Jalopnik
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Carpocalypse
U.S. House Narrowly Passes Watered-Down Cash For Clunkers Bill
The U.S. House narrowly passed the scaled-back version of the "Cash For Clunkers" bill giving consumers cash vouchers of between $3,500 and $4,500 if they trade in their cars for newer vehicles. More » -
Carpocalypse
Treasury Announces Further Tax Deductions For 2009 Car Buyers
The U.S. Department of Treasury today announced a tax deduction for the purchase of new motor vehicles is available in states that don't have a sales tax. The deduction's limited to fees or taxes paid up to $49,500. More » -
Carpocalypse
The U.S. House could vote on the "Cash For Clunkers" bill today. [WILX]
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Carpocalypse
U.S. Supreme Court delays sale of Chrysler to Fiat. [Freep]
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Carpocalypse
Decision from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court on Chrysler-Fiat deal today. [Freep]
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government
Lawmaker wants mileage-based tax on vehicles. [Detroit News]
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Carpocalypse
Chrysler Financial refuses $750 million federal loan due to limits on pay. [WashingtonPost]
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Carpocalypse
US Government Orders $285 Million In New Cars From Detroit
Seems the US Government is looking to get more than IOU's when it shovels money at Detroit. The General Services Administration plans to buy $285 million in vehicles from Chrysler, Ford, and GM. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by MustangMike: Too bad the big three don't really make any money on these types of cars. 10 Responses | Other threads
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government
Detroit Lawmaker Proposes Texting-While-Driving Ban, Angers Youth
A Detroit legislator is trying for the second time to put a stop to texting while driving in Michigan, pursuing legislation levying a misdemeanor and hefty fine on perpetrators. More »
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Comment by something_unique_and_descriptive: Okay, first of all, I'm 23 and in IT, so I'm not some old, out of touch, neophyte... but could... 6 Responses | Other threads
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Carpocalypse
GM won't need $2 billion of your tax dollars. [CNBC]
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industry news
"Please give us more money." [Marketplace]
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industry news
One-fourth of Americans support aid for automakers. [USA Today]
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yes we can
Obama Thinks America Invented The Automobile
In tonight's mini-State of the Union, President Obama said the "nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it." One problem. We didn't. That would be Karl Benz, in Mannheim, Germany. Just sayin'... [NYT]
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By Ray WertComment by Syrax: He wouldn't know, since he's not american. 37 Responses | Other threads
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Carpocalypse Now
First Meeting Of White House Auto Task Force Going On Right Now
Wouldn't you just love to be a fly on the White House auto task force wall. We know we would. What do you suppose they're saying in there? [CNBC] -
i feel gassy
Massachusetts Looking At "Hummer Tax" For "Gas-Guzzlers"
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday he's looking at what's being termed a "Hummer tax" — basically, higher registration fees for larger vehicles and discounts for those that do "less harm" to the environment. More »
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By Ray WertComment by Ash78: How about a toll based on your vehicle weight? That sounds like the best proxy for what this is trying... 25 Responses | Other threads
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2008 Sichuan Earthquake
Chinese Local Gov't Spends Millions On Luxury Cars After 2008 Earthquake
In 2008, China was devastated by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake causing an estimated 87,000 casualties. One trillion yuan (about $146 billion) was given for rebuilding, but some claim the money was used for luxury goods. More » -
Carpocalypse Now
New Car Tax Credit Added To Stimulus Package
Want a tax break? Buy a new hybrid, right? Wrong. A Senate amendment added to the House stimulus package offers tax breaks on purchase of practically any new vehicle under $50,000. If it passes. More » -
chevy volt
Chevy Announces "Plug-In-Ready" Initiative To Wire Communities For Volt
Most interest in the 2011 Chevy Volt has until now been directed at the battery and drivetrain. Now GM is looking to work with communities to make sure they're ready with plug-in power. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by RLJ676-LS3 Commuter Car - for the environment: Has anyone quantified how much enviromental impact a traditional coal burning plant has when creating the power for, say, the... 18 Responses | Other threads
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industry news
REPORT: Ford may need government help by Fall 2009. [CNBC]
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ford fusion hybrid
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Qualifies For $3,400 Federal Hybrid Tax Credit
Buyers of the 2010 Fusion Hybrid or Mercury Milan Hybrid will qualify for a $3,400 tax credit, the highest credit ever offered for hybrids purchased or placed in service after December 31, 2005. More »
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By Ray WertComment by Deartháir - Now with more Unemployment™!: OH BOY! IT-- ... Nope, still don't give a fuck. Clean diesel? No? Nothing? 15 Responses | Other threads
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electric vehicles
Senate Finance Committee Proposes Boosting Plug-In Tax Credits
Senate Finance Committee markup of President Obama's stimulus package added a proposal modifying the plug-in electric car credit by doubling automaker vehicle limitations, upping the max credit to $15,000 and cutting low-speed vehicle credits. [GreenCarCongress]
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By Ray WertComment by Deartháir - Now with more Unemployment™!: While they're at it they'd better add a few bucks to make sure automakers design a plug in that works.... 16 Responses | Other threads
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government
Sure, But Who Will Build Them?
