Editorial archive

April 2011

Expanding EV use will demand more public charging stations

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(April 22, 2011) CHICAGO (PRNewswire) — As the acceptance and use of electric vehicles is becoming more prevalent, thanks to recent investment from the government and car manufactures, more commercial property owners and managers are grappling with how to react to growing demand for EV charging stations at their properties.

Edmunds.com highlights iPhone apps to gauge your car's fuel efficiency

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(April 22, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As gas prices and environmental concerns become bigger issues for American drivers, new iPhone apps are now offering easier ways to monitor your vehicle's fuel efficiency, according to Edmunds.com.

"These apps can give you accurate feedback on how much gas your car guzzles by inputting the mileage and the amount of fuel at every fill-up," said Doug Newcomb, senior technology editor at Edmunds.com.

Cadillac, Ford, BMW lead Kelley Brand Image Awards

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(April 20, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com today announced the winners of the 2011 Brand Image Awards. 

Cadillac won in three categories and Ford and BMW each received two category awards. Honda, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz were picked in one category each.

April sales show surprising strength, but inventory pressure mounts, according to J.D. Power

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(April 20, 2011) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — While April new-vehicle retail sales have shown unexpected strength ahead of expected inventory shortages, the selling pace is expected to be slower during the second half of the month, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 retail franchisees throughout the United States.

Dealer loan markups cost buyers $25.8 billion, research group reports

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(April 19, 2011) DURHAM, N.C. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Consumers who financed a car through a dealership in 2009 will pay more than $25.8 billion in extra interest over the lives of their loans because of dealer interest rate markups, according to new research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).

Study: Top 5% of distracted truck drivers involved in 67% of risky maneuvers

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(April 19, 2011) SAN DIEGO (PRNewswire) — Underscoring the importance of April's National Distracted Driving Awareness campaign, SmartDrive Systems, a leader in fleet safety and operational efficiency, today released the 2010 SmartDrive Distracted Driving Index, a revealing look at commercial fleet distracted driving rates during the past year.

Study finds five dollar gas is tipping point for electric vehicle consideration

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(April 18, 2011) NEW YORK (PRNewswire) — A new survey released today by Deloitte shows that 78 percent of consumers in the United States would consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) when fuel prices reach $5 per gallon. 

The study, "Gaining traction: Will consumers ride the electric vehicle wave?," surveyed 12,000 consumers globally, including more than 1,000 in the U.S., and finds that the higher the price of fuel, the more interested consumers are in EVs.

Americans moving away from Asian autos

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By Karl Greenberg
MediaPost

(April 16, 2011) As if things weren't tough enough for Japanese automotive brands since the earthquake, it seems vehicles from brands like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan may face resistance from U.S. consumers for fear that parts won't be available, and tight supply will make the vehicles too expensive.

Car sales surge in early April despite higher prices

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(April 16, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A preliminary analysis of April car sales points to strong numbers through the first half of the month, even as average prices have increased.

The current pace this month suggests that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for car sales in 2011 could rise to 14.1 million new cars sold, according to a study by Edmunds.com. But Edmunds predicts a slowdown in the latter part of the month that will bring the April SAAR closer to the 13.1 million cars originally projected by Edmunds at the end of March.

Survey finds most car buyers don't expect to downsize with next new car purchase

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(April 15, 2011) YONKERS, N.Y. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Most car buyers (56 percent) expect their next new vehicle to be the same size as the model they currently drive, but those who are looking to downsize are motivated by improved fuel economy, lower maintenance and repair costs, environmental concerns, and improved reliability, according to a new survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.