DETROIT—As consumers clamor for better fuel economy, suppliers and automakers are trying to reclaim some of the lost thermal energy produced by a vehicle’s engine.
DETROIT—Next to the wheel, it’s one automotive component that dates back to the horse-drawn carriage era, and it’s about to go the way of the buggy whip. The front bench seat, once a fixture among large American cars, will be headed for oblivion when the final 2013 Chevrolet Impala rolls off the assembly line in the coming months.