(April 13, 2012) ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM has announced that it has teamed with American Honda and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid. The project will demonstrate and test an electric vehicle's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state.

(April 13, 2012) MUNICH, Germany — The BMW Group sold more vehicles in March than in any other month in its history. The company sold 185,728 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles in the past month, not only significantly exceeding the figure for March of last year by 12 percent (165,846) but also the previous sales high of 165,855 vehicles recorded in June 2011.

(April 12, 2012) DEARBORN — Ford is giving Facebook users the chance to take a road trip in the all-new Focus Electric before the car is available in most markets and without even having to step away from their computers.

Called “Plug N Play in Electric City with the 2012 Focus Electric,” the Facebook-based game gives the user and four of his or her friends the ability to take a short trip in a virtual version of the car using Mapquest mapping data to calculate how far different destinations are in proximity to charging stations along the way.

(April 12, 2012) PARK RIDGE, N.J. —Hertz said it will begin renting eight compressed natural gas (CNG) Honda Civics and two CNG GMC Yukons at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City early next month. All vehicles will include NeverLost GPS units to assist renters in mapping local CNG refueling stations.

(April 12, 2012) DEARBORN, Mich. — Robots equipped with laser eyes and suction cup hands are helping humans reduce physical strain and save energy, while boosting the quality of the all-new Ford Escape.
 
Each Escape is in part built by robots first introduced by Ford in Europe, which employ laser-guided and camera-enabled technology to ensure every new vehicle is built to the highest standard of quality. The machines are programmed to recognize any tiny deviation from specification such as gaps in between door panels or the windshield and the vehicle body.

(April 12, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Look mom, no wires. After being the first to eliminate heavy, bulky owner manuals from its vehicles, Chrysler Group, through its Mopar division, will now be the first to eliminate unsightly dangling power cords in its vehicles by offering in-vehicle wireless charging.

(April 11, 2012) WOLFSBURG, Germany — The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand reported significant growth in vehicle deliveries during the first three months of 2012, handing over 1.36  million vehicles for the first time ever in the first quarter of a year.

The brand also posted a new delivery record of 536,600 units for the month of March, up 14.6 percent from 2011 — thus handing over more than half a million vehicles to customers in a single month for the first time.

(April 11, 2012) MONTVALE, N.J. — Mercedes-Benz has once again significantly restyled the G-Class, its iconic luxury off-road vehicle. In particular, the interior has been upgraded with high-quality appointments finished with exquisite materials, and the instrument cluster and center console have been completely redesigned.

(April 11, 2012) LONG BEACH, Calif. — The streets of Long Beach soon will be filled with dads and grads test driving auto manufactures newest vehicles.  The SoCal Test Drive Expo , the nation's first-ever all test drive auto show, will take place in the Long Beach Convention Center on Father's Day Weekend, June 15-17.

Featuring new makes and models from auto manufacturers, the show's unique, one-stop registration process will allow visitors to test drive dozens of different vehicles from the automotive brands with a single $10 admission.

(April 10, 2012) NEW YORK — Ford and Yahoo! today announced a new program to promote the launch of the Focus Electric, with "Plugged In," Yahoo!'s first reality competition series.

Beginning in May and timed to the availability of Focus Electric in multiple U.S. markets, the series is being broadcast exclusively on Yahoo! Screen — Yahoo!'s video destination.