Green Car News
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After four years, an economic crisis, an industry meltdown, and plug-in cars becoming politically problematic, the 2012 Fisker Karma is on the streets at last. And it's a real car. We've driven it, shot video behind the wheel, and now we've formally reviewed it. We're still sorting out what we think about the Karma, an extended-range electric luxury sport sedan that starts at $106,000. Sexy, sexy, sexy It's undoubtedly the sexiest, most noticeable car we've driven in years--more so even than the electric Rolls-Royce Phantom we tested. But it's also a car about the size of a BMW 7-Series sedan...
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With 2013 Fusion Hybrid On The Way, Ford Touts 461 PatentsThe 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is one of the more eagerly awaited green cars coming this year. With fuel economy projected at up to 48 mpg city, it improves considerably on the well-regarded current Ford Fusion Hybrid, which is rated by the EPA at 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, for a combined overall...
John Voelcker -
Washington State's $100 Electric Car Tax: Cheaper Than Gas Car TaxUntil recently, most electric car drivers haven’t been expected to pay an electric equivalent of gasoline taxes to help keep the roads and bridges of their state in good order. But earlier this month, the Washington state Senate passed a bill to the House which, if passed into law by the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Latest GOP Slap At Volt: Can't Hold A Gun Rack (Hint: Bad Idea, Boys)Real Americans only drive pickup trucks (imported oil be damned). It's obvious because slaps at green cars and fuel-economy rules have become a staple of political campaigning among certain candidates. Yesterday, Newt Gingrich mocked the current Administration's promotion of fuel-efficient cars in...
John Voelcker -
Helsinki Electric Car Owners Test Cold-Weather CapabilitiesWe've all heard stories about woefully low range from electric cars in icy climates, but just how suited are EVs to very cold conditions? That's what a bunch of Finnish electric car owners decided to find out, led by Finland's Electric Traffic program. Nine electric vehicles participated in a...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Mazda CX-5 Fuel Efficiency Is Lorax-Approved, Says Dr. SeussFor some time, Toyota has held the crown when it comes to bizarre -- and sometimes cute -- ad campaigns for its range of Prius hybrids. Now Mazda wants some of the cute green ad action. In its latest ad, Mazda proudly proclaims that its 2013 CX-5 compact crossover is Truffula Tree friendly, thanks...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
In asking developing world countries to clean up their act when it comes to reducing automobile emissions, it's easy to sound hypocritical. A new climate change initiative, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will sidestep this hypocricy by addressing the sort of pollutants that are as detrimental to those emitting them as they are to the planet as a whole. The New York Times reports that the U.S. is pushing to cut harmful pollutants such as those above which contribute disproportionately to climate change, as well as affecting health and agriculture. Wider benefits Although asking...
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Plug-In Pioneers: Electra Woman & Dyna Girl!?When it comes to reminiscing about old TV shows, we find they fall into one of two categories -- shows we really miss, or shows so bad they make us cringe to think about. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl -- a 16 week live action kids show from 1976 -- most certainly falls into the latter category, but...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Forbidden Fruit: 60 MPG BMW 1-Series Due At Geneva ShowWhen it comes to diesel cars, the choice in the U.S. is a little thin next to the selection of diesels on sale in Europe. After all, where else could you buy an example of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" that can average 60 miles per gallon? Just such a car will be launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor...
Antony Ingram -
Kill (Gas) Bills: Daryl Hannah’s Bio Diesel El Camino Sold At AuctionFor years, the great and the good of Hollywood have helped encourage people to ditch gas guzzlers by turning up to red-carpet events and driving around Beverly Hills in an eclectic mix of trendy eco-cars. But when those cars are traded in for the latest, greenest model, or perhaps swapped for...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Stuntbusters: Which Is Quicker, Gasoline Or Electric?People are competitive. Put two of them together, and they'll want to out-do each other at something. That's why racing has been a part of human culture for so long - whether on foot, on horseback or with cars, the competitive nature of humans comes to the fore. So while we're interested in the...
Antony Ingram -
Toyota FCV-R Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle Concept: VideoOne of Toyota's more distinctive vehicles on display at last month's Detroit Auto Show was the FCV-R fuel-cell concept. Joining electric, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids on Toyota's green car roster, the forward-thinking Japanese automaker is clearly keen to explore every avenue. Toyota has...
