2012
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Tesla motors has announced that it is on schedule to deliver the first examples of its Model S electric sedan by June. The company is also set to use all of its $465 million Department of Energy loan within the next six months, though Elon Musk says Tesla is still on target to turn a profit in 2013. The next few years will be all about the hotly-anticipated Model S, as Tesla plans to sell 5,000 units of the $70,000 electric sedan. The first cars will be delivered in June, a month ahead of schedule, and Detroit News reports that Tesla expects the S to achieve a full five-star crash test rating...
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So Who Exactly Buys A Scion iQ Minicar? Now Toyota Knows
Scion has revealed that as much as 60 percent of Scion iQ buyers are new to Toyota, fulfilling Scion's brief of drawing in younger buyers. The figure is important for Toyota, as the hardest part of selling cars is often attracting buyers to the brand. With the cheap, entry-level iQ model in the...
Antony Ingram -
Was A Fisker Karma The Cause Of A Recent House Fire?
If authorities in Fort Bend County, Texas are correct, there’s more bad news in store for extended-range electric automaker Fisker. Last week, a 2012 Fisker Karma owner in Fort Bend County parked his Karma in an attached garage, alongside a Mercedes SUV and an Acura NSX. Three minutes later...
Kurt Ernst -
Fast Charging Vs Battery Switching: Better Place Customer Compares
By far the most reasonable use for electric cars charged at home is for a regular commute. If the return journey is less than the range of the car, electric cars make complete sense. Battery topping up using Level 2 chargers in public areas is a bonus, but rarely make an impossible journey...
Brian of London -
More Details, Live Photos: 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Electric SUV Launch
This is what it looked like yesterday when the wraps came off the production model of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, Toyota's first battery electric vehicle in more than a decade. The exposition hall at the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium is more likely to see displays of electric vehicle...
John Voelcker -
2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Electric SUV: Fewer Than 1,000 A Year
Today, Toyota revealed the production version of its eagerly awaited 2012 RAV4 EV all-electric crossover, with a powertrain designed and provided by startup electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Surprising many at the event, Toyota revealed its production plans: It expects to build and sell roughly 2,600...
John Voelcker -
In order to become an official automaker-approved dealer, dealers often undergo a lengthy process to prove they meet with sales and service requirements before the automaker will allow them to sell its cars. For prestige, luxury or specialist cars like high-performance sports cars or plug-in vehicles, it’s common for automakers to require additional steps are met before allowing the sale of a specific model. Like approved dealers for the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Chevrolet Volt, Ford dealers wishing to sell its 2012 Focus Electric have had to undergo additional approval. Now, thanks to...
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Young? Trendy? Buy A 2012 Scion iQ, Get A PlayStation Vita
Incentives are nothing new in the world of car buying. Discounts here, extended warranties there--we've all made use of them at some stage. When you're targeting a car exclusively at younger buyers, as Scion does, sometimes the incentives need to be a little more inventive. That's why it's giving...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Nissan Leaf: Here's What It Went Through To Get To You
With thousands of Leafs sold since the model's launch, it appears most owners are more than happy with their purchase. For many, the Leaf will be their first taste of all-electric mobility, and they're finding that the Leaf is happy to do everything their previous vehicle did--only without...
Antony Ingram -
Best Used Green Car To Buy: Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Last week we started a series of the Five Best Used Green Cars To Buy. We've already looked at two of the best-known green cars, the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius and the 2006-2011 Honda Civic Hybrid. Now it's the turn of a car known for its fuel, rather than its drivetrain--the Volkswagen Jetta TDI...
Antony Ingram -
Toyota RAV4 EV Teaser: Launch Details Coming Next Week
For people in the electric-car world, next week is a big deal. And Toyota is taking advantage of it. The company will formally launch its Toyota RAV4 EV next Monday at noon Pacific (3 pm Eastern) at the 26th International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26), which takes place in Los Angeles from...
John Voelcker -
Is the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Invisible Plug-In Car?
