Green Car News
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Ford has taken a little while to get to the subcompact crossover party. Its EcoSport, launched at the end of 2013, is hitting the European market a full three to four years after rivals like the Nissan Juke, and drops into a now highly-competitive market segment. Better late than never, as they say. And Ford CEO Alan Mulally hints that it might be turning up to the U.S. crossover party too, The Detroit News reports. Speaking at the Detroit Auto Show, Mulally explained that smaller, more affordable vehicles would become increasingly important in the global car market. That includes the United...
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Nissan Celebrates 99,999...100,000 Leaf Electric Car Sales
There's a curious joy in watching your car's odometer tick over to some significant number. 11,111 miles perhaps, or a palindromic number. Or, of course, the big hundred-thousand. Nissan is experiencing that very same joy with sales of its Leaf electric car, as it sells the 99,999th and 100,000th...
Antony Ingram -
2015 Ford Focus Energi Rumored: 25 Miles Of Range, $27,500?
Ford's sales of its two Energi plug-in hybrid models climbed steadily throughout 2013, and now it appears the company will add a third model to the Energi family for 2015. If rumors are correct, the 2015 Ford Focus Energi will add a plug-in hybrid model to the existing gasoline and battery-electric...
John Voelcker -
Five Big Myths About Green Cars And Gas Mileage, Debunked
Every now and then we get a reader question that reminds us how many myths about green cars are out there. In the interests of helping you actually save money by using less gasoline, here are five of our favorites--with explanations as to why they're myths. (1) Boosting gas mileage from 33 to 50...
John Voelcker -
2015 Audi A3 Prices, Nissan Electric-Car Design, NYC Electric Taxis: Today's Car News
Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and VL Automotive make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan Electric Cars To Be Split Into Three Different Types: Design Director
Fed up of waiting for a cheaper, smaller electric car from Nissan, or something a bit more interesting and sportier than the Leaf? You may not have to wait much longer. In an interview with Motor Authority, Nissan's global design chief Shiro Nakamura says Nissan's electric car plans will take three...
Antony Ingram -
For some companies in the auto industry, building cars to hit a target of 54.5 mpg by 2025 may seem like a near-impossible task. But to others, the EPA's Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets agreed in 2011 aren't simply achievable by that date, but could be reached today--and with today's technology. Start-stop, turbos, direct injection Speaking to Automotive News, Johnson Controls chief executive Brian Kesseler says existing technologies, such as stop-start systems, turbochargers, and direct injection, can deliver an internal combustion engine capable of matching those lofty 2025 figures...
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VL Destino Faces Uncertain Fisker Future For Its Non-Electric Karma
Engine swaps are one thing; complete powertrain replacements are another. But if your business is yanking range-extended electric running gear out of a stunning-looking car from a now-bankrupt company, and replacing it with Corvette power, there are two ways you can go. Swaps, new cars You can wait...
John Voelcker -
2015 Audi A3 Sedan Priced From $29,900
Audi has announced pricing for the first two variants of its all-new 2015 A3 sedan, on sale soon. With the base engine, a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged unit badged TFSI, you'll pay $29,900--while the more powerful 2.0 TFSI, also a turbocharged gasoline model, begins at $32,900. To each of...
Antony Ingram -
NYC Issues Roadmap For Electrifying One Third Of Taxis By 2020
New York City hopes to electrify one third of its taxi fleet by 2020.
Stephen Edelstein -
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Plug-In On Sale Early 2015, C-Class Hybrid Later
While Mercedes-Benz and other German luxury automakers (Audi, especially) are betting on diesel powertrains on a larger scale in helping to make their lineups more fuel-efficient, they're starting to concede that to some luxury shoppers, plug-in hybrids are seen as a 'greener'...
Bengt Halvorson -
2015 Honda Fit: Video Summary From Detroit Auto Show
Undoubtedly the most important green car at a rather scattered Detroit Auto Show, the 2015 Honda Fit promises to be a strong entry in the subcompact segment when it arrives this spring. MORE: 2015 Honda Fit: Full Details From 2014 Detroit Auto Show The latest generation of the most flexible and...
John Voelcker -
Chevrolet, Honda, and Via Motors make headlines today.
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Honda Fit-Based Crossover To Spawn Small Acura Luxury Utility?
Honda is mulling an Acura-badged version of the Vezel compact crossover.
Stephen Edelstein -
Best Western To Use 1,000 Via Range-Extended Electric Vans As Hotel Shuttles
VIA Motors has announced an $80 million purchase agreement with its Canadian distributor, Sun Country Highway, to deploy 1,000 of Via's range-extended electric Vtrux vans as shuttle vehicles at Best Western hotels. The pact is important for Via, giving it a major commitment that could kick-start...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Diesel Vs Electric Chevrolet: Cruze Diesel Vs Volt Sales In 2013
This year, 2014, is going to be the big test for diesel engines in U.S. passenger vehicles. It's the first full year in which two popular cars--the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan and the Jeep Grand Cherokee--are offered with diesel engines as optional equipment, complete with higher EPA fuel...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3 Range Extender: No White CA Carpool-Lane Sticker, Here's Why
Incentives help drive the purchase of plug-in electric cars, which remain unfamiliar and expensive to many first-time buyers. But a recent article on The Street may have caused some confusion over which incentives will be granted to BMW's first electric car, the i3, when it goes on sale this...
John Voelcker -
Which Is Greener: Flying Or Driving To Your Destination?
Few transport methods are truly green, requiring the input of fuel at some point in the process to generate the energy required to move. Flying is often derided as one of the worst, given the spectacular amounts of fuel aircraft can burn through. But are they any worse than cars? Indeed, could they...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla owners will converge on Washington, D.C. Presidents Day weekend for some electric-car camaraderie.
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Best In Show: Green Cars At The 2014 Detroit Auto Show
It's a time-honored auto-show tradition, picking the best new cars and concepts in the show. While this year's Detroit Auto Show had very few cars that could genuinely be viewed as "green," we've nonetheless picked both our favorite production car and our favorite concept. MORE: 2014 Detroit Auto...
John Voelcker -
2015 Ford F-150: Full Details, Live Photos & Video
Ford has released full details on the new 2015 F-150 pickup, and with a host of new technologies and engines, it may be the most advanced full-size truck ever. The company says it's tougher, smarter, and more capable than ever before--and looking at the styling, it's hard to argue on the first...
Antony Ingram -
6 Million Toyota Hybrids, Detroit Show Wrap-Up, Electric Car Sales In Canada: Today's Car News
Today, we've got more sales analyses than you can shake a calculator at.
Stephen Edelstein -
How Many Tesla Model S Electric Cars Have Been Built So Far?
Car production data may cause some eyes to glaze over, but the numbers are closely followed in the auto industry. Electric-car maker Tesla Motors doesn't report its exact sales, nor its precise production, so a cottage industry has sprung up to track its alleged production. MORE: Tesla's Next...
John Voelcker -
2014 Detroit Auto Show: Summing Up The Cars And Concepts
Another year, another Detroit Auto Show. The public won't pass through the doors of Cobo Hall until Friday, but the world's media have largely departed after two days' worth of press previews. It felt like a somewhat flat show, despite rah-rah coverage in the local press, and it really had only...
John Voelcker