2011
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Is one of the most anticipated EVs to launch this year nothing more than a plug-in-hybrid? Or has miscommunication led to a rumor that the 2011 Chevy Volt will run on gasoline only at highway speed? In an article for the U.K's Telegraph newspaper, motoring journalist Andrew English shared his experience behind the wheel of a european specification Volt, the Ampera. While English was pleased with the car's acceleration and handling to 50 mph he bemoaned the sluggish response of the Volt at higher speeds, blaming the flat torque curve of the electric motor. One of the lucky few to drive a...
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UPDATED: GM To Re-Engineer 2011 Volt To Operate On Gasoline-Only Power At High SpeedsPoor performance in European testing for the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt have prompted the shift in strategy.
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Elantra, 2012 Focus: 40 MPG Without Hybrid FussHybrid technology's responsible for those airy fuel economy numbers from the likes of the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius, but the 40-mpg barrier's about to be broken by a pair of compact cars--without any batteries or hybrid add-ons whatsoever. Earlier this year, we showed you the 2012...
Martin Padgett -
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Cheaper Than A Prius?If you're shopping for a hybrid vehicle, time is drawing to a close to take advantage of the Federal government's hybrid tax credits. But before those credits expire at the end of 2010, there's one new hybrid you'll want to add to your shopping list: the upcoming 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. It's...
Martin Padgett -
Smart Fortwo Goes Greener With ElectrificationThe Long Awaited Production EV Version Starts To Hit the Market
Jonathan McGrew -
USA Today Waits For Good GM Small Car. Can the Cruze Live Up?While Some Point Out the Failures, We Look At the Success
Jonathan McGrew -
There Is More To the Mazda2 Than One Might Think
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2011 Honda Accord Promises A Fuel Economy BoostSome models may gain as much as three miles per gallon.
Tim Healey -
Why Early Adopters of EVs Won’t Suffer Range Anxiety.If most mainstream media outlets are to be listened to we are a few short years from seeing stranded EVs dotting our major highways after running out of electricity short of the next charging station, but is this really an accurate depiction of what life with an EV will be like? While traditional...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Test Drive A Chevrolet Volt With Microsoft’s New Kinect For Xbox 360Microsoft’s New Kinect For Xbox 360 is about to revolutionize the way we play video games, while the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt will do the same in terms of the type of cars we drive. Now the two technology pioneers have come together, with new car buyers soon to have a new way of getting...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Microsoft Offering Virtual Chevy Volt Test Drives With Kinect For Xbox 360We’ve heard a lot about the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt, read up on all the specs, even seen a few videos of prototypes doing the rounds at GM proving grounds around Michigan, but sadly, for the great majority of Americans, getting a feel for what the Volt is really like to drive is still months...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan May Sell Extended Range Vehicles Alongside Battery Electric CousinsThe 2011 Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is set to go on sale this December and order books for the car are filling up fast, with the first year’s allotment already gone. Infiniti, too, will get its own version of the Leaf as well as a new hybrid version of the M sedan, previewed by the 2012...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The sporty hybrid coupe will hit dealerships later this summer.
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Move Over Tesla. There’s a Mercedes Gullwing SLS AMG E-Cell Behind You.Until now the words electric, car and Mercedes have had an uncomfortable union. While Mercedes' cheapest car, the diminutive Smart ForTwo, has an electric version, its 62.5 mph top speed is hardly enough to get car buyers excited about converting to electric. But Mercedes super-sexy, bright yellow...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
90 Percent Of Nissan Leaf Customers New To BrandThe 2011 Nissan Leaf has been a runaway success for Nissan, with the Japanese automaker already taking in 14,000 reservations for the cute electric vehicle and order books filled out well into next year. The first Leafs--or is it Leaves?--will hit the streets in December and the big surprise is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Could Hit 40 MPGThe 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been a huge sales hit for the Korean car company, outpacing the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima in recent months. The news could get better for Hyundai later this year, as the new sedan gets a greener version that could hit a class-best fuel economy target. Hyundai's...
Martin Padgett -
Nissan Leaf Audio Warnings Disappoints Advocates, Need For Sound Questioned.Ever think of the benefits of EVs? Aside from the more obvious ones associated with not burning quite as much oil, zero tailpipe emissions and ease of driving many will cite the lack of engine noise. That last point however, may not be such a benefit to all and may even prove dangerous to those...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2011 Honda CR-Z: First DriveWhat do you get when you take some of the inspiration of Honda’s much-loved CRX two-seater from the 1980s and cross it with the also-much-loved Insight coupe from the past decade, then give it the latest version of Honda’s hybrid system? Honda says you get the 2011 Honda CR-Z...
Martin Padgett -
The grant works through the Department of Energy to help expand EV use.
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Smart Drive App For iPhone: Who Needs COMAND or iDrive?For the upcoming 2011 Smart Electric Drive, which we drove at The Car Connection last week, the brand has rolled out a new app that essentially turns your iPhone into that.
Bengt Halvorson -
2011 Chevy Volt Engineers Work Out Final Software Glitches, U.K. Volt Attempts 170 Mile Trip.GM's answer to the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is nearing production readiness. But a European badged Volt is taking part in a publicity long-distance drive in the U.K., GM's Detroit engineers are still tweaking the software responsible for ensuring the 40 mile-per-charge range...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
One In Four Fords Could Feature Alternative Power By 2020Ford is at the forefront of the alternative power push, having been one of the first on the market with a hybrid vehicle and now less than a year away from launching its first all-electric model. However, we are still at the start of the alternative power revolution but in as little as a decade we...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Green Car News: Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Hits 41 MPG
With the impending death of the Mercury Milan Hybrid, there's just one luxury sedan that gets the EPA's top fuel economy ranking for the 2011 model year--and that would be the Milan's surviving sister, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. While it waits patiently for an on-sale date this fall, the MKZ...
Martin Padgett -
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Earns 41-MPG RatingWe've told you about the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid awaiting an on-sale date later this year. Now, Ford's confirming that its ritzy cousin to the Ford Fusion Hybrid will hit the same 41-mpg city fuel economy rating. The MKZ Hybrid's EPA fuel economy will be 41/36 mpg when it goes on sale later this year...
Martin Padgett