• E.P.A. Set to Reveal Changes In Fuel Economy Calculations
   By MICHELINE MAYNARD

January 6, 2006

DETROIT, Jan. 6 - The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to unveil next week long-awaited changes in the way that it calculates fuel economy ratings for cars and trucks.

The agency is scheduled to announce the action at a news conference on Thursday in Detroit. The announcement falls during the preview days for the North American International Auto Show, which opens to the public next Saturday.

The new standards, under consideration for months, would be the first revision in determining fuel economy ratings in 20 years. The goal is to have final standards in place for vehicles made for the 2008 model year, which will go on sale in 2007, E.P.A. officials said late last year.

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• Ford recalls 3.8 million pickups, SUVs; Toyota recalling nearly 1 million vehicles
   AP Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report. Detroit Free Press Inc.

September 7, 2005, 2:19 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday recalled 3.8 million pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles for a cruise control switch suspected of causing engine fires. It is the fifth largest auto industry recall in U.S. history.

Ford said the recall of 1994-2002 model-year vehicles includes the company's hot-selling F-150 pickup truck, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and Ford Bronco. The company said it would start sending out recall notices to vehicle owners immediately.

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• The Cost of Idling By C. CLAIBORNE RAY

Q. If my car will be idling for just a few minutes, am I using more gas by letting it run or by shutting it off and restarting it?

A. Automotive authorities from government to industry agree that with modern cars, it is almost always more economical to stop the engine and restart it when ready to move, even if the idling period is only a minute, and sometimes even less.

The exception occurs when the car is not warmed up and the waiting time is really only a moment, say at a stoplight, said Charles E. Freese V, an engineer who is executive director of diesel engineering at General Motors.

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• Congress Caps Credits for Hybrid Cars By: JEREMY W. PETERS

Congress Caps Credits for Hybrid Cars

DETROIT, July 29 - Tucked away on page 1,391 of the 1,724-page energy bill approved by Congress this week is a new tax credit intended to make fuel-efficient vehicles like hybrids more appealing to consumers. But as is often the case with tax credits, the devil is in the details.

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• Highway Bill Imposes Strict Car Safety Rules By:DANNY HAKIM (NY TIMES)

Highway Bill Imposes Strict Car Safety Rules

DETROIT, July 29 - Sweeping auto safety initiatives make a transportation bill passed by Congress on Friday the most comprehensive legislation of its kind in years.

As part of the bill, Congress is ordering the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to impose a number of more stringent safety measures, including the first performance standards aimed at decreasing the likelihood of a rollover, a particularly deadly kind of accident that claims more than 10,000 American lives annually. Currently, the agency conducts rollover