February 10, 2012: Park Ridge, New Jersey - The Hertz Corporation is participating in a pilot program to implement the first wireless charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) in the car rental industry. The company has the most diverse fleet of EVs for both rental and car sharing. "Hertz is committed to its global EV program, introducing electric vehicles into our rental fleet on three continents: North Amer... Read Article

February 10, 2012: Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes-Benz is developing a new active seatbelt buckle for the rear seats, which will help keep passengers secured in crashes. The new buckle will be used in production vehicles shortly, the company said. The buckle uses an electric motor to automatically extend and retract the belt, reducing slack over the pelvis and thorax. The seatbelt is also easier to fasten, as i... Read Article

February 10, 2012: Hiroshima, Japan - Mazda has announced a new resin material that will use to make the world's lightest bumpers. Jointly developed with the Japan Polypropylene Corporation, the resin maintains the same rigidity as parts made with conventional materials, but the parts are thinner and require less material. When both front and rear bumpers are made from the resin, the weight reduction is approxima... Read Article

February 10, 2012: London, England - Crude oil output from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose above its production ceiling in January, raising questions about how it will handle the excess volume, according to a new analysis by Platts. OPEC output rose to 30.87 million barrels per day (bpd) in January from 30.83 million bpd in December, an overproduction of 870,000 bpd over its late... Read Article

February 10, 2012: San Francisco, California - A class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. against Honda for manufacturing and selling vehicles with allegedly defective window mechanisms. Lawyers have filed a complaint in federal court in Los Angeles, charging that the defect poses a safety hazard to drivers and passengers nationwide. The vehicles at issue include the Honda Odyssey, Pilot, Element, Accor... Read Article

February 9, 2012: North Vancouver, British Columbia - Only 32 per cent of B.C. drivers considered safety a top priority when buying a new car, versus 48 per cent who named price and 42 per cent who went for fuel efficiency, according to a survey by Ipsos Reid. The survey, cited by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), further revealed that most car buyers primarily take standard safety features i... Read Article

February 9, 2012: Washington, D.C. - The all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the "greenest" car in the U.S., knocking the Honda Civic Natural Gas out of the spot it occupied for eight years, according to the annual report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Making its model-year 2012 debut on the American market, the i-MiEV earned a score of 58, the highest Green Score awarded since th... Read Article

February 9, 2012: New York, New York - The University of Toronto has partnered with Sendyne Corporation, a U.S.-based semiconductor developer, for research to develop systems and electronics for large-scale battery storage for electric vehicles and utility-scale battery packs. The high cost-to-performance ratio of today's battery systems impedes their widespread adoption. The research project will apply technolo... Read Article

February 9, 2012: Erlanger, Kentucky - Toyota will increase production of its Highlander SUV at its plant in Indiana in 2013. Hybrid and export versions will be included, and the project is expected to create approximately 400 new jobs. The company will invest about US$400 million to support global demand for the Highlander, which will no longer be built in Japan by late 2013. Annual Highlander production volume... Read Article

February 9, 2012: Auburn Hills, Michigan - The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Michigan has launched a new website, with improved access to information on its programs, exhibitions and events, as well as Chrysler's heritage. The site also includes information on membership, tours, collectibles, hours and location, and a special discount entry coupon, as well as an online forum where enthusiasts can share interests ... Read Article

February 8, 2012: Chicago, Illinois - Nissan has presented the North American debut of its all-new NV200 Compact Cargo Van at the Chicago Auto Show. The new van will join the growing lineup of Nissan Commercial Vehicles in early 2013. It follows the full-size NV Cargo, introduced in 2011, and the recently-announced full-size NV Passenger that goes on sale this spring. The NV200 provides a new entry point for cur... Read Article

February 8, 2012: Chicago, Illinois - Kia has unveiled the world premiere of the Track'ster, a performance concept version of the Soul, at the Chicago Auto Show. The company said that the three-door Soul coupe concept hints at "what could possibly be the future of Kia's wildly successful Soul." "The idea was to make the Track'ster tough looking, like a bulldog," said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors ... Read Article

February 8, 2012: Chicago, Illinois - GMC has unveiled the new 2013 Acadia and Acadia Denali at the Chicago Auto Show, featuring a new exterior and the industry's first front centre airbag. The Acadia was launched in 2007 as GMC's first crossover, with the upper-line Denali added in mid-2010. Acadia retains its three rows of seats, including the SmartSlide seating system that allows easy access to the third r... Read Article