For years it has been the Toyota Prius showing rivals that they are king, much like the iPad in the tablet market in that respect. Going back a few years’ hybrid cars were a leap forward in technology, but they still had a way to go if they ever wanted to offer a practical alternative to the standard gasoline engine.

Thankfully technology has improved at an increased rate over the past year, and the future is with plug-in hybrids – well for now anyway. We say this because the future is with electric vehicles, as we need to move away from being reliant on gasoline. The upcoming 2012 hybrid car range is proof that we are moving much closer to that, we just need another five years before it is considered a fully viable option.

So let us take a look at what we believe to be the best 2012 models: The first is the Prius, as Toyota is to offer not one but several options of this popular model. Not only that, the Japanese automaker is hard at work on their first plug-in Prius hybrid, which should be able to mount an offensive against the Chevy Volt, which also uses the say kind of technology.

That is not all Toyota will be offering, as we know they have plans for two other hybrid models, the Highlander and the Camry. They will not stop there either, as they also have big plans in 2012 for their luxury division, as they have a host of hybrid Lexus models planned. There will be updates to four current models, along with two new ones as well.

Soul Tek also notes that Ford is now starting to push their hybrid campaign, as not only do they have four current 2012 models coming, they are also working on a new form of hybrid car that will use lithium batteries instead of nickel. The auto website assumes that this will be based on the concept version of the plug-in Escape hybrid that we have already seen.

Not ones to miss out on all the hybrid action, GM also has a number of models planned, but it is the new versions of the 2012 Chevy Volt that we look forward to the most. The Volt has been doing very well in terms of sales, but only having one model limits growth. Thankfully there are a number of other models planned, such as a crossover, although we cannot help think that the rumored 2012 Cadillac Converj will overshadow this.

There are far more hybrid models planned, these are just a handful of what we believe will be most popular.

This is now the second year in a row for the retail giant, but how long can they hold on to the top spot? However, we are more interested in how well Apple, General Motors and Chrysler did. Apple was in 56th position in the Fortune 500, but they have now gained 21 places to make it to 35.

AppleInsider says that Apple were a long way off the top ten list, with revenue earnings of $65 billion. This is compared to $421 billion for Walmart and $354 billion for Exxon Mobile. Having said that, Apple revenues grew by an amazing 79 percent in 2011, if they keep up that kind of pace it would not be long before they are in the top ten.

Freep notes that the auto industry is making a comeback, with General Motors making it to number 8, after being at 15th last year. Chrysler was out of the Fortune 500 list, but they have now made a comeback and are at number 59. However, we were shocked to learn that Ford dropped two places to number 10, with GM stealing their 8th position.

Where do you think Apple will be in next year’s Fortune 500?

The Detroit automaker will inspect each vehicle by taking a look at the shaft covers, just to make certain that they were correctly fitted. The 2011 Chevrolet Cruz models were built in Lordstown, Ohio, which were then shipped to Canada and the U.S.

Once the recalled vehicles are in the garage, 120,000 of them will be checked to see if the automatic transmission shift linkage was installed properly. This is certainly worrying, knowing that you could be driving a vehicle that has two potential problems.

Torque News reports that there have been no incidents due to these recalls, but you cannot be too careful. The NHTSA advises that you contact your local dealer to see if you are affected by this recall. Are you worried that this is now the second recall for the 2011 Chevy Cruz in just one month?

Yes, it seems that GM will be asking for 2,000 of its workers they laid off to return to work. According to the Detroit News, most of the workers to return will be to fill southeastern Michigan plants, which as we know was one of the hardest hit in the job cuts.

We do not have a date for when GM will be recalling these workers, but it is believed to be around September, which will be great news for those workers and their families in the build-up to the holiday season. We do hope that these jobs will be permanent, and looking how General Motors has been growing since the downturn – we do not see any reason why not.

A spokesperson for GM said that once all the laid-off workers have returned then they will be able to think about hiring new workers, which will be part of the company’s new two-tier wage system. It is no secret that this is a controversial system, but better than no job at all.

Are you happy that GM will recall 2,000 more of its workers? What do you think of the two-tier wage system?

There will be a shortage of parts that General Motors needs following the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and this is why GM released news about their cuts to counter the financial implications. This is a smart move to avoid any future problems, which should be avoided considering the financial trouble the automakers have felt in recent years.

GM plans cuts in jobs and a number of other resources, these include running limited shifts at select plants, and temporarily closing the Zaragoza plant in Spain. The United States will see a pickup plant in Louisiana affected, which will see production halted.

You can read more about the above cut backs here, and the official GM media pages show the latest news about cost saving taking place. The latest release shows GM’s statement on the impact of Japan’s earthquake.

You can keep up on more auto related news in our auto section. Will you be hit by the latest General Motors cuts?

The best selling car of all time is not that hard really, as it used to win best vehicle many years in a row. The car in question is the Toyota Corolla, and in its lifetime since being introduced in 1966 has sold more than 32,000,000. We understand that the Japanese automaker is unable to shift these cars in the numbers that they used to.

