Green Car News
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The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In hybrid has got off to a good start in its first six months on sale, with over 6,000 units sold so far. That, says Toyota, is more than the first six months of Chevrolet Volt sales, at 2,745 units, and Nissan Leaf sales, which managed 3,875 cars in its first month. Toyota is putting demand for the Prius Plug-In down to not just its fuel economy--rated at 95 MPGe in EV mode, and 50 MPG combined on gas only--but also for its relative value next to the Chevy Volt, and lack of range anxiety next to pure electrics like the Leaf. The Prius name may also have something...
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Will 2014 VW Golf Electric, Hybrid, Share Carbon GTi's Lightweight Construction?
Thanks to several hundred pounds of additional weight from a battery pack, pure electric and plug-in hybrids often weigh more than their gasoline counterparts. But according to AutoCar, Volkswagen’s upcoming all-electric and hybrid variants of the seventh-generation Golf hatchback will...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Honda Insight: The Forgotten Hybrid?
Some lead, others follow. And with poor sales and Toyota's Prius C now on the market as a head-to-head rival, the Honda Insight can definitely consider itself a follower. That's a shame, for those who remember the original Honda Insight. It may have looked quirky, cost a great deal and only seated...
Antony Ingram -
Leaf Owners Send Science In To Tackle Wilting Nissan Leafs
There’s nothing better than a scientific test to prove or disprove a theory. So when Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer described the recent reports of battery capacity loss in its Leaf electric car as nothing more than a ‘faulty battery level display’ earlier this month...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Electric Car Trip From SF To LA? Take Note Of King City
It's no surprise that California is becoming the heart of electric car ownership. Its weather, state incentives and even public attitudes make for an ideal environment in which to run an EV, and a healthy network of charging stations ensures that drivers can even tackle occasional longer trips...
Antony Ingram -
Want 40 MPG, Don't Want Hybrid? Here's Your Top Five Options
Look to the top of the fuel economy charts and, if you're not in the market for a plug-in vehicle, it's hybrids that typically top the list. Cars like the 2012 Toyota Prius C, which currently tops the list, sip gas whether in the city or on the highway, and ultimately they're the greenest way of...
Antony Ingram -
How much does it cost to service a 2012 Tesla Model S, and where do you take your car to have it serviced? We find out.
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GM May Kill Two-Mode Hybrid Pickups, SUVs: Report
"We can't provide you with any information related to future product technologies or timing." That's the standard response from carmakers--in this case, from Kevin Kelly, GM's Manager, Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Communications--when asked a question they'd rather not address. Our question was...
John Voelcker -
Planning A Trip? EPA's Fuel Calculator Predicts Your Gas Bill
These days, taking a road-trip isn’t as simple as throwing your luggage and a few snacks into the car, turning up the radio and hitting the freeway. With gas prices on the ever-upward rise, even a relatively short trip over state lines could leave your credit card heaving. Help is now at...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Official: 2012 Tesla Model S To Be Given Creep Option
To creep or not to creep? That is the question. As many hardened electric car fans will tell you, unlike gasoline cars with automatic gearboxes, not all electric cars move forward -- or creep -- when you release the foot brake. When Tesla launched the 2012 Model S, it, like unlike the two-seat...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Bob Lutz: Huge Chevy Volt Cost Estimates Are Wrong, Here's Why
Yesterday, we ran a story sourced through Reuters, asking how much money GM was losing on every Chevy Volt it builds. The Reuters article was based on figures from several Michigan-based industry analysts, claiming that Chevy might be losing up to $49,000 on every Volt it makes. Those figures were...
Antony Ingram -
Classic Mini Voted Greatest British Car Ever
If you were to compile a list of the greatest American cars ever, it's unlikely you'd find many gas sippers near the top. But in Europe, where small cars rule and gas has long been more expensive, some of the continents most iconic cars were also fairly green in their day. That's why readers of...
