July 6: The skinny from the power company

After getting a full recharge at the 120-volt wall plug in the parking garage at work I drove home and only used maybe three bars. It was about 3/4-full when I got home that night. I didn't plug it in all weekend and it still had that amount of charge when I went to Southern California Edison (SCE) for a meeting today.

Former General Motors CEO Robert Stempel dies

Former General Motors CEO Robert Stempel, who led the automaker during a turbulent period of recession and restructuring in the early 1990s, has died at the age of 77. "Bob was a very popular chairman with employees, and his many accomplishments as a visionary engineer included leading the development of the catalytic converter, one of the great environmental advancements in auto history," GM said in a statement. "His knowledge of battery development led to the push for the EV1 electric car, and Bob continued to build his expertise in the electrification of the automobile after he left GM in 1992." Stempel died Saturday in Florida, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported Monday night.

Last of the Saab 9-3 convertibles land in the UK

Saab Parts UK has secured the sale of the last 26 right-hand drive Saab 9-3 convertibles for customers in the UK. The final batch of convertible Swedish metal will be sold through 87 Saab authorised repairers in lieu of a dealer network. Saab 9-3 Convertible: the last of the line The final Saabs may be of sentimental value to fans of the marque, although the seven Independence Edition cars being offered for sale come in a rather challenging shade of burnt metallic orange.