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Weekly Recap: Lincoln Continental serves up the style, Cadillac CT6 delivers the substance in New York

Lincoln and Cadillac grabbed the spotlight this week at the New York Auto Show in a dramatic fashion that evoked the brands' glory days. America's two luxury carmakers went toe-to-toe with their glittering reveals and plans for ambitious expansion. Both were selling their technology, style and the promise of a better future. Cadillac vs. Lincoln. At the Javits Center, 2015 seemed a lot like 1956. Neither company was interested in drawing comparisons with the other, which is fair, and accurate. They're in vastly different places in terms of sales and the pace of their turnarounds, but they hope to reach the same eventual destination at the pinnacle of the luxury-car world. Lincoln used the element of surprise to great effect with the Continental concept. A production version is still at least a year away, and the company was vague on details. Officially, we don't even know if it is front- or rear-wheel drive, though speculation abounds. Who cares? The seats can be adjusted 30 ways! The Continental also showed off a bold chrome grille that will be the new face of Lincoln. The blue bomber also rolled on blinged-out 21-inch polished aluminum wheels, used a 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine and had huge LED head lights with "laser-assisted" high beams. All of this resulted in almost blinding attention. The concept drew rave reviews, stirred controversy with Bentley designers who argued Lincoln ripped them off, and most importantly, pointed a way forward for the newly determined brand that hopes to compete with Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Cadillac and Lexus. View 32 Photos Meanwhile, Cadillac showed the CT6, a finished product that will top its range and is loaded with the best and latest technologies General Motors has at its disposal. With production starting late this year, Cadillac had more specifics at the ready. Engines? Cadillac has a couple V6s and a turbo four for sure. It's working on a hybrid, and has considered a V-Series variant. It's based on a new rear-wheel-drive, aluminum-intensive chassis called Omega, features an advanced collision-mitigation system with automatic braking and has a cabin that's laden with "leathers, exotic woods and carbon fiber." It will be assembled at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck factory and goes on sale next year. At this point, Cadillac is more than willing to talk about every except for the price. The devil was not in the details for Cadillac, as evidenced by the CT6. But it wasn't for Lincoln either.

Tony Nicolosi confirmed as Volvo's North American CEO

This past October, John Maloney stepped down from his post as CEO at Volvo Cars North America. In his place, the Swedish automaker tentatively promoted Tony Nicolosi, who had until then served as head of Volvo Car Financial Services. The appointment was reportedly temporary, giving Nicolosi the title of acting CEO. But according to Automotive News, his position has now been confirmed for the long run.
Although Volvo has yet to announce a new director for its financial arm, Nicolosi says they have found the right person and will announce sometime between now and the National Automobile Dealers Association convention, set to take place later this month in New Orleans.
Last month, Volvo also announced that its global communications chief Bodil Eriksson is moving from the home office in Gothenburg to the North American office in Rockleigh, New Jersey. Anders Kärrberg has been promoted from the government affairs post to take Eriksson's place.

Recharge Wrap-up: Formula E car swap video, Lyft adds carpooling, new Tesla book

Curious to see how the Formula E car swap goes down? During each hour-long race (or ePrix, as the series calls them), drivers have to make a pit stop to switch cars as the battery runs down. Of course, they want to do it as quickly as possible. It's kind of a tricky dance extricating oneself from the cockpit of one car and slipping into the seat of another facing the opposite direction. See the maneuver in the video below and read more at Jalopnik. A new report forecasts that the CNG and LPG vehicle market will be worth nearly $5.2 billion by 2019. The report cites fluctuating gasoline and diesel prices, and the relatively low prices of these alternative fuels, for their growing popularity. The report also breaks down the popularity of natural gas and propane vehicles in different parts up the world. In the Asia-Pacific region, China is the largest consumer. In Europe, CNG thrives in Italy, while LPG is most popular in Turkey and Poland. Meanwhile, CNG remains a tough sell in America, while South America has a healthy market. Learn more in the press release below or at Markets and Markets. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are testing trucks connected to overhead electric wires to reduce emissions and improve air quality. The eHighway, as the project is called, will cost $13.5 million and will use battery electric and hybrid trucks to move cargo around the ports along a one-mile stretch of wires. The trucks, made by Siemens and Volvo, also have the ability to disconnect from the wires and drive under their own power. See more in the video below or read more at ABC7. Lyft is introducing its own carpooling feature to its car-hailing app. Yesterday, we reported that its competitor Uber is testing UberPool, and Lyft is now doing something similar to encourage people to share rides. Lyft Line offers discounted rides, and matches passengers who are going to nearby destinations around the same time. Lyft Line offers passengers a guaranteed price before they accept the ride. Lyft is launching the carpooling service in San Francisco, and hopes to expand it from there. Read the in-depth article at The New York Times. A new book is available called Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution. Written by Charles Morris, senior editor of Charged, it chronicles the history of the famed electric automaker, its achievements in business and technology and the people responsible for Tesla's success.