99 Chevy Venture Ipc Instrument Cluster on 2040-parts.com

Consumer Reports gets top vehicle picks mostly right

Despite the publication's uncomfortably broad definition of reliability -- it spans everything from "the engine fell out" to "the touchscreen display shows fingerprints too easily" -- automakers still clamor to get on the Consumer Reports recommended vehicle list. This year's winners cover a broad spectrum of vehicles, and for the most part, we're in agreement with the magazine's editors, with one significant exception at the top of the list. Best overall vehicle went to the Tesla Model S.

British EV prototype competes for $10m prize

A Silverstone-based company has emerged as the only British (and European) contender for the $10m Automotive X-Prize, a competition to find the most environmentally friendly car on the planet. Delta Motorsport’s E-4 Coupe concept has been accepted into the next stage of the X-Prize competition and the company now has to prepare a fully functioning prototype. Backed by an American insurance company, the X-Prize was set up to 'inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change'.

Chevrolet is taking orders nationwide for the 2012 Volt

Chevrolet has opened the order window for the 2012 Volt to buyers in all 50 states. The 2012 model carries a base price of $39,995, including an $850 destination charge. That's $1,005 less than the base price of the 2011 model because the navigation system is now optional instead of standard equipment.