WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Volkswagen has
pressed U.S. regulators to change a proposal to double auto
fuel efficiency, arguing the plan puts it at a competitive
disadvantage and unfairly de-emphasizes clean diesel engines.

Volkswagen did not sign onto an agreement backed by
virtually every other major U.S. and overseas car company that
underpinned the Obama administration proposal on Wednesday to
boost efficiency targets to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration proposed on Wednesday doubling auto fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, a White House energy priority that has come under scrutiny in Congress.

The plan grew out of an uneasy agreement between the administration, automakers and environmental groups to reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports and cut tailpipe emissions.

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – The Obama administration
proposed on Wednesday doubling auto fuel efficiency to 54.5
miles per gallon by 2025, a White House energy priority that
has come under scrutiny in Congress.

The plan grew out an uneasy agreement last spring between
the administration, automakers and environmental groups to
reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports and cut tailpipe
emissions.

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. agency that
insures corporate pensions reported a record annual deficit of
$26 billion on Tuesday with its potential exposure to
financially weak companies also on the rise in a sour economy.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC) said it has enough
money to pay benefits for the foreseeable future but has sought
permission from Congress to set premiums in the same way
private insurers do to raise revenue and avoid the potential
for government bailout down the road.

WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) – Regulators are investigating the safety of batteries used to power electric vehicles after a General Motors Co Volt caught fire following a crash test.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it does not believe the Volt and other electric vehicles are at greater risk for fire than those with gasoline-powered engines, but said it has asked automakers for information on lithium-ion batteries and recommendations for minimizing fire risk.

Nov 11 (Reuters) – JetBlue Airways met with U.S.
transportation officials this week over why five of its flights
were diverted to Hartford, Connecticut and 550 passengers were
stuck on the ground for hours during October’s freak Northeast
snowstorm.

JetBlue could face millions of dollars in fines if
regulators find that it violated a rule aimed at curbing the
worst types of ground delays — those longer than three hours
where passengers are not given the chance to disembark.

WASHINGTON/DETROIT, Nov 11 (Reuters) – U.S. regulators are
investigating the safety of batteries used to power electric
vehicles after a General Motors Co Chevrolet Volt caught
fire following a routine crash test.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on
Friday that it has asked other manufacturers who make electric
cars or who plan to do so for information on how they handle
lithium-ion batteries. The request also includes
recommendations for minimizing fire risk.

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) – An effort to settle a U.S.
labor suit against Boeing Co’s decision to build 787
Dreamliners in non-union South Carolina faltered earlier this
year and has not been revived, the company said on Wednesday.

Responding to a letter from the senior Democrat on the U.S.
House of Representatives Oversight Committee to panel chairman
Darrell Issa about subpoenaed documents in the case, Boeing
said a deal had been on the table but was withdrawn by the
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before the agency filed
its complaint last spring.

Nov 8 (Reuters) – Automakers are losing weight by shedding
that spare tire.

More passenger cars are rolling off assembly lines with no
jack, wrench or fifth wheel in the trunk as the U.S. government
seeks more aggressive fuel economy targets and consumers demand
savings at the pump.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a $60 billion White House proposal to repair crumbling bridges, highways and other transportation systems as President Barack Obama’s job creation agenda hit another obstacle in Congress.

All 47 Senate Republicans, one Democrat and one independent voted against a piece of Obama’s $447 billion stimulus plan that would have helped construction workers — some of the hardest hit after the housing meltdown and economic downturn. The bill needed 60 votes to advance in the 100-seat Senate.