Green Car News
-
Looking considerably more futuristic than the Chevrolet Volt on which its based, Cadillac unveiled its 2014 ELR plug-in hybrid at this week’s Detroit Auto Show. Borrowing heavily from Cadillac’s “French curve be damned” school of design. the ELR manages to progress angular design to the next level. It may be styled like the Converj concept, but somehow the ELR manages to look even better than the concept. We admire the attention to detail here, too. The grille shutters, sharp rear edges and integrated rear spoiler may help reduce drag, but they also aid with the...
-
2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0-Liter EcoBoost: Quick Drive ReportMuch fanfare has been made about Ford's 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine. Offering the performance of a 1.6-liter with the economy of a much smaller unit, many would have you believe it represents the future of internal combustion. If not transported to the future, our first drive...
Antony Ingram -
Updated Acura NSX Hybrid Supercar Concept Debuts In DetroitIt’s not quite the production version of the new NSX that we were hoping for, but the updated concept car presented at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show today does give us a much better idea as to what the production version, due sometime in the next couple of years, will be like. We can clearly see...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota Furia Concept Live Images: 2013 Detroit Auto ShowThe Toyota Corolla remains one of the best selling cars in America, despite its dated design and a powertrain that is, frankly, approaching obsolescence. Its 1.8-liter four cylinder engine still delivers acceptable fuel economy (up to 30 mpg combined), but its transmission choices (five-speed...
Kurt Ernst -
VW, Eaton Show New CCS Electric-Car Charging StationVolkswagen Group of America and Eaton have together unveiled a new single-port Combined Charging System (CCS). The CCS meets the approved standard for charging from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and combines one-phase AC charging, three-phase AC charging, DC home charging and DC fast...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Cadillac ELR Preview: 2013 Detroit Auto ShowBased on the Converj concept first shown in 2009, the Cadillac ELR is set to become the very first Extended Range Electric Vehicle launched by a full-line luxury automaker when it hits Cadillac dealers in early 2014. Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac ELR will be primarily powered by a 16.5 kWh...
Kurt Ernst -
Last summer wasn't easy for Nissan or its electric car, the Leaf. A spate of owners in Arizona discovered they were quickly losing battery capacity, far earlier than Nissan suggested it might happen--the hot climate was playing havoc with battery life. Luckily for worried Leaf owners, those 'wilting Leafs' were the exception, rather than the rule. A new survey from Plug In America reveals that the majority of Leaf owners have lost very little capacity--if any. Plug In America's independent Leaf battery survey collected data from 240 Leafs in 25 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and the UK...
-
Toyota Furia Concept Previews 2014 Toyota Corolla: Detroit Auto ShowIf the 2013 Detroit Auto Show has been rather light on truly green vehicles, concepts previewing the replacement of bread and butter models have been much more exciting. One of those is the Toyota Furia Concept, paving the way for the 2014 Toyota Corolla compact car. Corollas aren't often vehicles...
Antony Ingram -
Honda Urban SUV Concept: 2013 Detroit Auto Show PreviewIf you wanted a Nissan Juke before, you probably won't want one now. Honda promised last month that its Urban SUV Concept would debut at Detroit, and the sporty, Fit-based crossover you see here is the result. Hinting at a production model due in 2014, the Urban SUV is a whole nine inches shorter...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Nissan Leaf Prices To Start At $28,800 For Electric CarWe know the specifications and details of the 2013 Nissan Leaf, which has now gone into production in Smyrna, Tennessee. But the missing piece of information has always been: What will the battery electric car cost now that it's built in North America? During an electric vehicle roundtable today at...
John Voelcker -
Volkswagen's Two Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Concepts: Detroit Auto ShowAt the Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen showed not just one but two concepts with diesel plug-in hybrid powertrains. VW not only unveiled its CrossBlue Concept for a mid-size seven-passenger crossover, it also showed the CrossCoupe Concept it had premiered last year at the Beijing Auto Show. Each...
John Voelcker -
2014 Nissan Versa Note: 2013 Detroit Auto Show First PhotosAt the Detroit Auto Show—a day prior to a press conference revealing full details—Nissan took the wraps off the new-generation version of its low-cost Versa Hatchback. From the outside, which is all we’ve been able to see thus far, the Versa Note looks essentially the same as the...
