Dorman 83403 Exterior Door Handle on 2040-parts.com

Jeep Wrangler JK production tops one million

Never mind persistent economic uncertainty and unstable fuel costs, Americans love Jeeps. Compared to nearly anything else on the road, they're far too brash and noisy for anyone to want for daily use, and the majority of Wrangler owners never push 'em anywhere near their limit. But none of that seems to stop us from snatching Wranglers up off dealer lots as quickly as the folks at Jeep's Toledo, Ohio, assembly plant can bolt them together.

Kia goes (dark) green

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 23 September 2008 11:00 Kia has unveiled a portfolio of new environmental technologies, including a 1.4-litre Ceed with stop-start (due in the UK in 2009), a Ceed hybrid and the latest version of its fuel cell-powered Sportage. The Korean manufacturer is investing heavily in research and development and will increase its spend on R&D from £2.2 billion this year to £2.6 billion by 2010, combined with a 40 percent increase in manpower at its research centres around the globe. The money is being spent on developing downsized, turbocharged engines, efficiency improvements to conventional engines such as friction reduction and the separation of accessories like water pumps from the engine.

Some Chevy dealers turn down additional Volt inventory

Some Chevrolet dealers are turning down Volt EVs that General Motors wants to ship to them, a potential stumbling block as GM looks to accelerate sales of the plug-in hybrid. For example, consider the New York City market. Last month, GM allocated 104 Volts to 14 dealerships in the area, according to a person familiar with the matter.