2012

Small and Large Cars Alike Are Missing An Important Kill Switch

Ford will introduce two electric vehicles, both scheduled for release next year.  Ford's expectations for these vehicles, the Focus BEV and the Transit Connect EV, are high and they anticipate strong sales for both offerings.  Along with the Fusion Hybrid, the company's decision to offer...

The Ford Transit Connect EV was unveiled days ago at the Chicago Auto Show.  We posted a recent story detailing the specs of the vehicle that were just release by Ford.  Now it's time for the first drive. Ford allowed brief test drives of the Transit Connect EV outside of the Chicago Auto Show. ...

When automakers and the Obama White House announced agreement on a single national standard for emissions and fuel economy last May, the entire auto industry heaved a huge sigh of relief. The issue was settled, at least until 2016. Yesterday, however, the state of Texas filed suit in the U.S. Court...

Pretty much every manufacturer is now at least experimenting with hybrid cars. The bulk of them use a high-voltage battery pack to store and deliver energy to supplement a gasoline engine. But in its experimental 911 GT3 R Hybrid test car, Porsche has taken a different tack toward energy...

 The Nissan Leaf is perhaps the most anticipated electric vehicle ever.  Nissan's approach and promise of providing a reasonably priced, five seat EV for the masses has drawn considerable attention.  The vehicle's expected performance numbers are well within standards of typical expectations for...

It’s impossible not to eavesdrop on the other parents’ conversations when I pick up my kindergartener from school. It’s a wholly unscientific but usually accurate way to find out what’s top-of-mind with people here in the Midwest — unemployment, strep throat, American Idol, and the auto...

Everything you need to know about the recalls affecting the 2010 Toyota Prius, and the 2004-2009 Prius too

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } The Toyota recalls have made headline stories for at least a week now.  The company is working feverishly to fix the problems and rebuild a possibly tarnished image.  Just when things could not possibly get any worst for Toyota, they just did. According to the New...

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } Chicago, commonly referred to as the "Windy City" perhaps fittingly now holds the title of having the first wind powered electric vehicle charging station in the U.S.  Officially, the station is located in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb a distant 30 miles from the...

Some Are Calling the New Focus the Come Back Kid

It's going to take Audi a long time to live down its U.S. chief's infamous quote that anyone who buys a Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is an "idiot." But after sticking to diesel for a long time as its sole green strategy, Audi is now storming ahead into smaller, hybrid, and...

With the start of the new year, we're back to our end-of-month rundowns on the top five most popular green car posts of the last 30 days. For January, the top two came from our comprehensive coverage of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. We have just one carryover this month from the year's Top Ten Most...

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a notable entry in the hybrid segment for several reasons.  For starters, the vehicle is the first truly successful hybrid offering from a domestic automakers.  Second, the vehicle has won numerous awards for its design, powertrain, and efficiency.  Now you can add...

Another EV Enters the Scene With Some New Features

Last summer Nissan was preliminarily approved to received a significant amount of money from the federal government to help them build the Leaf EV here in the U.S.  Many doubted that Nissan would receive the money from the government due to the public reaction against a foreign company receiving...

Just days ago the Volvo C30 EV was presented at the EnerDel facility in Indiana.  Several reporters were on hand for the presentation as well as Volvo's director of special vehicles Lennart Stegland.  Stegland described many of the attributes of this new electric offering from the company...

Ford was the first U.S. automaker to offer a hybrid, introducing the Ford Escape Hybrid crossover in 2004. It recently expanded its portfolio with the well-received 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. More recently, the company has announced plans for limited numbers of plug-in hybrids, as well as electric...

To say that Toyota has been hit hard with recalls recently is truly an understatement.  The company's most recent recall and stop sale involving a possible stuck accelerator has affected an estimated 2.3 million vehicles. As Toyota stated, "There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal...

The Nissan Leaf made a brief stop at the North American International Auto Show before departing early and heading back out on its nationwide tour.  The Leaf was on hand for the press preview days and was met by many with incredible praise.  Nissan appears to have created the hype necessary to...