Power lines move into digital age; ’smart grid’ is buzz of electric industry, Obama teamWASHINGTON — Thomas Alva Edison, meet the Internet. Mitsubishi unveils $47,000 zero-emissions electric car, eyes global expansionTOKYO — Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s electric vehicle is twice as expensive as popular hybrid cars by rivals Toyota and Honda, but Japan’s No. 4 automaker said Friday the i-MiEV will help it survive increasingly intense global competition. Ford invests $550 million to convert SUV facility to build new Focus for small-car marketWAYNE, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. stripped “truck” from the name of one its Detroit-area plants Wednesday as it announced plans to build its next-generation Focus here, including a battery-electric version Ford expects will run up to 100 miles without using gas or emitting greenhouse gas. Shanghai Auto Show a showdown for global, Chinese car makers fighting over only growth marketSHANGHAI — China’s up-and-coming automakers unveiled a smorgasbord of new vehicles Monday at Shanghai’s auto show, from compacts and electric vehicles to the biggest, brassiest SUVs and luxury sedans, maneuvering to upstage their global rivals in the world’s only major growing market. |