(July 13, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors Powertrain plants in Ohio and Indiana that make transmissions for Buick and Chevrolet models with eAssist fuel-saving technology will get the bulk of a $129 million investment GM announced Tuesday.

The money is part of $2 billion being invested in 17 facilities in eight states over the next 18 months and will create or retain 4,000 jobs.

(July 13, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — Customers seeking more versatile vehicles with better fuel economy are finding what they’re looking for in hatchbacks and U.S. sales of these popular five-door cars continues to skyrocket.

It’s a trend reflected in sales of two of Ford’s hottest-selling cars. Approximately 50 percent of retail sales of the 2011 Fiesta have been for hatchbacks.

(July 12, 2011) FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Nissan is bringing test drives of the all-electric Nissan Leaf to 26 cities across the United States, as part of Nissan's "Drive Electric Tour." The second phase tour kicked off this past weekend in Long Island on the heels of the Nissan Leaf achieving the milestone of 4,000 U.S. deliveries.

(July 11, 2011) Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has opened a new proving ground at the TME Technical Centre, in Zaventem, Belgium. The state-of-the-art Zaventem Proving Ground, aimed at strengthening Toyota’s European vehicle research and development, took two-and-a-half years to complete.