China Plans to Lead Way in Electric Cars

Electronics maker to do more than just provide batteries

(NEWSER) - Hot on the heels of news of the Ford-Toyota deal , we’ve got word of a far stranger electric car pact: General Motors has agreed to a deal to co-develop cars with LG Group, the Wall Street Journal reports. The consumer electronics company already makes the battery for the Chevy Volt, but now it’ll apparently be expanding its role beyond that. The companies didn’t elaborate on any specific plans, or indicate when their first jointly produced cars might hit showrooms. More»

Walter Russell Mead: Let China take the lead on this

(NEWSER) - Walter Russell Mead has some interesting advice for those (and he's looking at you, Thomas Friedman ) who think the US is making a horrible mistake by falling behind China in the development of electric cars: Ignore the problem. That's right, let China do the heavy lifting (and spending) on this, and when its engineers perfect the electric auto, we can just piggy-back off them, he writes in the American Interest . More»

Time offers tips for buyers considering CARS

(NEWSER) - Cash for Clunkers has become a smashing success—but is it right for you? Time explains how to get the most out of your clunker:

• First, make sure your vehicle really is a “clunker”: Cars that get more than 18 mpg, don't run, haven't been registered and insured over the last year, or are more than 25 years old don’t qualify.

(NEWSER) - As the US moves away from a gasoline-only auto culture, researchers and the government are investigating alternative taxes to fund road-building and maintenance, the Kansas City Star reports. The leading idea to supplant the gas tax is a by-the-mile approach endorsed by a federal commission. “If you’re committed to the system being improved then it was a no-brainer,” the chairman said. More»

Country KOs GM deal with manufacturer over environmental worries

(NEWSER) - Beijing will halt GM’s sale of the Hummer brand to a Chinese machinery firm over pollution concerns, according to Chinese state radio. The purchase would run counter to the government’s goal of reducing pollution caused by manufacturing, the BBC reports. The Chinese firm shrugged off the report. “The fact that it is from an article from a state media organization does not mean it is government policy,” the company said in a statement. More»