Green Car News
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The Chevrolet Sonic subcompact was an impressive offering when we tested both a 1.8-liter LT hatchback and a 1.4-liter LTZ sedan almost two years ago. Now, with the advent of the 2013 Chevy Sonic RS sports model, we had a chance to revisit the car--and we remain impressed. The RS version uses the same 138-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the standard Sonic. But the sport model rides slightly lower, has new and more aggressive front styling, unique 17-inch alloy wheels and lower-profile tires, and slight changes to the gearing. Inside, it it fitted with two really excellent...
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Why Tesla Launched Battery Swapping; Is It Now In Danger?
Tesla Motors has surprised a lot of skeptics in its decade of existence. But last month's announcement of battery swapping for Model S cars traveling long distances deserves some additional context. It adds a new and quicker way for some Model S drivers to cover distances beyond the battery range...
John Voelcker -
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid: 500K Miles, Still In Patrol Service
If you ever had any doubt that hybrids were durable--and many people do--here's a case study to set your mind at ease. A white base-model 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid has just crossed 500,000 miles, which possibly makes it the highest-mileage Escape Hybrid on the road. That's much higher than the Escape...
John Voelcker -
Battery Life In Tesla Roadster Is Likely Better Than Predicted
Battery life is the subject of lingering doubt for many electric vehicle owners, but doom and gloom degradation projections don't always come true. Not for the Tesla Roadster at any rate, which is confounding Tesla's own battery life expectations for the car. According to data recorded by Plug In...
Antony Ingram -
Is This Volvo Solar Pavilion The Ultimate Electric Car Accessory?
Solar panels are great, but they can be a bit... well, bland sometimes. We can't argue with their benefits, but unless you've a keen eye for photography, they aren't really works of art. Apart from Synthesis Design + Architecture's (SDA) solar pavilion of course, because that's most definitely a...
Antony Ingram -
Formula E Electric Racing Schedule Confirmed For 2014
The last venue for 2014's Formula E electric racing series has finally be confirmed, taking place in the German capital, Berlin. It's the tenth and final location set to host the new electric racing series, which will run from September 2014 until June 2015--the winter-based season avoiding clashes...
Antony Ingram -
Sometimes, change is painful, devastating -- just ask the folks at Blockbuster Video or the residents of any neighborhood that's been split by new freeways. Sometimes, change is wonderful, life-giving -- just ask the folks at Netflix or ambulance drivers who now have faster ways to get from the sites of emergencies to nearby hospitals. Change is finally coming to the taxi industry, and no one is entirely sure whether the shift will mean the death of cabs as we know them or their radical transformation. But given what we've seen of people and businesses that have dug in their heels and tried...
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Renault Study Shows Electric Cars Far Greener Than Gasoline--In France
With relatively few electric vehicles on the market, drawing direct comparisons with regular gasoline and diesel vehicles is surprisingly difficult--not many vehicles are sold with all three drivetrains. The Ford Focus is one, and Renault's Fluence sedan is another. Now, reports Autoblog Green, the...
Antony Ingram -
2013 MINI Paceman John Cooper Works: We Ask 'Why?'
Every once in a while, we end up driving a car that leaves us utterly confused. The 2013 MINI Cooper Paceman John Cooper Works ALL4 we drove for a day last week is one such vehicle. It's striking, but far less functional than the MINI Countryman from which it's derived. The handling is decent, but...
John Voelcker -
Datsun Go Revealed: New Sub-$7K Subcompact For Indian Market
The first new Datsun of the 21st Century is here, though it may not be quite how you remember the brand from its heyday. Datsuns always represented good value, but this time around they're really banging the budget drum. The new Go, previewed a few weeks ago in sketches, will sell for well under...
Antony Ingram -
After Price Cut, Will More Choose 2014 Focus Electric Over C-Max Energi?
If you've been considering an electric car but have been deterred by pricing, it might be worth another try—or at least another look at the numbers. This past week, Ford dropped the price of the 2014 Focus Electric to $35,995; that's about a 10-percent cut from the 2013 sticker price of...
Bengt Halvorson -
Electric Race Car Victorious In Student Motorsport Event
Want to know where the next generation of race car engineers are going to come from? Chances are they'll have taken part in one of the many Formula Student at some point, open to student engineers all over the world with the aim of building and racing a single-seater racing car. This year--for the...
