J.D. Power and Associates thinks it’s going to take the unfolding of three consumer-driven scenarios to bring a significant sales upgrade for hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. The firm projects combined global sales of these units will total 5.2 million units in 2020, or just 7.3 percent of the 70.9 million passenger vehicles forecasted […] [Read More]

TrueCar said Tuesday that it will soon roll out a used-vehicle pricing index that it contends can provide a precise picture of used-vehicle asking price trends and actually help dealers sell these vehicles quicker. [Read More]

The Federal Trade Commission is wary some debt collectors and recovery agencies could be violating federal consumer protection laws when attempting to collect debt owed by the deceased. As a result, federal officials are proposing a new policy statement to govern collectors’ actions. Moreover, they are also seeking public comment about the proposed policy. The FTC believes […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned vehicles are commanding a greater share of dealers’ used-car sales than they were a year ago, and this trend has helped to push up overall used prices, according to Edmunds.com. In fact, the company said CPO programs are booming and driving up used-vehicle prices. [Read More]

Even though Hertz Global Holdings spent money to increase its global car rental network, the company’s chief executive officer said the third-quarter results are likely to exceed internal expectations. [Read More]

The National Auto Auction Association is hosting a Webinar next month that will delve into what the economy as well as the overall auto and auto auction industries may have in store during the next two years. “The Business Environment in 2011 and 2012” online seminar will be held from 2 p.m. (EST) to 3 […] [Read More]

Scion unveiled the winners of its “Scion Battle of the Builds” contest where teams composed of active members of the military competed to craft the best custom-designed Scion xB. Taking the top spot as the grand prize winner of $14,000 was “The Salty Dogs,” a team that hails from Naval Station Mayport in Florida. This group of […] [Read More]

The 2011 Motor Trend Sport Utility of the Year winner was unveiled Tuesday on Facebook, and taking this year’s honor was the Porsche Cayenne. Motor Trend said it has not done an award announcement through Facebook before, and doing so was part of its multimedia strategy. [Read More]

Cars.com said this week that it has kicked off the voting process for its inaugural Shoppers’ Choice Award, which allows consumers to choose from 10 finalists. These finalists have generated the most searches and dealer inquiries while also garnering the strongest ratings and reviews from consumers, Cars.com explained. [Read More]

When it comes to new vehicles from model-year 2010, the top three brands for heaviest discounts all belong to the Ford family, according to TrueCar.com. What’s more, the website said in its latest TrueTrends Reports that the top four individual 2010 models for strongest discounts were all from Ford brands, as well. [Read More]