DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Debbie Elliott.
General Motors is having a banner day. At the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM took both Car and Truck of the Year honors. The Saturn Aura beat out rivals, the Honda Fit and the Toyota Camry for 2007 Car of the Year. The Chevrolet Silverado pick-up beat the Ford Edge and the Mazda CX-7 for Truck of the Year.
The GM sweep marks the first time in the award's 14 year history that a single U.S. automaker won in both the car and truck categories.
Today's announcement at the auto show in Detroit had to be welcome news for GM, which has been struggling for years. Auto industry watchers say GM needs to develop new models that will sell, and it appears they're working on it. Today, in addition to its big wins, GM introduced a new concept car, reviving their idea of a mass-market electric car. The Volt is designed to use little or no gasoline. It will draw power from a battery pack recharged by a small onboard engine. But don't look for it at your Chevy dealership any time soon. The company says it'll take a few years to get the technology just right. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
