The United States has no energy policy. Every administration budgets money for it's pet project, leaving the projects from the previous administrations in a lurch. Why? Charlie Freese is General Motor's executive director for fuel cell activities. He was also a keynote speaker at the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy 2011 in Washington DC. How [...]
GM and Chrysler bonuses; UAW; hydrogen funding evaporated General Motors and Chrysler to give bonuses to employees I completely agree with General Motors and Chrysler that their salaried employees have worked long and hard hours. I understand the desire to compensate them for that work. But should employees be compensated when the company isn't making [...]
I joined Warren Brown, Washington Post journalist since 1982, on his chat line again last week. This is how it started: Warren, great to get this time to chat. My question is based on the electric cars (Volt, Leaf). When is the infrastructure going to be in place (quick charging stations). It is great to [...]
It's the only part of the body, or the car, that touches the ground, the heels and the wheels. We took a few extra seconds to look at the heels & wheels that make up the Chicago auto show press days. We see them at every show, but pay little attention to them; the heels [...]
It's what we all wait for, the first glimpse of the car as it takes it's walk - or drive - down the catwalk. Here are the unveilings from the 2011 Chicago auto show. We saved the best for last, when Ralph Gilles bent down and kissed the steel.
John Krafcik, President & CEO Hyundai North America. I met up with Krafcik at the 2011 Hyundai Elantra launch. We talked about fuel economy and the fact that 100% of Elantra's will have forty miles per gallon. No asterisk!
Daniel F. Akerson is General Motors Chairman and CEO. General Motors sells lots of trucks, lots of trucks. So what happens when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tells you to meet a certain miles per gallon on trucks that might be out of the reach of physics or finances?
Owen Thunes is the Senior Project Engineer at Nissan Technical Center North America. Sacramento, California Area. Owens brought the Nissan Leaf up to my house in Auburn, CA, forty miles from the technical center. Thunes talks about charging the Leaf. How long it takes, how to charge the Leaf, and what to be careful of [...]
Phillip Zak, Hyundai's Chief designer at the 2011 NAIAS showed Warren Brown, washingtonpost.com, and Lou Ann Hammond, CEO, Driving the Nation, around his newest baby, the Hyundai Curb concept. How does Hyundai decide what type of car to design as a concept car? What is missing from Hyundai's lineup? Is there a contest inside of [...]