Chevy

DETROIT--As smartphones, tablets, and other sophisticated electronic devices become ubiquitous, automakers worry that young people may be more interested in the newest gadget than in owning a new car.

In a panel discussion last week at the Automotive News Green Car Conference, several players on the front lines of developing new cars and light trucks said vehicle connectivity is important in making vehicles more attractive to young drivers.

Bill Reinert, national alternative fuel vehicle manager at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., said the number of people aged 16 to 21 who are eligible for a driver's license, but … Read more

Car Tech Live 220: The Volt gets cheaper, the Altima Hybrid scarcer, your government hates your car tech, and we drive the Lexus CT200h (podcast)

• CNET drives the Lexus CT200h

• A CNET user's analysis of the real cost of a Chevy Volt

• Fed dude at DOT not a big fan of your car tech, smartphone

• What's next for the Nissan Altima Hybrid?

• Hyundai Blue Link priced and detailed

• CNET's LOLcars gallery!

General Motors said today that dealers in all 50 states can take orders for the 2012 Chevy Volt, which will come in a model priced just below $40,000.

The plug-in hybrid Volt is now available in six different models, rather than three, with the lowest listed at $39,995, or about $1,000 less than the 2011 price. The high-end model with leather, backup camera, navigation system, and other features is $46,265. Prices include the destination fee but not other taxes and fees.

Buyers can benefit from a federal tax credit of $7,500 for plug-in vehicles with … Read more

The Chevy Cruze Eco is a great example of the dirty little green secret of the car business: the best efficient cars for most people are today's four-cylinder, gas-engined compacts. No batteries required. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

And you can read CNET's full review of the Cruze Eco here.

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET News for Friday, June 3.

Five questions heading into Apple's WWDC Apple may have already declared what it's going to demo at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, but what else does it have up its sleeve? More

Targeted attacks hit Web-based e-mail Attacks aimed at Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail point to weak spots in e-mail services that can let attackers into corporate networks, reports say. More

Sparked: Volunteer work, right in your cubicle Sparked, a recently rebranded version … Read more

Nissan slams the Volt as being a cousin to the leaf blower, a new app keeps an eye out for accidents ahead, and we drive the Mini Cooper S Countryman.

• CNET drives the Mini Cooper S Countryman

• App keeps an eye on accidents about to happen

• New Corvette coming in 2013?

• Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt, oh so subtly.

• Tanner Foust pulls off a huge Hot Wheels jump

• CNET's LOLcars gallery!

Our favorites from the New York auto show; BMW, Google, and the U.S. make electric car moves this week; Chevy recalls the Cruze after one very high-profile screwup; and we take a spin the electric Smart car.

• CNET's New York auto show roundup

• Download BMW Evolve app to see if an electric car is right for you

• U.S./Google map of places to fuel your alternative energy car

• PSCars.com graphical all-car configurator

• 2011 Chevy Cruze loses steering wheel, let's hold our horses.… Read more

As a herald of an electric-car future, jurors for the World Car Awards named the Nissan Leaf as the 2011 World Car. The New York auto show is the yearly venue for the announcement, which also includes awards for performance, design, and environmentalism.

That latter category, the World Green Car, went to the Chevy Volt this year. The Nissan Leaf was a runner-up for the Green award.

The top three competitors for the World Car Award were the Nissan Leaf, Audi A8, and BMW 5-series. The jurors commented that "The Leaf is the gateway to a brave new electric … Read more

The next generation of Chevrolet's Malibu has been teased and hinted at for weeks now. Now, the sedan gets a full reveal at the 2011 Shanghai auto show. But you don't have to fly to the other side of the world to get a peek at Chevy's upcoming midsize and its MyLink software package, because the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has also gotten a virtual unveiling on YouTube. We expect that the new Malibu will also be discussed and possibly even displayed at the 2011 New York auto show.

In the video below, we get a nice long … Read more