2012
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Let’s face it: If you ask Joe Public to describe the personal attributes of your average electric car owner, you'd probably get a description of a left-leaning, affluent and well-educated individual on the east or west coast of the U.S. A less-polite individual may even chose to add a few colorful adjectives which may imply various things about a typical electric car owner’s sexual behavior or parentage. But no matter who you ask, we’re pretty sure that “dictatorial despot” won’t be among the words used by anyone to describe an electric-car fan. And yet...
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Betting Tesla's Elon Musk $1 Million, Dan Neil Hopes To LoseElon Musk, CEO of electric-car startup Tesla Motors, sometimes says things that later prove not to be quite true. In that, he's like many entrepreneurs, who spend a portion of their time persuading the unconvinced and painting pictures of the rosy future, despite inconvenient facts that may...
John Voelcker -
Chicago Will Get Nissan Leaf Early Because It Loves Electric CarsThe City of Chicago has put so much time and money into supporting electric cars that Nissan has decided to reward Illinois by moving forward the planned Chicago launch of its Leaf electric hatchback to this Fall. In February this year, Gov. Quinn of Illinois signed a bill investing $1 million in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
GM, LG Group To Design, Engineer (Unspecified) Electric Cars TogetherGeneral Motors announced this morning that it would jointly design and engineer "future electric vehicles" with Korea's LG Group, in a statement that raised more questions than it answered. The announcement, the company said, will "help GM expand the number and types of electric vehicles it makes...
John Voelcker -
2012 Chevrolet Volt: The Plug-in Hybrid Basics You Need To KnowThe 2012 Chevrolet Volt will soon be arriving at Chevrolet dealers nationwide as General Motors makes the plug-in hybrid electric car available to all fifty states before the end of this year. But on year on from the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, what are the differences between the 2011 and...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
1899 Vintage Electric Car Sells For Record-Breaking $550,000 In AuctionIf you had over half-a-million dollars to spend on an electric car, which car -- or cars -- would you buy? For $550,000 -- that’s about the same price as the gas-guzzling rocket ship that is the 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 race car - you could buy 7 Tesla Model S Signature Series Sedans. Or you...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
The electric auto industry -- more than the conventional auto industry -- is an extremely volatile and competitive place. And unlike the mainstream auto industry, small-scale and boutique companies like Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive actually compete for the custom of electric car buyers alongside major automakers like Nissan and Ford. But while 2012 promises to bring a new wave of electric cars to market, which electric cars do we think will still be available to buy in five years’ time, and which cars will be long-forgotten in the history books? Today, we’re going to focus...
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2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid: First DriveThe all-new 2012 Camry Hybrid gets excellent gas mileage, of up to 43 mpg city, 39 highway
Bengt Halvorson -
Our MPGs Vs Consumer Reports: Volt, Civic Hybrid, Jetta TDI, Lexus CT 200h, Fiat 500The good folks over at Consumer Reports are the ultimate rationalists when it comes to testing and buying cars. They don't use media-fleet cars, but buy their test vehicles anonymously. Their rigorous assessments make hard-nosed fleet buyers look like flighty schoolgirls in comparison. In the...
John Voelcker -
2012 Subaru Impreza: Same Price, More Gas Mileage, Still AWDThe 2012 Subaru Impreza, unveiled at the New York Auto Show this spring, has the highest projected gas mileage of any all-wheel drive vehicle on sale in the U.S. this year: 27 mpg city and an impressive 36 mpg highway. Now Subaru has released pricing for its compact four-door sedan and hatchback...
John Voelcker -
2012 Nissan Leaf: The Electric-Car Basics You Need To KnowThe 2012 Nissan Leaf is the second generation of Nissan’s all-electric family hatchback, following on from the highly popular 2011 Nissan Leaf. But one year on from the original Leaf's launch, what's different in the 2012 model? Here's our list of things we think you need to know about the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Ford Using Consumers To Develop Displays On 2012 Focus ElectricFord is relying on potential consumers to help develop information display screens in the upcoming Ford Focus Electric.
Kurt Ernst -
General Motors has just confirmed what this site reported last week: The Cadillac Converj concept car from 2009, based on the running gear of the Chevrolet Volt electric car, will go into production. Cadillac's electric sports coupe will be called the ELR, joining the current CTS mid-size sports sedan and the upcoming ATS compact sedan and XTS full-size sedan. The name, Cadillac says, indicates the car's electric propulsion technology. GM had very few details other than that the ELR is under development, noting that "details on performance, price, and timing will be announced later." Our...
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A Ten-Second Camaro Promotes Electric Drag RacingThe performance characteristics of electric motors make them ideal for drag racing, and one man is out to establish electric drag racing as a legitimate sport.
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: Not Just MPG, MPH On Offer TooDiesels: Dirty and slow, right? Only if you've never left the 1980s. Diesel engine technology has come along in leaps and bounds over the past two decades and the best of today's diesel vehicles easily offer a compromise between performance and economy to best equivalent gasoline vehicles. General...
Antony Ingram -
Ten Percent Electric Vehicles By 2020? No Sweat, Utility CEO SaysHow many people, how soon, could be driving electric vehicles before it makes a significant difference to the grid and the utility needs to increase capacity?
Bengt Halvorson -
Want a Wind-Powered Electric Car? It might Just Be PossiblePhotovoltaic solar panels are quickly becoming the accepted ultimate accessory for any self-respecting electric car owner. So much so that Ford recently announced that it has negotiated special discount pricing on SunPower solar panels, meaning 2012 Ford Focus Electric owners could get an array...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Honda Fit Updates: More Noiseproofing, Bluetooth OptionFor 2012, Honda has improved sound insulation and other interior features on its Fit subcompact five-door hatchback.
John Voelcker -
It's almost the size of a misshapen softball, but it may be the charging combo you will have to use for quick charging on future electric cars. The U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is in the process of expanding its J-1772 standard for an electric-car coupler from the current round plug-and-socket fitting that is now used on every electric cars sold in the U.S. except for the Tesla Roadster. The goal is to add a standard for higher-voltage DC quick charging, allowing a single socket and plug to be used for anything from 110-Volt AC charging at 15 Amperes all the way up to a...
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Costco Pulls The Plug On Electric Vehicle Charging StationsBack in the 1990s, when it seemed like electric vehicles were gaining traction with consumers, Costco did something unusual: the big-box retailer installed charging stations at many of its California locations. Now, however, those stations are being removed, and electric car fans aren't happy...
Richard Read -
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Gets More Smart, Gains SpeedThe 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive may be the smallest, most compact highway-capable electric car on the market, but its pathetic top speed, sluggish acceleration, limited range and expensive price tag haven’t gained it many fans. But that may all change in a little under a month as...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Electric-Car Withdrawal: Gasoline Cars Now Feel Loud, CrudeWe can’t get our Volt back soon enough. Electric vehicle driving is a the kind of addiction more of us need to experience.
George Parrott -
Half Of Japan Now Drives High MPG, Low Power Kei MinicarsIf there's one thing that illustrates the culture difference between the United States and Japan better than anything else, it's the cars everyone drives. In the U.S, the Ford F-Series truck has dominated the sales charts for quarter of a century. The smallest engine available is a 3.5-liter...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show PreviewYou might have just one week left to register your interest in buying a 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but we still haven't yet seen a production version of Toyota's first plug-in hybrid yet. That will all change in Frankfurt in just under a month, when Toyota will unveil the official production...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield