2011

Automotive journalists aren't known for putting their money where their mouth is. Lots of us talk about loving the planet, owning the environmental mantle, and yet somehow we all drive MINI Coopers and Mazda MX-5 Miata roadsters. Not me. I think I just signed up to buy a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The...

Sometimes, a car--even an electric car like the 2011 Nissan Leaf--isn't the best way to transport yourself on errands or to work. Bicycling's one of the greenest alternatives to gas-powered travel, and when it comes to biking-friendly commutes, a handful of cities have a huge advantage over others...

We've written already about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco high-mileage model launched at the New York Auto Show. Now we've had a chance to sit down with Gary Altman, GM's vehicle chief engineer for compact cars-North America, and find out exactly how they did it. In addition to predictable...

Well, it's done. The public are streaming in, and the two media preview days of the 2010 New York Auto Show are over. It wasn't a hugely significant show, but clearly the apocalyptic meltdown that automakers were experiencing last year has lifted. Sales are starting to come back, slowly, and while...

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt took another step last week in its long and highly publicized gestation, with the first complete vehicle rolling off the production line at GM's Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant. On Wenesday, March 31, the first model of the mass-produced electric car built in North America...

At the 2010 New York Auto Show today, Mazda announced that its 2011 Mazda2 subcompact would carry a low starting price of $13,980 when it arrives at dealers. Not only that, but the first cars will show up in showrooms in late July, several months earlier than originally planned. Like the Fiesta but...

Looking For Something Smaller Than An xA? Scion has it.

For a few years, the only full hybrid sedan sold in the U.S. was the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Then came the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which won North American Car of the Year and upped the ante considerably. Now Hyundai has raised the bar again. Its 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, available this fall, is...

One year ago, Scion previewed its iQ mini-car, the smallest model yet from a brand known for its small, quirky cars. Today it revealed the production version of the 10-foot-long 2011 Scion iQ. The little "three-plus-one-seater" will go on sale between January and March next year, powered by a...

Hybrids originally came from mass-market brands--Toyota, Honda, then Ford--before they ascended into loftier realms (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche). Now Ford is taking its well-received hybrid sedans upscale, by adding a hybrid model to the 2011 Lincoln MKZ lineup. The MKZ, although it shares a...

Pricing for the 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car, eagerly awaited for many months, has now been set for both Japanese and U.S. markets.

Nissan has announced pricing for the 2011 Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, which will first become available in a few markets late this year.

GM Claims You Can Have Hybrid Efficiency Without the Price

Ford Gives New Fiesta Agents Mission To Find Happen Places

Mazda has long been known for its high-efficiency, fun-to-drive gasoline engines. It's also developing diesels. But the company had little ongoing research in hybrid and electric cars aside from its unusual hydrogen rotary hybrid research vehicle. Now the mystery of where Mazda will find that...

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will offer a greener take on Hyundai's excellent new sedan.

Nissan's ambitious plans to build and sell its 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car around the world will not include populous India, at least not initially. According to Indian Autos Blog, the CEO and managing director of Nissan Motors India said the company had no plans to introduce the Leaf to the...

A week before the New York Auto Show begins its media previews, Lexus has released more details on its CT 200h premium compact hybrid, which it says will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2011. Widespread reports (which we joined, unfortunately) had previously quoted a spokesman as saying Lexus had...

On Friday, Aptera held its first online Town Hall Meeting--a chat among eager followers and some of the Aptera marketing team. Their intent, according to the opening spiel,  was to "reduce some of the mystery around the company and open our supporters and depositors up to some of the great things...

In a recent article posted on this site, we had reported that the Tesla Roadster would see a production lapse in 2012.  The lapse was considered to be necessary due to a chassis changeover by Lotus, of which the Roadster shares numerous components.  During the changeover by Lotus, Tesla would be...