Major Developments Major Developments by Calendar Year

Ford F-150

According to Edmunds.com report of best selling vehicles, consumers gravitated toward American trucks and Japanese sedans in 2010 and the sales of the hybrids fell in the same year. Americans purchased 272,282 hybrid vehicles last year, which is less than 6% when compared to 2009.

Two trucks were among the top three automobile sellers in 2010, the Ford F-150 recorded the most sold vehicle in 2010 and Ford sold 391,219 of the trucks, which is a 38% increase from recession depressed 2009. The second most sold vehicle in US is Chevrolet’s Silverado 1500 and the sales figure is 100,000 less than the trucks sold by Ford.

Toyota Camry

Toyota Camry is a sedan from the Japanese car maker Toyota Kirloskar, is in the third place among the top 10 list. The number of cars sold is 313,212, which is 6 percent less than 2009 because of the recalling issues. Besides the Camry, Honda’s Accord and Civic, Toyota’s Corolla and Nissan’s Altima are among the top 10 list and all these are Japan automakers. Together, the five Japanese sedans sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in 2010.

The above said Sedans may face problems in future with the domestic companies like Ford introducing Focus, Chevrolet has its new Cruze. New generation Elantra, by Hyundai is being awaited, as it is more fuel efficient with nice styling in this segment.

(more…)

The electric cars launched with serious action in the United States includes the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt Leaf. The Chevrolet Volt is the only brand of the mass-produced electric cars in the United States.

Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt Leaf

The Chevrolet Volt is a new plug-in hybrid extended range electric car. It is considered as to be at 99 percent level of engineering calibration according to the General Motors. The power for the vehicle is drawn from lithium-ion batteries and a 1.4-liter engine. The vehicle has a sport mode and provides adjustment for pedal mapping. It is delicate and the vehicle’s default mode is normal. By selecting eco settings climate control can be done. This is one of the most interesting feature of the vehicle.

The vehicle can be able to drive for about 40 miles using the battery alone and without gasoline. The base price of the vehicle revealed by the General Motors is $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit. The Chevrolet Volt has a back up power source and provides premium fuel. This gives the vehicle a range of more than 100 miles. The reputation of the General Motors is expected to be given by the Volt among environmentally conscious consumers. This is involved in demonstrating the capabilities of battery-powered vehicles.

The Chevrolet Volt could be connected to a standard 120-volt outlet for charging the 400-pound battery. The company has been offering eight years of warranty. Otherwise it may provide warranty for 100,000 miles three years longer than what is been offered for the gasoline engines. Certain other features of the Volt include a built-in navigation system and hands-free telephone capabilities.

(more…)