Green Car News
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Standardized batteries are one of the great consumer goods: Who hasn't bought a pack of AA or AAA cells for some consumer-electronics device by now? The idea that standardized high-capacity lithium-ion battery packs are an inevitable next step in the evolution of electric cars crops up repeatedly. We don't think it's going to happen, as we explained to reader Michael Parker. MORE: 2016 Chevrolet Volt To Launch Next Year: What We Know So Far He wrote: [The] smartest thing electric car makers could do is settle on a universal form factor for replaceable battery packs. When the consumer can "get...
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Gas Mileage Displays In Cars: Accurate Or Optimistic?
How do you measure your gas mileage? Do you take mileage readings after each tank, refill to the brim, calculate how much you've used...and repeat at each fill-up? Or do you press the trip computer button a few times to bring up your tank average? If you're doing the latter, there's always the risk...
Antony Ingram -
2014 MINI Cooper: Bigger, Faster, More Fuel-Efficient--And Start-Stop Too
The Mini is one of the most iconic vehicles on the roads, but the car has changed--and grown--rather a lot since its introduction in 1959. Most of that change has happened since BMW took the reins and launched its MINI brand in 2001, and we're now on the third generation of the BMW-developed...
Antony Ingram -
Tucson Wants Tesla Gigafactory, Gives Formal Proposal To Electric-Car Maker
Tucson wants to be the home of Tesla Motors' massive lithium-ion battery cell factory.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Mitsubishi Mirage MPG, Electric-Car Sales, Carmaking Takes Energy: Today's Car News
Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Volkswagen make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Mitsubishi Mirage Gas Mileage: Real-World 40 MPG-Plus Possible, Owners Say
The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is unusual among the latest breed of gas-sipping small cars. There are no fancy tricks employed to hit its 37-40 mpg combined EPA ratings, no turbochargers or hybrid systems. It's simply small, light, aerodynamic and uncomplicated. Those qualities are also allowing...
Antony Ingram -
Ten days ago, a website appeared from Wanxiang America, the new owners of Fisker Automotive, under the title of "The New Fisker." The site included a comprehensive timeline of the formerly bankrupt company's past, warts and all: from the lawsuit by Tesla Motors against Fisker through the May 2011 suspension of funds from its U.S. government loan through to cofounder Henrik Fisker's resignation and ensuing staff layoffs. MORE: 'New Fisker' Website Launches As Wanxiang Prepares To Restart Electric-Car Maker But while the timeline has many entries, it's not entirely complete. Or as one...
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Hyundai Sonata Gas Mileage Overstated Again, In Korea This Time
Reporting gas mileage is a tricky subject for automakers. Naturally, you want your car to be seen in its best light. You test it according to regulations, and publish what you find. Sometimes, it can go wrong. Hyundai and Kia found this out the hard way recently. Now, Hyundai's done it again--but...
Antony Ingram -
Will National Parks Become A Black Hole For Electric-Car Visitors?
National Parks problem....black holes for our increasing electric vehicle tourists
George Parrott -
Half Of All Cars Banned From Paris Roads Over Smog; Electric Cars Exempt
Hazardous levels of pollution have caused authorities in Paris to enact its first car ban since 1997. The French capital will ban all vehicles on alternate odd and even license plates today and tomorrow in an effort to reduce the output of polluting particles in the air, following a run of warm...
Antony Ingram -
As Gas Mileage Rises, Energy To Make Cars Gets More Important
As vehicles all over the world slowly get more fuel-efficient, the energy required to make them--and their thousands of parts--is coming to represent a higher proportion of their lifetime energy footprint. And this, in turn, is leading carmakers to focus on cutting the energy required to...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in Electric Car Sales In Canada, Feb 2014: Milestones, Millstones
While February's electric vehicle sales in Canada will have easily topped year-ago numbers, the plug-in market still faces headwinds in Canada during 2014. British Columbia hit a milestone of 1,000 plug-in vehicle sales earlier this year. With 4.4 million people, the province has about the same...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Nissan and its French partner Renault could be on track for selling 1.5 million electric vehicles before 2020, according to the company's latest estimates. The two companies have currently sold around a tenth of that number since each firm released its first electric cars a few years back. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, increasing pressure to meet tougher emissions standards could work in Renault-Nissan's favor. Both companies have revised electric car sales estimates in the past, as each of Renault's electric vehicles and the high-profile Nissan Leaf have struggled to meet early...
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Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell, Tesla Car Sharing, Portable Electric Scooter: Today's Car News
Mercedes-Benz and Tesla Motors make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Mercedes-Benz Could Launch Next Fuel-Cell Car In 2017
Mercedes-Benz has delved into the world of fuel-cell vehicles before, with several concepts and the F-Cell prototype from a few years back. But so far--like most automakers--there's not been a model people can actually buy. That might change in 2017, according to Motoring (via Motor Authority), as...
Antony Ingram -
Electric Scooter In A Briefcase: Would You Pay $6,000 For It?
You only need witness the success of the Transformers movie franchise to know that people like the idea of things changing into other things. Let's assume that a Camaro that turns into an Autobot isn't suitable for your commute however. How about a briefcase that turns into an electric scooter?...
Antony Ingram -
Introduction To Our Used 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid
In the world of automotive journalism, "practice what you preach" is a difficult statement to honor. It just isn't always possible. We do our best though, which is how I've come to be the proud owner of a 2001 Honda Insight. Let me explain. ALSO SEE: Life With Tesla Model S: One Year And 15,00...
Antony Ingram -
Startup Vukee Hopes To Crowd-Fund Tesla Car Sharing Service
Not everyone can afford a Tesla Model S, but if you had the opportunity to drive one whenever you wanted, that might be a pleasing alternative to ownership. Startup Vukee Car hopes to offer a service that lets you do just that, and is crowd-funding to raise cash to offer Model S car-sharing. ALSO...
Antony Ingram -
Audi and Volkswagen make headlines today.
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Downsized 3-Cylinder Engines Not Refined Enough For Mercedes
Three-cylinder engines are all the rage right now. Once the preserve of basic economy cars, they're now used in everything from the latest generation of economy vehicles, through sporty hatchbacks like the 2015 MINI Cooper and Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost, to BMW's i8 plug-in hybrid sports car...
Antony Ingram -
Growth In Mass-Transit Usage Outpaces Increase In Miles Driven In U.S.
U.S. mass transit usage continues to grow, while car usage remains stagnant.
Stephen Edelstein -
Autolib Electric Car-Sharing Service Expands Into London From Paris
Car-sharing services have proven popular for city-based users, many preferring to use the conveniently-located cars in lieu of buying, owning and running their own. Few have been more successful than the Parisian Autolib electric car sharing business though. Owned by Bollore, It runs thousands of...
Antony Ingram -
Audi To Add Plug-In Hybrid Models Of Next A6, A8 Sedans, Q7 SUV
Audi, in its search for alternatives to conventional propulsion, has finally nailed its colors to a mast--and that mast is plug-in hybrids. In addition to the A3 Sportback e-tron later this year and plans for a plug-in hybrid version of the A4, the German automaker could develop plug-in hybrid...
Antony Ingram -
Volkswagen To Triple Battery Capacity With Lithium-Air Technology?
Fossil fuels may not be the cleanest way of powering us between two points on a map, but there's little doubt they offer convenience. So far, scientists have struggled to find batteries for electric cars that match the huge amounts of energy stored in a gallon of gasoline or diesel. As a result we...
Antony Ingram