As President Obama today addressed his desire for the fuel-efficient cars of the future to be built here, the following news flash shot across the bottom of the screen. Ironic? A bit, yes. [CNBC]
7,651
By Ray WertComment by Karpet: Fuck global warming, fuck Al Gore. This is all bullshit. Frustration prohibits me from producing a tangible and... 48 Responses | Other threads
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fuel economy
REPORT: Obama To Allow California To Set Auto Emissions Standards
President Obama plans to remove federal opposition to statewide automobile emissions standards today, allowing California and other states to regulate emissions above-and-beyond federal guidelines and possibly putting political expediency above good public policy. More »
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Comment by PetroSapien: This would have been a good time for Mr. Obama to pull out one of his President Lincoln quotes: "A... 12 Responses | Other threads
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cash for clunkers
"Cash For Clunkers" Bill Will Endanger Entire Crop Of Malaise Steel
Washington politicians, drunk with power from the inauguration of The One, want to offer you cash to take your clunker off the road to buy a new greener car. Worst idea ever. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Ash78: I applaud you guys for being (apparently) the only one of the family of sites not completely smitten with Jesus... 43 Responses | Other threads
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government
Clueless hack tapped to be Obama's Transportation Czar. [BoingBoing]
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Carpocalypse Now
Report: Ford, U.S. Treasury in talks on TARP financing. [Reuters]
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Carpocalypse Now
White House "Looking At All Options," Toyota Stock Drops 10%, Honda Cuts Production
The Carpocalypse draws nigh after Senate Republicans lanced last night's bailout. In response, the White House now says "all options are on the table" and Toyota's scared after its stock drops 10%. -
Carpocalypse Now
Grading The Not-So-Big Three's "Bailout" Plans
We spent the night reading the the not-so-Big Three's business plans presented yesterday to Congress and after we graded them below, we've one huge question. Given the Carpocalypse, what's with the overwhelmingly optimistic sales projections for the next three years? -
government
Hoon Appointed UK Secretary Of State For Transport
Well, Hoon by name if not by nature. Geoff Hoon, former Secretary of State for Defense, was appointed the United Kingdom’s Secretary Of State For Transport back in October. Could this be a good thing? Surely anyone named Hoon can’t be all evil, right? More »
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By Wes SilerComment by Rust-MyEnemy: Firstly, Geoff Hoon is an Oxymoron with the emphasis on Moron. Other favoured oxymorons include Peacekeeping Force, Fun Run and Skoda... 8 Responses | Other threads
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Save GM
GM Tries Making The Case To "Save GM" On YouTube
One of the biggest problems we've had with the request U.S. automakers have made for financial assistance from the Feds to avoid bankruptcy has been a lack of centralized message. The General's apparently trying to change that, this by heading to YouTube by way of their GMFactsandFiction website. The video, titled "The U.S. Auto Industry and the Ripple Effect," aims to make the case for the Feds to "Save GM." For starters, they're claiming one out of every 10 people in America is employed in a service related to the auto industry. If that number's correct, (which we think may be a little bit exaggerated — but not by much) nearly three million jobs would be lost in the first year after the collapse of the U.S. auto industry, with another 2.5 million to follow over the next two years. In addition, they're claiming personal income in the United States would drop by more than $150.7 billion in the first year with the cost to local, state and federal governments hitting a staggering $156.4 billion over three years in lost taxes plus unemployment and health care assistance. Hit the jump to see the video and to read the rest of the talking points. We're still waiting for the talking heads to advocate buying Save GM t-shirts. More »
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By Ray WertComment by TampaRon: I was behind a new Kia Sportage over the weekend and it got me thinking about the save GM debacle.... 22 Responses | Other threads
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Financiapocalypse
