American auto giant General Motors (GM) is recalling a whopping 193,652 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from model years 2006 and 2007 to fix a technical glitch that can cause an electrical short and the resulting fire.

The massive recall affects a number of brands, including the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Saab 9-7x, GMC Envoy and Isuzu Ascender SUVs. Of the total number of recalled vehicles, most are in the United States.

North Carolina lawmakers are planning to tax hybrid and electric cars to make their owners contribute their share toward maintaining the roads & services they use.

Gas taxes are the biggest source of transportation funding in the United States. According to figures released by the National Conference of State Legislatures, gas taxes account for around 40 per cent of highway revenues in North Carolina and a whopping 90 per cent at the federal level.

Auto giant Toyota recently introduced the world to a new version of the compact Corolla at an event in Santa Monica, California.

The new version, which the world's largest automaker introduced in a bid to attract new, younger buyers to the brand, is longer and boasts an athletic look that makes it look quit closer to a sports car.

The 2014 version has received a new transmission and suspension along with several enhanced interior features, which according to Toyota's claims makes the car more luxurious.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday formally launched one of the world's biggest bike share programs allowing people to rent bikes to go around the Big Apple.

In the first phase of the network, six thousand blue "Citi Bikes" have been distributed among a total of 333 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Gradually, the network will be expanded to 10,000 bikes at nearly 600 stations.

Nearly 14,000 New Yorkers have reportedly already paid an annual subscription fee of $103 to get entitled to unlimited rides of 45 minutes.

Tesla Motors founder & chief executive Elon Musk has reiterated that his company would offer a compact electric vehicle (EV) that would be more affordable than the Model S and better than the Nissan Leaf.

Mr. Musk said that the Model S is a compelling car but it is too expensive to afford for most people; while the Nissan Leaf is cheap, but it is not great.

He stressed that the world needed is a great as well as affordable electric car, which Tesla would provide.

In a bid to attract more and more customers, Tesla Motors on Friday announced a series of new perks for owners of its electric sedan Tesla Model S.

The company announced battery warranty for eight years. It said if the Model S electric car's battery pack fails for any reason apart from deliberate abuse, the owners of the car would be able replace the battery free of charge for eight years.

Japan-based Nissan Motor Co. on Friday confirmed that would recall 19,258 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from model years 2012 and 2013 in the United States to fix a potential glitch in the vehicle's brake system.

The recall includes the 2013 Pathfinder and the Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured between December 2012 and January 2013 in Smyrna, Tenn.

The front brake torque member in the concerned vehicles improperly cast, which may cause structural weakness and lead to untimely failure & cracking. It may increase the risk of a crash.

Auto giant Honda has confirmed that it is recalling more than 200,000 minivans and sports utility vehicles in the United States to fix an issue with the vehicles' automatic shifter system.

The automaker recall statement says that the shifter system which stops drivers from shifting out of park without keeping a foot on the brake mayn't be working properly, adding that the problem occurs mostly in below-freezing temperatures.

Fisker Automotive, the manufacturer of the Karma hybrid luxury vehicle, can file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as this week, people familiar with developments at the company revealed.

According to the sources, the green-car startup is under intense pressure from the side of the U. S. Department of Energy repay around $200 million in government loans.

The sources added that the company's attorneys have already drawn up documents for the Chapter 11 filing and the application could be submitted in the next few days.

The U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has plans to change the rating system for new vehicles in order to keep pace with technological advances in the field.

The NHTSA said it had plans to create a "silver" rating system for how well vehicles guard older drivers in crashes, as well as to provide crash safety information for older occupants. The so-called "silver" rating system could give higher scores to vehicles that use newer technologies such as inflatable seat belts, blind-spot detection capability and automatic braking.

Premium carmaker, Audi has showcased the much anticipated 2015 Audi A3 sedan on the eve of the 2013 New York Auto Show.

Experts say that the new model is much like first-generation Audi A4 in appearance and comes with much sophisticated technological features and is bigger than the original version. It is believed that the company is looking to aggressively retain its customers, many of whom were finding it expensive to maintain their luxury vehicles.

Volkswagen China, the Chinese arm of carmaker Volkswagen AG, has announced its decision to recall an unspecified number of cars to fix potential issues with the vehicles’ direct-shift gearbox systems.

The announcement of the recall was made after it received a notification from China’s quality watchdog, which reportedly found substandard direct-shift gearbox systems in the vehicles.

The substandard gearbox systems can cause unintentional acceleration, which can cause accident.

A cross-party committee of MPs is trying to determine the extent to which whiplash injury claims are responsible for the soaring costs of car insurance.

The road-related personal injury claims have jumped by nearly 60 per cent since the year 2006. Insurers' average estimate suggests that nearly 1,500 whiplash claims are being made per day, prompting ministers to say that action was required to curb the whopping increase in the number of claims.

South Korean carmaker Kia has announced that it would not sell its 'Provo' car in the UK.

The announcement followed a parliamentary motion by DUP MP Gregory Campbell, arguing that the name `Provo' was often used for the Provisional IRA during the Northern Ireland Troubles. The motion stressed that it would be offensive to victims of the Provisional IRA.

Kia responded that it had no plans to launch the car in the UK, where it could be offensive to victims of the Provisional IRA, and added that the model was a special one planned for a Swiss motor show.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is owned by Indian auto giant Tata Motors, has revealed its plans to increase investment and double employment at its engine plant in Wolverhampton.

Ralf Speth, chief executive of the British luxury car maker, announced that the management had decided to increase investment at the engine plant from a previous plan of nearly £350 million to more than £500 million.

The luxury car maker is also spending £2.75 billion to boost sales of vehicles, such as a nine-speed gearbox Land Rover and the Jaguar F-Type.