Green Car News
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The American author Bill Bryson one wrote that "the fact is that [Britain] is still the best place in the world for most things...to go for a walk...or stand on a hillside and take in a view." Sadly, it seems fewer and fewer Britons are doing so these days--with a new report suggesting that one in five never ventures more than a third of a mile from their cars. According to The Independent, a new survey by the National Trust--Britain's equivalent of the U.S. National Parks Service--suggest people in the country are walking less than ever. While promoted as a green, healthy way of getting...
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Elon Musk Talks Leaf, Volt; Unimpressed With Either (Video)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has every right to be proud of his creation, the Tesla Model S. It's snatched so many awards he probably needs a second office to keep them all in, and it's just been rated as the safest car the NHTSA has ever tested. When it comes to whatever the rest of...
Antony Ingram -
RAV4 EV Pricing, Volvo Concepts & More Charging: Today's Car News
Today on GreenCar Reports: The RAV4 EV gets a price cut, Volvo unveils its stunning Concept Coupe, and fast-charging is set for massive growth. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car Reports. Toyota's RAV4 EV has had a huge lease price cut--it's now half the monthly cost...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Kia Soul Priced, $15,495 For Funky Compact
Kia has released pricing details for the all-new Soul, set to go on sale in the fourth quarter. No really, despite appearances it's a new car--Kia just didn't want to play around too much with such a distinctive design. It hasn't played around too much with pricing either, starting at $15,495...
Antony Ingram -
Elio 3-Wheeler Is Small And Clever, But Do Its Financials Work Out?
For such a small car, the Elio three-wheeled vehicle certainly has a big following. It might not meet everyone's idea of what constitutes a great car, but for those looking to reduce their driving costs or their impact on the environment, a small, inexpensive, resource-light three-wheeled vehicle...
Antony Ingram -
100 Times More Electric Car Fast Chargers By 2020?
Struggling to find a rapid charging station for your electric car could be a thing of the past by 2020, says a new study--as the number of quick chargers worldwide will increase by one hundred times that of today. The new report from IHS Automotive (via Automotive News) put the global fast charging...
Antony Ingram -
"The new Volvo Concept Coupé reveals how we could shape our cars from now on. Free from the superficial surface excitement of other car brands, we add emotional value to the Volvo brand with the calm, confident beauty that is the hallmark of Scandinavian design." Those are the words of Volvo's new Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingenlath. They're words we can get behind--the Swedish automaker's new plug-in hybrid coupe concept is stunning, and would be a welcome addition to a market not known for its aesthetics. The new concept will debut at this September's Frankfurt Auto...
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Toyota Crown Royal Saloon: Driving The 'Hybrid Brougham' Luxury Sedan
Have you ever wondered what a mid-size hybrid sedan would be like if it had the ride and handling of a Sixties Cadillac: big, soft, and wallowy? If so, Toyota has an answer for you, assuming you're willing to travel to Japan. All told, Toyota makes 23 different hybrid passenger vehicles for its...
John Voelcker -
Toyota RAV4 EV Lease Cut To Just $299 Per Month
Electric car prices have tumbled in the past year, with price cuts and lease deals making them far more affordable than they were just a couple of years ago. Latest to join the party is Toyota. While the company has been slow to get behind electric cars with any real force, a new no-interest...
Antony Ingram -
2016 Toyota Prius: Next Hybrid Aims For 55 MPG, More Room, Better Handling
Toyota today released a few more nuggets of information about the next, all-new generation of its Prius hybrid car. The all-new Prius, to be released in 2015, is likely to continue each generation's 10-percent improvement on the fuel economy of its predecessor. With the current Prius Liftback rated...
John Voelcker -
Electric VWs, Forbidden Nissans & Hawaiian Sales: Today's Car News
Today on GreenCar Reports: Driving Nissan's Micra minicar, Volkswagen's new electric car launches, and how Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] is doing in the Hawaiian and Californian markets. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car Reports. We've had a go in another forbidden fruit...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec: First Drive
While there are a number of new diesel models for 2014, diesels are nothing new for Mercedes-Benz. Yet at first blush, making the most fuel-efficient model in the lineup—the one that packs a new four-cylinder diesel—the entry point for mainstream luxury shoppers could be seen as a...
Bengt Halvorson -
It takes customers a little while to get used to any new vehicle, but for new vehicles like the BMW i3 and upcoming BMW i8 sports car it could take a little longer than most. As electric vehicles, and uniquely-styled and equipped ones at that, there's plenty to learn. Just how do the cars work? What functions does it have? How do I even turn the thing on? BMW has prepared for all that with i Genius--an SMS-based service using artificial intelligence to converse with customers and answer their queries on the car. It's been developed by London Brand Management, founded by 19-year-old Dmitry...
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Driving Nissan's Micra Minicar, Which We Can't Legally Do Any Other Time
The smallest car Nissan sells in the U.S. is the Versa subcompact, which comes both as a sedan and the new 2014 Versa Note hatchback. But last week, we were able to drive the latest Nissan Micra, a high-volume car sold outside the States that's an entire car class smaller. In Europe, the Micra is...
John Voelcker -
Volkswagen e-Golf & e-Up Electric Cars Set For Frankfurt Debut
Volkswagen will debut production versions of two new electric cars at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month. The Volkswagen e-Golf and e-Up are the realization of several years of electric car testing by Volkswagen, and mark the automaker's transition to high volume electric car production. e-Up Each...
Antony Ingram -
How To Find Diesel Fuel Anywhere In The U.S.
Diesel fuel is only available at just over half of all retail fuel sites in the U.S, so isn't quite as easy to find for drivers not familiar with a particular area. Finding diesel will become ever more important though as more diesel vehicles hit the market. What we need, then, is some way of...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla In The Tropics: Hawaii A Good Market For Electric Cars
As Nissan has discovered with sales of its Leaf, Hawaii is well suited to the daily duties of running an electric car. It's something Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] is discovering too, as sales of the Model S sedan are ramping up in the island state, and taking a healthy chunk of the market's electric...
Antony Ingram -
Corolla Pricing, Electric Numbers And Diesel Pickups: Today's Car News
Today on GreenCar Reports: Nissan reveals its most popular markets, electric car sales have outpaced gasoline stations, and we look at whether Tesla's market impact is as disruptive as the Japanese brands were back in the 1970s. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car...
Antony Ingram -
Infiniti has released the first official image of its new Q30 Concept before the vehicle makes its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month. The Q30 Concept is the company's first take on a luxury compact hatchback, set to rival cars like the Lexus CT 200h and Audi A3, as well as other-market hatchbacks like the BMW 1-Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. As such, the Q30 Concept takes Infiniti's recent design direction and alters its proportions for a smaller, stockier shape. Sculpted by Infiniti's design team, led by Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, it retains the sort of taut...
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Passing Gas: More Electric Cars Than Gasoline Stations Now
Electric cars achieved another milestone recently: Plug-in vehicles on American roads now outnumber the gas stations they whiz past on the roadside. We estimate the watershed (oil-shed?) event took place in early July--though there are some asterisks, as we'll discuss below. As early as next year...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Tesla: As Disruptive To U.S. Car Market As Toyota, Nissan Were?
In its decade of existence, electric-car startup Tesla has accomplished many things the auto industry didn't think it could do. But could Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] be as disruptive to the existing industry as were Toyota and Nissan, the two largest Japanese car importers during the Sixties...
John Voelcker -
New 2014 Toyota Corolla L Base Model To Start At $17,610
Toyota has announced pricing for the 2014 Corolla Range, with an entry point of $17,610 for the Corolla L. Available in L, LE, S and LE Eco trim lines, Corolla pricing runs from the sub-$18K of the L to $22,110 for a top-end S Plus. This model features a, six-speed manual transmission, 17-inch...
Antony Ingram -
Can You Name The Top 10 U.S. Markets For Nissan Leaf Electric Car?
If you had to guess the top ten U.S. markets for Nissan Leaf sales, you'd probably select a bunch of locations on the west and east coasts. And for the most part, you'd be right--but as Nissan's own figures show, even a few of the Midwestern and Southern cities are getting behind the electric...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Sales, Nissan Batteries, Fisker Fire Sale: Today's Car News
Today on GreenCar Reports: Tesla outsells luxury makes in California--but is the electric-car company really a luxury brand? Plus former arch-enemy Fisker may be sold, and the EPA stands by its fuel-efficiency tests. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car Reports. You read...
John Voelcker