Chrysler makes a big jump into electric-hybrid technology with the announcement of three new production-intent vehicles that feature advanced electric-hybrid technology – one each for its brands Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. The automaker also launched a new enclosed GEM low-speed neighborhood car. The new vehicles are the Dodge EV, an all-electric performance sports car; the Jeep EV, a range-extended electric vehicle based on the Jeep Wrangler; and the Chrysler EV, a Town & Country range-extended electric vehicle.

From this line up, Chrysler will select one electric-drive model to be produced in 2010 for the North American markets and after 2101 for European markets. The development of Chrysler’s line up of electric vehicles and range-extended electric vehicles is spearheaded by ENVI, an in-house organization that was created to focus on developing electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced technology.

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As the population of Americans 65 years and older is projected to double in the next twenty years, General Motors responds to the need for more elderly-friendly vehicles by developing a new windshield technology that will help drivers with vision problems see more clearly. The technology is still in the research stage but is expected to be very useful in the near future.

Although it will not improve the driver’s vision, it will make objects that could otherwise go unnoticed by aging eyes stand out more. The high-tech windshield will feature a combination of lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to enhance the road view. For instance, during foggy days, a laser projects a blue line into the windshield that follows the edge of the road.

Infrared sensors will also detect objects, such as a person or an animal, in the driver’s path during night time driving; it will project an outline of the object on the windshield to highlight its location.

Other devices track the driver’s head and eye movement so that the image on the windshield isn’t skewed. Aside from GM, only Chrysler is currently working on similar windshield technology.

In the face of the current shaky state of the auto industry, Chrysler could try to increase profitability and improve stability by retiring some models while adding value to existing mid-range trims. This means a possible realignment of the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring lines. In its plan dubbed ‘Fight Back’, Chrysler might cut the top trim levels of the Avenger and Sebring, while some of their features might be shifted to previously mid-range models.

Some of the key changes in the plan include eschewing the 3.5L V6 for a more efficient four-cylinder. This could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 4 mpg to 30 mpg. That’s hefty savings of up to 15%. Combining better features such as navigation, upholstery and entertainment options with a more efficient powertrain could make a more attractive package with improved value. Still, it remains to be seen whether Chrysler’s vehicle models can improve their competitiveness against other better-selling cars from the likes of Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

Why is it a canvass?

Well, just like a normal canvass, the Chrysler 300 is a vehicle which has become the perfect vehicle to customize. And this has been proved to be true by owners of the vehicle who have gone ahead and poured out their kind of style and design on the vehicle.

On this, Chrysler has decided that it was high time to capture what Chrysler 300 owners have done with their vehicles. Through the event ‘Spin It Your Way’, owners of the Chrysler 300 can create a short video clip of the customizations done on their units. The videos can be uploaded on the Chrysler 300’s channel on YouTube. Indeed, this is a really good way to showcase just what kind of customizations Chrysler 300 units can handle.

The winner of the whole ‘Spin It Your Way’ videos was Lisa Marie Varon from Kentucky and would be able to travel to LA and actually see her very own customized Chrysler 300 on display this November at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

The all-new Chrysler Aspen, the first SUV from the automaker, will be the first full-size SUV to offer standard Trailer Sway Control Technology when it arrives at dealerships this month. Trailer Sway Control technology is introduced to improve trailer stability and increase towing safety. It helps reduce trailer sway and improves the SUV’s handling especially in difficult driving and towing conditions.

The technology uses vehicle yaw sensors that detect sway caused by the trailer. It then applies brake pressure on one front wheel to counteract the sway caused by the trailer. It will also apply brake pressure on all four wheels to slow down the vehicle. If the trailer sways to the other side of the vehicle, the controls will increase brake pressure on the other side. This ensures that the vehicle and the trailer are under control. “Chrysler Aspen will give customers more peace of mind in towing conditions with segment exclusive Trailer Sway Control,” said Mike Donoughe, Vice President - Body-on-frame Product Team, Chrysler Group.

It’s a go for the Dodge Challenger concept. At the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, Florida, DaimlerChrysler is expected to announce its plans to build the production version of the sensational, retro-styled Dodge Challenger concept it debuted earlier this year in Detroit. The Dodge Challenger stole the show at this year’s NAIAS with its old-school looks, a dead ringer for the original 1970 Challenger and its exciting 425hp, V-8 engine.

The new Dodge Challenger will be built with the same basic chassis found on the Chrysler 300 and the popular Dodge Charger. The first new Dodge Challenger is expected by 2008. This could be a renaissance of sorts for muscle cars in the U.S. automotive scene; after the resounding success of the Ford Mustang, General Motors Corp. is expected to bring back the Chevrolet Camaro, another popular pony/muscle car.

When it comes to pricing, Chrysler’s sales and marketing exec, Joe Eberhardt, said that the new Dodge Challenger may be priced a little bit higher than the Ford Mustang, which is currently priced at $19,000 to $26,000.

Much has been said about the current financial crisis that America’s top automakers are experiencing. Sales continue its downward trend as demand for large and midsized SUV’s fall. May sales figures were down by 4.6% compared to last year. However, America’s automakers are producing much improved vehicle models generating a lot of buzz. There have been a number of exciting new sedans and coupes introduced such as the Saturn Sky and Ford Shelby GT500. Impressive new vehicle models have also come out from Detroit’s Big Three over the last few years.

