When you absolutely, positively have to do it yourself, at least now there is a better way to park. The 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan, which will become available in mid 2009, is one of two new Ford models that will be equipped with Active Park Assist. (For the record, it is way better than having someone in the passenger’s seat simply point out that you’re too close to the curb/car behind you/car in front of you.) The system uses ultrasonic sensors and Electric Power Assisted Steering to ease your car into a parallel parking spot - which means that you don’t even need to touch the wheel while it does its thing.

The MKS sedan and the new Lincoln MKT seven-passenger luxury crossover are the first two vehicles in Ford’s fleet to be equipped with such technology, although the company expects to fit nearly 90 percent of its vehicles with such a feature by 2012. (More on the MKT after it is unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.)

The driver-friendly parking technology, known as Electric Power Assisted Steering, or EPAS, sounds almost too good to be true: Press a button, and the ultrasonic sensors identify and measure the parking space. Once the system gives the thumbs-up, the driver can accept system assistance, at which point the steering system takes over and maneuvers the car into the space – hands-free. (The driver is still responsible for shifting the transmission and operating the gas and brakes.)

Allegedly, this cool new system does more than remove the stress of parallel parking – it also claims to improve fuel economy by up to 5 percent. But of course, what we’re most impressed with is the idea that we don’t have to wrestle our cars into those parallel spaces any more.

If only they could make doing laundry this easy!

At least that’s the initial impression delivered with the unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt, GM’s equivalent of a hail-Mary pass. The folks that brought us the environment-crushing Hummer have now revealed the prototype of the Volt, their all-electric auto that’s slated to hit showroom floors in late 2010. As their first electric vehicle since the  ill-fated EV-1 was introduced in 1996, the Volt has a lot of ground to cover to make up for the automaker’s slumping sales.

Although early prototypes of the car showed a sexier profile, it appears that Chevrolet has gone for a Hyundai-meets-Ford look with the five-door Volt, giving it more of a family car feeling than hinted at with the prototype shown last year at the Detroit Auto Show. Still, it has a lot of interior touches that could win us over – things like a liquid crystal instrument display, multiple touch screen interfaces and Bluetooth capabilities.

Of course, until it actually rolls out in the flesh -er, metal – it’s hard to pass judgement. So until that happens, here’s what we do know:

- The Volt is expected to appear late in 2010 and will be priced at between $35,000 and $40,000.

- Top speed is 100 mph, and it has the equivalent of a 150-horsepower engine.

- It is designed to go 40 miles without a charge, and can be plugged into a standard 120v household plug for recharging.

- After exhausting its initial charge, the Volt switches over to an onboard gas-burning generator that can go for several hundred miles.

Stay tuned. Speculation over whether Americans are willing to pay $40K for this model is already beginning, especially considering that a 2009 Toyota Prius runs just over$20,000.

Another unknown? What cars from newcomers like Fisker and Tesla, as well as from established GM competitors, will be hitting the market about the same time to steal the Volt’s thunder.

Obviously, it’s going to be awhile before we know enough about this car to see how it’s going to fit into the changing automotive landscape.