Green Car News
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Industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, whose automotive business makes superchargers and many other parts, also supplies electric-car charging stations. Under a recent Federal contract, Eaton will provide those charging stations to various Federal locations--and the company is also working to train new installers for those stations. Among the future installers will be qualified U.S. military veterans. Eaton is working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (and the Community College of Baltimore County) to create the pilot "VetCars" program, which will instruct veterans how to...
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Raw Diesel Fumes Worse Than Second-Hand Smoke, Says W.H.O.
Diesel cars might get great gas mileage when compared to their gasoline counterparts, but now the World Health Organization has warned that diesel fumes are now known to prove lung cancer. In fact, the W.H.O. says, diesel fumes are more carcinogenic than secondhand cigarette smoke. So dangerous, it...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
First BMW i Store Opens in London, i3 Concept Gets New Interior
If you’ve ever visited central London in England and visited its famous Hyde Park, the chances are you’ve also seen one of BMW’s most prestigious showrooms, located along the highly-expensive and exclusive Park Lane. Now, weeks ahead of the BMW-sponsored 2012 London Olympic games...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
New Car Gas Mileage Falls In May, Lower Gas Prices To Blame
Carmakers may continue to make their cars more fuel efficient year-on-year, but with those models selling in proportionally small numbers, actual gas mileage is climbing at a much slower rate. In fact, gas mileage in new cars actually fell in May, albeit by only 0.1 percent from April, to an...
Antony Ingram -
Consumer Reports Hates 2012 Mitsubishi I’s Range: Is It Right?
Mitsubishi’s tiny egg-shaped electric car known as the 2012 Mitsubishi i is currently the cheapest electric car you can buy in the U.S. Starting at $29,125 before incentives, the 2012 Mitsubishi i features seating for four adults, a 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack, and an EPA-approved range of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Ford Focus 3-Cylinder: Quick Drive Report
Downsizing: The car industry's buzzword for both consumers shopping for smaller cars than their previous model, and carmakers equipping their models with smaller, more efficient engines. Both are linked to lowering the cost of driving, but the latter is most interesting from an efficiency...
Antony Ingram -
Talk to any electric car owner, and it’s likely they’ll tell you how little money they spend on running their plug-in car. For them, the switch to electric pays dividends in saved gas bills, but in Japan, a new scheme by Nissan takes it one step further, allowing electric car drivers to earn CO2 credits which help fund more electric car charging stations and conserve the environment. Nissan’s Zero Emissions Fund, run in conjunction with the Green Investment Promotion Organization and certified by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, uses Nissan’s...
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'Strong Case' For Natural-Gas Car Research, National Lab Says
A government-funded laboratory that helped pioneer the battery technology behind many electric vehicles, including the Chevy Volt, has recently begun to focus on developing technologies to improve natural gas-powered vehicles, in anticipation of government and industry soon seeking to bring...
Talking Points Memo -
Hydrogen, Rotary Range-Extender For Mazda Electric Cars?
Rotary engines aren't known for their green credentials, but if Mazda's latest plans come to fruition, they may be granted another lease of life. Most frequently seen in Mazda's sports cars over the years, Wankel rotary engines are associated variously with ultra-smooth power, poor fuel economy...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford Focus ST: Mean, Green, With Overboosted Ecoboost
Can a sporty car also be a green car? And can you add performance boosts to a green engine without making it a gas-guzzler? For thinks the answer is yes. Enter the 2013 Ford Focus ST, the latest in a long-line of motorsport-inspired performance Ford Focus STs, but the first Focus ST to be sold in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
A123: New Li-Ion Cell Performs Fine In High, Low Temperatures
It's been a rough year for lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems, but the Massachusetts company is forging ahead. This morning, it introduced a new battery technology it calls Nanophosphate EXT, which A123 says can operate at extreme temperatures without requiring the degree of heating or cooling...
