Ford's Facebook Launch May Be More Efficient Than Podcasting With a Glass of Water

GM's Chevrolet is all set to let the cat out of the bag with the pricing for the Volt extended-electric vehicle. We'll update the site with the details as soon as possible.

Mike Rowe and Alan Mulally launch the Ford Explorer

But can they trump the big news from Ford, which virtually pulled the wrapper off it's 2011 Explorer via Facebook this week. And garnered some big coverage and big kudos for trying something new. We're still absorbing the news and critiquing the design, but Mathew may put it on his list.

In looking for ways to get people to improve their fuel economy even more, Toyota has launched a site that encourages drivers to hit the streets as if they had a glass of water on their dashboard. Not a real glass of water, but they do have an iPhone app that we will test out.

We are also going to test out the Nation of Go, a new Web community designed to get drivers to share their favorite routes.

GM may have hit a speed bump with its plan to buy a portion of lender AmeriCredit and get back into the auto-lending business. But one senator is wondering whether GM should have paid back the U.S. Treasury first.

Finally, Audi unveiled its A7 Sportback, a gorgrous new design that slot below the big A8 sedan and has the look of some much higher-end sport sedans from Jaguar and Porsche.

GetThisShowOnTheRoad July 28, 2010.mp3

A Vehicular Podcast Warranty: 30 Minutes or 100,000 Words

What did one regulator say to the other regulator? Quit closing businesses and eliminating jobs while we're trying to get the economy going again! Yes, a TARP official said this week that the Obama administration didn't help things by closing auto dealerships as part of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy right when the U.S. economy was in the doldrums.

X-Prize competitor from Edison2

To assuage concerns about battery life in the coming Volt extended-range electric vehicle, GM's Chevrolet said it will offer an 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty for the battery pack. That may have prompted Nissan to ask interested Leaf buyers how much warranty they need to close the deal. Nissan also said it might sell an electric sports car based on the Leaf powertrain.
Also, Honda is planning to bring a battery-electric vehicle and a new plug-in hybrid vehicle to the U.S. market in 2012. 

The automotive X-Prize wrapped up the road trials this week, but the winner, if any hit the 100-mpge target -- is still months away from being declared.


In tech news, Yale is developing a vibrating seat that would alert drivers to potential hazards.
Subaru will offer in-car WiFi - with service - as a dealer installed option that could be a the first step in shaking up the way people think about mobile internet.


Finally, Mercedes-Benz has developed a ridiculous 9-speed transmission to assist in its quest to reduce fuel use and vehicle emissions.

GetThisShowOnTheRoad, July 21, 2010.mp3

We Know Which Pedal to Press to Podcast. Do You?

After a brief hiatus, we are back to the microphone to catch-up on the latest car info, including breaking news that initial data from government research indicates that some of the drivers who claimed their Toyota and Lexus vehicles accelerated out of control were pressing the wrong pedal! So, David was right.

Subaru's Brat

Meanwhile, car buyers have been returning to dealers and boosting auto sales in recent months. And paying more for American brands than Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and other overseas brands. Data show that the average transaction price for the first five months of this year was $29,217, with Ford and GM selling for significantly more.


The oil spill in the Gulf and Tesla's IPO has increased interest in electric vehicles, but Joe White says don't get too excited because there are still significant hurdles that need to be overcome before they are widely adopted. GM might be trying to assuage some of those issues by offering extended OnStar coverage for Volt buyers.


And finally this week, Subaru is looking to shake its quirky image by improving the looks of its vehicles. Too bad, the Brat was a cool car, if unusual.  

GetThisShowOnTheRoad, July 14, 2010.mp3

We Made This Podcast Artificially Noisy So You Could Hear Us Coming

We were charged up to return to the mic, but before we could talk about electric cars, which are now sexy, we had to get some work done.


Quality is Job One has been a motto for Ford for a long time. Well, all that talk is now backed up by some results. The latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey showed that Ford made big a big jump in quality, while Toyota's brands slid significantly.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell (Wired) 

The White House is backing a proposal to spend up to $6 billion more on subsidies for electric vehicles, amid renewed interest on Capitol Hill in measures to cut petroleum consumption in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.


Tesla stands to benefit from those subsidies, and from some fresh capital from an initial public offering in the coming weeks. As part of that the company has shown plans to develop many vehicles from its Model S platform.


Mercedes-Benz pumped up its SLS supercar with an electric version that would be crazy fast, and expensive.


Finally, a battle is brewing between people who want quiet electric cars and advocates for the blind who feel that artificially noisy vehicles are safer. The Nissan Leaf has a noisemaking system that can be turned off, which has garnered some interesting coverage this week.

GetThisShowOnTheRoad June 23, 2010.mp3

Largest Private Car Collection Right Around the Corner

I'm very excited to visit the LeMay Museum when it is completed. Last week, 10 years after Harold E. LeMay’s death, the museum he imagined near Tacoma, finally broke ground for its arched glass building, part of a complex budgeted at $100 million.

The new space will showcase some of the LeMay collection of more than 3,000 cars, the largest of its kind, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The showcase building will exhibit about 500 cars and be part of a complex on nine acres with retail, dining and entertainment facilities.

The groundbreaking was the occasion for beginning a $9.5 million fund-raising effort to complete the museum, which is scheduled to open in 18 months.

PODCAST: GM Wants to Make Sure Chevrolet Isn't Confused With Chevy Chase

Want a Chevy? You mean the actor? Oh, the car. Well, GM will only sell Chevrolets going forward. An internal memo leaked this week shows that the car company wants to banish the Chevy name from its marketing material so that the brand is more consistent as it expands outside the U.S.

That might seem like GM is out of touch with its customers, but let's hope the company is in touch with investors. The auto maker is moving toward an initial public offering in the fall that could be huge, and begin the process of getting out from government ownership.

Think the Prius is fuel efficient? Well the 1986 Chevrolet (not Chevy) Sprint ER is almost as good at sipping fuel. Without all that fancy hybrid technology. The EPA released a list of the most fuel efficient vehicles since 1984 and it's surprising.

Should rally cars get on the green bandwagon? Well, Subaru is thinking of making the next Impreza WRX STI a diesel and Mitsubishi might make its awesome Evo a hybrid. Would you buy a green road rocket?

Speaking of road rockets, Mini challenged Porsche to a race this week but was rebuffed.

Finally, Ford is skipping the car shows for the launch of its next Explorer, choosing to roll it out on Facebook. Will you be its fried?

GetThisShowOnTheRoad June 12, 2010.mp3

Chrysler to Revive Marketing Push as New Models Launch

It's nice to see Chrysler getting back in the game after spending the last year whacking its product line and figuring out how to make money building and selling cars. WSJ's Jeff Bennett outlines the company's plans.

Still, the Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't enough product to revive the company by itself. And it sounds like there are only a few new or refreshed models coming in the next year. That might not be enough to make Chrysler relevant again with car buyers.

What do you think? Can Chrysler rebuild itself quickly enough to stay in the game?