Autoline Daily

Europe’s financial troubles are starting to hurt automakers, forcing them to cut costs wherever they can. Peugeot just announced that it’s dropping out of the 24 hours of Le Mans this year. Kia is going back to the drawing board to improve the stop/start system in its Rio and Soul models. As we told you when the story first broke a couple of years ago, Toyota’s problems with unintended acceleration were largely due to driver error, and now the National Academy of Sciences concluded the same thing. All that and more, plus John answers your questions in the "You Said It" segment.

The average age of vehicles on roads in the U.S. increased again last year to 10.8 years. Mercedes-Benz is considering exporting engines built in the U.S. Japanese conversion company, Campinn just unveiled a camper add-on for the Toyota Prius at the Tokyo Auto Salon. All that and more, plus guest host Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press shares his hits and misses from this year’s Detroit Auto Show.

All the world is watching the Eurozone right now, and the news is very pessimistic as consumer confidence plummets and unemployment rises. But maybe some new product will help. Fiat will introduce a five-door version of its scrappy little 500 at the Geneva Motor Show in March. A great bit of news for Chrysler: it can’t keep up with demand for the Jeep Wrangler. All that and more, plus a look at Mazda’s Skyactiv technology.

General Motors lost two of its top executives. Mike Arcamone, the head of GM’s operations in South Korea left the company, as well as the head of its Powertrain Operations, Tom Stephens. Heavy-duty truck sales in the U.S. were up 41 percent last year. Several automakers in Europe could be fined for not hitting emission targets. All that and more, plus Ford’s Jim Farley talks about how and why social media can start selling cars before they’re even in the showroom.

Audi unveiled a new technology called Traffic Jam Assist at CES which autonomously drives a car at speeds up to 37 MPH. Electric cars and fuel cell vehicles are selling so poorly in China, the government will drop the sales tax on those cars in an effort to boost sales. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class hybrid comes with a feature that allows the car to cruise along on battery power alone. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about how African-American men essentially saved Cadillac in the depths of the Great Depression.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are engaged in a knock-down slug-fest to claim the No. 1 sales race for luxury cars in the American market, yet both companies claim they have no interest in the top sales slot. Rolls-Royce had its best sales year ever in 2011, selling more than 3,500 cars. Mopar announced the availability of a laundry list of accessories for the new 2013 Dodge Dart. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and responds to your comments in the "You Said It" segment.

Join John McElroy as he hits some of the highlights of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Falcon Motor Sports revealed a light-weight sports car called the F7. Mercedes is going back in time with a display of its 1952 SL. Honda and Lincoln unveiled concepts that hint at the future design for both companies. All that and more, plus find out which car a panel of designers voted the best looking at the show.

Join John McElroy as he hits some of the highlights of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. There were a lot of BIG reveals to be seen this year including the brand-new 2013 Ford Fusion, a duet of radical concepts from Chevrolet and a cherry-red bombshell with a Lexus badge. Find out about all of these exciting vehicles and more.

Tata Technologies, the engineering services company that’s part of Tata, is revealing a compact four-seater called the eMO—short for Electric Mobility. Opel is celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year. BASF is showing off a plastic wheel concept, the world’s first production ready plastic wheel which reduces weight by 30 percent compared to aluminum wheels. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Lexus GS.

A survey of automotive executives found a majority believe the electric car market will be less than 15 percent of car sales by 2025. The Chinese government is removing incentives and streamlined approval processes for foreign automakers, but will keep them in place for state-owned car companies. The new Chevrolet Sail just made its debut at the New Delhi Auto Expo. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the finalists for the North American Truck of the Year award.