Green Car News
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When it debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the original MINI Rocketman Concept was quickly embraced for its very MINI mini-ness. It was also speculated to be on its way to production--a rumor that was quickly shot down by BMW, MINI's parent brand. But a MkII version of the concept revealed ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games has rekindled hope that the Rocketman may yet be built. With a 3+1 seating layout, very compact exterior dimensions (about 10 feet long overall) and characteristically MINI-cute design, the Rocketman MkII updates the original's design with a Union Jack color scheme...
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Working Infiniti Emerg-E To Tackle Goodwood Hillclimb Later This MonthFor the U.K. automotive industry, the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is a not-to-miss annual event, culminating in its world-famous hillclimb event. Last year, we saw Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC all-electric race car tackle the iconic 1.16-mile course, but this year we’ll see...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tesla To Launch New Sedan And Two Crossovers After Model STesla’s long-awaited Model S is just days from officially hitting the market, although at least one of the electric sedans has already been delivered to a customer. With development on the Model S finally complete, we can now focus on what’s next in the pipeline for Tesla. We know that...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Ford Escape With EcoBoost: On Its Way To Dealers NowFitted with Ford’s latest green engine technology, the 2013 Ford Escape has started to roll off the production line at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Starting at $22,470, the compact crossover SUV has undergone a complete redesign for this year, giving it a strong family...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Production Starts, Due Q4, 2012Earlier this week, Daimler started production of the 2013 Smart ForTwo electric drive at its Hamback, facility in France. The third-generation all-electric Smart ForTwo, the 2013 model is the first electric Smart that will be sold as well as leased. Unlike previous versions, which we felt were...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Forget The Prius: 2012 Scion iQ Takes Google Street View Where Other Cars Can’tWhen computer software giant Google first unleashed its camera-equipped Streetview cars in the U.S. to photograph and map her roads, it chose the humble Toyota Prius as its workhorse. That’s fine for modern-day cities with large, multi-lane roads, but in Europe, Google has discovered the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
If you’re looking to buy an electric car, you’re probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fuel Economy website, which lists the gas mileage of every car on sale today along with the miles per gallon equivalent rating for every plug-in car. Unfortunately, the EPA’s MPGe rating isn’t the best way to work out how green your electric car is, but there is another tool you can use from the EPA that can help you figure it out. Hidden away as part of the “Energy And Environment” tab of the EPA’s vehicle comparison tool is a section...
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2012 Honda Civic Models Recalled For Possible Assembly ErrorHonda is recalling 50,190 model year 2012 Civics to inspect and possibly replace the left driveshaft, which may not have been properly assembled.
Kurt Ernst -
What's The Real Cost of a Better Place Electric Car in Israel?Since buying my Better Place Renault Fluence ZE in Israel, I'm frequently asked about the price. I bought the car because I liked the way it drove and thought it would save me money. I had been looking for a new car, but had no intention of buying a green model as such. I was quickly satisfied that...
Brian of London -
Syracuse Non-Profit Replaces Blink Charging Stations, Sues EcotalityJust as those buying an electric car have a choice of several different models to chose from, there are many different charging stations that individuals, businesses and local government can chose to provide convenient electric car charging. But in Syracuse New York, a non-profit organization is...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Buick Regal Gets eAssist Mild Hybrid As Base Engine To Boost MPGThe eAssist system may have entered production less than a year ago, but General Motors is clearly making a big bet on the mild hybrid system to help its Buick brand meet rising fuel economy regulations. First offered on the base 2.4-liter engine in the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, the eAssist system was...
John Voelcker -
2012 Chevrolet Volt Owners Help With Peppy Volt Ad CampaignJust how do you advertise a plug-in car like the 2012 Chevrolet Volt? In the two years since advertising for General Motors’ first plug-in hybrid started, GM has tried a whole bunch of different tactics. Sadly, to date, very few have been successful, focusing on why you should want a Chevy...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Just under a month ago, we reported a few cases in which owners of 2011 Nissan Leafs had noticed the first of twelve lights on their car’s battery capacity gauge had switched off, indicating a marked deterioration in battery capacity after just one year. Now Nissan has released an official statement about cases in which it affirms its belief that the Leaf’s 24-kilowatt hour battery pack will have a long and useful life. In short it says, there is nothing to worry about. Lost capacity A twelve-bar gauge to the right of the battery charge indicator, the battery capacity gauge is...
