Fisker auto new hybrid

California-based start-up Fisker Automotive raised the $35 million in private equity it needed to get a loan from the $529 million that the Obama administration had pledged to the Energy Department. The money is part of a $189 million funding round to get its stylish plug-in hybrid electric car off the ground.

Fisker's first model is the Finnish-built Karma (above), a plug-in hybrid that will sell for about $87,900. The Karma is built in Finland by contract automaker Valmet Automotive and shipped to the US. Subsequently Fisker Auto will create 2,500 new jobs in the next five years as it renovates a former Chrysler plant in Delaware, and develops a lower-cost sedan hybrid there. Fisker purchased that plant for $18 million from the Motors Liquidation Co., which was the legal entity disposing of unwanted GM assets in bankruptcy court. Fisker will also employ experienced auto workers who were laid off after the closure of the old plant.

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Women drivers safest

According to a new survey by carmaker Hyundai, women drivers are more likely to stick to speed limits, have few accidents, never jump red lights, park correctly and are less likely to have points on their licence. While the average driver exceeds the speed limit around 14 times a week, women in their 40s will on average do so just once, the Daily Telegraph reports.

And over in the US rates of auto insurance coverage are lower for women because they are generally safer drivers. According to Rob Klapper, the CEO of Insurance.com, recent research by the auto insurance website found that fewer women drivers had one or more traffic violations than men.

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Moped regulation

Lawmakers in the US state of Hawaii are considering stricter regulations for moped. Under current laws, a moped may carry only one person, may not exceed a maximum of 2 horsepower, and must have an automatic transmission. The minimum age for riding mopeds is 15. Mopeds are a convenient, inexpensive means of transportation for many people.

Perennial concerns over excessive noise, unsafe riding, illegal modifications and lack of sufficient regulation have once again prompted the introduction of a host of legislative measures. While mopeds are treated like bicycles for purposes of many fees and registration, in terms of safety and specifications, they are "more akin to motorcycles, and some users attempt to blur the difference, especially through modifications of power and noise."



Gorgeous supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros on an Alpa Turbo moped in Switzerland.

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