November wholesale prices were up 9.3 percent over 2008 and .6 percent over October, according to ADESA's Tom Kontos, attributed to used-car sales gains and low auction supply. Stable trends should continue in the near future, says Kontos.
Supplies of certified pre-owned vehicles have been down due to the lease credit crunch last year while demand is up. Prices have rebounded, particularly for trucks and SUVs.
Start-up company Alte is targeting fleets operating taxis, limos, vans, and shuttle buses by retrofitting their vehicles with hybrid power trains. Alte's design involves single shaft spun by battery-powered electric motor that saves parts, weight and fuel, though not enough to justify the cost unless you chew up miles like fleets do.
With full size truck sales in a major slump, Chrysler has the honor of being awarded 2010 Truck of the Year by Motor Trend magazine. The Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup came out ahead of two contenders from Ford and one from Toyota. The Ram pickup was Chrysler's only new model for the 2010 model year.