yesterday President Obama called for the United States to reduce its dependence on oil - a goal every president since Nixon has stated - we'll see how it goes this time around. Buick is working on a rebadged version of the Opel Ampera. Chevrolet teases the upcoming 2013 Malibu. All that and more, plus we take a look at a technology called near-field communication that supplier company Visteon has...

One economist says automakers may have consolidated their suppliers too much and may need to rethink how they structure their supply chain due to the disaster in Japan. Saab had to halt production in Sweden because some suppliers stopped shipping parts because they were worried about getting paid. A top UAW official says the union would be open to accepting more lower wage positions as long as aut...

The news coming out of Japan isn’t getting any better. Deutsche Bank says production will not return to normal until October! Chrysler got back some 700 vehicles that were being held hostage by car-hauling company Allied Holdings. Nissan of Canada has turned down the Murano Crosscabriolet and this drop-top crossover will not be offered in the country. All that and more, plus John sits down with au...

Reports coming out of France say that Carlos Ghosn may have withheld evidence from police involving Renault's espionage case. IHS Automotive analyst Michael Robinet says the disruptions in the auto industry caused by the earthquake in Japan will be significant once parts shortages hit North America. The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation is hard at work reviving the MG brand and yesterday it...

IHS Automotive projects global vehicle production could drop 30 percent this year due to parts shortages because of the disaster in Japan. Volvo will charge more than $2,100 per month for its C30 electric vehicle and the company says it will still lose money on the deal! An analyst in Europe says Volkswagen should buy Navistar, the American company that makes big diesels and heavy trucks. All that...

Toyota, Nissan, Honda and many other companies are facing production disruptions around the world because of the disastrous situation in Japan. Detroit’s automakers are roaring back to life, hiring workers and engineers, and expanding their operations. The UAW is recruiting an activist army from countries around the world. All that and more, plus John shares some of his thoughts on Hyundai’s luxur...

Bob King the president of the UAW is calling Ford CEO Alan Mulally out on his recent stock bonus of nearly $57 million. China is going to make its own GPS, available for civilian use, to challenge the U.S. monopoly in satellite navigation. General Motors and Chrysler are suing car hauling companies for holding on to its vehicles and not giving them back. All that and more, plus John responds to yo...

Japanese manufacturers have further delayed production with Toyota extending its shutdown until Saturday and Honda until Sunday. Fisker officially started production of the Karma plug-in hybrid at its plant in Finland. Just when you thought it was over for Toyota . . . it’s not. Plaintiff attorneys are challenging NASA's findings and demanding to look at the company's computer source code. All tha...

As supplies of vehicles dwindle due to the earthquake in Japan, dealers are expected to end all discounts and sales incentives. GM, Ford and Chrysler want to give workers bonuses based on quality and profits, rather than just give them pay raises. France's Industry Minister, says he does not want to "destabilize Renault any further" when asked if Carlos Ghosn should step down as CEO. All that and...

Ford held a ceremony at its Michigan Assembly plant to kick off production of the 2012 Focus but the big news is Ford will build the electric and hybrid versions of the C-MAX at the same plant. Nissan is monitoring all of its vehicles built in Japan for possible radioactive contamination due to the disaster in the country. JD Power released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study and for the first...

As if Japan wasn’t going through enough turmoil it’s now facing a currency crisis as the value of the yen surges. Sulfur in gasoline is a surprising roadblock to more efficient engines. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering fuel economy window stickers for used cars, and anyone can print them out. All that and more, plus John sits down with Roberto Giolito, the head of Fiat and Abar...

The United Auto Workers union is holding a convention next week to determine its bargaining strategy with GM, Ford and Chrysler in order to win back concessions. Auto supplier Honeywell predicts that the number of cars equipped with turbochargers will double in the U.S. by 2015. Carlos Ghosn apologized for the whole Renault espionage scandal but that might not be enough for the French government w...

Renault’s Carlos Ghosn and Patrick Pélata have apologized profusely for the company’s bungled espionage caper and Ghosn is giving up his bonus. Of automakers in the American market Toyota is the most vulnerable to production disruptions because it imports more models from Japan than any other. Our colleagues at Edmunds Insideline put together an unusual comparison test, pitting the hot new 2011 Do...

We know a little bit more about the new CFO at General Motors, Daniel Ammann and here's the best part, he owns a '61 Cadillac convertible and drives a CTS-V wagon. General Motors announced it will bring the Chevy Captiva Sport to the U.S. to sell to fleet customers. BMW just revealed its redesigned 6 Series which features numerous upgrades. All that and more, plus John shares his impressions of ho...

Japan got pounded by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake yesterday afternoon and not surprisingly, automakers and suppliers are shutting down factories because of the disaster. If you add up the value of all the stock and options Ford CEO Alan Mulally has earned since joining the company, it’s now worth over $300 million! BMW reported record profits for 2010 with revenues increasing nearly 20%. All that a...