Electric Cars

Yesterday we heard the news that Mercedes-Benz will take over Smart car distribution in the United States from Penske Automotive Group. The independent dealer network had started distributing the Smart ForTwo in 2008 with a total of 77 dealers nationwide. But with Mercedes-Benz only taking-over...

It’s no secret that the stereotypical Italian sports car is fast, fiery and molto fortissimo. But fans of fast sports cars now have a new sports car to lust after with the official launch of Tesla Motor’s first Italian store. Situated in the heart of Milan’s upper class fashion...

For those who don’t know or have forgotten, the name for Nissan’s first mass-produced electric car is an acronym: Leading Environmentally-friendly Affordable Family car. But is the 2011 Nissan Leaf really a family-friendly car? When examining a car for suitability for a family there are...

Okay, let's get the schoolyard jokes about buying your female companion a motorised whirring gift for valentine's day. We know you have a much more sophisticated set of tates than that. But how do you buy your partner an exciting, fast, luxurious gift bound to get her blood pumping without...

Ask most consumers to describe a Porsche and they’ll describe the classic Porsche Boxster: a rear-wheel drive, mid or rear-engined car designed for the driving enthusiast rather than the casual commuter. Large, noisy engines have always been a prerequisite. Until now. We heard last summer...

It's always good to hear the arguments against electric cars. Some are valid, some are idiotic, and some simply betray a lack of knowledge about how the auto industry really works. Into that last category may go some comments by one William M. Colton, ExxonMobil’s vice president for corporate...

If you’re one of the many expectant 2011 Nissan Leaf owners around the world what we’re about to tell you may make you feel a little sick. While Nissan obviously struggles to meet consumer demand for its all-electric hatchback, company executives in Europe are offering those waiting for...

A few days ago we told you what you needed to know about Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt servicing. After all, an electric car doesn't have many of the serviceable components you associate with a fossil-fuelled vehicle. Not one to be left out, Ford are now extolling the virtues of simple servicing...

Arranging insurance for your new car is always a stressful and unpleasant business. Often overlooked, it has a direct impact on your driving habits and your pocket book. But unlike gasoline cars, electric cars are not yet fully known by the insurance industry, causing some potential headaches for...

At six years old, the Volvo C30 has come of age. Popular in Europe as Volvo’s safety-conscious answer to the hot hatchback. With a range of engine options available, the four-seat hatchback represents Volvo’s lightest and smallest car. It comes as no surprise then that it is the model...

Just weeks ahead of the 2011 Nissan Motor Show, Nissan has released pictures and videos of its latest all-electric car: The 2011 ESFLOW concept, something we’d heard was in development a while ago. Built from the ground up from scratch, the all-electric two-seat sport coupe concept car...

It's long been known that purchase rebates--buy a car, get a check--are a more effective incentive for purchase of any kind of car than an income-tax credit, which may take a year or more to affect the buyer's cash position. But the current tax credits for purchase of plug-in cars, up to $7,500 for...

Anyone who's stored a car in a rural area has heard stories of the chaos wreaked by nesting squirrels. Engine compartments stuffed with leaves, twigs, nuts, and even entire furry families can cause overheating and sometimes fires. But now a new peril has come to light against which electric-car...

Electric car development is quickly proving to be a worldwide effort, with companies and research institutes from across the globe and in varying industries and fields forming partnerships and alliances in order to accelerate the roll out of zero-emission electric cars. The latest is BMW and its...

EV fans the world over have been getting excited about the prospect of Toyota's upcoming electric RAV4 model. The original RAV4 EV is still celebrated by its owners and EV enthusiasts alike - and commands impressive prices when examples come up for sale. Launched with a fanfare at last November's...

A few months ago we asked the question, what exactly do you have to service on a 2011 Nissan LEAF? After all, the LEAF doesn't even contain many of the items that require regular attention on a regular car, such as oil changes, spark plugs, filters, transmission fluid and muffler parts. Brakes...

Mitsubishi was one of the first major automakers to announce plans for a mass-produced electric car and even had a working prototype out testing as far back as 2008 in the form of the first generation i-MiEV. Since then the i-MiEV has gone through a series of redesigns until finally being launched...

We got our first hints that Tesla was planning several new models after the Model S electric sedan following the release of some official slides in the company’s IPO presentation last June. Soon after Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that one of these new models, an electric SUV dubbed the Model...

Here’s a task for you. Think of the most unusual thing you’re likely to see in a Tesla dealership. Whichever strange and bizarre places your imagination took you, (no, we don’t want to know) we’re pretty sure it didn’t take you to the Munich Tesla Showroom earlier this...

During the first half of 2010, nearly 13,000 U.S. taxpayers wrongly claimed a staggering $33 million under the electric tax credit incentive scheme, a Treasury Department inspector general report has revealed. The credits, designed to encourage the uptake of plug-in hybrid and electric-only...