Green Car News
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Unless you don’t own a car, or happen to drive an all-electric car, the chances are you’ll have noticed that gas prices have risen dramatically over the past few days. But as growing uncertainly in the Middle East -- not to mention the knock-on effects of a large gasoline refinery fire in Washington state -- continue to hit car drivers in the wallet every time they fill up, here are five used cars we think will save you money at the pump. 1: 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid EPA: 48 (city) 45 (highway) 46 (combined) The most popular hybrid car ever sold in the U.S., the second...
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Is Tesla 'Bricking' Story Just An Angry Owner's Warranty Claim?
And now perhaps it all becomes clear. The Tesla battery 'bricking' post that was today's electric-car news story and generated reams of coverage may simply be an attempt by an unhappy owner to get Tesla Motors to replace the battery in his Roadster. At least, that would appear to be the logical...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Battery 'Bricking': The Real Story Behind The Scare
Late last night, a sensational blog post circulated through Silicon Valley. It claimed that several $100,000-plus Tesla Roadsters were now useless as the result of a "devastating design problem," with their battery packs "bricked" from being left too long without plugging in. Early this morning, we...
John Voelcker -
V-6 Engines Aren’t Just Cleaner, They’re Fast Too, Say Police
For years, Police forces across the U.S. drove specially built Ford Interceptors based on the humble Ford Crown Victoria. Fitted with a powerful V-8 engine, they formed the backbone of many police fleets. In the past year however, Ford’s Interceptor has undergone a change, replacing the aged...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Gingrich, Here’s Five More Things You Can Fit In A Chevy Volt
GOP Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich may have jibed earlier this week that you can’t fit a gun rack in a 2012 Chevrolet Volt, but after he was proven wrong by a resourceful Volt owner, it got us thinking. What else can you fit in a Chevy Volt? Here’s five things you should easily be...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
More Toyota FT-Bh Concept Teasers Emerge Before Geneva
Toyota's last teaser image of the FT-Bh was, frankly, not that helpful. More a collection of geometric shapes than a car, the only clue it gave us was of a Prius-like roofline. The latest teaser images aren't much better, but at least they're evidence of an actual vehicle. Showing details from the...
Antony Ingram -
Heard of "bricking" yet? No? You will shortly. It's the phenomenon in which the lithium-ion battery pack of an electric car that's left unplugged for a long period goes completely, utterly dead--to the point where it cannot be recharged, and becomes a large, expensive "brick." [FURTHER UPDATE: Is Tesla 'Bricking' Story Just An Angry Owner's Warranty Claim?] [UPDATE: Presented in handy Q+A form, here's our summary: The Real Story Behind The Scare.] A post on the Understatement blog that ricocheted around Silicon Valley last night is about to break nationally. Its author, Michael DeGusta...
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2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: More Details Released By GM
Until now, there wasn't much official information about the upcoming diesel version of Chevy's Cruze compact sedan beyond the fact that it existed. Lots of reporters--us included--covered the diesel Cruze model that's been sold in Europe for a while now. We described that car's 2.0-liter...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Leaf Software Update: Here’s What’s Different
A little over a week ago, we told you that Nissan had announced a complementary voluntary service campaign for all 2011/12 Nissan Leafs. With Nissan strongly encouraging owners to have their Leafs updated to the latest operating system, we decided to get the software in our own 2011 Leaf upgraded...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Can Driverless Cars Solve Distracted Driving? Infographic Explains It All
You can't buy them just yet, but a few drivers in one state may soon start to see driverless cars on the streets. Last week, Nevada passed a law that set out the conditions under which autonomous vehicles could operate on its streets. Among them: The cars must be fitted with special red license...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Leaf Enters Autocross, Gives Electrifying Performance
In the fourteen months since Nissan launched the all-electric Leaf, we’ve seen owners do just about everything with their green ride, from dressing them up for halloween to drag racing, giving them a tow hitch and even racing at Laguna Seca. But now we can add the sport of Autocross to the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 BMW 3-Series: Saving Gas In A Sports Sedan
"The Ultimate Driving Machine" - It's one of the most well-known taglines of the motoring world, and each successful generation of BMW is designed to improve that driving experience further. However, in times of austerity and rising gas prices, it's not enough to simply concentrate on performance...