Antony Ingram -
We'll finally see an undisguised 2014 BMW i3 electric car in about two weeks. But, this week, BMW released not only a few technical specifications for the powertrain but also some details of the car's advanced connectivity and navigation systems. First, the car has its own cellular connection--as do many cars--but it uses its communications abilities in some new and interesting ways. The suite of services and apps is grouped under the umbrella of BMW ConnectedDrive, a system already offered on other BMW vehicles. Apps for all situations Owners can share information with their i3 electric cars...
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Are Electric Bicycles Catching Cars As Europe's Favored Transport?
It shouldn't come as a surprise to discover that there are more bicycles around than there are cars. They're vastly cheaper for a start, and require no pesky tax, parking fees or indeed, fuel. As far as methods of transport go, they're second only to walking for inexpense. More newsworthy is that...
Antony Ingram -
When "Electric" Doesn't Qualify You To Use Electric-Car Parking
There it is, parked right in the space reserved for electric-car charging: a Hyundai Tucson. Which runs solely on gasoline. But wait! There's a badge on the back. Right under the silver Hyundai letters, it says, "all electric." Wow. Is this a prototype test car? Or an unpublicized plug-electric car...
John Voelcker -
Sales Surprise: Battery-Electric Cars Are Outselling Plug-In Hybrids
Poring over monthly sales figures for plug-in electric cars--and our six-month summary--the data points out an unexpected fact. Did you know that pure battery-electric cars actually outsold plug-in cars that also have engines? From January through June of this year, the combination of 9,839 Nissan...
John Voelcker -
2014 Mazda Mazda3 Hybrid Announced... But Only For Japan
Mazda hasn't made much of a fanfare about its future hybrid models of late. In fact, you might not even have known the company was planning any, such is its silence over the matter. Perhaps Mazda decided its push with efficient Skyactiv gasoline and diesel engines--and how they reduce the need for...
Antony Ingram -
Driverless Electric Shuttle Bus Carries Racetrack Visitors (Video)
A race track isn't necessarily the place you'd expect to find the latest in zero-emissions transit, but that's exactly what you'll find at Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Called Navia and built by French firm Induct, the small electric shuttle bus carries visitors around the circuit, with no need...
Antony Ingram -
All is still well at Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], it seems, with CEO Elon Musk announcing the company is beating its self-imposed production targets. As Bloomberg reports, Tesla is ahead of its 400-per-week production goal, by a margin Musk describes as "not trivial". Meeting such a target is all the more important as Tesla's sole new product, the Model S, is set to go on sale in European markets in the next few months. Back in January, the company announced it had reached full production capacity of 400 units per week, after a slow start in 2012 which saw Tesla miss its 5,000-car delivery goal...
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Toyota Prius Plug-In To Be Driven By 'Eco-Savvy Influencers' In MPG Challenge
In May, we told you about the first round of Toyota's Prius Plug-In MPG Challenge. If you missed it and don't feel like clicking through to read the magnificently written article, here are the high points: Toyota loaned 2013 Prius Plug-Ins to a handful of nonprofits for 30 days. The nonprofits used...
Richard Read -
Is Electricity 'Fuel'? Dutch Gas Stations Sue To Stop Electric-Car Charging
Remember all that stuff we said recently about The Netherlands being a haven for electric vehicles? Maybe knock a few degrees of conviction off that statement, as it seems not everyone in the European country is as keen on electric vehicles as some. Companies operating regular gasoline and diesel...
Antony Ingram -
Luminos Solar Electric Car For Australian Race Cruises At 55 MPH
The latest United States entry into October's World Solar Challenge in Australia has been unveiled by a team at Stanford University. First held in 1987, the World Solar Challenge is a biennial event covering more than 1,800 miles through Australia's barren Outback, teams mixing speed with...
Antony Ingram -
Blink Tests Different Pricing Models For Fast Charging Electric Cars
It's still early days for public electric car charging, with new stations springing up all the time and various networks handling the responsibilty of hosting stations. One of those networks is Blink, whose DC fast chargers will be familiar to many electric early adopters. Now, the company has...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Volkswagen Jetta, Beetle, Passat Get Smaller, More Efficient Engines
Volkswagen is finally dropping its long-serving 2.5-liter gasoline engine from several models, in favor of a more efficient, downsized turbocharged 1.8-liter. The 1.8 turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder develops 170 horsepower, the same as the naturally-aspirated 2.5. However, its 184...
Antony Ingram