Antony Ingram -
Less than a month ago, electric car infrastructure firm and battery swap specialist Better Place started deliveries of all-electric Renault Fluence Z.E. cars to customers in Israel. In the past, Better Place has explained the basics of how its rapid battery swap stations work, but what’s it really like to drive into a rapid battery swap station and have your depleted battery replaced with a fully charged one in under 5 minutes? That’s the question asked by a British ex-pat blogger Brian London, who recently took a Renault Fluence Z.E. to his local Israeli battery swap station to...
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Chrysler Abandons Quest For Energy Dept Low-Interest LoansThe U.S. Department of Energy hasn't made any new loans under its Advanced Technology Vehicle Program in well over a year. At its current rate, it may never do so. The latest company to walk away from applications for low-interest loans from the $25 billion DoE program is Chrysler. This afternoon...
John Voelcker -
Have You Voted Yet For The Best Diesel Car Of 2012?You have just two weeks left to vote for the Diesel Car of the Year award, which is organized by The Diesel Driver website. Every year, that site asks green-car advocates, diesel fans, and its readers to chose from its list of nominees. That list (below) includes all 13 passenger vehicles fitted...
John Voelcker -
2011 Nissan Leaf: One Year On, How Healthy Is The Battery Pack?It’s now been well over a year since the first 2011 Nissan Leafs were delivered to customers in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona. But after one year, how are early Nissan Leafs performing? Are their battery packs still healthy, or have they started to show signs of wear already?...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Toyota Takes You On Safari To Prius Kingdom, Binoculars EssentialOver the past few years, Toyota has run some pretty unusual ad campaigns for its range of Prius Hybrids, from the cute Harmony TV spot through to the mildly disturbing People Person creation and the downright hilarious Cleaner Than-A-Sheep print ad. Now the Japanese automaker wants you to don...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Irate Investor Sues Fisker: A Little Lesson In Venture CapitalThis is the week when driving impressions of the 2012 Fisker Karma have started to appear, as Fisker invites in waves of automotive journalists for a half-day of driving in and around Los Angeles. (We'll have our report early next week, but we had a brief drive a few weeks ago, and another with...
John Voelcker -
If you choose to run your car on an alternative fuel or electricity, it's not always as easy to find somewhere to refuel or recharge as it might be with a normal gasoline vehicle. Luckily, you have technology on your side in the modern age. So below you'll find the best five ways of locating that natural gas, E85, bio-diesel, electric or other alt-fuel station nearby and further afield. 1. Internet If you have the time to spare, one of the best ways of locating your local alt-fuel stations is to pop on the internet and go to a website that directs you to them. The U.S. Department of Energy...
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GE Employees Get Chevy Volt Electric Cars, All-Gas Use OKed SometimesSixteen months ago, General Electric announced it would place the "largest order in history" for electric cars, to be used by its employees who are issued company cars. Now, those cars are starting to arrive and be placed with employees. And where changes are made, personnel policies are sure to...
John Voelcker -
Top 10 Most Economical Small Cars You Can Buy In 2012Let's say you're in the market for a small car, and you want the most economical one around in your budget. What are the options? Quite varied ones, actually - everything from electric cars, through hybrids, range-extended vehicles, gasoline and diesel. You might notice a few glaring omissions from...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Mitsubishi i Can Power Stop Lights, Keep Traffic FlowingWe already know that appropriately-equipped electric cars can be used to provide emergency backup power to homes cut off from the electricity grid in a natural disaster, but can they also be used to help a city run as normal? Could they, for example, be used to power stop lights? It’s a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tesla Motors Won't Need More Money, Says CEO MuskTesla Motors released its 2011 financial results today and held a conference call this evening for financial analysts to question officials. A number of interesting items emerged, largely from CEO Elon Musk. Perhaps the most significant is Musk's claim that Tesla won't need to raise any more...
John Voelcker -
New Chevy Volt Ad Hits Back At Critics With 'Just The Facts'To say the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car has become a political punching bag would be to understate the obvious. Now, GM is slowly, carefully trying to get the facts about the Volt out to the public at large, hoping to win hearts and minds in a larger battle involving electric cars...
John Voelcker