Increase in Chrysler Sales No Accident

It's been a surprising change of pace, seeing the floundering Chrysler Group's sales skyrocket virtually overnight, but it's been a welcomed one. Chrysler, who had to accept government bailout money in 2008, has been hard against the ropes trying to salvage the company, but so far it seems they've done it - and more. Chrysler saw a 40% sales increase in February 2012 as opposed to 2011, marking its 23rd consecutive month with higher sales figures than the year before. Chrysler SEO Sergio Marchionne has attributed the recent success to creative marketing, customer satisfaction and an improvement in their vehicles, among other reasons. The auto shipping industry has noticed a steady rise in the number of Chrysler vehicles being shipped, which could only be good news for the company as it continues to compete in the ever-more-lucrative world of automobiles.

Vehicle Rearview Cameras Save Lives

According to recent government studies, most fatalities involving a car going in reverse are due to the driver not being able to adequately see behind the vehicle. The government is now planning on passing legislation that would force all automobile manufacturers to provide rearview cameras on all passenger vehicles starting in 2014 - standard, not as an option. This is good news for many pedestrians in cities where backing up into streets can be hazardous, especially on busy streets where driveways are obscured. Not only that, but having better rearview cameras in cars have been shown to not only reduce accidents in reverse, but accidents in general. The auto shipping industry is exempt from these new laws, as they aren't technically passenger vehicles, but the technology might not be too far behind for auto shipping companies.

2012 Top Vehicles for Fuel Efficiency

The numbers are in, and 2012's top vehicles for fuel efficiency have finally been announced. Auto shipping companies are somewhat surprised at the results, considering sales for some of these vehicles are lower than they should be. But this reflects the state of the automobile industry in the United States more than it does the auto shipping industry. Regardless, here are the top vehicles for each vehicle class for 2012 in terms of vehicle efficiency:

Two-seaters: Honda CR-Z (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Minicompacts: Scion IQ (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Subcompacts: Mitsubishi i-MiEV - MPG: 112*

Compacts: Chevy Volt - MPG: 60*

Midsize Vehicles: Nissan Leaf - MPG: 99*

Large Vehicles: Hyundai Sonata (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 28

*As these vehicles are electric-gasoline hybrids, conversion factors must be used to determine overall fuel efficiency.

Clearly the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is your best bet for fuel efficiency, but not all these cars are the right fit for everyone. The Sonata is a popular vehicle not just because of its fuel efficiency, but because of its brand name and other factors that people use when buying vehicles. So it's not surprising that auto shipping numbers for the Scion IQ or the Mitsubishi I-MiEV are relatively low.