By Mike Driehorst
Chrysler Group

(December 28, 2010) Nov. 4, 2009, is a big day in Chrysler Group history. That’s the day CEO Sergio Marchionne and other group execs laid out a five-year plan for the company and the vehicle brands.

During the presidential visit to one of our Kokomo, Ind., facilities in November, Marchionne told a reporter, "We're a long way from fully achieving our plan. We're at step one of a five-year plan."

(December 28, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds.com has been following the developments at Tesla and offers the following insights to explain why Tesla stock took a big hit on Monday now that its post-IPO "lock-up period" is over.

"The biggest problem facing Tesla is that every automaker is now seriously looking into electric vehicles on some level, and this provides competition from far more established and far better funded organizations," commented Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Karl Brauer.

(December 28, 2010) Ford recently reopened its assembly plant in Wayne, Mich., (about the size of 22 football fields), to produce the new 2012 Ford Focus compact conventional model that will go on sale in early 2011. In addition, three electric versions of the Focus will be assembled at the plant — a battery-powered version (BEV) to begin selling in 2011, which will be joined by a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid/gasoline version to be introduced in 2012.

(December 25, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Despite car alarms and anti-theft devices, over one million vehicles are stolen every year in the United States. Edmunds.com recently interviewed a real-life former car thief to discover the methods and mindset of criminals who make their living stealing cars.

(December 24, 2010) While the Big 3 enjoyed some resurgence this year after a rather trying 2009, NADAguides.com revealed some more good news for these automakers Thursday. The company announced that the three most-researched models on its site for the first 11 months of the year are all Big 3 models.

(December 23, 2010) The year is closing on a relatively high note with December car and truck sales in the United States expected to be the highest of the year. That should push full-year sales to 11.5 million vehicles.

(December 22, 2010) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Kelley Blue Book today announced that the Honda Accord was the most researched new vehicle on its site during 2010, and the Honda Civic was number two.

This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Kelley Blue Book saw increased visitation to its website, with nearly 24 million more visits to kbb.com in 2010 versus 2009. Because kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers.

(December 21, 2010) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — According to the latest Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com Market Intelligence survey of consumer sentiment, shoppers are planning to spend less during the holidays this year.

This includes the purchase of a car. 

(December 18, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — It's the most wonderful time of the year, but not for your car. Edmunds.com has issued tips to help snow-belt drivers.

One of the most important elements of driving — especially on slippery roads — is to maximize traction. According to Edmunds.com, approximately 70 percent of new cars come with standard all-season tires, but not all are well-suited to serious winter driving conditions.

(December 17, 2010) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — The December new-vehicle retail sales pace is significantly beating expectations, driving a strong close to a challenging year of recovery, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 retail franchisees throughout the United States.