Federal Vehicle Safety Inspection Bill Introduced
from Automotive Service Association
The Michael Jon Newkirk Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, H.R. 259, has been introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, in the first week of the 111th Congress. The bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 259 proposes to establish state safety inspection programs and national standards for state safety inspections of motor vehicles across the United States. More

The Hot New Car Is Your Old Car
from The Wall Street Journal
Drivers craving the latest in mechanical "bling" found easy credit and inexpensive lease deals attractive enough to get a new ride every three years or so. Today, the scarcity of attractive terms for financing and leasing means that many people are keeping the cars they have. As a result, car dealerships are quiet while service shops buzz. More

GM Puts a Charge in Auto Show
from The Washington Post
The most talked-about announcement at the North American International Auto Show yesterday wasn't about any of the gleaming cars on the convention center floor. It concerned batteries. General Motors unveiled plans to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Michigan to assemble battery packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the company's highly anticipated plug-in electric hybrid. More

Detroit Auto Show: Car and Truck of the Year Named

The Hyundai Genesis was named the 2009 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit auto show, while Ford's redesigned F-150 pickup truck took home top honors in the truck category. The win by the Genesis, Hyundai's top-of-the-line sedan, was the first for a South Korean automaker since the award was launched in 1994. It was the fifth Truck of the Year award for Ford and the third for the F-150. More

Debate Over Aftermarket Crash Parts Continues
from ABRN
Federal legislation that would have exempted non-OEM crash parts from patent infringement law failed to make it out of committee in 2008, but parts distributors and insurers will continue their efforts to keep aftermarket crash parts available. More

GM Targets Return to Leasing in U.S. Market

General Motors Corp is planning to re-enter the vehicle lease business early this year and could see that form of financing amount to about 5 percent of its U.S. vehicle sales, a senior executive said. As credit tightened and the economy slowed last year, GM's affiliated finance company, GMAC, stopped financing vehicle leases and tightened standards for vehicle loans sharply. More

For Body Shops, a Little Ice Means Big Business
from Granite City Press Record
Ken Kohnen just has to peek outside each morning to tell if he’s going to have a busy day. If he sees ice or snow, even a dusting, the owner of Snelson Collision Repair in Granite City, Ill., knows he’s in for a long one. More

Electronic Stability Control: Life-saving Auto Technology
from San Jose Mercury News
Simply put, electronic stability control is the most important auto safety innovation since seat belts. That's the consensus from Consumer Reports, the federal government, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and many other auto industry experts. The good news is that the high-tech system that helps prevent rollovers and other accidents caused when a car skids out of control is found on more and more of today's new cars and trucks. More

Mazda Reduces Precious Metal Usage in Converters by 70 Percent
from Automobile Magazine
Mazda issued a press release last week, stating that it has developed a way to reduce the amount of precious metal needed in catalytic converters. The technology will be employed on the upcoming 2010 Mazda3, and Mazda will progressively apply it to all its global markets. Called single-nanocatalyst, the technology requires 70 percent less precious metal in its application on the 2010 Mazda3 compared to the outgoing model. More

BMW Sensors Calculate Chances of Injury in a Crash
from USA Today
Automaker BMW will announce a new direction in car safety protection with a system that calculates for emergency responders the likelihood of severe injuries in a crash. Sensors in all 2009 BMWs except the M3 now can assess car damage and other factors. More