Autoline Daily

For more than 50 years the Arabian Peninsula has fueled the modern world, but the easy pickens are rapidly becoming slim pickens as supplies of high-quality light-crude oil dwindle. Louis Renault’s heirs are suing the French government for seizing the company back in 1944 and not providing them with any compensation. Mercedes-Benz is seriously considering bringing its Vito utility van to the U.S. as a compliment to the larger Sprinter. All that and more, plus we attempt a bit of a cannonball run in Kia’s new SX vehicles.

A company called Planning Perspectives, which tracks supplier relations, says the Detroit Three have improved dramatically, while the Japanese, in the words of the study’s author, "have lost their way." Volkswagen, at its new plant in Tennessee, will be paying its hourly workers $27 an hour, including wages and benefits. That compares to about $52 an hour for GM and Chrysler and $58 at Ford. The average age of cars and trucks on the roads in the U.S. is getting older. All that and more, plus a look at the convertible version of the Camaro 2SS.

The Obama Administration has dropped its idea of handing out letter grades to vehicles based on their fuel economy. J.D. Power says that car sales in May will drop. It forecasts the SAAR at just 11.9 million units which was previously at 13 million units. Auto supplier TRW just introduced an airbag that's installed in the roof which replaces the passenger airbag mounted in the instrument panel. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline Detroit with Paul Mascarenas, the Chief Technology Officer of the Ford Motor Company.

Earlier this week the Consumer Federation of America said that Americans overwhelmingly support raising the fuel economy standard to over 60 miles per gallon . . . but they have no idea what it's going to cost them! Audi's next-generation A6 Avant is scheduled for take off late this summer. There’s a storm brewing between Johnson Controls and its battery partner, French company Saft Groupe. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the "You Said It!" segment.

A couple new studies just released differ on how much the auto industry will recover in the U.S. One says sales will rebound to pre-recession levels of 16 million units by 2013, the other predicts sales will be 14.5 million in 2013. And speaking of car sales, a new report says Japanese automakers could lose 193,000 sales in the American market this year. Saab is aiming to restart production next week at its plant in Sweden. All that and more, plus a look at how the EPA tests and certifies engines.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel just unveiled plans to double financial aid to German automakers, with the goal of getting 1 million EVs on the country's roads by the end of the decade. Cadillac is gearing up for the debut of its new XTS by selling off the DTS and STS models it will replace. Audi is capacity constrained right now but at least it has a sense of humor about the situation. All that and more, plus a look at the updated 2012 Honda Civic.

Major automotive retailers in the U.S. are running out of inventory because of production disruptions in Japan due to the earthquake. Saab says it now has another last minute deal with Chinese automaker, Pangda which will reportedly pay $92 million for 24% of Saab. Toyota and Volkswagen have banned tobacco use at two of their plants in the U.S. All that and more, plus a look at a website Johnson Controls just launched that's designed to educate consumers about the benefits of hybrid cars.

Chinese automaker Hawtai says its deal with Saab fell through due to "economic realities," not because it couldn't get the proper permits from the Chinese government. NASCAR's Tony Stewart and F1's Lewis Hamilton are going to trade cars in a demonstration run at Watkins Glen. The head of Bosch's North and South American operations predicts diesel powered cars and trucks will make up 10% of all new car sales in the U.S. by 2015. All that and more plus, we find out why it’s taking so long for the EPA to get the hydraulic hybrid it developed to the marketplace.

Earlier this week GM announced it will be hiring 4,200 workers at its plants in the U.S., and now Bloomberg reports that Chrysler may add 3,000 more jobs, too. And in another indication the American economy is clawing its way back, the big-truck segment had its best sales month of the year in April. The saga at Saab is going from bad to worse. The Swedish automaker thought it had a deal with Chinese car company Hawtai, but the deal collapsed this morning. All that and more, plus John thinks it's time to raise the speed limit in a BIG way.

Toyota reported its net profit fell by 77% in its fourth quarter due to the earthquake in Japan and the strong value of the yen. The first hydrogen fueling station in the U.S. fed directly from an existing hydrogen pipeline opened yesterday. Google is lobbying the state of Arizona for it to become the first place in the world to allow autonomous cars to drive legally on streets. All that and more, plus a look at the EPA's hydraulic hybrid technology which could help cut the cost of making hybrid vehicles.