We Don't Need to Lower the Price for This Auto News Podcast

This episode of the podcast sparks discussion about:

Tesla's strong earnings, helped in part by t-shirt sales.

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You don't see as many Volt t-shirts, so GM is looking to cut the price of the plug-in electric by as much as $10,000.

Tesla jacket

That might make the proposed $100 electric-car tax in New Jersey more palatable.

Nissan is rejiggering its pricing because people aren't finding their cars when shopping online.

There is a group of vehicles that are in demand among people who don't have much money.

And here is a group of cars that probably won't be around on new-car dealer lots next year.

This Automotive Podcast Wishes It Took Home Even a Used Lamborghini From the Geneva Auto Show

The Geneva auto show is turning in to one of the more interesting shows and not surprisingly for one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the place where many very high end luxury cars are introduced. We look at four in particular from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Bentley that we expect to make an impression on the market. Plus a cool Kia that caught our fancy and some significant vehicles for the rest of us.

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One vehicle that is even more radical is this one that can be printed using the latest 3-D printers. We might need to start printing money if the market for used cars continues to be as tight as it is right now.

Since most of us can't buy a fancy new car, we're looking at renting them -- even a Porsche -- to get a brief taste of luxury.

Car or scooter or both? Toyota's i-Road

But don't crash one, because in many towns that will cost you even more because new taxes are being levied to cover the cost of emergency services. Perhaps these five new technologies will make it easier to avoid those crash taxes.

It looks like most new cars will have Internet access in about five years, and that is raising privacy concerns because it will make it easier to access the data that cars are already connecting.

Finally, a new social network for cars and their owners seems like a solution to a rare problem and we think probably won't catch on.

And the Aluminum Medal for Automotive Podcasts Goes to ...

What's the story with car sales? Well, it depends on what you read. WSJ says U.S. auto makers struggled against the resurgent Japanese brands that suffered with inventory issues last July. Autoblog says that most car makers did fine when you consider there were two fewer selling days this year. GM may be boosting sales with subprime loans.

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Smart and Mini had strong months, probably because gas prices remained high, and that could also be helping Volkswagen sell so many diesels.

In whatever the Italian word for irony is: Chrysler is now helping push Fiat -- which bought it at it's nadir two years ago -- to a profit.

Gas prices remain high.

Consumers remain frustrated with gas mileage numbers and now Hyundai is getting sued for it's Elantra 40-mpg claims.

Fuel taxes are always a sticky subject, but San Francisco is considering an even more absurd tax plan that would require them to track how much people drive.

The folks who drive lightly used luxury cars should consider trading them in right now to get the best value.

Farmers are finding that genetically modified crops are creating problems for their farm equipment tires.

Perhaps GM can use it's experimental pedestrian detection technology to avoid pointy stalks.

Apparently, child-detection systems for harried parents aren't as effective as NHTSA would like. Or at all.

Finally, when you think of Winter Olympics you think of Russia, but how about road rage? Or wheeled bobsleds.