Antony Ingram -
Many people buy cars because they deliver good gas mileage, with the EPA as an impartial arbiter of fuel efficiency ratings. Many other people buy cars because they're fast and fun to drive, with acceleration times and cornering forces delivered by many auto-media outlets. But what if a buyer wants both? How can someone learn which cars offer the best blend of efficiency and performance? The Raceway in Sonoma wants to help. It is testing a new rating scale that gives vehicles a single rating based on both their fuel efficiency and greenhouse-gas emissions and their horsepower and torque...
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Ford May Sell EcoBoost Racer: Most Economical Sports Car Ever?
Sports cars aren't typically known for their high gas mileage, and racing cars even less so. But Ford's EcoBoost-powered single-seater is a little different, and following its high-speed Nurburgring lap, the company now suggests it might produce it for the road. Speaking with U.K. magazine EVO...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: Can It Compete With Toyota Prius?
Several carmakers now offer hybrid models of existing cars, but the number of dedicated full hybrids on the mass market has been exactly one for a decade: the Toyota Prius, now a line of four models. The launch of the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, which we recently drove, doubles that number. And the...
John Voelcker -
How Much Money Is GM Losing On Every Chevy Volt?
Compared to its electric contemporaries, Chevrolet's range-extended Volt is currently proving the most popular plug-in, posting its best-ever sales figures during August. It's out-punching the Leaf consistently, and other electric cars aren't even getting a look-in. It's even outselling Toyota's...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive
Last week, Honda released the specs and photos for its 2014 Accord Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid. Now, we can talk about what it's like on the road. The short answer? Like the Ford C-Max Hybrid, it offers new and strong competition for a model of the well-established Toyota Prius--in this case, the...
John Voelcker -
2012 Zero DS, S: Electric Motorcycle Quick Ride Report
Shortly after we took to the roads of Scotts Valley, California to test-ride the 2011 Zero DS and 2011 Zero S the Californian all-electric motorcycle maker announced its all-new 2012 range. With all-new motors, battery pack and control circuitry, the 2012 Zero DS and 2012 Zero S motorcycles...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
There was a time when buying a hybrid car meant that you had to shell out big bucks for the privilege of better gas mileage. But with the first Toyota Prius hybrids now over 10 years old, can you buy a used Toyota Prius hybrid for $5,000 or less? We hit popular Internet auction site eBay to find out.
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2012 Tesla Model S Drives From L.A. To Las Vegas On A Single Charge
The MotorTrend editorial team must have spent more time behind the wheel of the 2012 Tesla Model S than any other automotive journalists to date. Not only did MotorTrend get to borrow the personal 2012 Tesla Model S Signature Sport belonging to Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a few days to test the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Can Electric Car-Sharing Promote Social Mobility? Discuss
In the developed world, we often think of ourselves as living in a classless society. But in fact, huge disparities still exist between the haves and the have-nots. Can car-sharing bridge the gap? Paris' city council seems to think so, and it's launched an electric car-sharing company to prove its...
Richard Read -
Honda CR-Z Hybrid Hatchback Update Teased
If you want a car that's both sporty and economical, there aren't many choices under $20,000. The Honda CR-Z is one of those choices, but both gearheads and green-minded buyers have criticized the car for failing to offer enough of what they want. As revealed by our sister site MotorAuthority...
Antony Ingram -
Can Chevy Sustain Volt Electric Car Sales After Incentives End?
Last month, more Chevrolet Volts were sold than in any month since the range-extended electric car went on sale in December 2010. The total of 2,831 handily surpassed the 2,289 sold in March, the previous best-selling month for the Volt. But Chevy may not be able to keep up that pace indefinitely...
John Voelcker -
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: First Drive
The verdict is in: At last, the fabled Toyota Prius hybrid has a viable competitor. If you're in the market for a five-door hybrid hatchback with very high fuel economy--an EPA rating of 47 mpg combined--you should drive a C-Max Hybrid before you trot down to your local Toyota dealer and sign the...
John Voelcker