Participate In Federally-Funded Road Survey, Make $895
It's no surprise people are driving less because of the financiapocalypse, leaving the US Department of Transportation rightly worried the Federal Highway Trust Fund could continue to dry up. The solution? A study, of course. We've found a federally-funded study at the University of Iowa looking to fit GPS tracking units onto participant's cars to determine if a pay-per-mile system would be more feasible than the current gas tax. Here's the fun part — if you live in one of the six test cities and you're chosen to participate in the eight-month study, you'll receive $895. Sounds like reasonable compensation for letting Big Brother know your every move. And hey, we can all use the dough at the moment, can't we? Hit the jump to see if you qualify. More »
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Comment by The Black Bottle: Excuse my ignorance but what/who are the 'Quad Cities'? I've never heard or seen this term used before. To those... 12 Responses | Other threads
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i feel gassy
Sen. Larry Craig: Foreigners Shouldn't "Jerk Us Around By The Gas Nozzle"
Senator Larry Craig (R-Bathroom Fondling) was the member with the balls to grandstand in front of the open Senate in pursuit of relaxing the congressional ban on offshore drilling ban on some coastal areas. From every other distinguished member of the Senate, this wouldn't be funny. But then again, not every other member of the Senate have been busted trying to allegedly fool around in the men's room. [CrooksandLiars]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by superbmtsub: From the sounds of it, Senator Larry Craig's part-time hobby of flying to and from Minneapolis is finally hitting his... more » | Other threads
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offbeat news
Car Thief Gets Parking Ticket, Owner Gets Fine
A victim of car theft in Washington DC is being pestered by a collection agency to pay up on an 18-month-old parking ticket written while the car was on it's leave of absence from its rightful owner. Steve Steinberg has vowed never to pay the $205 fine and is wondering why the car didn't come up as stolen when the ticket was being written — a fair question if you ask us. Of course the local officials are blaming the fine on Steinberg's lack of action on the ticket, but of course that doesn't stand up when the old boy waves a fist full of letters he sent to the DMV on the subject. [WUSA9]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by respawn: Actually, I know from very recent experience, that the police in my city don't check the plates when the write... more » | Other threads
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offbeat news
Louisana Traffic Official Fights The Law And The Law's Him
From the department of "do what I say, not what I do" comes this awesome story out of Lafayette, Louisiana playing perfectly into our dislike and mistrust of government nanny bureaucracy. Tony Tramel, the Director of Transportation for Lafayette Consolidated Government, is the chap tasked with monitoring and approving tickets issued by speed cameras. Mr. Tramel was recently caught with a radar detector mounted in the windshield of his personal car. Huh? We're confused. We thought the only reason to install a radar detector is to speed and flaunt the law, which doesn't really make any sense. Couldn't he just trash the camera images of him speeding and be off the hook? Fox guarding the hen house indeed. (Hat tip to Richard!) [TheNewspaper (these guys might want to consider a better marketing department)]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by LandofMinos, I took the O out of Cuntry: Is it true that hairspray works in concealing your licences plate? I know they tried this on Mythbusters, but nowadays... more » | Other threads
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industry news
Toyota Claims Jim Press Is A Liar, Pants Are On Fire: Prius Development Didn't Use Government Dollars
Today the super number-one best automaker from the land of the rising sun provided us the automotive industry equivalent of yelling "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" at their former President of Toyota USA, Jim Press. Press, now President of Chrysler, claimed last week in an article in BusinessWeek that 100% of development of the battery and hybrid engine for the automaker's happy little hybrid, the Prius, occurred via a fat injection of government dollars. This claim had been widely speculated at in the past, but much like the existence of the Yeti, "Nessie" and the affordable lightweight mid-size performance coupe, proof was in short supply. However, Press's comments to Newsweek last week were akin to pulling out the tail of a giant Icyosauropodasaurthing from the depths of a Scottish Loch. Now, Toyota's fightin' back. Here's what spokesman Paul Nolasco now claims: More » -
