Chrysler’s commitment and contribution to the electrification of the automobile has for a long while been uncertain. Prior to bankruptcy, the company had revealed a pure electric roadster as well as several range-extended electric car concepts. This so-called ENVI program appeared to disband with the company’s re-organization. After Chrysler was acquired by Fiat, a Fiat

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I am regrettably late writing about this. As most readers know, former Chrysler Corp. and IBM Corp CFO Jerome York passed away on March 18. York will be most recently remembered for his role as the brain trust behind Kirk Kerkorian’s investment in General Motors in 2006 and their attempt to force the auto giant into a shotgun marriage… Read the rest

Filed under: GM , Nissan , Earnings/Financials , Renault , Rumormill Rumors that Renault – Nissan may be interested in taking on a third head have popped once again, with the would-be merger candidate this time being General Motors . Huh, sounds familiar , doesn’t it ? In actuality, The Wall Street Journal is really just speculating on the… Read the rest

It truly is the end of an era. Bob Lutz, the cocksure maverick who led a product renaissance at both General Motors and Chrysler, will retire effective May 1. When Lutz goes, the industry will lose one of its best car guys and a strong personality known as much for his gravelly pronouncements at auto shows as he was… Read the rest

In 2007, the Dodge Caliber debuted to replace the outgoing Neon small sedan. The 2010 Dodge Caliber is available in one body style, an aggressive-looking five-door hatchback. For the new model year, Chrysler’s deleted the all-wheel-drive option, the optional turbocharged engines, and the SRT4 high-performance model. With a base price of $17,090…

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By Twain Mein A car’s color is likely the most emotional aspect of any car choice. Specifications, comfort, safety, and performance can always be trumped by “I like the black one”. This brings us to the question: what is the “best” car color? Not only does the paint have to look good on the vehicle, you also want a… Read the rest

Pike Research predicts 2.8 million fuel cell vehicles sold by 2020 Who’s buying? eBay find of the day: 2001 Chrysler Sebring EV conversion Caveat emptor. Volkswagen Touareg hybrid costs almost €23K more than diesel in Germany That’s a lot of diesel fuel. Other news: Autocar tries to lay out Toyota’s future Prius hybrid path, new models coming spring of… Read the rest

Consumer Reports has released its annual list of Top Picks for the year 2010. Honda and Subaru have earned class leader status for building the best all-around vehicles for American drivers, according to the Automaker Report Cards published in Consumer Reports’ 2010 Annual Auto Issue. Tied with an overall score of 77 out of 100 points, Honda and Subaru… Read the rest

GM’s executive salaries seem to be an object of scrutiny lately, but many fail to consider those salaries in comparison to those being paid to execs with other carmakers. According to Fiat’s annual report, CEO Sergio Marchionne earned a staggering 41% more in 2009 than in 2008 with his salary of 4.8 million euros, or $6.5 million. 1.35 million… Read the rest

Newly appointed CEO of GM Ed Whitacre, will be compensated to the tune of $1.7 million per year in cash, and a stock package payable over three years beginning in 2012 that is valued at $5.3 million. Fritz Henderson, the ousted CEO that Whitacre was appointed to replace, will be retained as a consultant to Whitacre. The figure that… Read the rest