2012

If you’re in the market for a new electric car, the chances are you already know about the $7,500 credit you can claim against your federal taxes -- but what about incentives in the state and county you live in? With every state -- and even some cities -- having their own electric car...

Toyota might be the world’s largest hybrid automaker, but that isn’t stopping rival Japanese automaker Nissan from trying to become the world leader in hybrid electric car transporter ships. Its latest ship, announced on Tuesday this week, puts it ahead in the race to have the greenest...

The compact crossover segment is one of the hottest segments right now, and every automaker wants its share of the sales pie, including Nissan. The 2012 Rogue is Nissan's entry into this segment, and it has the options you would expect from a crossover in 2012. We recently spent a week with a...

Japanese automaker Toyota has fired a warning shot across General Motors’ bow today with a revised set of gas mileage figures for the soon-to-be-launched 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Announced by Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter, official economy figures in...

When you drive a wagon, you usually need the space. And so it was with the 2012 Toyota Prius V, in which we hauled holiday gifts, heavy sagging boxes of old car magazines, furniture, and other life impedimentia over a 10-day, 650-mile test drive that spanned late December and early January. It's a...

If you’ve purchased a new car in the U.S. over the past few years, the chances are you’ll be familiar with the gas mileage stickers that automakers are required by law to display in the window of each new car. But visit a Chevrolet dealer this year, and you’ll see 2012 Chevrolet...

Ask any automaker, and they'll tell you they believe most early electric cars will be charged at night, in garages attached to private houses. That would seem to cut out residents of multiple dwellings, from rental apartments to condominium complexes. But electric car owners are resourceful;...

The Buick Fuel Efficiency Games App teaches players about mild hybrid systems, aerodynamics and maximizing fuel economy.

A few weeks ago, we told you that all new 2012 Chevrolet Volts manufactured after February 8 and destined for Californian dealers will feature a redesigned exhaust system that will enable them to qualify as Enhanced Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicles (e-AT-PZEVs). As a consequence...

Ford launched the latest engine in its expanding EcoBoost family at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, back in September. At only one-liter in capacity, it's the smallest EcoBoost yet, and continues the downsizing trend seen with the other EcoBoost units. Ford of Europe has now confirmed that the engine...

A few days back we took a look at two similar, yet very different Hondas. The 2012 Honda Insight and 2012 Honda Fit share a platform, but different bodystyles and the use of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology in the Insight, makes each model unique. The same could be said of the...

One day after General Motors CEO Dan Akerson fended off occasionally fact-free Congressional attacks on the Chevrolet Volt and its safety, it has doubled-down on promoting the Volt with a TV ad buy featuring well-known TV and movie star Tim Allen. The ad, which shows the Volt assembly line snaking...

A southern California Prius owner learned the hard way that energy-efficient building windows can reflect enough sunlight to melt plastic.

If you're in the market for a fuel efficient vehicle your choice is better than ever. Virtually every manufacturer now offers a high-mpg vehicle, but Honda could lay claim to being one of the first. Since the Civic arrived back in the 1970s, the Japanese carmaker has made fuel economy a high...

At the end of 2011, Tesla released its final specification, options and price list for the 2012 Model S sedan. Depending on the choice of battery pack, the 2012 Tesla Model S should travel 160, 230, or 300 miles per charge. For Tesla Model S owners who have purchased cars with the 230 or 300-mile...

While carmakers like Nissan, Tesla and Renault go on the electric car offensive, Honda has been somewhat candid about its electric car plans. The 2013 Honda Fit EV makes the odd subtle appearance at international auto shows, but the company is certainly less than bullish about its electric vehicle...

Prior to this winter, Nissan has only sold its all-electric Leaf hatchback to customers in moderate climates. But just as Nissan North America was celebrating selling its 10,000th Leaf, Nissan Japan was proving that the Leaf wasn’t scared of winter weather with a special press event held near...

You’d think after scans of the complete Japanese-specification 2012 Toyota Prius C brochure leaked onto the Internet, Toyota would be a little more careful about information surrounding its upcoming subcompact hybrid. But a few days ago popular Prius fansite PriusChat discovered that the...

Often, timing is everything. So Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA) and his plans for Wednesday likely aren't helped by the NHTSA's decision last Friday to close its Volt battery-safety inquiry after GM developed upgrades for the Volt battery crash structure and coolant filler, and offered them to all existing...

Well, it's all over but the shouting now. This afternoon, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement saying it had closed its investigation into the causes of a fire in the battery pack of a Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car. The statement said the agency had...