Obama calls for shared sacrifice in auto bailout

President-elect Barack Obama says he wants to keep tough conditions on automakers that get federal loans. The companies must develop sustainable business models because it would be unacceptable "to keep them on their lifeline through taxpayer dollars in perpetuity," Obama told The Washington Post. Obama said industry restructuring will require "everybody, from labor to management to creditors to shareholders, giving something up." His comments contradict suggestions that the new administration will relax federal loan agreements reached last month with General Motors and Chrysler LLC, possibly with softer demands on the UAW.

BMW i3 EV WILL get BMW motorcycle engine as range extender

BMW’s head of R&D, Herbert Diess, has confirmed the BMW i3 EV will come with the option of a range extender engine. BMW’s head of R&D, Herbert Diess, has confirmed to Automotive News that when the i3 arrives in BMW showrooms at the end of 2013 it will be offered with a range extending engine as well as a pure EV. The range extender engine will be housed in the boot and is derived from a BMW motorcycle engine, and will turn the i3 from a small EV, useful only in confined city environs with a range of around 40 miles, in to a small runaround that has a range of 250 miles.

Peugeot 308 (2014) first pictures of Peugeot's new Focus-fighter

This is Peugeot's all-new family hatchback: the 308. Yep, that's right: Peugeot isn't rolling over to the '309' moniker, but don't be fooled: the new 308's design looks worlds apart from the off-the-pace outgoing car. Sticking with the same model names for all future cars will simplify the range for consumers, reckons Peugeot: it's a demonstration of the fightback to rebuild the brand's image (think Ford ditching the 'Escort' badge and sticking with 'Focus' instead). The new 308 is 140kg lighter than before, more economical and gets a totally rethought cabin.