Auto News 5

Chrysler Group will lose more than $10,000 on every battery-powered Fiat 500 its sells, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says.

Fiat Chairman John Elkann says that electric mobility is receiving a disproportionate amount of media coverage. It's easy to understand why the usually quiet Elkann felt the need to speak out.

BMW's green lead over rival Daimler is valued at about 2 billion euros.

Citroen says its new DS3 sporty subcompact car is selling better than expected and is winning new customers for the French brand. Frederic Banzet, Citroen managing director, said DS3 sales account for about a quarter of the volume for the C3 range.

Chrysler Group will lose more than $10,000 on every battery-powered Fiat 500 its sells, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says.

Volkswagen's Seat brand will target young, urban customers when it launches sales in China. The Spanish-based automaker will start selling sporty, more expensive versions of its Leon and Ibiza models in China in early 2012.

Peter Schreyer, the German design chief of South Korea's Kia Motors Corp., normally steers clear of 'Koreanesque' styling in his cars, as a matter of principle.

Meritor Inc., the commercial-truck, trailer, defense and automotive aftermarket supplier, said today it was fined $100,000 earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security for 14 export violations.

The FIA and the World Rally teams have confirmed today, Thursday that the Jordan Rally will be held as scheduled from April 14-16.

Last December, we reported that Hyundai was looking to give a new brand name to its premium models, like the Equus and Genesis, in an effort to directly rival Lexus (Toyota) and Infiniti (Nissan).

Although there is a report that Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula Champion will test on Monday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia, Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra team officials would not confirm or deny that report.

According to the online forum CommanderBond.net and one of its members, sloppy_joe007, reportedly working for Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, actor Daniel Craig will be driving a Tata Nano in the upcoming Bond film.

Much like Toyota, Honda is slowly but surely getting back on its feet after the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan a few weeks ago. The automaker announced today that beginning Monday, April 11, limited production of finished automobiles will resume at the Sayama and Suzuka plants, exactly one month after they were forced to shut down.

Spring is here, the snow is melting and the birds are singing. If you're itching for a new car or truck, you're not alone. Every year, light vehicle sales increase sharply from February to March, and this year, sales skyrocketed by 60%. Quite a jump.

An unfortunate incident occurred during the 6th edition of the Arctic Route Adventure. The convoy of Porsche Cayennes are making their way from Vancouver, BC to Anchorage, Alaska, including a stop up in Deadhorse which marks the end of the northbound highway.

For 2013, the FIA has called for the usage of new, 1.6-litre, four cylinder turbo engines in Formula 1. Hordes of fans and Bernie Ecclestone are opposed to such as move, saying that F1 must remain the pinnacle of motorsport.

In Canada, each province and territory taxes fuel at the pump to finance sectors in need. The imminent arrival of electric vehicles (EVs) is preoccupying many leaders, as several analysts believe they will replace heat engines in the not-so-distant future. In order to keep up a steady stream of revenue, the government of Alberta is toying with the idea of applying an 8% tax on the purchase of EVs.

To keep the highway death toll to a minimum and enforce the safety code, Transport Canada is currently studying the possibility of the mandatory inclusion of a black box in all vehicles sold in the country from 2016 onwards.

Shayne Wilbur, physics professor at the University of Oskaloosa in Iowa, has published the results of a study that might make consumers think twice about purchasing an electric vehicle. After analyzing the electromagnetic fields produced by the batteries used to power EVs, he concluded that driving an electric vehicle for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes daily can lead to complete infertility in a little over three years.

Taking the top off a Jeep Wrangler is cool, and the workout required to go topless is part of the charm. But this? We haven't seen a convertible truck this offbeat since the Dodge Dakota droptop (we're not making this up).