This Podcast Can't Drive Itself

Toyota has been pounded by bad luck and bad decisions in recent years.
First came a surge by Korean car companies, then a wave a revitalized competition as Ford and GM got back on their feet, followed by a questionable problem with runaway cars, trailed by an increased in the value of the yen, and then a crushing natural disaster. All this showed up in the Japanese car maker's profit report this week, which was down 77% and could be a sign Toyota will lose its crown as the world's largest auto maker.

Even Japanese buyers are turning away from brands, with foreign nameplates showing a sizable jump in recent months, and even one sale of a Pontiac.

In the city of San Francisco, no demand for domestic nameplates has led to the closure of all GM, Ford and Chrysler dealers, but import brand dealers are doing fine.

GM is doing fine elsewhere, and will spend $2 billion upgrading its plants in the coming years to add new capacity and technology.

Porsche is spending money on real estate, but staying in Atlanta.

Kia is on a roll and expects to gain market share across the globe, and a strong showing in a recent Consumer Reports test will probably help its cause with U.S. buyers.

Electric-car range anxiety is something that drivers will have to overcome to foster wider adoption, and now Google is offering an API to help track commuting and offer alternative times and routes. Ford will adopt it.

Finally, Google is also pushing driverless cars, especially in Nevada. We debate the need for cars without drivers and if you have thoughts tweet us at #driverlesscarYayorNay.

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Photo: This Is a Guilt Free Hummer, Really, They Swear

I came across this grubby orange Hummer on my morning commute. Hummers are getting rare, thanks to $4-a-gallon-gasoline and the fact that GM sold the brand. And, of course, they were popular during a better economic climate when driving a massive SUV was a status symbol instead of a sign you were a greedy capitalist, anti-eco pig.

But this vehicle had several stickers to indicate that it was both a hybrid and a fuel-cell vehicle. The best part was the small green sticker at the top of the windshield that said: "This vehicle produces less emissions than a model airplane." Quite a claim.

I was skeptical so I did a little Web searching and found that Arnold Schwarzenegger did set out to get a hydrogen Hummer. I don't know if he is still driving it now that he no longer needs to represent California's eco-mindset as the Governator. What's really interesting is that all the links to green Hummer companies from the above article are dead.

So, is this orange eco-Hummer real or marketing magic. I didn't sniff the tailpipe so we may never know.

This Podcast Is Fueled by Higher Auto Sales

April was another positive month for U.S. auto sales, with double digit gains for many car and truck makers. But brands with new models saw the greatest gains, including Buick, Jeep, Mini and Kia. Luxury brands Lincoln, Infiniti and Lexus (again) did see declines.

Taxi of Tomorrow (via WSJ)

Chrysler, which also posted weaker sales, recently reported it's first profit in a while and also garned a credit rating (still junk) from the agencies that are an indication of it's return to health.

Japanese vehicle sales tumbled more than 50% as the aftermath of the earthquake lingered on the home market. Honda and others have warned that sales at home, in the U.S. and other markets will be constrained for the rest of the year. More signs of the rise of the Detroit auto makers.

Higher gas prices are influencing the choices of car shoppers, as evidenced by the sales of V6-powered Ford F-150 pickups and a recent survey from Kelley Blue Book.

The lastest high-tech, fuel-efficient models -- Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt -- aren't selling in great numbers but it's too early to tell whether demand or supply is the limiting factor.

Saab saw a surge in sales and a fresh set of money from a Chinese auto maker, which hopefully will put the Swedish company on firmer footing.

Radio fans may be happy now that XM Sirius are finally merging their lineups.

Get this with Vodka.

Speaking of consolidation, New York City has named the Taxi of Tomorrow and it's a Nissan van. Really?

WOOT! No Groupon. No GearHead deals. That's the new deals aggregator for the vehicular purchases. What do you think?

Finally, buy a bottle of vodka and get a massive SUV, and something else.

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