Chevrolet Volt fire probe is closed, NHTSA says

U.S. safety regulators said Friday that they've closed an eight-week investigation into the Chevrolet Volt, concluding that the plug-in hybrid's battery doesn't pose a significant fire risk following a crash. In a statement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it "does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles." The agency said that modifications intended to reinforce the Volt's 435-pound lithium-ion battery pack that General Motors announced on Jan.

Cadillac teases Detroit 2013 concept at Pebble Beach

Cadillac teased a new concept car at the weekend at Pebble Beach to be unveiled in the steel at an unnamed American auto show early next year. We'll see you on the GM stand in Detroit then. During a press event Cadillac's Global Design Director Clay Dean said it was time for the brand to "reflect back not for nostalgia, but what made us great at the time." There were no further details about what we can expect from the concept but from what we can see from these renders is what appears to be a further move away from the geometry of the Art and Science form language towards a more sculptural surface treatment intersected by sharp, precise creases.

New Range Rover tows Airstream 684 to Africa – and back

Land Rover has hitched the 2013 Range Rover to the luxurious Airstream 648 and towed it to Africa and back – 3,676 miles in 11 days. But nothing rams home the abilities of a car, even a luxury SUV, like a long-term challenge; the novelty wears off and what is left is the inherent abilities to judge. And it seems Land Rover has managed to demonstrate just how able the new Range Rover is with the sort of towing job few Range Rover owners will ever undertake.