To find out which among these new American vehicles are the best, BusinessWeek.com attempts to rank the newest domestic cars of 2006 according to reported reliability, government crash-safety ratings and total cost of ownership. Data were gathered from various sources such as Consumer Reports (Reliability), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Safety ratings) and Edmunds.com (total cost of ownership or TCO). TCO refers to the ownership expenses incurred over a five year time span including such costs as financing, taxes, maintenance, operating and depreciation costs. For this list, only cars with 2006 as the base model year were considered. Not all cars in the market were compared, however, due to the lack of complete safety and reliability data.

America’s best for 2006:

Small Car – Ford Focus

Sedan – Chevrolet Malibu

Wagon – Ford Focus Wagon

Minivan – Dodge Caravan

Small Truck – Dodge Dakota

Large Truck – Ford F-150

Luxury Sedan - Chrysler 300

Mid-Sized SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee

Luxury SUV - Jeep Commander

Supercar/Exotic - Saleen S7

Hybrid - Ford Escape Hybrid

Coupe - Dodge Viper SRT10

Source: MSNBC

If electronic stability control or ESC is standardized in all current vehicles, one-third of all fatal crashes or close to 10,000 deaths can be prevented in one year. This is a significant percentage of the nearly 34,000 crash-related deaths that happen every year here in the U.S. According to the study, vehicles that are equipped with ESC are 43% less likely to be involved in fatal crashes. This new study further underscores the importance of ESC in vehicle safety.

How does a ESC help keep a vehicle safe in crash situations?

ESC relies on two other underlying technologies: anti-lock brakes and electronic traction control. Anti-lock brakes use sensors to detect when a car’s wheels are about to lose traction under hard braking. The system then pumps the brakes at an extremely rapid rate, allowing the wheels to regain traction so that the car stays in control and can be steered effectively.

Electronic traction control uses similar sensors to detect when a car’s wheels are spinning out of control under hard acceleration. The system automatically reduces power from the engine until the wheels regain traction.

ESC uses a variety of sensors to detect when a car is skidding, or is about to skid, because of hard cornering and slippery road conditions. The system will rapidly apply the brakes for fractions of a second at individual wheels and simultaneously reduce engine speed to keep the vehicle under control. Such systems can often react even before the driver is aware that there is a problem.

— CNN Money

Now, if only everyone can avail of ESC. Right now, only 40% of current passenger vehicle models offer ESC as a standard feature. It is also offered as an option in 15% of new vehicles. To make matters even worse, ESC costs quite a lot, ranging from $300 to $800 as a stand alone option. In some vehicles, it is bundled with a more expensive options package. Because ESC is no offered as a standard feature, most car buyers are not aware of it and usually don’t ask about it.

Now, more automakers are moving towards the standardization of ESC in their vehicles. GMC has signified that all its vehicles will be ESC-equipped by 2010. Ford Motor Corp. has also announced that it is ‘moving towards standardization’ of ESC. Chrysler SUVS including Jeep and Dodge vehicles will have standard ESC as early as the end of this year while all Hyundai vehicles now offer ESC technology.

The government has started to require ESC on all vehicle models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is set to impose a proposed emergency handling test that will effectively require all automakers to make ESC standard on all their vehicles.

The market share of the three major domestic automakers continues to slip, with sales for the month of May remaining flat, and market share falling to a near-record low of 52.9%. General Motor’s share fell to 22.7% down from 28.8% in 2005. Ford also experienced a slight drop in share, from 18.9% last year to 18.6% this year. Ford’s perennial bestseller, the F-150 saw a drop in sales by up to 6% last month, despite incentives. Chrysler’s share took a dive to 14.3% from 15.5%.

Meanwhile, Asian automakers continue to expand their share of the market. Toyota’s sales were stronger by 17% boosted by strong performance from luxury arm Lexus. For the second consecutive month, sales of Toyota brands outpaced that of Daimler-Chrysler’s. Meanwhile, Honda sales, riding on the very successful Civic, grew by 16.1%. Not all Asian brands, however, were looking up. Sales for Nissan dropped to 7.3% as most of the cars and trucks in its lineup are nearing the end of their model life. Demand for minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks stayed flat with buyer interest shifting towards smaller, fuel-efficient cars because of the high gas prices.

Halo cars are designed to showcase what an automaker can offer in terms of design, engineering and technology. Usually a halo vehicle will feature all the talent and resources that the automaker has. Halo cars are special vehicles, typically sporty or a luxury model designed not really to sell but to draw in more customers who will hopefully believe in what the company can offer and purchase a vehicle, albeit a more practical one. However, putting out a halo car also has its risks. If the vehicle fails to live up to its promises and the expectations of the customers, these buyers will likely stay away from the automaker.

Halo cars have been around for quite a while in the automotive industry. For instance, the Corvette was Chevrolet’s halo car back in the ‘50s. It transformed the company’s image to sportiness. The Ford Mustang has played the role of halo car for Ford along with other models such as the Thunderbird and the GT. However, among these three models, only the Mustang has had a smashing success.

Meanwhile, the Pontiac Solstice played as a highly successful halo car for the GM marquee, named as one of the automaker’s ‘damaged brands’. Recently, another GM brand offered the Sky, featuring the brand’s future design direction and critics love it.

Here’s a list of the halo cars from both the past and present. So, what’s your favorite ‘halo’ car?

Pontiac Solstice
Saturn Sky
Ford Thunderbird
Ford GT
Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500
Dodge Viper
Mazda Miata
Lincoln Navigator
Chrysler 300
Volkswagen Phaeton
Toyota Prius
Chevrolet Corvette
Oldsmobile Aurora
Studebaker Avanti
Honda/Acura NSX