automobile

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10 Cars That Changed Our Lives
 10 Cars That Changed Our Lives
Jun 28, 2009 5:37 PM CDT

10 Cars That Changed Our Lives

Forbes compiles autos that changed the world

(Newser) - Cars can create or symbolize profound change—in lifestyle, financial status, and even forms of government. Forbes looks at 10 that changed the world:
  1. Toyota Prius. The flagship model for all hybrids, the Prius opened people's minds to the ugly environmental impact of driving. It remains the world's best-selling hybrid
...

Electric Bikes Take Off in China
 Electric Bikes 
 Take Off 
 in China 
glossies
Jun 14, 2009 7:00 PM CDT

Electric Bikes Take Off in China

(Newser) - Chinese drivers are seeing a new vehicle zip by on the nation's congested, smog-choked freeways: electric bicycles, Austin Ramzy writes in Time. Promoted by the government as affordable solutions to cars, so-called e-bikes are growing in popularity, offering a green solution to the country's automobile boom. About 21 million e-bikes...

We Fell Out of Love With Cars
 We Fell Out of Love With Cars 
OPINION
May 30, 2009 12:38 PM CDT

We Fell Out of Love With Cars

(Newser) - Plenty of economists are trying to define what killed Detroit, but they’re looking in all the wrong places. “Fire the MBAs and hire a poet,” writes PJ O’Rourke in the Wall Street Journal. This isn’t a story of unions or financial crisis. “It’s...

Pedestrians Drive Cars From Times Square

New York begins experiment with car-free intersection

(Newser) - Times Square was transformed yesterday from a crush of traffic into a pedestrian mall, as New York began a months-long experiment at the city's busiest intersection. Cars have been banned along Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets, as well as in Herald Square to the south. Tourists and locals were...

Korea Roadway Recharges Cars
 Korea Roadway Recharges Cars 
May 18, 2009 2:31 PM CDT

Korea Roadway Recharges Cars

(Newser) - South Korean scientists are working on road technology that allows electric vehicles to continually recharge while driving, Reuters reports. Inductive charging, used with watertight electric toothbrushes, requires no contact between power source and appliance. For vehicles, electric strips would be embedded in the road at intervals, and a magnetic field...

Foreign Bidders See Opportunity in Detroit Mess

As GM, Chrysler spin off units in their wake, the global auto landscape shifts

(Newser) - With Chrysler in bankruptcy and General Motors at the precipice, foreign companies are preparing bids for parts of the US auto industry, the Wall Street Journal reports. The result will be a broad global reshuffling as companies like Italy’s Fiat, France’s Renault, and even China’s Geely buy...

Are Americans Falling Out of Love With Cars?
Are Americans Falling Out of Love With Cars?
ANALYSIS
May 6, 2009 4:58 PM CDT

Are Americans Falling Out of Love With Cars?

Drop in driving could be delayed reaction to gas prices—or not: Silver

(Newser) - Is the fact that Americans are driving less even after the cost of gas has come down a sign that US attitudes are changing, Nate Silver asks in Esquire—or is it just another example of how slowly they respond to changes in fuel prices? “The real test,”...

Seeking Sales Bump, GM Targets Middle East

New models will be introduced soon

(Newser) - General Motors hopes to rebound from a 19% first-quarter drop in Middle East sales by introducing new models and helping buyers with down payments, Reuters reports. "There are a lot of people who walk into showrooms who aren't able to buy because they can't get financing," says the...

Ford Loses Just $1.4B, Turns Down Treasury Money
Ford Loses Just $1.4B,
Turns Down Treasury Money
Q1 RESULTS
Apr 24, 2009 6:49 AM CDT

Ford Loses Just $1.4B, Turns Down Treasury Money

Automaker burns through cash but remains healthier than rivals

(Newser) - Ford announced today a loss of $1.4 billion for the first three months of 2009—its worst Q1 result in 17 years, but nevertheless one that beat expectations, Bloomberg reports. The automaker said it expected to break even or possibly turn a profit in 2011, and it would not...

