BMW is recalling certain 2011 1-Series Active E an 2012 Z4 vehicle because drivers could experience sudden loss of power steering assist. Variations in electrical currents occurring within the power steering assist system could lead to sudden loss of power steering increasing the effort needed to maneuver the vehicle. Difficulty in steering could increase the chance of the driver getting into an accident. BMW will be notifying owners starting in July and will replace the steering assistance module free of charge. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417.

German automobile manufacturer BMW and Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota have announced that they will be expanding a 2011 agreement between the two companies to share strategic technologies in four different areas. BMW and Toyota emphasized that they have no intentions of building stakes in each others companies. Both say they share the same strategic vision of sustainable individual future mobility and feel their alliance will only strengthen both companies competitive position in sustainable future technologies. The agreement includes:

  • The joint development of a fuel cell system.
  • The joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle.
  • Collaboration on power train electrification.
  • Joint research and development on lightweight technologies.

The agreement will also end any further discussions of BMW working with General Motors and will eventually dissolve a joint venture with France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen to share components for hybrid cars.

A Los Angeles County judge has reversed a court decision to award a former attorney almost $10,000 over fuel economy claims for her 2006 Honda Civic. The case received national attention last year, when Heather Peters opted out of a class action settlement that would have paid Civic hybrid owners up to $200 or $1000 off the purchase of a new car. Honda appealed the court decision, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray reversed the small-claims judgment last Thursday.

According to Gray, the automaker was within its rights to advertise the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy ratings for the vehicle and rejects the idea that it was misleading. He added that Federal regulations control the fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles, but they are only there for comparison among vehicles and don’t take into account conditions that could affect fuel economy such as how people drive and the condition of their vehicle.

Peters lawsuit has prompted almost 40 other Civic owners to seek similar recourse. Honda has already won 18 of the suits and has lost one case, in Santa Barbara, involving a 2003 Civic hybrid. Peters said that although she is disappointed with the final ruling, she is glad she raised awareness that Honda is no longer the great brand it used to be.

With fuel prices on the rise, more Americans are turning to electric and hybrid vehicles for the promise of saving money. Today’s consumer is offered a wider selection of vehicles, advertising better fuel economy with super fuel saving technologies. Even the government has jumped on the bandwagon with significant changes to fuel economy window stickers that estimate what a drivers annual fuel costs and savings will be. But, once the consumer starts looking into buying one of these vehicles, the promise of saving money is not always apparent.

According to recent studies, even if gas prices would climb to $5 a gallon, it would take the average hybrid or electric vehicle, six years before the consumer would start to see any savings. Analysts say that the price of these new technologies is a road block that limits the appeal of fuel efficient cars and trucks. The proof in in the numbers, with hybrid and electric car sales accounting for less than three percent of the total market.

So why do consumers pay more for these advanced technologies that promise to save them money? Many are blinded by advertising, but never actually sit down to do the math, or they overestimate the miles per gallon savings compared to actual savings. Some see the better fuel economy as better for resale, and hope to make up the difference when they sell their vehicle. Others just want to do something for the environment. Regardless of what the reason is, every day that gas prices increase, electric or hybrid automobile owners can feel better about the purchase they made.

Complaints from Chevrolet Volt owners about charging cords overheating and melting have been met with a GM customer satisfaction initiative that will have the 120V charging chords replaced. The initiative will cover all 2011 and certain 2012 version of the hybrid electric car. According to GM spokesman Randal Fox, the new cord will be a larger wire gauge making it more durable and able to withstand higher temperatures. The initiative is not a safety recall, but an effort by GM to offer a more consistent charging experience. GM will contact owners about the new cord in a few weeks.

This Chevrolet Volt cord replacement follows an announcement in January, that had owners bringing in their vehicles to have steel plates added around the Volt Battery. These plates are installed to spread the force of an impact over a larger surface area preventing the battery from being damaged. This battery upgrade came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) experienced a battery fire three weeks after crash tests were done on a Volt.

General Motors Co. has announced that they will stop production of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid vehicle for five weeks to allow their surplus of inventory to be depleted. This will be the third time that production of the Volt has been stopped for at least a month since the car first went on sale in December 2010. The lack of interest in the Chevy volt is being blamed on several factors:

  • A recent NHTSA investigation into battery fires resulting after crash testing.
  • The lack of charging stations in some states.
  • Electric car technology is still relatively new and problems need to be solved before it can be attractive to the mass market, the biggest complaints being lack of range and performance.
  • The production of electric vehicles by other automobile manufacturers.

GM hoped to sell 10,000 Volts last year, but ended up selling just over 7,600. Some feel the promotion of the electric vehicle by the Obama administration has failed. Even as gas prices continue to climb and government incentives are used, it is still not enough to get consumers to buy electric cars. The plant shutdown is expected to lay off almost 1,300 workers, and slow down companies that supply parts and batteries for the Volt.

The car pool lane is a roadway reserved for vehicles with at a specified number of occupants. These high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) may have the appearance of being lightly traveled, but statistics show that they carry more people per lane with fewer vehicles and usually at higher speeds. Some places allow hybrid and electric vehicles to access these lanes to encourage the use of a more environmentally friendly means of transportation.

Other states are looking at the concept of putting a price on the convenience of using HOV roadways. They say that tolls would not only raise money to maintain the roads but could manage traffic congestion as well. Motorist would be allowed to “buy their way” into the express lanes using an electronic transponder that logs how long and at what time of day the driver accesses them.

While the goal of the program is to keep traffic in the restricted lane moving at a reliable pace, a coalition of local groups say allowing people to by their way into the lane is having the opposite effect, and they have petitioning to have the program suspended. The state of California has recently restricted some older hybrids from HOV lanes because they were becoming too congested.

General Motors is asking its Chevrolet Volt customers to return their vehicles to dealers so they can make repairs that will lower the risk of battery fires. The announcement comes after an investigation into a battery fire that consumed three vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test facility. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles catching fire. GM and federal safety officials believe that the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic casing around the batteries after a side-impact collisions. That coolant caused an electrical short, which sparked battery fires seven days to three weeks after the crashes.

Dealers will add steel plates around the Volt battery that will spread the force of a crash over a larger surface area. Tests carried out by GM and the government have shown that the repairs prevent battery damage and coolant leaks.