The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking to pass a new rule that would require silent electric and hybrid cars to make more noise.
Makers of hybrid and electric cars are increasing their offerings in 2013 despite a somewhat disappointing roll-out of vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt.
General Motors has just announced it is going to buy back 200 million of its shares from the Treasury Department, which plans to sell the rest of its GM shares in the next year or so.
The opening of the L.A. auto show comes at an interesting time; the market for cars in the U.S. has rebounded even as the broader economic recovery continues at a painfully slow pace.