Government/Legal - [518 news]
...es for federal tax credits, and they are essentially sold out until the new generation cars show up next year, people might be wondering where to go for a high mileage vehicle. Volkswagen's new 50-state legal Jetta TDI is going on sale around about L...
...yota came out on top of the heap again among the big brands. However, Toyota was not the overall winner. That honor went to none other than Lotus with 30.2 mpg! Lotus however is a very small fish in a huge if shrinking pond, having only sold six hund...
...n 7s: be careful where you go in New York and New Jersey. While taking the uber-clean car for a joyride, The New York Times was informed it was not to drive through either the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels or on the lower level of the George Washington ...
.... You immediately begin to sweat, get your story strait, perform a mental check-list of license and registration, then watch the rearview mirror like a hawk to see if he pulls out. If you get the ticket, your day is ruined. If the cop was looking dow...
...rivers sit still in traffic while carpool lanes sit empty, underused by public transit and vehicles carrying multiple passengers. The solution for the Bay Area, as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission sees it, is to allow solo motorists to pay ...
...et automakers through tough times. President Bush has quickly shot down the idea of assitance for US automakers, saying that the government shouldn't be "bailing out companies." GM spokesman Greg Martin said the General isn't looking for a free pass ...
...the Model S sedan, but Tesla Motors can't seem to get a break from the lawsuits. First there was the tiff with transmission supplier Magna, followed by potential development partner Fisker, and now Tesla is facing a class action (it's not a class act...
...bly be joined by caveat reporter after police raided the French magazine Auto Plus. The po-po were called last August to begin an investigation because the magazine published detailed photos of the coming Renault Megane, which Renault said wasn't sup...
...rough 2009, politicians have been eager to voice their thoughts regarding the possibility of a government bailout. President Bush gave the possibility a strong no, but the two guys in line for his job have taken a different route. Senator Obama has...
...ctics by tire OEMs Hankook and Kumho. The Bupyeong plant produces the vehicle we know and ummm... tolerate as the Chevrolet Aveo, and possibly (unfortunately) soon as the Pontiac G3. Rather than pony up the 12% price increases that the tire suppliers...
...aking engagement at General Motors, where the Arizona Senator discussed the U.S.'s current fuel situation and the proliferation of electric cars. Addressing the General's assembled workers, McCain said, "I would support tax credits for Americans who ...
...etts had a run of plates with "POO" as the trailing characters, for example, but th North Carolina DMV's inadvertent pun takes the cake. About 10,000 plates were stamped up bearing the characters WTF before a 60 year old teacher's grandchildren whisp...
...mmittee regarding workers right abuses by Toyota is the recent death of a lead engineer on the Camry hybrid project. Although the man died back in 2006, the Japanese Health Ministry has just now ruled that the man died of karoshi, which is a Japanese...
..." license plates, nevermind that they may be unconstitutional. While the first amendment protects individuals rights to free speech, the cross and stained glass themed plates with the phrase "I Believe" across the bottom were cooked up by the South C...
...osed future technologies, General Motors Corp. bluntly told federal regulators not to count on the Chevrolet Volt, or other planned plug-in hybrids, when proposing new rules. GM is maintaining the position that those vehicles will be built in such lo...
...mber 49 car.In an odd yet intriguing bid to woo potential NASCAR-loving voters in Pennsylvania -- a key battleground state for hopeful presidential candidates -- Barack Obama is currently in talks regarding a possible sponsorship of a NASCAR team. BA...
...story altogether when the feds are the ones doling out the Benjamins, though, as Ford is learning. The Blue Oval is officially suing the government for $445 million in overpaid taxes between 1983 and 1989 and again from 1992 to 1994. Ford wasn't over...
... state of Massachusetts. From the late 1990s to 2007, the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles missed collecting $32 million a year in annual taxes because it used the NADA database to calculate them for some 131,000 exotics or otherwise premium vehicl...
...went into effect at midnight. The new rules prohibit drivers from holding cellphones to their ears while talking, yet they are still allowed to dial the phone to place the call... and freely text message. While the law won't likely have a huge effect...
... has the potential to lower the amount of damage vehicles sustain in crashes, and therefore lead to less costly repairs for insurers. What is surprising is the NHTSA's stubborn attitude about accepting outside suggestions. The proposal is simple enou...