Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Diesel has long been the fuel of choice for European drivers wishing to reduce their motoring costs.
However, recent concerns over the emissions of older diesel vehicles has led to several countries...
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Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid: Van Model For Europe, But Still A Year Away For U.S.
American buyers are still enduring what seems like an interminable wait for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid. Over in Europe however the plug-in crossover has been on sale for a few months now--and Mitsubishi is adding another variant to the range. Unusually, reports Motoring Research, it's...
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Every 2014 And 2015 Hybrid Car In The U.S.: Ultimate Guide
Turn back the clock by one decade, and there were just four hybrid cars on sale in the U.S. One was the first-generation Toyota Prius. The original Honda Insight was still going strong as the most efficient vehicle on sale (and only plug-in cars still better it today). Honda also offered the Civic...
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A Brief History Of Three-Wheeled Cars
What do the Elio, Aptera, Toyota i-Road concept and the spectacularly awful Zap Xebra have in common? They--and many more small-volume economical vehicles and concepts besides--all use one fewer wheel than the norm. Yet giving fuel-saving cars just three wheels is not a new phenomenon, stretching...
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2014 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Gets Factory-Approved Supercharger Kit
Ask Honda fans what's wrong with the CR-Z hybrid coupe, and they'll give you one of two answers. Those who seek economy will tell you it's not frugal enough. Those after performance will tell you it isn't fast enough. Fixing the former probably requires a little too much work for most, but thanks...
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2014 Acura RLX Hybrid: 3 Motors, AWD--Most Sophisticated Hybrid Yet?
Several manufacturers now offer gas-saving hybrid versions of their vehicles but it's surprisingly rare to find two companies who have gone about it in the same way. The early pioneers, Toyota and Honda, fielded completely different systems at launch--and well over a decade down the line Honda has...
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The Ford F-150 pickup might be one of America's best-selling vehicles, but the move to build the 2015 model from aluminum has required significant investment from Ford.
To ensure that investment is...
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Renovo Coupe Pairs Iconic Design With Electric Performance: Video
One indication that electric vehicles are clearly ready for the mainstream market is that they're already becoming desirable in the rarefied atmosphere of the supercar and sports car markets. The Renovo Coupe might not be much use for the average commuter--if only for budgetary reasons--but as a...
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Next-Generation VW Golf Looks To XL1 Eco Car For Better MPG
The Volkswagen XL1 is a high-technology, high-cost plug-in hybrid that, while intriguing, will do very little do directly change the automotive landscape. Like many such projects though, lessons learned from its development and status as a rolling economy experiment could help production...
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Audi Patent Reveals Plan For Four-Cylinder Engine As Smooth As Six Or V-8
There's a reason people like big, multi-cylinder engines and it isn't just about the noise they make or how much power they produce. It's also to do with smoothness. And it's one reason some people are worried about the latest trend for downsized four-cylinder units, as they begin appearing in...
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Could Honda's Future 1.0-Liter Be World's Most Efficient Engine?
The last time Honda made a 1.0-liter gasoline engine, it broke new records for fuel efficiency. Found under the hood of the original Insight hybrid, it still has the highest gas mileage of any EPA-rated non-plugin. It also took International Engine of the Year in 2000, and won that competition's...
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Saleen FourSixteen Is Modified Tesla Model S: Full Details
Saleen used the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to unveil its take on the Tesla Model S electric sedan, the FourSixteen. More familiar to fans of high-performance gasoline-fueled road cars, Saleen has gone green with its latest modified vehicle, a car company boss Steve Saleen describes as...
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We can buy a hybrid or electric vehicles and cover the roof of our homes in solar panels, but when it comes to other aspects of our daily lives a fossil-fuel reducing lifestyle is often a the whim of...
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Smart Electric Drive Ad: Where Winning Drag Races Really Counts
Whatever you think of the diminutive city cars produced by Daimler's Smart brand, the company certainly has a talent for marketing. The latest ad from Smart Canada has the same sort of self-deprecating humor that Volkswagen used for years when advertising its Beetle--another rear-engined small car...
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Mazda To Offer Diesel-Hybrid (In Japan Only) While U.S. Diesels Still MIA
Mazda's American customers are still waiting on their first diesel model, but the Japanese brand could soon offer its home-market customers a diesel hybrid option too. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun (via Autoblog Green), Mazda could start building diesel-hybrids as early as 2016. Mazda was due to...
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Polaris Slingshot: Is A 173-HP, $20K '3-Wheeled Motorcycle' A Car?
Three wheeled vehicles get a lot of attention from hardcore fans of performance cars. They also get plenty of attention from hardcore fans of green vehicles--as they share many of the same desirable characteristics, like an aerodynamic teardrop shape with surprising stability, and light weight...
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Could 'Rolling Coal' Become Illegal In NJ? The Downside Of (Some) Diesel Drivers
Bullies. We all knew one at school--usually bigger than you, typically loud, obnoxious, and cruel, and often pretty dumb. Often they acted that way to make up for deficiencies in their own lives; today you may meet one who tormented you as a kid pushing shopping carts at your local mall. Karma can...
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Tesla Hopes To Hire Hackers To Ensure Security Of Its Cars, Present And Future
The term "hacker" conjures up images of shady individuals stealing your personal details through loop-holes in your internet security, but in the modern world a professional hacker can actually provide a valuable skill. Tesla Motors, for example, recently attended the Def Con security conference in...
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Natural gas is very much in the public consciousness right now, if not for all the best reasons.
Seen as a cleaner, more energy-independent fuel than fossil fuel oil, it nevertheless has its...
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Mazda CX-3 Subcompact Crossover 'Not That Far Away'
Mazda is set to field a competitor to cars like the Nissan Juke, Jeep Renegade and Buick Encore by 2016. Likely dubbed 'CX-3', the subcompact crossover would slot in under the CX-5 in Mazda's lineup. Speaking to The Motor Report, Mazda Australia boss Martin Benders has said that a new, smaller...
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Icon Helios Is Gorgeous Tesla-Powered Electric Streamliner Concept
The Tesla Model S is a great car, but if there's one thing the luxury electric sedan is missing it's a bit of Art Deco style. And maybe a hint of World War II fighter aircraft. And some steampunk cool mixed in for good measure. All those aspects somehow come together in the Icon Helios--a...
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Volt Marketing, Hydrogen Profits And Tesla Problems: Today's Car News
Today on Green Car Reports: Chevy rethinks marketing for its upcoming 2016 Volt, one hydrogen fuel company expects profits within five years, and we ask whether Tesla Model S drive unit failures are becoming "a thing". All this and more on Green Car Reports. The current Chevrolet Volt is a great...
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Sure, SUVs Are Back--But They're Not Your Father's SUVs
Bad news for green-car fans: SUVs are back, and sales are stronger than ever. Good news: They're not the same old SUVs. Don't resign yourself to a hermetically-sealed, solar-powered bunker to avoid the pollution from all those sport utilities just yet. The new SUVs and crossovers are significantly...
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First Element Expects To Make Money Selling Hydrogen Fuel In 5 Years
Could hydrogen fuel go from almost non-existent to profitable in the space of five years? First Element Fuels--the hydrogen fuel provider presently operating using funding provided by Toyota and the state of California--expects it might be, despite the huge challenges that lay ahead of it. Speaking...
Antony Ingram