John Voelcker -
2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Coupe Pricing Announced
Volkswagen has announced pricing details for its 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI, the only clean diesel vehicle in the compact coupe category. When it goes on sale in August, the Beetle TDI will retail for $23,295 in manual transmission form. With a six-speed DSG twin-clutch automatic, you'll pay $1,100...
Antony Ingram -
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Superbus! Buses aren't normally the most exciting method of transport. Though popular in Europe, in the U.S. they're more often regarded as something to be avoided at all costs. Maybe we'd be more keen to ride the bus if it was a Superbus? It looks hugely cool for a start--like something straight out of a science-fiction movie. In fact, it's so futuristic it's almost a little disappointing to discover it still needs someone to actually drive it. With that sharp front end it's a bit more aerodynamic than your regular square-fronted bus though, and has a...
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Scion iQ Hybrid Possible - Report
In U.S. trim, the 2012 Scion iQ is capable of delivering fuel economy as high as 36 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Those numbers are based on the iQ’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which is the only option for U.S. buyers. European buyers can opt for a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Lexus GS 450h: First Drive
Ever since Lexus launched the RX 400h hybrid SUV in 2005, gasoline-electric hybrids have been an integral part of the Lexus lineup. Cleverly combining performance, luxury and economy, they allow luxury buyers to avoid the compromises that might otherwise be associated with making a luxury vehicle...
Antony Ingram -
Bigger Batteries Key To Better Quick Charging For Electric Cars
To help make electric cars more palatable for long-distance driving, the 2012 Nissan Leaf SL and 2012 Mitsubishi i can be rapid-charged from empty to 80 percent full in around 30 minutes using specially-designed Chademo rapid charge stations. For those using them, rapid charge stations provide a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Buying A High-MPG Car This Summer? You Might Have A Wait
Thanks to improved designs, lightweight materials, turbochargers, direct injection and even better gearbox design, cars on dealers’ lots today get far better gas mileage than cars made in the past few years. But while buyers are keen to buy the latest generation of green, high-mpg cars, some...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Volt Owners: Here’s Why Your Delayed Charging Failed
this problem as resulting from high frequency ground currents
George Parrott -
The all-new 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 does a surprisingly good job of blending fuel economy, performance, comfort and value in a midsize sedan.
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Toyota Enters Electric Car Into Pikes Peak Hill Climb
This year’s annual Pikes Peak hill climb is shaping up to be something pretty spectacular for electric vehicle fans. After last year’s race, which saw the all-electric Yokohama HER-02 set a new course with a time of 12 minutes and 20 seconds, we’ve seen official entries already...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Reports Of Pruned EV Plans At Audi Off The Mark, Says Exec
Earlier this week a report from the UK’s CAR suggested that Audi had nixed production plans for an electric city car based on its A2 concept. In addition to this, the report went on to claim that plans for a production version of the smaller A1 e-tron concept were also being putting on the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Nissan Altima: The Most Fuel-Efficient Mid-Size Car You Can Buy
Featuring some pretty nifty fuel-saving technology, like its redesigned continuously variable transmission and Easy Fill Tire Alert System, the 2013 Nissan Altima has always promised to be a green car. But now it’s official: according to the EPA, the 2013 Nissan Altima is the most...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Penske Automotive Signs To Become 2012 Fisker Karma Dealer
Yesterday, Fisker Automotive, makers of the super-sexy 2012 Karma plug-in hybrid sports car, announced that it had just signed its 80th independent dealer. But Fisker’s 80th dealer, Fisker of Scottsdale, Arizona, isn’t owned by a local independent dealer chain. It’s owned by...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tesla Faces Dealer Opposition To Opening New Store In MA
This week has been a pretty good one for Californian automaker Tesla: it has shipped its first two production 2012 Model S sedans, announced a 45-day tour, and even sold out of its 2013 Model S Signature Edition sedans. But in Massachusetts, the luxury car maker faces an uphill struggle to open a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield