Green Car News

Like early-adopters of any new technology, the first owners of electric cars like the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Chevrolet Volt have already proven that they like to hack their plug-in cars to improve features, charging times and even performance. The latest leafhack, from plug-in hybrid battery...

One of the great things about living in a free country is having the luxury of a choice of products and services. We may not always agree with someone's choice of car, but at the end of the day it's easy to appreciate their freedom to choose it. So when our friends at Jalopnik write about the joy...

As most electric car fans will tell you, it’s much easier for automakers to build an all-electric car from scratch than it is to repurpose an existing gasoline model with an electric drivetrain. In the case of Toyota’s RAV4EV however, the Japanese automaker, with help from Californian...

It’s been a long time since it was unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but Chevrolet has finally detailed pricing on its 2013 Sonic RS. At $20,995, the sports-styled, hatchback-only version of the popular Sonic subcompact is Chevrolet’s attempt to make the car more appealing to...

Tesla Motors may have been initially cagey about its production figures while the first few cars were being delivered, but as production gathers pace the company is revealing more details on Model S deliveries. In one of his regular Inside Tesla features on the Tesla Blog, Tesla vice president of...

Since the Chevrolet Volt first launched in the U.S., we’ve seen a variety of quirky, funny, and downright weird ads designed to get people driving General Motors’ first plug-in hybrid. But over in Europe, where the Chevrolet Volt and the Opel Ampera -- its European sibling -- are...

People are expecting more and more from their performance cars these days, and that includes improved fuel efficiency. That's why, even with traditionally V-8 pony cars like the Ford Mustang, the next model will include a more efficient, four-cylinder variant. As well as more contemporary styling...

After a week involving fires, financial woes and recalls, it looks like things may be looking up for Fisker Automotive: its 2012 Karma plug-in hybrid is the second best-selling 4-door luxury car in the Netherlands. As PlugInCars reports, Fisker’s founder Henrik Fisker is ecstatic. “How...

Yeah, we drove the pink one. The 2013 Chevrolet Spark, the first Chevrolet minicar in many, many years, comes in a remarkable array of pastel colors, including one called Techno Pink. One of two Sparks we tested yesterday came in that very distinctive shade; the other was Salsa (lime green). Other...

Last week, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that would allow the installation of electric-car charging stations in U.S. Capitol parking garages. That got us to wondering, how many U.S. Senators and Representatives actually drive plug-in cars? With the help of Juan Barnett, aka...

Imagine a future where plug-in cars not only know when the cheapest time to charge is, but also work in concert with utility companies to recharge when it is greenest or when grid power demand is the lowest. For years, automakers, charging station manufacturers, utility companies and even the U.S...

If you've ever had a car stolen, you'll know how much it really, really sucks. More than 700,000 Americans in the last year alone will know that feeling, as that's how many vehicles were recorded stolen in 2011 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The inconvenient truth for owners of...

It's okay, you've not clicked on "Green Plane Reports", but every so often something from beyond the world of cars catches our attention. This time, it's electric flight. The concept is nothing new, and it's even been alluded to by people like Elon Musk of Tesla, but for the time being it remains a...

If you’re preparing to return to college in the next few days -- or are a Freshman heading away from home for the first time -- your preparations probably include a long road trip. But with every cent you spend on gasoline diminishing your college fund, how do you make that heavily-packed...

Our recent test of a 2012 Mitsubishi 'i' electric minicar was actually the first time we've tested a pure battery electric car in New York City. While the relatively short distances covered in NYC would seem well suited to plug-in cars, there's the big issue of recharging. With most residents not...

With a cause swiftly identified for a recent fire, 1,000 sales out of about 2,000 cars built , and promising European volume, Fisker has come through some rough water lately. Now, the company can focus on its next cars: the Surf shooting brake and Sunset retractable hardtop coupe derivatives of its...

Yesterday, Honda started production of its 2013 Accord. Due to go on sale in the U.S. this fall, it will be offered with a whole new range of engines and transmissions designed to make it the greenest Accord yet. Although the 2013 Honda Accord sedan and coupe will be offered with an all-new...

Earlier this year, the State of California launched a new, green HOV-lane sticker, letting qualifying plug-in hybrids drive in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, even if there is only a single occupant in the car. According to California's North County Times however, fewer than 4,000 stickers...

We liked the 2012 Mitsubishi i electric minicar we drove last week rather more than we expected. Its main handicap, even in city usage, is its low electric range. We didn't test the car to its limits, and indeed the range indicator may be slightly pessimistic (much safer than being optimistic...

The battle over the levels of ethanol in fuel may not have stopped just yet, but a decision by the U.S. Appeals Court will certainly weaken the challenge. Several groups, including grocery, auto and petroleum industry bodies filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2010...