Green Car News
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The disappearance of internal-combustion engines is far from inevitable today, but several groups and governments are now predicting when the last gasoline vehicles will be sold. The latest prediction comes from a particularly unlikely source: Shell Oil Company, one of the largest petroleum producers in the world. The company predicts in its latest report that petroleum-powered cars could be nearly gone by 2070. The concept is part of Shell's 'New Lens Scenarios', reports Autoblog Green. They are forward-looking predictions that help the company decide how to operate over the coming years...
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Panasonic Will Expand Battery Cell Supply For Tesla's Rising ProductionTesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] and technology company Panasonic have been working together for several years now, and that relationship is set to expand as Tesla seeks to meet its future battery needs. The two companies have reached an agreement for future automotive-grade lithium-ion battery supply...
Antony Ingram -
Biodiesel Makers Beg EPA To Notice: We're Not Ethanol!
One way to make vehicle fuels greener is to grow them--and it appears that biodiesel may have plenty of potential. Like the feedstocks for ethanol, the plant oils refined into biodiesel are grown, rather than extracted from the ground. But being lumped into the same bucket as ethanol is worrying...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost Priced, BYD Fined, RIP Scion iQ?: Today's Car News
The Ford Fiesta, Toyota Prius V, and Scion iQ make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota Prius V Loses 'Recommended' Rating From Consumer Reports
Receiving a 'Recommended' rating from the journalists at Consumer Reports isn't the only automotive accolade to aim for, but it's certainly one of the biggest. Losing that Recommended rating is therefore something to be avoided. It's also something the Toyota Prius V wagon has failed to avoid...
Antony Ingram -
A Million Electrified Cars In Germany By 2020? Achievable, Says VW
Like many countries, Germany has set itself some pretty tough targets for encouraging electric vehicles. The government aims to have a million plug-in electric vehicles on the country's roads by 2020. While electric-vehicle sales in Europe are increasing, that's quite some work to do by the end of...
Antony Ingram -
Scion's slow-selling iQ minicar might not be long for this world, and the news has come from an unusual source. Aston Martin chief Ulrich Bez has revealed to Autocar that the Cygnet was canned because Toyota itself is stopping production of the iQ--sold in most markets under the Toyota brand, but badged Scion in the U.S. The Cygnet has only been around for two years and was sold exclusively in the UK. It's believed that little more than 140 units were produced, but while slow sales are undoubtedly a contributor to its short run, Bez says several other factors kept it from being the car it...
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BYD Fined Over Wages On CA Electric-Bus Project Jobs
BYD was fined by the state of California for paying temporary Chinese workers less than minimum wage.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost Priced, 45 MPG Highway Too
Ever since Mitsubishi revealed its gas-sipping Mirage was capable of 40 mpg combined, we've awaited the figures for Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost Fiesta with interest. That wait is now at an end, with Ford's customer website and the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov website both confirming the three-cylinder...
Antony Ingram -
SOLVED! Electric-Car Mystery: Doorless, Abandoned Nissan Leaf In Palo Alto
Most people in the U.S. have probably never seen a Nissan Leaf electric car. But Silicon Valley is different--it's crammed with plug-in electric cars, especially Teslas--and now it's got its own electric-car mystery. As longtime reader Anton Wahlman points out, a blue 2012 Nissan Leaf has now been...
John Voelcker -
What Happens To A Nissan Leaf Electric Car At A Gas Station?
The Nissan Leaf is launching in South Africa, and perplexing gas station attendants.
Stephen Edelstein -
London Tesla Store, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Priced, Volkswagen XL1 Demand: Today's Car News
The Volkswagen XL1, Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and Chevrolet Spark EV make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Last Thursday, the governors of eight [blue] states pledged to cooperate toward a goal of putting 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on their roads by 2025. The cooperative programs are meant to make it easier for their citizens to buy and use zero-emission vehicles. While the steps cited so far in the memorandum of understanding are not binding, California governor Jerry Brown called it a "serious and profoundly important commitment" in a statement. Over the next six months, the states will develop an action plan to turn the pledge into concrete steps. Those will likely include many...
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NHTSA: No Further Probe Of Tesla Model S Electric-Car Fire
The NHTSA said it will not formally investigate the fire that engulfed a Tesla Model S electric car in Washington state.
Stephen Edelstein -
Orders For 261-MPG Volkswagen XL1 Exceed Production of 200
Volkswagen's XL1 might be one of the most exciting and unusual green vehicles of recent years, but it's certainly not one of the most accessible. Pricing around the $150,000 mark, based on the German price of 111,000 Euros, puts it in the same league as high-end sports cars. But as we've come to...
Antony Ingram -
Hot-Rod Chevy Spark EV Unveiled For SEMA Performance Show
The Chevrolet Spark EV Tech Performance concept will make the annual SEMA show a little greener.
Stephen Edelstein -
New 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Priced From $35,970
The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid will start at $35,970, and will be available with both FWD and AWD, and in multiple trim levels.
Stephen Edelstein -
Elon Musk Opens New Tesla Store In London Mall: Live Photos
Last Thursday evening, Tesla opened another retail location in its push to expand electric-car sales outside the U.S. This one was in London's Westfield Mall, built along the lines of high-end U.S. malls west of the Notting Hill neighborhood. According to our man on the scene, the lighting was...
John Voelcker -
Make no mistake, the market for electric cars might be growing slowly, but it's still growing, and it seems like almost every day there's a new car to buy or concept on the horizon. It's getting easier to charge your electric car while out and about too, as charging points spring up across the land. This is easiest to see in Recargo's excellent infographic, which tracks the progress of electric charging from January 2011 through May 2013. Even in such a short space of time, the number of public chargers has grown by ten times, increasing from 1,972 to 20,138--and that number is climbing...
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Tesla Underground, BMW i3 Driven, Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Cars: This Week In Social Media
What's been happening in the world of green car news? We're glad you asked. This week we shared our driving impressions of the radical new 2014 BMW i3 electric car, and spent some time in the 2014 Smart Electric Drive. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made headlines multiple times this week as he bought the...
Joel Feder -
Volvo Wireless Charging, 2015 Audi A3 Priced, New MINI Teased: Today's Car News
The Audi A3, MINI Cooper, and Toyota Prius make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
New MINI Cooper Teased, Win A Trip To The Unveiling: Video
The classic Mini was one of the first true economy cars, both in terms of frugality and in offering purchase price that regular people could afford. Since BMW's resurrection of the badge its priorities have shifted a little to capitalize on the car's fashion status, but that doesn't mean the new...
Antony Ingram -
2015 Audi A3 Sedan Priced From $29,900
Audi has announced pricing for its 2015 A3 Sedan, a new compact sedan entry into a market currently occupied by the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Not unsurprisingly, buyers will pay the same for the new A3 as they would for its Mercedes rival. At $29,900, the A3 sedan matches the CLA precisely at the entry...
Antony Ingram -
Volvo Completes Wireless Electric Car Charging Study; Research Continues
"Inductive charging has great potential" according to Volvo following its study into wireless charging of electric cars. The Swedish automaker conducted testing with Flanders' Drive, an automotive technology knowledge center in Belgium and a consortium of other companies, to determine whether...
Antony Ingram
![Tesla Model S in flames near Kent, Washington [frame from YouTube video]](https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/ibimg/hgm/944x531-1/100/442/tesla-model-s-in-flames-near-kent-washington-frame-from-youtube-video_100442447.jpg)