For the past few years, every time an automaker has launched a new plug-in hybrid or electric car, it’s been to a fanfare of sorts. But while Nissan, General Motors and Fisker have attracted the spotlight as more and more customers step up for their new cars, Press coverage of Toyota’s...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Sometimes you have to ask, What were they thinking? A recent article on five small cars with the worst gas mileage named four for which gas mileage may not even cross the minds of their buyers. But it did remind us that the 2012 Toyota Matrix has pretty low fuel economy for a compact hatchback. In that article, TrueCar listed the following as its "five small cars with the worst gas mileage": 2012 Toyota Matrix AWD (23 mpg combined) 2012 Volkswagen Golf R (22 mpg combined) 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer RalliArt (21 mpg combined) 2012 Mazda MazdaSpeed3 Touring (21 mpg combined) 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX...
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Going Away? Make Sure Your Electric Car Stays Happy Without You
Electric cars, just like every other device or machine that relies on rechargeable batteries, slowly discharge over time. Leave them in low state of charge for too long, and their traction battery packs are destroyed. Which is why automakers like Nissan and Chevrolet recommend owners follow...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Chevrolet Volt Pool Party: Weirdest Ad Stunt Yet?
Imagine the scene: you’re an advertising executive for General Motors given the task of finding new and exciting ways to promote the Chevrolet Volt’s sponsorship of the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The chances are you’d think up something grand, like putting a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Mitsubishi i Wants You To Be Free From Electriphobia
Let’s face it. The U.S. auto industry hasn’t always been very good at advertising the benefits of the electric car. Among them of course, General Motor’s infamous 1996 ad for its EV-1, the cringe-worthy Chevy Volt Dance, the Nissan Leaf Bear Hug ad, and of course, Nissan’s...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Ford Focus Electric: First Drive
The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is the company's first-ever production battery-electric vehicle, and that alone makes it noteworthy. But the fact that it's also pleasant to drive--somewhat on the fun side of unremarkable--means that it's the first compact all-electric competitor to the Nissan Leaf...
John Voelcker -
Fisker Focuses On Karma Sales, Delaware Factory In Hibernation
For Fisker Automotive, the last twelve months haven’t been exactly easy. Beset by delays, recalls and even a legal case from an irate investor, Fisker hit a low point in February when it was forced to lay off workers after missing deadlines associated with much-needed U.S. Department of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Since it was officially launched at the end of last year, only a handful of 2012 Ford Focus Electric hatchbacks have been sold. That’s hardly surprising considering Ford has been particularly cautious about spending large amounts of money advertising its first production electric car. In eleven days however, Ford will be taking the wonders of electric power directly to the holy temple of high-octane worship: a NASCAR race track. On April 28, the Ford Focus Electric will become the first ever all-electric NASCAR pace car, leading the field on the opening lap of the Sprint Cup Richmond...
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2012 Toyota Prius V: Service Alert (Exhaust Actuators)
At the end of last week, Toyota quietly announced a service campaign to rectify a potential problem with the exhaust system on the 2012 Toyota Prius V. The voluntary service campaign will focus on weak actuators located within the exhaust heat recovery system on the 2012 Toyota Prius V which, under...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Nissan Leaf: No More Reservation Fees, Buy Like Any Other Car
When Nissan first launched the 2011 Leaf, it introduced an online reservation system for would-be owners of the all-electric hatchback. Instead of relying on Nissan dealers to assess demand, Nissan opened up a dedicated reservation website, where those interested could pay $99 to be given a place...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Ford Focus Electric: Small Ad Budget Due To Low Sales Of Volt, Fisker
Earlier this week, Ford announced it had signed a deal with troubled Internet content provider Yahoo to stream 10 episodes of an Internet reality show centered on its 2012 Ford Focus Electric. Called Plugged In, the show will send teams of contestants to various U.S. cities in Ford's battery...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Toyota Prius Vs. 2012 Chevrolet Volt: Which Is Right For You?
With gasoline prices on the increase, many consumers are looking to buy a hybrid or plug-in hybrid as their next car in order to save gas and money. If going whole hog and ditching gasoline entirely in favor of an all-electric car like the 2012 Nissan Leaf or 2012 Mitsubishi i isn’t an...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Tesla Model S Winter Testing Video Mashup Released
Over the past few years, it’s become almost customary for Californian automaker Tesla to release regular videos detailing the final developmental and testing stages of its 2012 Model S Sedan. So far, we’ve seen pretty videos of it moving under its own power, and even a trio test-track...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield