Autotrader.com says prices of used vehicles, including certified units, continued to gain ground in May. Asking prices of models most viewed climbed in year-over-year comparison. The Ford F-150 is the most popular model on the site, and its price was up 12%. The fastest climber was the Jeep Wrangler with a price leap of 17.5%.
Coulomb Technologies is working with three OEM partners to set up 4,600 electric vehicle charging stations in nine U.S. regions by October, 2011. They'll be Level II stations, providing 220 to 240 volt power for charging. Chevrolet Volt, Ford Transit Connect, Ford Focus Electric, and smart fortwo electric drive are being included in the program.
Navistar has modified the UK's Modec plug-in electric vehicle for use in North America as a class 2C-3 step van for urban use. As modified, the eStar will recharge on standard 220v power getting 100-mile range on 8-hours charge.
Mercury sales have been insignificant compared to carrying costs for an automotive brand so Ford will eliminate it by the end of 2010. Without this drain on resources, Ford intends to focus on revitalizing its luxury Lincoln brand which has been losing market share to competitors.