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GM and Peugeot form global alliance

March 1, 2012: New York, New York - General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroën have formed a long-term, broad-scale global strategic alliance. The companies said that the alliance will leverage the combined strengths and capabilities of the two, contribute to profitability, and strongly improve their competitiveness in Europe. The alliance is structured around sharing vehicle platforms, components and modules, a... Read Article

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Insurance fraud costs all Canadians

March 1, 2012: Toronto, Ontario - Insurance fraud is a serious problem and can involve staged collisions or exaggerated claims, according to Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, which reminds motorists that March is Fraud Prevention Month. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), at least 15 cents of every dollar paid for insurance policies goes towards paying out false claims. "There is no 'fac... Read Article

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B.C. alerts drivers during Evergreen Line work

March 1, 2012: Coquitlam, British Columbia - A free traffic information line is now available 24/7 for motorists who may be affected by the new Evergreen Line rapid train line in Greater Vancouver. The line, an extension of the Skytrain, is expected to go into service in the summer of 2016.  Travellers can call 604-927-2080 to receive the most up-to-date traffic information related to construction in Coq... Read Article

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Air quality worse than previously tested

March 1, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - Air quality may be worse than previously thought, according to a new study by Environment Canada, as reported by the Green Car Congress. The real-time measurement of black carbon (BC) using two laser-induced incandescence techniques has found that emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles are at least a factor of two higher than previous North American measurements, and a fa... Read Article

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Toyota earns half of all Top Pick spots

February 29, 2012: Yonkers, New York - Toyota has taken five spots on Consumer Reports' annual Top Picks list, the first brand to earn half of the top ten spots in nearly a decade. The Toyota Camry Hybrid and Highlander edged out their competition to join the incumbent Prius, RAV4 and Sienna as the best in their individual categories. "Every year the competition grows tighter," said automotive editor Rik Paul.... Read Article

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Kia reveals new K9 sedan

February 29, 2012: Seoul, South Korea - Kia has revealed the first official photographs of its all-new flagship sedan, its first with rear-wheel drive. The model will launch in the first half of this year in Korea under the name K9, while the name and launch information for other markets will be revealed later this year. The K9 will complete Kia's domestic-market "K" series of passenger cars, which also includes ... Read Article

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New "green" airbag goes into production

February 29, 2012: Stockholm, Sweden - A new, more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective airbag inflator has gone into production. Autoliv Inc., a manufacturer of automotive safety systems, said the new system also reduces the inflator's weight by 20 per cent compared to most inflators. The new inflator went into production earlier this year, in a passenger-side airbag for an unnamed European premium vehicl... Read Article

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Nissan unveils new engineering concept

February 29, 2012: Yokohama, Japan - Nissan has introduced its next-generation vehicle engineering concept, named the Nissan Common Module Family (CMF). Vehicles developed using the CMF strategy are scheduled to enter the marketplace from 2013. The CMF concept combines modular engineering with Nissan's own engineering technologies, including simulation and variation engineering, along with simplicity that will he... Read Article

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Used cars are now less of a gamble

February 29, 2012: Yonkers, New York - Buying a used car becomes less of a gamble with every passing year, according to a new analysis by Consumer Reports. Even the least reliable carmakers are gaining ground on Toyota and Honda, the perennial reliability leaders. Volvo has made the most dramatic improvement over the last decade, but almost all companies have improved their products in recent years, the magazine ... Read Article

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B.C. students win safe driving contest

February 28, 2012: North Vancouver, British Columbia - B.C. students from Vancouver, Burnaby and Summerland have won the top prizes for their driving safety ads. The high school students were competitors in the annual Your Ad Here contest, sponsored by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). The students won Apple equipment prizes, while Langley Fundamental middle and secondary school won graphic d... Read Article

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New recalls affect Porsche, Nissan, tots and tires

February 28, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - Transport Canada has released its latest recalls, which may affect some Porsche and Nissan vehicles, some Goodyear tires, and some Safety 1st child car seats. 2011 Safety 1st Onside Air LX (22142CAGK) Units affected: 296 An incorrect seat pad was installed on certain child seats. The pad lacks slow-recovery, energy-absorbing material and the French-language airbag warnings r... Read Article

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Audi introduces electric A3 to U.S. market

February 28, 2012: Long Beach, California - Audi has announced its battery-electric Audi A3 e-tron pilot program in the U.S. The company said that the pilot program will allow it to identify challenges and opportunities with plug-in vehicles, as luxury car buyers become increasingly receptive to electric vehicle (EV) technology. By studying e-tron use across multiple geographical regions, Audi will monitor the ef... Read Article

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Nissan plans new sedan for Russia

February 28, 2012: Rolle, Switzerland - Nissan has announced the Almera, an "upscale affordable sedan" that is its first model to be developed and produced locally for the Russian market. The Almera was developed by Nissan engineering teams in Japan, the U.K. and Russia, and will be one of the most spacious sedans in the Russian mainstream segment, the company said. Russia is Nissan's largest European market, ... Read Article

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Public losing interest in alternative energy