Supreme Court Limits Car Searches After Arrests

(Newser) - The Supreme Court today put new limits on police officers' ability to search a car after an arrest, the Washington Post reports. The 5-4 ruling—with an unusual grouping of justices—says police need a warrant unless certain criteria apply, a break from the standard practice of about 30 years....

China, Nissan Strike Electric Car Deal

Nissan will create fleet, charging station network in Wuhan

(Newser) - China has tapped Nissan to set up an electric-car program in the city of Wuhan, relying on the automaker to set up a fleet of electric vehicles and charging stations, the Wall Street Journal reports. Beijing plans to produce 500,000 “new energy” vehicles by 2011, and recently selected...

Drive Past the Body Shop: Sun Will Repair Scratches

New self-healing coating will save you money, time

(Newser) - The sun will soon be able to help repair the scratches on everything from iPods to cars. Researchers have developed a polyurethane coating that heals itself when exposed to UV radiation, Wired reports. The coating, which should be available in a few months, could save consumers money and reduce waste...

Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom
Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom
ANALYSIS
Dec 24, 2008 8:05 PM CST

Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom

Developer strikes deals with countries, cities for broad charging infrastructure

(Newser) - An Israeli entrepreneur bets you’ll be willing to pay to fuel up your car like you pay your monthly cell phone bill. If Shai Agassi is right, Jim Motavalli writes in Yale Environment 360, it could be the charge electric cars need to succeed. Partnering with nations, cities, and...

Honked Off: Car Horns More Harm Than Good

Horns are hard to ban, but may make drivers more reckless

(Newser) - The next time you honk your car’s horn, you might want to ask why you're doing it. Grabbing the horn by the bull for Slate, Dave Johns thinks you’re probably too close to do anything but tell your obstacle to get out of the way. That’s because...

Saved by Zero? Or Sick to Death of It?

Toyota's relentless 0% APR ads wear thin ... and will continue

(Newser) - “Saved by zero?” Try bored. Toyota’s 0% APR ad campaign has left TV viewers annoyed—by both the jingle and the fact that it airs seemingly incessantly, AP reports. Though some might appreciate the extension of 0% financing, originally set to expire this week, most viewers are bemoaning...

Top Cars We Should Scrap
 Top Cars We Should Scrap 
Oct 26, 2008 4:59 AM CDT

Top Cars We Should Scrap

Coming soon to a compactor near you

(Newser) - The possibility that one of Detroit's Big Three automakers is headed for the scrap heap left US News and World Report wondering which cars Americans could live without. Here are some top candidates:
  • Jeep Commander: This boxy model gets 16 mpg and it shows: sales are down 55%.
  • Dodge Durango:
...

Software Blocks Calls While Driving

(Newser) - A new software technology can automatically disable cell phones moving at car speeds, augmenting laws already in place forbidding their use while driving, RealTechNews reports. The developer, Canada's Aegis Mobility, is partnering with Nationwide insurance to offer discounts to adopters. Aegis still needs carrier support but expects the software to...

Time to Raise Driving Age?
 Time to Raise Driving Age?
Sep 9, 2008 8:06 PM CDT

Time to Raise Driving Age?

(Newser) - Is 16 too young to drive? A safety group today began a push to encourage states to follow the lead of Japan, China, Russia, and most of Europe by raising the legal age to 18, the Detroit Free Press reports. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for youths...

Goodbye, Autos; Hello, Podcar
 Goodbye, Autos; Hello, Podcar
OPINION
Sep 8, 2008 12:27 PM CDT

Goodbye, Autos; Hello, Podcar

Driverless taxis could transform public transit

(Newser) - Forget alternative fuels and dump rusting gas guzzlers altogether for the driverless podcar, which offers "the convenience of an auto without the negatives," Catherine G. Burke writes in the Los Angeles Times. The sleek, electric-powered compartments seat four and use monorail-esque "guideways" to reach select destinations. It...

Haters, Gas Fail to Crush Hummer Pride

Soaring fuel may be stunting sales, but owners won't surrender

(Newser) - Sure, the Hummer may be going the way of the dinosaur: Sales are down 40% this year on soaring gas and an eco-image problem, and GM is looking to ditch its troubled brand. But for owners, the AP reports, outsized pride remains part of the package. "It definitely sparks...

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