news
Red Light Cameras Not Generating Enough Money, Turned Off In Dallas
We've been debating the validity of red light cameras for quite some time now, but if you need some more evidence for or against them, take a look at what my glorious home city has done. Dallas has decided to "idle" (or shut off) a quarter of the 62 red light cameras scattered around the city because they do not generate enough money to pay for themselves thereby leaving non-functional cameras still up and hopefully still deterring red-runners. More »
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Comment by something_unique_and_descriptive: The fact that they had a "revenue goal" should tell you something. more » | Other threads
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offbeat news
Reckless Driver Lane Coming Soon
The Onion has scooped the latest details coming out of Washington regarding reckless drivers. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters has reportedly approved a ridiculously large $270 billion project that would build lanes all across the U.S. for drivers identified as reckless. Peters told The OnionThese new lanes are for the millions of drivers who can't be bothered with speed limits, turn signal use, or not careening madly out into oncoming traffic. Whether hell-bent on putting themselves and everyone around them in danger or just drunk off their gourds and out for a simple joyride, America's reckless will no longer be forced to putter along with careful, conscientious, considerate citizens.
More »
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Comment by SundaySunday: Will this lane have randomly-placed hay bales, fruit stands, and flatbed tow trucks with the bed conveniently placed in ramp... more » | Other threads
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industry news
State Of The Union: Bush Pays Weak Lip Service To Automotive Technological Innovation
As opposed to previous years, the president used only a small part of his State of the Union address to talk about the importance of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. We've read and reread the portion of the speech dedicated to energy and... well... there isn't much there. Mostly, he talked about funding the American Competitiveness Initiative, which is a holdover from the 2006 SOTU. He also alluded to the need to sign an international greenhouse gas agreement, which is the Kyoto Protocol, but said: "This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride." In case you didn't get that, he's talking about China and India, which have exemptions as economies that are still developing. The full text of his section about hybrids and batteries below the jump: More » -
government
REAL ID, Really: Secure Driver's License Rule Changes Proposed
It's called the REAL ID Act, and supporters claim it's a law designed to make it harder and more frustrating for terrorists and con artists to get government-issued ID. The Feds have spent the past couple of years working on all the deets, and now they've got 'em some rules which apparently they'll be looking to unveil today. As we'd expect, the ACLU's got some issues with it, declaring "REAL ID amounts to the "first-ever national identity card system," which "would irreparably damage the fabric of American life..." But yesterday DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff strangely responded to reporters:"We worked very closely with the states in terms of developing a plan that I think will be inexpensive, reasonable to implement and produce the results," he said. "This is a win-win. As long as people use driver's licenses to identify themselves for whatever reason there's no reason for those licenses to be easily counterfeited or tampered with."
Yeah, well some people don't use driver's licenses to just identify themselves — sometimes they use them to identify themselves as other people for nefarious purposes — isn't that why the Feds were proposing a new ID system? We're big fans of civil liberties and state's rights 'round these here parts in case you haven't noticed — and a couple of the provisions stick in our craw a bit. The details of how DHS wants to stop pretending and start getting REAL are below the jump. More »
government
Detroit, 5:39 PM
Sat Jul 11
18 posts in the last 24 hours
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