February 28, 2012: Boulder, Colorado - Consumer interest in clean energy concepts has dropped significantly from 2009 to 2011, according to a new study by Pike Research. The study looked at all types of clean energy, including transportation fuels. The survey found that the average percentage of consumers with an "extremely" or "very" favorable view of 13 clean energy concepts declined from 50 per cent in 2009 to... Read Article

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New recall on Nissan, Infiniti models

February 27, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - Transport Canada has issued its latest recalls, which may affect some Nissan and Infiniti models. 2011-2012 Nissan Juke 2011-2012 Infiniti M56 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56 Vehicles affected: 7,394 On certain vehicles, the fuel pressure sensor connected to the engine fuel delivery rail may not have been sufficiently tightened during vehicle assembly. Should the sensor loosen, fu... Read Article

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Ford opens new factory in China

February 27, 2012: Chongqing, China - Ford has opened a new plant in Chongqing, China, which is said it one of the world's newest, most efficient and sustainable. The plant, operated by Ford and its joint venture Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), will build the all-new Ford Focus for the domestic market. "This is a very special day," said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. "It's not e... Read Article

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Safety groups protest U.S. trucking rules

February 27, 2012: Washington, D.C. - Safety advocates have filed a lawsuit protesting the recently-announced U.S. federal rules governing long-haul truck driver hours. The suit was filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition, and two truck drivers, who said that the federal rule for truck driver hours of service (HOS) still fails to made needed improvements to prote... Read Article

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Ontario toll highway workers on strike

February 27, 2012: Toronto, Ontario - Call centre workers at the 407 ETR toll road highway in the Greater Toronto Area are on strike following rejection of a contract proposal. The workers are members of the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW), which said that the proposal "did not fully address concerns around wage improvements and stronger job classification language." They handle customer inquiries, billing, reg... Read Article

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Range Rover lops the lid off Evoque

February 26, 2012: Gaydon, England - Land Rover will unveil a convertible concept version of the Evoque at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The company said that the Evoque Convertible Concept will "explore the potential for the world's first premium convertible SUV." The concept is being shown to gauge reaction and to assess the potential for a possible product. The company said that there are no production plans con... Read Article

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Honda, Ford lead January sales

February 24, 2012: Richmond Hill, Ontario - The Honda Civic and Ford F-Series pickup topped Canadian sales in January, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. "In January, the large/luxury markets were the hottest in Canada, up 35.6 per cent in a market that was up 15.4 per cent," DesRosiers said. "We expect these segments to be top performers all year, although it would be impossible to match the perfor... Read Article

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Canadians can pre-order the electric Smart

February 24, 2012: Toronto, Ontario - Smart Canada has established a pre-ordering program for the upcoming 2013 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. Interesting consumers can visit a Smart dealer to put down a deposit, guaranteeing delivery as soon as the first production units start to arrive in Canada later this year. The Fortwo Electric Drive uses a 55 kW magneto-electric motor that provides 96 lb-ft of torque, pro... Read Article

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Drivers aren't putting the phone down

February 24, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - More than one-third of Canadian drivers have admitted using their cell phones while behind the wheel in the last seven days, according to a new poll by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). The Road Safety Monitor poll found that 36.3 per cent of Canadians drove while using the phone, up from 20.5 per cent in 2001. One explanation is increased accessibility and afford... Read Article

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OPP wraps up distracted driving campaign

February 24, 2012: Orillia, Ontario - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has wrapped up the final week of its Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other campaign against distracted driving. The campaigns were launched in May, July and September of 2011, and then last week in February 2012. Each included a week of awareness information through the media, followed by a week of focused enforcement. The number of distra... Read Article

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Oil sands pollution as bad as a power plant

February 24, 2012: Washington, D.C. - Alberta's oil sands are creating as much pollution as a large power plant, with some emissions similar to that of a medium-size city, according to a new report by Environment Canada. About 1.8 million barrels of oil were produced from bitumen in the oil sands in 2010, with production of those fossil fuels requiring the burning of more fossil fuels. Scientists used satellit... Read Article

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NHTSA unveils child-size crash dummy

February 23, 2012: Washington, D.C. - A new crash test dummy, replicating a ten-year-old child, will be used to evaluate child safety and booster seats. The dummy was unveiled by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which said it is the best tool currently available for measuring the risk of injury to a child weighing more than 65 pounds (29 kg) using a higher-weight child restraint syste... Read Article

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Canadians love their cars

February 23, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - Canadians love their cars, according to a light-hearted survey by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). When asked what they would choose if they had to give up their car or another item for a year, 81 per cent said they would give up their cell phone or smartphone rather than their cars; 82 per cent would forgo coffee; and 64 per cent would lose their televisions rather ... Read Article

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Kia exec presents MADD program

February 23, 2012: Oakville, Ontario - Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada and Kia Canada teamed up to present a sobering message to school students. Maria Soklis, vice-president and chief operating officer of Kia Canada, visited her childhood high school, Grand River Collegiate in Oakville, Ontario, to help present Damages, MADD Canada's 2011-2012 School Assembly Program. Delivered to Canadian schools... Read Article

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