When the Chevrolet Volt turns up in the news, it's usually in regards to its electric powertrain, which has been a top selling point for General Motors thus far. However, the most recent news to come out of the Volt camp is the fact that the car has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) highest possible safety rating of five stars.

The NHTSA recently revised its testing to make achieving five stars significantly harder for automakers to achieve, as it seemed like nearly ever car tested in years prior was able to earn five stars. Models must pass a front, side and rollover test to earn the honor.

The Volt did very well on the rollover and side-impact test, scoring five stars on both. There was a minor hiccup on the front-impact test, where the car was only rated four stars. There was actually a gender discrepancy here – the car earned five stars with a male test dummy, but the female model suffered more damage and caused the score to be lowered to a four.

Still, the two five-star scores along with the four were enough to earn the car the highest possible rating overall, which is something Chevrolet will likely be playing up in future advertisements for the vehicle.

Drivers interested in purchasing a used Chevrolet Volt or any other vehicle should check out New Jersey State Auto Auction.

Domestic automakers are celebrating after May sales totals came in, as many of the top-selling Japanese cars fell out of the top 10.

Typically, the list of best-selling models is dominated by the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks, followed closely by the seemingly unbeatable quartet of the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Corolla.

Yet due to the Japanese earthquake and shifting market conditions, these four models all took a hit in May sales, falling out of the top 10. That allowed many domestic vehicles to jump up the list.

Chief among these was the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, which became the best-selling car in the country, and third-best model overall (still falling behind the two trucks, technically not classified as "cars."). Nissan, which hasn't felt the sting of the earthquake as much as its rivals, was in fourth with its Altima.

The rest of the list was mostly dominated by American cars, something that hasn't really been seen in quite some time. The Ford Fusion, Focus, Escape and new Chevrolet Cruze all made their way onto the list, along with the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra.

Drivers interested in any of these vehicles may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction before they head to the new car dealership. Often, lightly-used versions of these popular models can be found at a heavy discount.

Electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are brand new, and recent technology naturally costs more than the materials everyone's been using for years. That means that the two vehicles are quite pricey given their size, which is why the government decided to step in and help out with a $7,500 federal tax rebate for all drivers who purchased an EV.

A $7,500 discount on a vehicle sound pretty good no matter what the starting price is, but drivers may be a bit dismayed to know that this is something they can only claim come tax time. Given that the federal filing deadline for the year has already passed, that means a full year before that money is in a driver's pocket.

Now, The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration is hoping to make that tax rebate instant for drivers. The plan has not yet come to fruition, but the government believes that this is a better way of encouraging drivers to buy EVs than promising the money a year down the road.

"We'd like for people to get a $7,500 rebate on the day they buy the Leaf," LaHood said during a tour of a Nissan facility. The Transportation Secretary hoped that an instant rebate would motivate drivers in the same way that the immediate cash of the successful "Cash for Clunkers" program drove people to dealers.

Drivers interested in an electric vehicle or possibly a cheaper hybrid may want to visit New Jersey State Auto Auction when they're ready to buy.

Chevrolet has announced plans to ramp up production on its electric-hybrid Volt after a factory overhaul.

In order for the factory, located in Detroit-Hamtramck, to prepare for the changes, GM will close the factory at the beginning of June for at least four weeks. However, the lost production time will be made up immediately in increased efficiency. When all is said and done, the plant will actually produce 1,000 more Volts this year than the originally planned total of 15,000.

While the changes will have an effect on production this year, GM is really looking toward the future. Production for Volts has been increased for 2012 from 45,000 to 60,000. In addition, the factory will also be responsible for manufacturing the 2013 Malibu, beginning next year.

The move is largely seen as a reaction to the growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. The Volt has been available for some time, but has still only been released in limited markets. The increase in production is a sign that the car is catching on and GM is putting its full support behind the electric vehicle.

Recent news about the Volt from Kelley Blue Book suggests that the $41,000 will retail for about $17,000 if bought used in three years, so drivers may want to wait until they hit the used car market before making a move.