UK Government cuts car aid, EV grants at risk

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 30 June 2010 15:48 Britain's business secretary Vince Cable today fired a warning shot across the bows of the car industry, saying that subsidies would end and warning that the pledged £5000 subsidy off the first electric cars was in peril.'Our starting point is very clear,' he told delegates at an automotive summit arranged by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. 'We've moved on from the era of subsidies. We just have to be realistic about what's affordable.'Cable said the new coalition Conservative-Liberal Government had not yet decided whether or how to implement the new low-carbon vehicle subsidies promised under Labour, which had set aside £250m in initial funding.'It is still actively under consideration,' said Cable.

Chevrolet Volt fire probe is closed, NHTSA says

U.S. safety regulators said Friday that they've closed an eight-week investigation into the Chevrolet Volt, concluding that the plug-in hybrid's battery doesn't pose a significant fire risk following a crash. In a statement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it "does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles." The agency said that modifications intended to reinforce the Volt's 435-pound lithium-ion battery pack that General Motors announced on Jan.

Chrysler offers to double cash-for-guzzlers incentive on most '09 models

The Chrysler Group is offering consumers $4,500 on most of its 2009 models, doubling the cash-for-guzzlers incentive offered by the federal government. "Double Ca$h for Your Old Car," offers up to $4,500 cash or 0 percent financing for 72 months on qualifying new vehicles, even if the consumer's trade-in doesn't qualify for the federal incentive. The program starts Thursday, July 23, and runs through August, Chrysler announced Wednesday.