Author: By BILL VLASIC

The new Toyota Prius is longer and sleeker than the current egg-shaped model, and it comes with striking new headlamps and a prominent rear spoiler.

Despite slow demand for hybrid and all-electric cars, tightening rules on fuel efficiency have led to the introduction of many new models at the Detroit auto show.

Hoping to revive lagging sales of the Volt, the company said the new version will store more energy in its battery pack and go further on a charge.

Automakers like Ford are finding that building multiple models on an updated, ever-evolving line is integral to success in the global marketplace.

The European automaker joins a growing field of alternative energy vehicles on the market.

The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States hit 24.9 miles per gallon in August, the highest since 2007, according to a University of Michigan study.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it would update its labeling rules to resolve disparities among the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the market.

With technical problems, management turmoil and losses, Fisker offers a cautionary tale of alternative-fuel vehicles and government subsidies for start-up businesses.

The sale of A123, a battery maker, to Wanxiang Group, a Chinese auto parts maker, is the latest acquisition of an American energy and manufacturing company by a Chinese firm.

Executives from General Motors and the Ford Motor Company pressed their case on Tuesday for $25 billion in federal loans in a series of high-level meetings with lawmakers in Washington. The appearances by G.M.'s chairman, Rick Wagoner, and Ford's executive chairman, William C. Ford Jr., underscored how vital the industry considers the loans as it tries to meet tougher fuel-efficiency regulations.