$4 a Gallon? Keep It Coming!

(NEWSER) - General Motors will invest $500 million to build its new compact car in the US, the Detroit News reports. The Chevrolet Cruze, expected to get about 45mpg, will go into production in 2010 in Lordstown, Ohio. The ailing automaker, once heavily reliant on SUVs, continues to alter its production line to meet demand for small, fuel-efficient cars. GM's US sales are down 18% this year, led by a 23% decline in truck sales. More»

Consumers viewing fuel efficiency as 'one factor' again

(NEWSER) - Oil prices have been falling since mid-June, and though it’s debatable whether speculators or market fundamentals drove the boom (and now possible bust), it is clear that $4 a gallon gas crimped demand. But for how long? With prices now again below that psychological threshold but still $1.19 more than a year ago, auto industry data suggest that even mild relief could reverse the trend toward fuel efficiency, the LA Times reports. More»

Yes, it's obnoxious; that's why we need it

(NEWSER) - Sure, the Hummer is more of a "cartoon" than a vehicle, a ridiculously over-the-top gas-guzzling monstrosity. But the unbridled optimism it takes to manufacture it—and to fill up the tank—is what makes it uniquely American, writes Matthew DeBord in the Washington Post. If GM axes it, or, heaven forfend, takes it hybrid, we’ll lose yet another chip off the American soul. It's just too cool to die. More»

Demand rising for electric alternatives, so makers, legislators must seize moment

(NEWSER) - Sky-high gas prices are finally pushing top US auto-makers to turn out fuel-efficient vehicles, and both Detroit and Washington should keep the pedal down to make a permanent change in how, and what, Americans drive, the US top car salesman tells the Wall Street Journal. "You have to tell the American people the truth," the CEO of AutoNation says. "Energy costs will be higher." More»

New truck-based models save gas, but they're still costly

(NEWSER) - As sales drop for traditional SUVs, GM and Chrysler have high hopes for hybrid versions of their popular truck-based vehicles—but sales thus far haven’t been impressive, the New York Times reports. GM has sold 1,100 of its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids—pacing far behind the company’s goal of 12,000 a year. More»