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Chinese-Japanese Group To Turn Saab Into Electric-Car BrandLast December Saab fans all around the world received the grim news their beloved brand was filing for bankruptcy, despite the best attempts of its then-owner, Swedish Automobile, to find a buyer interested in paying off all of Saab’s outstanding debts and investing in new products. Since...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Job Training For Returning Vets: Installing Electric-Car ChargersIndustrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, whose automotive business makes superchargers and many other parts, also supplies electric-car charging stations. Under a recent Federal contract, Eaton will provide those charging stations to various Federal locations--and the company is also working to...
John Voelcker -
Raw Diesel Fumes Worse Than Second-Hand Smoke, Says W.H.O.Diesel cars might get great gas mileage when compared to their gasoline counterparts, but now the World Health Organization has warned that diesel fumes are now known to prove lung cancer. In fact, the W.H.O. says, diesel fumes are more carcinogenic than secondhand cigarette smoke. So dangerous, it...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
First BMW i Store Opens in London, i3 Concept Gets New InteriorIf you’ve ever visited central London in England and visited its famous Hyde Park, the chances are you’ve also seen one of BMW’s most prestigious showrooms, located along the highly-expensive and exclusive Park Lane. Now, weeks ahead of the BMW-sponsored 2012 London Olympic games...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
New Car Gas Mileage Falls In May, Lower Gas Prices To BlameCarmakers may continue to make their cars more fuel efficient year-on-year, but with those models selling in proportionally small numbers, actual gas mileage is climbing at a much slower rate. In fact, gas mileage in new cars actually fell in May, albeit by only 0.1 percent from April, to an...
Antony Ingram -
Mitsubishi’s tiny egg-shaped electric car known as the 2012 Mitsubishi i is currently the cheapest electric car you can buy in the U.S. Starting at $29,125 before incentives, the 2012 Mitsubishi i features seating for four adults, a 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack, and an EPA-approved range of 62 miles per charge. According to Consumer Reports however, the very electric car which has worked hard to cure electriphobia just doesn’t have a large enough range to be a useable electric car. The consumer advice organization reached its conclusion after an extended period of ownership...
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2012 Ford Focus 3-Cylinder: Quick Drive ReportDownsizing: The car industry's buzzword for both consumers shopping for smaller cars than their previous model, and carmakers equipping their models with smaller, more efficient engines. Both are linked to lowering the cost of driving, but the latter is most interesting from an efficiency...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan’s CO2 Fund Rewards 2012 Leaf Drivers The More They DriveTalk to any electric car owner, and it’s likely they’ll tell you how little money they spend on running their plug-in car. For them, the switch to electric pays dividends in saved gas bills, but in Japan, a new scheme by Nissan takes it one step further, allowing electric car drivers to...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
'Strong Case' For Natural-Gas Car Research, National Lab SaysA government-funded laboratory that helped pioneer the battery technology behind many electric vehicles, including the Chevy Volt, has recently begun to focus on developing technologies to improve natural gas-powered vehicles, in anticipation of government and industry soon seeking to bring...
Talking Points Memo -
Hydrogen, Rotary Range-Extender For Mazda Electric Cars?Rotary engines aren't known for their green credentials, but if Mazda's latest plans come to fruition, they may be granted another lease of life. Most frequently seen in Mazda's sports cars over the years, Wankel rotary engines are associated variously with ultra-smooth power, poor fuel economy...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford Focus ST: Mean, Green, With Overboosted EcoboostCan a sporty car also be a green car? And can you add performance boosts to a green engine without making it a gas-guzzler? For thinks the answer is yes. Enter the 2013 Ford Focus ST, the latest in a long-line of motorsport-inspired performance Ford Focus STs, but the first Focus ST to be sold in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield