Toyota's Lentz to say electronics not to blame for acceleration problems

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President James Lentz plans to stick to his guns and tell skeptical lawmakers Tuesday that the company's unwanted acceleration problems do not stem from electronic defects, a copy of his testimony shows. Lentz's reiteration of Toyota's longstanding position suggests that top company executives were unmoved by sharp criticism of that stance Monday by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman.

Hummer H3T (2008): first official pictures

By George Chapman First Official Pictures 07 February 2008 14:31 The new Hummer H3T will boast a five foot long flatbed rear. Shown at the recent Chicago Auto Show, this revised version is heavily based on the existing H3 and will be sold in North America, Europe and the Middle East. Unmistakably Hummer, the flagship H3T Alpha is powered by the same GM-sourced 300bhp 5.3-litre V8 that has proved so popular, albeit with an aluminium block to improve weight distribution.

Nissan Leaf recall could force replacement of entire car

Nissan is recalling a total of 211 examples of the the Leaf pure-electric car supplied to the U.S., and another 65 Leafs sold in Canada for a problem involving missing spot welds in the motor compartment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the front structural member assemblies in these cars could be missing welds in several crucial places, to the left and right of the electric motor. As a result, the affected Leafs might not perform well in a crash.