Posts by: Scott Webb

RIP Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200

This past Friday, I wrote a piece for the Auto Publishers blog detailing Fiat Chrysler’s plans to emphasize production of crossovers, SUVs and trucks. FCA’s logic for this change is as follows: a) big vehicles, specifically pickups, jeeps and SUVs, are the big moneymakers in today’s auto market and b) current fuel prices make purchasing gas-guzzling vehicles a more palatable option now than in yea

As Gas Prices Drop, Will the RAV4 Hybrid Replace the Prius?

In my most recent post about FCA, I elaborated on how Fiat Chrysler’s minivan and SUV expansion was based on the assumption that gas will remain cheap in the foreseeable future. The folks at Toyota looked at the same gas-price data and concluded it was a reason to winnow down its line of Prius vehicles. According to Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz, his company is currently considering whether

Altima Hood Latch Problems Cause Nissan to Issue Recalls

On January 29th, 2016, the Nissan Motor Company issued a statement saying that it plans to recall approximately 870,000 Nissan vehicles in Canada and the United States for hood latch issues. This is not the first time that the major corporation has recalled vehicles for related problems, and this recent decision is the third time that the automaker has scheduled to recall vehicles since 2014. The

Tesla Model 3: An Electric Vehicle for the Common Man (and Woman)

Whenever Tesla head honcho Elon Musk talks or tweets, it’s bound to be an event. Therefore, it’s no surprise that our collective ears would perk up when discussing a new vehicle rollout, particularly when said vehicle purports to be Tesla’s most affordable model yet. In a conference call with investors, Musk announced that the long-awaited Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle would be unveiled this Mar

The 2016 Ford Explorer Offers Style and Value

As the vehicle that started America’s love affair with the SUV, the Ford Explorer has plenty to live up to year after year. With its new grille, high-tech features and zippy performance, the 2016 doesn’t disappoint. The Sport model looks a little sharper than earlier incarnations. In addition, the auto company added a Platinum trim version for car buyers who want every available vehicle feature in

New 1982 Delorean Replicas Slated for Early 2017

With changes to safety and other regulations, it has been illegal for certain vehicles to be mass-produced. However, this is expected to change with the newly approved Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015, which will allow DeLorean Motor Company to produce replicas of its 1982 DeLorean in Humble, Texas. More than 30 years ago, DMC-Texas acquired what remained of the original DeLorean

Volvo Plans to Make Death-Proof Vehicles

Volvo just made a bold promise. The car company vowed that by the year 2020, its cars and SUVs will be death-proof. Lex Kerssemakers, the CEO of the company’s North America division, commented on the promise. He said, “If you meet Swedish engineers, they’re pretty genuine. They don’t say things when they don’t believe in it.” Predicting the Future The car compan

FCA Bets on Gas Prices Staying Low Forever

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (better known as FCA) released its updated North American business plan, and to be sure they provided some tasty morsels for auto fans to chew over. The FCA plan, which extends to the end of 2020, can be summarized thusly: make fewer small cars in favor of more Jeeps and trucks. On the surface, these don’t sound like bad ideas at all. In fact, they more or less accuratel

Who’s to Blame for Self-Driving Vehicle Crashes?

In a previous Auto Publishers article, I made the case that self-driving vehicle technology is far more advanced than the public imagines. Indeed, the argument can be made that these vehicles are better at driving than humans. Where self-driving vehicles like the Google Car (pictured) often fall short is their strict adherence to the rules of the road. While it may sound counterintuitive, the bigg

Autonomous Uber Vehicles: A Threat to the Personal Vehicle?

Car makers have recently felt some new pressure and the threat of competition with the announcement that Uber, an extremely valuable start-up company, was in the process of developing autonomous vehicles. This means that, potentially, drivers could use a simple app to order up their own driverless taxi to go anywhere they need to go, as opposed to owning and driving their own car. Uber is in the p