OAKVILLE, ON—The Canadian government is allocating $250 million to support R&D projects in the country’s automotive industry.

PORTLAND, OR—Morgan Corp. has opened a new truck body assembly plant here.

LORDSTOWN, OH—Four people were hospitalized late Friday after welding sparks ignited a small fire at GM’s assembly plant here.

SHREVEPORT, LA—Elio Motors Inc. is investing $100 million to take over GM’s former assembly plant here to produce three-wheeled fuel-efficient vehicles. The company could employ 1,500 people by late 2015.

BOSTON—GrabCAD, an online community for sharing CAD expertise, is sponsing a contest to design a steering wheel for a supersonic car. A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the winning entry. Designs must be submitted by Jan. 31.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Thirty-six percent of automotive suppliers declined to give a price cut to Toyota, according to the latest survey by IRN Inc. In contrast, only 22 percent of GM’s suppliers rejected price cuts, and 19 percent of Chrysler’s suppliers did so.

A variety of hightech sensors can give automakers objective data for assessing vehicle performance.

This past June, Chrysler Group LLC announced that its World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Academy had generated more than $1 million in savings after only six months.

Rising health care costs are one of the biggest challenges facing the American auto industry today.

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