A Florida man who was ticketed for flashing his headlights to warn oncoming traffic of radar patrols, is filing a class-action lawsuit against the Florida Highway Patrol for violating his first amendment right to free speech. As odd as it seems, the Florida Highway Patrol has ceased citing motorists until the case is resolved, but it must be nice for people who are looking to speed without getting caught. To this blogger, it seems that this is a frivolous lawsuit – they should be ticketed for causing a distraction or something. Auto transport drivers agree – someone on the side of the road flashing their headlights is just a pain.

In a complete shocker, newcomer Coda Automotive has opened a new storefront in the Westfield Century Mall in Los Angeles. Coda Automotive is an electric car manufacturer, but one that has been relatively off the radar – even auto transport companies haven’t heard of Coda, and they ship any and every type of vehicle out there. Regardless, the compact, four-door electric sedan put out by Coda is priced at $44,900 before government incentives, and can travel 150 miles on a single charge. Look for Coda to make a big splash in the Los Angeles market – if the store does what it’s supposed to do, that is.

In a shocking turn of events, the Chevy Volt has failed to meet the sales expectations of Chevy, who had expected higher sales numbers than the 3,200 that have sold so far. The Volt came at a time when electric vehicles were all the rage, but it seems that potential buyers of a full-electric vehicle are turned off by the Volt’s high price tag ($41,000), and while Chevy is a bit disappointed in this years numbers, they’re confident going into 2012 that the vehicle will meet their sales expectations for the year. But 40,000 is a hard number to reach when you’re sitting at only 3,200. Auto transporters, meanwhile, have seen a high number of Volts moving across the country, which usually means more sales – this could be just a rare case where the numbers don’t match for various reasons – it happens.

Ford and Toyota have partnered up to develop new technology that will allow for large SUV’s and pickup trucks to be hybridized, whereas now they just can’t. Auto transport companies see lots of SUV’s and pickup trucks moving, so having a hybrid one – when SUV’s and pickups are renowned for their gas-guzzling ways – could do a lot to bolster the idea of an SUV in people’s minds. The partnership comes as the government recently stated that all vehicles will be mandated to be able to go 54.5 miles per gallon of fuel, and this could really revolutionize the way we build our cars. Slowly but surely, it seems we’re getting off of foreign oil.

Ford is looking at building a solar charger for the new Ford Focuses that will be coming out, but it may be a few years off before we see it. Regardless, the SunPower Corp-developed solar chargers will be based in the roof and will provide 2.5 kilowatts of electricity that would have the capability of recharcing a lithium-ion batter in just under 10 hours. It will still cost $10,000 after a federal tax credit and 40% off for it being in a car, but still, the idea is cool. Auto transporters have seen the Focus move well (which means high sales) over the years, and they could be seeing more if this works out. However, $10,000 is a high price tag – it would cost about $10/week to charge the vehicle from the grid, which would take 20 years to match the cost of the solar array. But hey, some people like paying all at once, some over time. Just depends on who you are.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan will be handing production and distribution of 20% of the lithium-ion battery production for electric vehicles in the near future. Michigan, once home to the Big Three, has been slowly crumbling since the economy started to tank; with the auto industry now relying on Michigan to fuel the future, the state has suddenly been thrust back in the limelight. Car transport companies are excited about this as well – they have been pushing for alternative fuel sources for years. Vehicle transport through the state has waned in recent years, and car transport companies are looking forward to having reason to go back to the state. At the very least, it’ll boost Michigan’s economy, bring sorely-needed jobs back to the state, and overall provide a huge boon to a thirsty state.