Bengt Halvorson -
If you've always felt the 20 mpg Fisker Karma is a little bit too green, a new sport sedan based on the Fisker Karma might be just the car you're looking for. The VL Automotive Destino is essentially Henrik Fisker's range-extended electric car, with all the expensive drivetrain components removed and replaced with Chevrolet's LS9 V-8 engine. That's the same supercharged unit you'll find in the Corvette ZR1 supercar. If you think that sounds strange, then it gets better--one of the men behind the Destino is none other than "father of the Volt" and Via Motors figurehead, Bob Lutz. Proving Lutz...
-
2014 Infiniti Q50: G37 Replacement Gets M35h's Hybrid SystemInfiniti’s replacement for the G37 Sedan, the 2014 Infiniti Q50, has made its official world debut today at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and, as predicted, the car offers a new hybrid option. The move is part of Nissan’s overall strategy to launch up to 15 new hybrid models by 2016, on...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Tesla Model X Electric Crossover New Interior: Detroit Auto Show Live PicturesUnveiled live at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] is giving us new ideas as to what the interior of its Model X crossover may look like. Tesla calls it an "interior exploration", giving a hint as to the different colors and trim materials you can expect from the production Model...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe: Detroit Auto Show PreviewIt's been a while since Mercedes-Benz offered a truly compact sedan on the U.S. market, the C-Class having grown over the last few decades like many other vehicles, and the old 190e a distant memory. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA changes that, but the new small sedan is very different from those old...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel: The Diesel Jeep ReturnsIt's been rumored for more than a year; now it's reality. This morning at the Detroit Auto Show, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel will be unveiled by Jeep as part of a comprehensive update to the three-year-old sport utility vehicle. Fitted to European versions of the Grand Cherokee already...
John Voelcker -
Lincoln MKC Concept: Luxury Compact Crossover At Detroit Auto ShowSome may bemoan the lack of a hybrid version of Ford's Escape crossover, but a range of efficient Ecoboost turbocharged engines still makes it a reasonably green pick among its peers. For those wanting a little more class, you may soon have that option. Lincoln has launched the MKC concept at the...
Antony Ingram -
One hurdle down: Tesla is now delivering production Model S electric cars to paying customers from its reservations list of 18,000 or so. Next hurdle: Can Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] bring in enough cash from those sales, and ramp up production fast enough, to keep the company solvent? It would appear the market thinks so, as Tesla stock has risen over the last six weeks from less than $28 a share to more than $32 a share. MarketWatch analyst pessimistic Nonetheless, a spate of recent articles have quoted MarketWatch financial analyst Jon Shinal suggesting that Tesla is "among the top candidates...
-
2013 Detroit Auto Show Preview: Diesels, Electrics And HybridsNext week is the annual Detroit Auto Show, one of the most important events on the automotive calendar and increasingly a place for car companies to show off new green technology. Given consumer tastes and the trends in the market, it should come as no surprise that the list of green cars, whether...
Antony Ingram -
Egg-Like Nano-Technology To Improve Lithium-Ion Batteries?Technology developed at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University has set a new record for energy storage in a lithium-ion battery. Using ingenious egg-like sulfur nanoparticles in the cathode, the battery can store five times more energy than is possible with today's...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Model S To Have CHAdeMO Quick-Charge Adaptor In JapanThe Tesla Model S electric sedan is set to get a CHAdeMO quick-charge adaptor when it arrives on the market in Japan. CHAdeMO is the leading quick-charge standard in Japan, and drivers have access to almost 1,900 charging stations across the country. It's standard equipment on Nissan Leafs and...
Antony Ingram -
How Bad Were The Nissan And GM Electric-Car Sales Shortfalls?If 2011 was the year of overoptimism for electric-car sales, and 2012 was Sophomore Slump after the inevitable shortfall, will 2013 be the year of realism? That really depends on what the world's leading electric-car maker, Nissan, sells this year. Let's recap. Several years ago, Nissan said that...
John Voelcker -
Subcompact Crossovers: AWD Gets Smaller, More Fuel-EfficientThe 2013 Detroit Auto Show will mark the debut of a crossover concept from Honda, dubbed the 'Urban SUV' concept. It's set to be based on the next-generation Honda Fit, making it the latest in a line of downsized crossovers promising chunky styling with a fuel-efficient twist. They're a world away...
Antony Ingram