Green

We've always had a soft spot for Think, the Norwegian electric-car company. From its start in 1991, it set out to build not just battery-powered vehicles, but electric cars that could be used on highways and pass all safety tests in any country. That sets it apart from the scores of EV companies...

Well, here's a surprise. It's no news that Lexus has found it slow going breaking into the luxury market in Europe, which is dominated by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar. By contrast, Lexus has become the highest-selling US luxury brand since its 1989 launch, largely on the strength of its midsize...

Auto websites compete with each other to get the newest, the latest, and the coolest. Sometimes one or more of the 39 sites in the High Gear Media network gets a scoop (like our recent first drive of the 2010 MazdaSpeed3); other times, we don't. So we tip our hat to our buddies at Jalopnik, who got...

On Wednesday, August 26, 1959, a new type of small car was unveiled in Austin and Morris dealerships across Britain. Many buyers didn't know quite what to make of the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin 7even (yep, that's what they called it--for a very short while). It had seats for four, it was just 10...

Back in March, VW confirmed it would sell the Polo in the US in 2011. The five-door hatchback model was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and now Volkswagen has released details of the three-door hatch as well. US details to come It's like that VW will also offer a four-door...

We get a lot of spam. Everyone gets a lot of spam. In fact, Symantec says nine of every 10 e-mail messages are spam. But we're scratching our head over a recent spam that uses the topic of hybrid cars, particularly clumsily, to link (via Dubai, no less) to real carmakers' hybrid, diesel, and...

OK, kids, this is it. If you have a clunker and you want to trade it in and get a $3,500 or $4,500 rebate for a new vehicle under the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program ... STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. Do it right now, today, and get to your dealer no later than 4 pm. Today. But call first, to...

We often get asked whether it will be necessary to replace the high-voltage battery pack in a Toyota Prius after it's five or ten years old. The answer is, almost certainly not. Toyota is required to warranty the pack for either 8 years / 100,000 miles or 10 years / 150,000 miles, depending on...

Just two weeks ago, we reported that GM's first plug-in hybrid vehicle--originally meant to be a Saturn Vue before GM decided to sell Saturn to Pennske--would become a Buick crossover. My, how quickly things change in the new Internet world. As GM said Wednesday on its Fastlane blog, "not all the...

Back in April, GreenCarReports.com was lucky enough to get a ride in the world's only running version of the 2012 Tesla Model S electric sedan. It happened at the car's New York City preview, the first time since its unveiling in an LA rocket factory that it was seen in public. Now, a prototype of...

As we enter the news day on Thursday, it appears that the "Cash For Clunkers" program could well be out of cash. The National Association of Auto Dealers (NADA) asked the US government to suspend the program as of midnight last night, and warned dealers they are at risk of not getting reimbursed if...

Six wheels. Two seats. One horsepower. Rear-mounted hybrid powertrain. Top speed: 28 miles per hour. It's the future of green transport. Maybe. In April 2006, Iranian engineer Hadi Mirhejazi began working on what he calls the Naturmobil, a vehicle powered by a single horse trotting on a treadmill...

It's almost sold out in some areas, the solar sunroof is smashing sales projections, and now the 2010 Toyota Prius had added a further laurel to its overflowing cap: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has awarded the 2010 Prius its "Top Safety Pick" designation. That award goes to vehicles...

  A few weeks ago, we got a note from reader Laila Folk asking about air conditioning in hybrid cars, specifically the 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid. She wrote: Can you get an answer from Ford Corporation regarding the inclusion of an electric motor driven air compressor for the A/C unit in the 2010...

We're pretty focused on the US car market here at GreenCarReports.com, so we don't write about cars we won't be able to buy all that often. Today, we're making an exception for a particularly significant technology advance. Next month, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, French automaker Peugeot will...

There are many excellent reasons to buy a Toyota Prius, new or used, leading off with the hybrid's superb fuel economy: 50 miles per gallon for the new 2010 Toyota Prius. Now you can add to that list another justification. It turns out that the Toyota Prius will save you money on insurance. The...

According to the Japanese publication, Nikkei, Suzuki may be planning a hybrid version of their upcoming Kizashi sedan for 2011. The recently unveiled Kizashi will compete in the hotly contested midsize sedan market with the likes of the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Ford Fusion, among...

It may be subcompact in size, but the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid just got handed a big award. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has awarded the 2010 Honda Insight EX its "Top Safety Pick" designation, which it bestows on vehicles that do the best job of protecting their occupants in front...

Now that Congress has voted another $2 billion in funding for the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program, better known as "Cash for Clunkers," the program's success means carmakers are starting to face shortages of their most popular high-mileage models. The latest manufacturer to face a...

If you're one of the tens of thousands of green car fans excited about the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car, start making nice to your local Chevy dealer. Because the number of Volts built is going to be very, very low for at least its first year of production. Despite excitement over...