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What's different about electric cars this time? A column by Kevin A. Wilson

Thirteen years after the General Motors EV1 was rolled out to cheers from advocates of a revolution in the way we power automobiles, those same advocates are out front cheerleading yet another revival of an idea as old as the automobile itself: Run 'em on batteries. Batteries aren't a source of energy. They're just storage units, a convenient means of making power portable.

Saturn has interested buyers, GM says

Saturn is attracting interest from a "few" parties that might want to acquire the brand, a General Motors spokesman said Thursday. GM has hired Steve Girsky, formerly senior auto analyst for Morgan Stanley, to help advise on any possible Saturn deals. Saturn spokesman Steve Janisse said, "There is interest from investors in doing a spinoff, and there are other entities interested in just buying it." He said he does not know whether the interested parties are other automakers.

60 years of Unimog spawns off-roader concept

Mercedes-Benz is paying tribute to 60 years of Unimog trucks with a mean, green off-roader concept that the company claims stands for future versatility in vehicle design. In a nod to the first Mercedes Unimog--built in 1951 and reinstated with the 2010 product range--the team of Mercedes and Daimler designers gave the 2011 design concept an open cab. They injected the U 5000's off-road capabilities into the equation as well, drawing on the truck's historic design strengths.