With stories like the closing GM factory in Dayton, Ohio basically spelling doom for that city in a state that’s seen more than it’s share of lost jobs these last 8 years causes concern about the people involved; however stories like Mitt Romney telling the New York Times “Let Detroit go bankrupt…” might get a person angry at the CEO’s for letting the situation get that bad in Detroit. There’s always two sides to a story.

And GM wants to share the facts and myths about how things have gotten to this level and how America would truly suffer if the “Big Three” were to go down tomorrow.

One out of every 10 people in America is employed in a service that is related to the U.S. auto industry.
More than 239,000 Americans are directly employed by the Big Three.
If GM were to discontinue operations, the cost to local, state, and federal governments could reach $156.4 billion over three years in lost taxes, and unemployment and health care assistance.

Read more about the Myths and Facts about this looming auto crisis.

And always remember… Chrysler and Lee Iaccoca got federal assistance once; however he paid his loan back in record time. So this isn’t something that’s never happened before.

I’ve been wondering about the pros/cons of the newer sulfur-free/clean burning diesel alongside bio-diesel.

Ever wonder how much you could save by switching to a fuel-efficient clean diesel vehicle? Planning a vacation or a road trip? The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) can help you calculate your potential savings.

This takes a little bit of calculating but the results are interesting. Visit DTF’s calculator here:

http://www.dieselforum.org/newsarticle/article/clean-diesel-fuel-calculator-2/51/

Plug in the cost of regular gas in your area and the cost of diesel in your area. Plug in the MPG of your existing vehicle and the MPG of a new, comparable diesel vehicle. Plug in an estimate of how many miles you drive a year. You’ll see how much money you’d save by driving diesel, and we hope you’ll check out the rest of the site to learn more about this remarkable fuel, the technology that powers it, and its implications for the future. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dieselforum.org/where-is-diesel/cars-trucks-suvs/

If interested, we can also arrange for an interview with DTF’s executive director, Allen Schaeffer (he recently spoke with Treehugger, for example, here):

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/01/the_th_intervie_31.php

Let’s face it. Gasoline will not get cheaper as it gets more and more scarce. But that means that travel will not get any less expensive either. So if you have to use, do not be wasteful.

Bowers & Wilkins - B&W, the British loudspeaker manufacturer known throughout the Globe for their innovative designs and engineering prowess, has announced that the 2009 Jaguar XKR Portfolio will include a Bowers & Wilkins premium surround system as standard equipment. The 2009 Jaguar XKR will debut at the New York Auto Show on March 21-30, 2008 and will be available in dealer showrooms June 2008.