(May 10, 2012) RESTON, Va. — Recreation vehicle shipments continued to trend upward in early 2012 despite a jittery economy and elevated fuel prices according to market data collected by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Wholesale shipments to retailers in March reached 28,100 — the best March total since 2008. In February, manufacturers shipped 24,600 units, giving the industry its best two-month period since 2008.

(May 10, 2012) DETROIT — Supermodel Marisa Miller hits the airwaves in the latest Buick commercial in a campaign that so far has featured basketball player Shaquille O’Neal being impressed by the LaCrosse luxury sedan’s legroom and actor Ving Rhames using his mastery of intimidation to benefit from the new Experience Buick lease option.

(May 10, 2012) PLANO, Texas — The all-electric trucks introduced by PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division have charged their way to a million miles this month. Over the past two years, 176 all-electric trucks by Smith Electric Vehicles have been added to the Frito-Lay commercial delivery truck fleet.  To date, these trucks have eliminated the need for approximately 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

(May 9, 2012) INDIANAPOLIS — A 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will lead the starting field of the 96th Indianapolis 500 to the green flag Sunday, May 27, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With 638 horsepower, the Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful production car ever to pace the race.

(May 9, 2012) DEARBORN — Ford will produce nearly 40,000 additional vehicles this summer by idling 13 plants, including six assembly plants, for just one week instead of the traditional two.
 
“We are working most of our North America plants at maximum capacity and we are adding production shifts in three of our assembly plants this month alone,” said Jim Tetreault, vice president of North America Manufacturing.

(May 9, 2012) BRENTWOOD, Essex, England — Sales of the Ford Focus reached 1,500,000 in Great Britain this week as Essex batsman Jaik Mickleburgh took delivery of the landmark car — a five-door Titanium X model.

Since launch in 1998, Ford Focus has held the crown of overall sales leader for 10 consecutive years until 2008 when Fiesta took the number one spot.

(May 8, 2012) Chrysler is recalling nearly 120,000 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger cars to fix an electrical problem that could cause a crash. The recall covers 119,072 vehicles from the 2011-2012 model years and comes two months after Chrysler said it was recalling the police version of the Dodge Charger for the same issue.

(May 8, 2012) Traffic fatalities in 2011 dropped to their lowest level since record-keeping began in 1949, according to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA reported an estimated 32,310 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year representing a decline of about 1.7 percent as compared to the 32,885 fatalities that occurred in 2010.

(May 8, 2012) LOS ANGELES — Siemens today announced its 'eHighway of the Future' concept at the 26th Annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. The eHighway concept is the electrification of trucks and select highway lanes via overhead electrified wires similar to how modern day trolleys or streetcars are powered on many city streets.

(May 8, 2012) DETROIT — In the design world, improving a successful product can be a bigger challenge than starting with a clean sheet. The Buick Enclave, the industry’s top-selling three-row luxury crossover, also carries the weight of being the originator of the brand’s current design philosophy.

For the new 2013 Enclave, designers evolved the vehicle’s exterior by refining details while preserving the overall identity.