Antony Ingram -
After four years, an economic crisis, an industry meltdown, and plug-in cars becoming politically problematic, the 2012 Fisker Karma is on the streets at last. And it's a real car. We've driven it, shot video behind the wheel, and now we've formally reviewed it. We're still sorting out what we think about the Karma, an extended-range electric luxury sport sedan that starts at $106,000. Sexy, sexy, sexy It's undoubtedly the sexiest, most noticeable car we've driven in years--more so even than the electric Rolls-Royce Phantom we tested. But it's also a car about the size of a BMW 7-Series sedan...
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With 2013 Fusion Hybrid On The Way, Ford Touts 461 Patents
The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is one of the more eagerly awaited green cars coming this year. With fuel economy projected at up to 48 mpg city, it improves considerably on the well-regarded current Ford Fusion Hybrid, which is rated by the EPA at 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, for a combined overall...
John Voelcker -
Washington State's $100 Electric Car Tax: Cheaper Than Gas Car Tax
Until recently, most electric car drivers haven’t been expected to pay an electric equivalent of gasoline taxes to help keep the roads and bridges of their state in good order. But earlier this month, the Washington state Senate passed a bill to the House which, if passed into law by the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Latest GOP Slap At Volt: Can't Hold A Gun Rack (Hint: Bad Idea, Boys)
Real Americans only drive pickup trucks (imported oil be damned). It's obvious because slaps at green cars and fuel-economy rules have become a staple of political campaigning among certain candidates. Yesterday, Newt Gingrich mocked the current Administration's promotion of fuel-efficient cars in...
John Voelcker -
Helsinki Electric Car Owners Test Cold-Weather Capabilities
We've all heard stories about woefully low range from electric cars in icy climates, but just how suited are EVs to very cold conditions? That's what a bunch of Finnish electric car owners decided to find out, led by Finland's Electric Traffic program. Nine electric vehicles participated in a...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Mazda CX-5 Fuel Efficiency Is Lorax-Approved, Says Dr. Seuss
For some time, Toyota has held the crown when it comes to bizarre -- and sometimes cute -- ad campaigns for its range of Prius hybrids. Now Mazda wants some of the cute green ad action. In its latest ad, Mazda proudly proclaims that its 2013 CX-5 compact crossover is Truffula Tree friendly, thanks...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
In asking developing world countries to clean up their act when it comes to reducing automobile emissions, it's easy to sound hypocritical. A new climate change initiative, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will sidestep this hypocricy by addressing the sort of pollutants that are as detrimental to those emitting them as they are to the planet as a whole. The New York Times reports that the U.S. is pushing to cut harmful pollutants such as those above which contribute disproportionately to climate change, as well as affecting health and agriculture. Wider benefits Although asking...
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Plug-In Pioneers: Electra Woman & Dyna Girl!?
When it comes to reminiscing about old TV shows, we find they fall into one of two categories -- shows we really miss, or shows so bad they make us cringe to think about. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl -- a 16 week live action kids show from 1976 -- most certainly falls into the latter category, but...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Forbidden Fruit: 60 MPG BMW 1-Series Due At Geneva Show
When it comes to diesel cars, the choice in the U.S. is a little thin next to the selection of diesels on sale in Europe. After all, where else could you buy an example of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" that can average 60 miles per gallon? Just such a car will be launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor...
Antony Ingram -
Kill (Gas) Bills: Daryl Hannah’s Bio Diesel El Camino Sold At Auction
For years, the great and the good of Hollywood have helped encourage people to ditch gas guzzlers by turning up to red-carpet events and driving around Beverly Hills in an eclectic mix of trendy eco-cars. But when those cars are traded in for the latest, greenest model, or perhaps swapped for...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Stuntbusters: Which Is Quicker, Gasoline Or Electric?
People are competitive. Put two of them together, and they'll want to out-do each other at something. That's why racing has been a part of human culture for so long - whether on foot, on horseback or with cars, the competitive nature of humans comes to the fore. So while we're interested in the...
Antony Ingram -
Toyota FCV-R Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle Concept: Video
One of Toyota's more distinctive vehicles on display at last month's Detroit Auto Show was the FCV-R fuel-cell concept. Joining electric, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids on Toyota's green car roster, the forward-thinking Japanese automaker is clearly keen to explore every avenue. Toyota has...
Antony Ingram