February 3, 2012: Mississauga, Ontario - Cars in future could contain plastics made from shrimp and crab shells. A University of Toronto student has won a national automotive competition with his work on the new biodegradable material, which could replace petroleum-based plastics used in automobile components. Aaron Guan, a master of science student, won the AUTO21 TestDRIVE competition, receiving a $10,000 scho... Read Article

February 3, 2012: Guelph, Ontario - Grain farmers in Ontario are disputing a report that suggests crop-based ethanol is diverting corn from livestock use. The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) said that a report by the George Morris Centre, an independent agricultural think tank, is "falsely accusing" the ethanol industry of causing harm to livestock farmers. In a statement, the GFO said that, "Since one-third ... Read Article

February 3, 2012: Anna, Ohio - Honda will invest US$98 million in its engine plant in Anna, Ohio to build the company's next-generation powertrain technologies. Last year the company announced a $120 million investment for the production of a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) at its facility in Russells Point, Ohio. The Anna plant will built pulley components for Honda's new CVT, which will be initial... Read Article

February 3, 2012: Anaheim, California - The Fisker Karma, an extended-range premium luxury car, will be coming to Canada. As its initial entry into the Canadian market, Fisker Automotive has partnered with established retailers in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. In Toronto and Calgary, Fisker has partnered with the Dilawri Group, which will sell the Karma through Fisker of Calgary, and Fisker of Toronto in th... Read Article

February 3, 2012: Cambridge, Massachusetts - Electric-powered delivery trucks can cost almost three times as much as regular diesel-powered trucks, but could "pay for themselves" in a surprisingly short period of time, according to a new report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study by MIT's Center for Transport and Logistics found that electric vehicles can cost 9 to 12 per cent less to o... Read Article

February 2, 2012: Richmond Hill, Ontario - New vehicle sales jumped by 15.4 per cent in January 2012 compared with January 2011, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. The number puts the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) tracking at 1.7 million units, the highest level since January 2008. Chrysler finished the month as the top-selling company, at 16,478 units, displacing Ford. General Motors... Read Article

February 2, 2012: Oshawa, Ontario - General Motors has built its first production 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which included a ceremony with Rick Hendrick, owner of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick, a Camaro enthusiast, purchased the first 2010 Camaro Coupe and first 2011 Camaro Convertible, and has now purchased the first Camaro ZL1 available for public sale. Hendrick acquired the purchase rights for all ... Read Article

February 2, 2012: Toronto, Ontario - Police across the Canada will have access to special training throughout 2012 to help them learn more about "staged" collisions, auto fraud rings and associated service supplier fraud. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and the Canadian Police Knowledge Network are sponsoring free access to the Identifying Staged Collisions online training course for front-line officers. ... Read Article

February 2, 2012: Wolfsburg, Germany - A new modular method of design and production will revolutionize the way the Volkswagen Group builds cars, the company said. The Modular Transverse Matrix, which goes by the German acronym MQB, will be used in the Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat brands for future automobiles with transverse-mounted engines. The MQB standardizes many vehicle component parameters across bran... Read Article

February 2, 2012: Ottawa, Ontario - The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline is being built to export more bitumen than Canada could even produce by 2025, according to submission to the National Energy Board by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP). The CEP said that in the process, the pipeline will cause profound environmental damage, cost more than 26,000 Canadian jobs, and put the c... Read Article

February 1, 2012: Burnaby, British Columbia - Three schools in British Columbia will be celebrating "dry" graduations thanks to their anti-impaired driving videos. The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) has announced the winners of its second annual Dry Grad Video Challenge. The challenge asked Grade 12 students across B.C. and the Yukon to produce videos urging fellow teens never to drive under the ... Read Article

February 1, 2012: Windsor, Ontario - Chrysler's Mopar brand will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2012. The company's aftermarket brand started with the name of antifreeze, the sole product at the time. "The Mopar brand has a proud 75-year heritage," said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar. "The mission at Mopar today is to fully support all of our brands by providing every single one of our customers w... Read Article

February 1, 2012: Plymouth, Michigan - Automotive seat company Johnson Controls has teamed up with luxury mattress manufacturer Harrison Spinks for a new car seat concept called ComfortThin. The concept uses pocketed coil spring mattress technology instead of conventional urethane foam pads. The technology, which will be available for 2015 model year vehicles, produces a thin-profile seat that is 100 per cent re... Read Article