Mercedes Benz C Class Cup Holder C230, C240 on 2040-parts.com

Amped Up! GM to hire 1,000 engineers and researchers for electric cars

General Motors will hire 1,000 engineers and researchers in Michigan for research and development of electric vehicles, CEO Dan Akerson said on Tuesday morning in Detroit. The new hires will work on batteries, electric motors and power-control technology. Akerson made the announcement at the factory that builds the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Volvo XC40 spotted undisguised in Norway

The Volvo XC40 – the compact SUV / Crossover version of the new Volvo V40 – has been spotted undisguised in Norway ahead of a Paris Motor Show debut. We’ve been hearing for some time that the Volvo XC40 – the latest addition to Volvo’s SUV range and based on the new V40 – is getting close to a public debut, and back in April we reported that the XC40 would, in all probability, arrive at the Paris Motor Show in September. That prediction on the XC40′s fairly imminent arrival has been given additional credence with the first shots of the new Volvo XC40 taken on what appears to be a photo / video shoot on closed roads in Norway – perhaps the debut video for the XC40 in the making?

Infiniti: M can be about mpg or zip

Infiniti will face a new marketing challenge when it introduces its first hybrid vehicle next spring, the 2012 M35h sedan. Since the import brand has never sold a hybrid, officials will be attempting to learn which marketing chord resonates more with its customers: performance or fuel economy. "The marketing will center on the point that hybrids have always been about compromise," says Ben Poore, Infiniti Business Unit vice president.