However, we have to wonder how long it will be before the Ford F-Series, which was launched in 1948 will take to catch up. Yes we know that the truck has been around for 18 more years, and that they have sold over 30,000,000 vehicles, but sales still remain strong.

One of the most surprising cars that sold in high numbers was the Ford Model T, which was the world’s first production car. Ford managed to shift more than 16,500,000 vehicles from 1908 to1927, but what we found fascinating was how fast they were able to shift these in a market that was much smaller at the time.

What surprised me the most was how the Mini sold just 6,700,000+ since coming to the market in 1959. We had assumed that the sales figures would have been much higher. Thankfully BMW has now made the small vehicle fashionable again, and there is now more version than ever.

What cars do you see selling in huge numbers from now until the end of their lifespan?

According to KickingTires General Motors will have to recall 11,147 models due to a nut on the suspension, which in some cases could become loose and force the steering to move without any input from the driver. As you would imagine, the Detroit automaker is working closely with the NHTSA.

The reason why the nut could become loose is due to a wax coating that is on the toe link jam, which forms part of the suspension. Knowing that this problem could cause the sudden change of steering is certainly a worry, as this could result in an accident or crash. As yet we have not heard of any incidents or injuries.

2009-10 Cadillac CTS owners are urged to call their nearest dealer, where they will be given details on how they can proceed to get this issue fixed for free. There seems to be a discrepancy in the amount of vehicles being recalled, as the Chicago Tribune reports that there are 50,000 Cadillac models to be recalled in all; so which is right?

Thanks to an article on Ezine Articles who gathered the data from the Highway Loss Data Institute we have learned that out of every 1,000 vehicles, around 6-11 were stolen. What worries us the most about this list is how 7 of the top ten most stolen vehicles were SUVs – so we could see insurance premiums increasing if this trend continues.

The SUV that thieves seem to love the most is the Cadillac Escalade, and we already know that this has been right at the top for 8 years running now – why do people keep buying them if they know that 10.8 out of every 1,000 will be stolen? The Chevy Silverado is one of the most popular SUVs on the road, which is why there are so many of them stolen.

Taking up the third spot is the Dodge Charger – yes this is not an SUV for a change. It is not hard to see why this muscle car is on a car thief’s wish list, although you will certainly stand out more if you were driving around in one that you stole.

For the entire list this visit Ezine Articles, the other vehicles on the list will shock you.

MoneyWatch reports that National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has some different data to add to this though. In their detailed list it shows that Honda and Toyota sedans from 1990 onwards are the most likely of used cars to be stolen. The NICB has gone one better with their report and offer a few suggestion of what you can do to make your vehicle safer.

How do you make your vehicle safe?

AOL News has been doing it’s homework and has managed to learn a few things that most of you would not have known. The first fact is a simple one, the Volt was made available in North America in December, and will be launched in Europe later this year, but possibly under the Opel/Vauxhall brand.

Just before the Chevy Volt was launched there was uncertainty as to what kind of car this was, but it now seems that it has settled with being an electric-gas hybrid. The vehicle can achieve 25 to 50 miles on the electric motor, which needs to be recharged via a power outlet/charging station. If you need to go further then the gas engine will kick in.

One of the main facts is remembering to keep the Volt charged, and that if you want to save your fuel bills, then try to keep it to town driving only. 400 miles is the maximum range on a full charge and a full take of gas.

The fourth fact is how expensive the Chevy Volt is, prices start from $41,000. This price will go up the moment you begin to conifer your new vehicle. You need to remember that you are paying a premium for new technology.

The final fact is that this new car from GM has some competition in the market. The main rival currently is the Nissan Leaf, but according to an AP report on NPR early sales shows that things are not going the Japanese automakers way. However, the likes of Ford will give the Volt a run for its money once they launch their Focus Electric, which Autoblog learned during the Detroit Auto Show Press Event.

We still cannot decide if there is a market for the Volt, but we do know that Ford and that Electric Focus will prove very popular. The reason for this is because they will use a brand of vehicle that has already proved itself in the market.

The Chevrolet Volt is not available to all parts of the U.S. and will not be until sometime in 2012, which is what Yahoo News learned from AP. There have been details that both the Volt and its rival the Nissan Leaf – which has also just been launched – has more than 50,000 people waiting for one.

RTT News seems to put it best when they state that General Motors are the comeback kids. They also reported that the Ford Explorer has won the 2011 best truck of year, something that we will discuss in more detail in a later post. We will say that this is now three wins in a row for the Explorer.

These two awards mark the opening of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and as such we will be bringing you more news as it comes in. Most recently we discussed the ‘Most Popular Economy Cars For 2011’ and as you would imagine the Chevy Volt, Nissan leaf and the Toyota Prius were on that list, with the Prius hybrid taking the top spot.

Does the Chevy Volt deserve to be crowned the 2011 Car of the Year?