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It may not look like this tiny car packs a lot of power, but the 2012 Toyota Scion iQ comes with an electric engine and a lithium ion battery. The car has already been released in Japan, which slightly differs from the model that is being developed for the US. Not only is the Scion iQ cheaper than other electric cars, it also gets an estimated 65 miles per gallon of gas.

The tiny two seater may not be appealing to consumers with large families, but Toyota is already hard at work on a RAV4 crossover. The hybrid SUV probably won’t get the same gas mileage, but it will certainly be a welcome addition to the electric car family. The only thin about the Scion iQ that concerns car analysts is that its tiny lithium ion battery may cause drivers to have to stop their vehicles more frequently. On average, electric cars are able to go hundreds of miles without needing to refuel, but they also come with batteries that are substantially larger than what’s under the hood of the Scion iQ.

Toyota hasn’t officially released a price for the Scion iQ, but purchasers will be able to get a $7,500 federal take credit just for being involved with renewable energy. After Toyota finishes up testing the Scion iQ in Europe, the company will begin marketing the car for US consumers. Depending on sales, Toyota may expand the car into an entire line of vehicles. What the Scion iQ lacks in style, it certainly makes up in sustainability.

After GM Motors closed its Delaware plants, nearly 10,000 workers were laid off. Nearly three years later and a new automotive player is in the game. Fisker Automotive, which is based out of California, purchased the 142 acre site for just under $20 million. The company, which makes luxury hybrid and electric cars only has one model currently in production, the Karma. Priced competitively at $95,000, Fisker just might become a company to contend with.

Some former GM employees will be able to get a fresh start with Fisker Automotive. Though they haven’t officially brought any new Delaware employees on, Fisker Automotive will employ approximately 2,000 local residents. As many as 15,000 auto workers have submitted their resumes. There might not be a lot of demand for luxury cars that are also fuel efficient, but Fisker believes that its concept vehicle, code named ‘Project Nina’ will change the way that consumers think.

Fisker Automotive has already shown that it is capable of making cars that are sleek in design, but consumers are always weary about new companies. A single recall could put Fisker Automotive behind, however, the company also has over $500 in federal funding to play around with. Fisker hopes to manufacture approximately 100,000 cars a year, starting in 2012. Reportedly, BMW is already working on a hybrid vehicle that will appeal to conservationists as well as wealthy buyers. It was first thought that luxury car makers would not get into the electric car market. With other major car companies looking to cash in on the electric car buzz, Fisker Automotive is already off to a great start.

Its been more than two years since the federal government, and to most it is clear that the effort was a success. However, presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a different opinion. Although Ford is now the second most popular car manufacturer in the United States and both GM and Chrysler are on solid footing, Romney thinks that the government wasted $17 billion. Of course, it is worth noting that Romney will benefit from criticizing anything that President Obama does, however, his statements are not based in truth.

In 2008, when the three largest auto manufacturers in the country were on the brink of bankruptcy, the federal government had no choice but to intervene. The banking industry already had its hand in taxpayer pockets, but allowing both major banks and the automotive industry to fail would have sent the US into total ruin. What’s obvious is that GM, Ford and Chrysler are doing exceptionally well. In fact, the billions of dollars received are soon to be paid back in the near future.

If Ford, GM and Chrysler had failed, the US would have been flooded with foreign cars. There would be fewer manufacturing plants, and more than a million auto employees would still be looking for work. While $17 billion is a lot of money, if any industry was worthy of a helping hand, it is certainly the automotive industry. Car makers are employing out of work Americans in record numbers, and car shopper are finally in a position to upgrade their vehicles again.

Over the last few years, car manufacturer Toyota has gone from having one of the best reputations amongst consumers to being avoided because of ongoing recall issues. The Toyota Prius, which has been in production since the year 2000, was recalled by Toyota because of steering issues. In total, Toyota has recalled nearly 6 million cars citing problems with their brakes systems, steering wheels and accelerators. Multiple deaths and injuries have been attributed to faulty Toyota vehicles. Just when the car company was beginning to make a comeback it was hit first with the natural disaster in Japan, which halted its manufacturing capabilities. Then, Toyota was forced to recall more than 100,000 of the Prius because of steering concerns.

Toyota Prius cars that were manufactured from 1997 until 2003 have been recalled by the car company. Motorists will need to either rent a car or make other arrangements to get to work until Toyota is able to sort out its issues. The repairs are estimated to take approximately four hours to complete, but with such a large number of cars to fix and a limited amount of authorized repair shops, Prius owners may be out of their cars for more than a week.

This massive recall will certainly cause Toyota’s profits to plummet. Car shoppers that were formerly considering new model Toyota vehicles may think twice about making a purchase. Until Toyota is able to produce a line of vehicles that don’t have substantial safety issues, this company may be unable to stay in business.