Geneva Motor Show

You probably started driving in a car with three, four, maybe five speeds to choose between. Manual transmissions led the way for a while with gears--five and six became commonplace, while the average auto might only have had four gears. Since then, an increasing quest for efficiency has seen that...

With the 2014 BMW i3 electric car launch getting closer, the rumor mill is heating up. BMW will unveil its first production battery electric car at this fall's Frankfurt Motor Show, after showing a number of concept cars in both four-door and coupe forms. It has already given rides in BMW i3 test...

The Geneva Motor Show is almost upon us. Physically small in size next to many international shows, there's nevertheless plenty to look at, particularly if you're interested in green transport and concept vehicles. This year should be another spectacular one for green vehicles, with a few...

The Geneva Motor Show always provides us with some spectacular green vehicles, but this year looks like being the best yet. Audi has now revealed its most production-ready electric vehicle yet, in the form of the Audi A3 e-tron. We've driven a prototype of the all-electric e-tron before, but the...

Volkswagen has toyed with the idea of cigar-shaped ultra-eco cars for some time now, but a production car is finally on the way. The Volkswagen XL1 is a plug-in diesel hybrid with a body seemingly beamed in from a future time. It's the physical representation of the benefits of reducing weight and...

German automaker Volkswagen has been teasing electric versions of its Golf for a while now (several decades, in fact) but images of a production model have now been leaked. Czech website AutoForum.cz shows images of the latest e-Golf, based on the brand new Mk7-generation car. The car will be...

French automaker Citroen has long been a pioneer of automotive technology, from headlights that turn as you steer on the Citroen DS, to hydropneumatic suspension so smooth it was licensed by Rolls-Royce. Its latest development, "Hybrid Air" technology, is possibly the most intriguing innovation...

You have to admire the Chevrolet Spark EV. It may have the same gawky upright stance as the gasoline model, and certainly costs a lot more, but its specification suggests GM has put a lot of efford into its electric offering. Europe will get to enjoy the fruits of its labor too, when the Spark EV...

How long do you think Mitsubishi has been working on electric vehicles? Since a few years before the i-MiEV electric car hit Japanese roads, perhaps? Nope--1966. It surprised us too, but illustrates that the company actually has considerable experience in developing electric powertrains, even if a...

Hot on the heels of Honda's Urban SUV concept shown at Detroit, Korean automaker Kia is also getting in on the urban crossover act. The Kia Provoke Concept is set to appear at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. It's described as a "provocative and racy new urban concept car, and while the...

One of the most novel electric vehicles we've seen in recent years is the Hiriko. The Hiriko is designed for inner city car sharing schemes, initially in Europe but also touted for some U.S. cities. And it has a party piece: The Smart-sized electric vehicle can effectively fold in half to fit tiny...

Every year at the Geneva Motor Show, Swiss carmaker Rinspeed shows off its latest confusing concept to the assembled crowds. In 2012, it displayed the Dock+Go--a lightly disguised Smart Electric Drive with a docking system to accept a larger battery pack. In 2011, it was the Bamboo, a beach-buggy...

As more and more people enter China's middle classes, demand for automobiles is increasing all the time. So is the quality of China's cars. As the kudos of imported brands becomes more attractive, Chinese companies are working hard to compete. Some are even breaking out of China and into the...

The 2012 Geneva Motor Show had plenty to draw the eye, not least the shapely promo girls on every stand--but the undisputed star of the show was Infiniti's Emerg-E hybrid concept car. Both a work of art and a work of high-tech engineering, the mid-engine sports car uses a plug-in hybrid...

You know the story with concept vehicles: Shown among the glitz and glamor of auto show stands, they gradually become watered-down until a significantly less exciting production car hits the dealership floor. Only in the rarefied world of tiny-volume supercars, anything goes - which is why design...

Before we were handed the keys to the 2012 Lexus RX 450h AWD, we were advised that although the luxury SUV would be a comfortable companion, freeway driving isn't the best test for a hybrid vehicle. Or is it? After all, we already know that hybrids work best in city driving, but low tailpipe...

Audi's next A3 will offer buyers a wider range of drivetrain options, at least in Europe.

Aside from its 'i' electric car, Mitsubishi still attempts to cover the smaller sectors of the regular car market. Its new 2013 Outlander crossover, launched this week at the Geneva Motor Show, is one of its main volume models in global markets including the U.S. The all-new Outlander is the first...

There are many types of plug-in cars; some makers go for battery electrics, others for plug-in hybrids or range-extended electric vehicles. At the Geneva Motor Show yesterday, Hyundai unveiled a concept coupe showing how it might package an electric car offering a 75-mile range with a...

Sitting in hall 1 of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, was a vehicle so low that--if it wasn't the oddest-looking thing you'd ever seen--you'd have tripped over it. Actually, that's a lie. Every time we passed it, the car had gathered quite a crowd, so you couldn't miss it. It's the work of Finnish...