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Auto industry insider previews tell-all book, What Did Jesus Drive?

"It's about some of the biggest crises in history. It's about who did it right and who did it wrong." - Jason Vines
Jason Vines, the former head of public relations at Chrysler, Ford and Nissan, has seen a lot during his more than 30-year career, and now he's offering a behind-the-scenes look at the auto industry in his tell-all book What Did Jesus Drive? that went on sale this month.

This month's deals on wheels: 3 cars with incentives, rebates

On television, they come at you rapid-fire: truck deals, car deals, SUV deals. You don't have time to read the fine print, and many sound too good to be true. What follows are three deals that are both good and true. And check out our entire list of incentives and rebates. VOLKSWAGEN JETTA: With Dieselgate winding down and VW's all-new three-row SUV – the Atlas – winding up, Volkswagen is selling sedans with incentives. The Jetta remains VW's bestseller in the US. If you're looking for an immodest deal on modest transportation, you can do worse than a lease on the 2017 Jetta S. THE DETAILS: Purchase at 0.9% APR (no down payment required, available on new 2017 Jetta models financed by Volkswagen Credit, participating dealers only). At that rate, you could save $1,600 over the life of a loan. Offer ends May 1, but given the tepid market interest in sedans, incentives will probably continue through the balance of the model year. NISSAN TITAN CREW CAB: While some buyers will wait for Nissan's recently announced Titan King Cab, and commercial users will grab the regular cab and 8-foot bed, we'll recommend a lightly optioned 4X4 crew cab with standard V8 power, California-penned sheetmetal and a made-in-America footprint. Nissan's full-size pickup is finally a credible competitor in the pickup segment. THE DETAILS: With $3,500 cash back, on top of whatever deal you negotiate, Nissan is effectively reducing the window sticker of a Titan S crew cab by almost 10 percent. MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER: Some cars show up on buyers' radar, some don't. Some aren't anywhere near the radar room. Mitsubishi's Outlander is one of those. But that doesn't diminish its basic attractiveness, especially for young families looking for an affordable three-row SUV with responsive power and competitive features. Add one of the industry's longest warranties and a compelling deal, and you suddenly have reason to track down a Mitsubishi dealer. THE DETAILS: It couldn't be simpler – negotiate your best deal on a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, and then receive a $2,000 rebate; on a remaining 2016, it's $3,000. We'd select a fully-equipped GT 3.0S – AWC, which hooks Mitsubishi's V6 to a conventional automatic (vs. a CVT on lower-priced models) and all-wheel drive. That's a window sticker of about $34,000, and you can count on an aggressive posture by the dealer to get your business. Mitsubishi Nissan Volkswagen Car Buying Buying Guide Truck SUV Sedan

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan 'No Charge' in Denver, A123 doubles

Nissan has introduced its "No Charge To Charge" program in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2, customers who buy their new Nissan Leaf from certified dealers in the metro Denver area will get two years of free charging. Denver is the 16th market to offer "No Charge To Charge," with a total of at least 25 US markets scheduled to offer the program by the end of the year. "EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Denver," says Nissan EV Sales and Marketing Director Andrew Speaker, "and access to free public charging for new Leaf buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient." Read more in the press release below. Wanxiang is investing $200 million in A123 Systems in order to double its lithium-ion battery production. The combined capacity of its three production facilities in Michigan, Hangzhou, China and Changzhou, China will increase from 750 megawatt-hours to 1.5 gigawatt-hours in the next three years. The increased capacity will help support customers building hybrids, passenger EVs, and commercial vehicles. Included in the expansion is the capacity to build 12-volt starter batteries and 48-volt microhybrid systems. "It's been a tremendous turnaround," says A123 CEO Jason Forcier, referring to the company's 2012 bankruptcy. Forcier also says the company is already planning another expansion when this one is complete. Read more at Automotive News, and in the press release from A123. The Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan is ordering 150 Zoe EVs from Renault. King Abdullah II of Jordan signed an agreement with Renault, who will deliver the cars by the end of the year. The cars will be powered completely by solar energy generated on royal property. The order of the 150 Zoes is the largest since 2013, and makes Renault the largest provider for Jordan's royal EV fleet. Renault says that further EV orders are already being discussed. Read more in the press release from Renault-Nissan. Beijing, China will exempt electric vehicles from its limits to vehicles on roads during rush hour. Current policy, designed to help alleviate traffic and air pollution, restricts cars with even and odd license plates from rush hour traffic on alternating days. The exemption for EVs runs from June 1, 2015 until April 10, 2016. It is the newest in the list of perks meant to encourage EV adoption, despite the troublesome lack of charging infrastructure. Read more at Green Car Reports.