Green Car News

  • Gas pump

    There's more than a 3-to-1 chance that your gas price fell last week. The price itself depends largely on what state you live in, but the average price of a gallon of gasoline rose in just 12 states, staying the same or falling in the other 38, according to the average pricing on GasBuddy. But whether it's rising or falling, whether it's above $4 a gallon or below, gas prices have already started to change consumer behavior. For one thing, it's changing our vacation plans. A recent market-research study by TNS Omnibus found 40 percent of adults plan to take fewer trips over the next four...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Toyota’s Electric Car Social Media Network

    Any press relations firm will tell you that in the modern world companies need an active Internet and social media presence in order to best sell a product, but what if you could go one step further and create your own social media network? That’s exactly what Toyota is planning, with the...

  • 2012 Honda Civic Sedan
    Recall Alert: 2012 Honda Civic Fuel O-Ring Affects 1,156 U.S. Cars

    When it comes to recalls they can generally come about in one of two ways: the government requires a company to recall a car due to a number of safety complaints or the auto manufacturer voluntarily makes a recall announcement. Obviously, the second situation is the more desirable because it can be...

  • 2012 Fiat 500C Cabrio, SoHo district, New York City
    2012 Fiat 500C: Worth the Soft Top?

    So we have written about the 2012 Fiat 500 and a little bit about the 500C Cabrio. However, the thought came to our mind through a recent First Drive completed by our partner site, TheCarConnection.com, that maybe the Cabrio isn’t worth the extra cost. Now hang in there with us; the thought...

  • 2011 Mazda Mazda2
    Mazda 1.3-Liter Engine Boasts 50% MPG Gain Over Current 1.5-Liter

    If you have driven by the gas pump recently then the interest in cars with more fuel-efficient gasoline habits probably doesn’t surprise you. Most manufacturers are trying to accommodate the change in consumer perspective, especially in the U.S. automotive market. Mazda is onboard with their...

  • Volvo V60 PHEV, Pre 2011 Geneva Preview
    2012 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid First Drive Report

    When Volvo announced its plans to produce a plug-in hybrid station wagon capable of comfortably seating five, providing reasonable luggage space, a combined fuel economy of 150 miles per gallon, and the ability to tow just under 4,000lbs, many of you told us that you couldn’t wait to find out...

  • Zero DS Motorcycle

    Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles has announced the recall of certain model year 2009 and 2010 Zero S and Zero DS motorcycles, to replace the front brake caliper bracket. Under heavy braking, the original front brake caliper bracket may be subject to deformation, which can cause brake pad misalignment and reduced front brake performance. Specific models affected are: 2009 Zero S motorcycles built from September 2, 2009 to December 22, 2009 2010 Zero S motorcycles built from February 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 2009 Zero DS motorcycles built from July 27, 2009 to December 28...

  • The Think City racer
    EVCup Gets Delayed: Electric Car Racing Series to Debut Late 2011 (BREAKING)

    We hate to say it, but the words “electric car” and “delayed” just appear too frequently together. As we approach the middle of 2011 we’ve seen lots of automakers slip behind on electric car schedules, whether that’s delayed launches, delays in deliveries or even...

  • 2010 Audi A3 TDI
    Bosch Predicts Diesel Sales To Reach 10 Percent Of U.S. Market By 2015

    Diesel models may account for more than half of all new car sales in Europe but in the U.S. their numbers still hover around just 3 percent of the market. This in part because of a national memory of the noisy and polluting diesels of three decades ago, and in part because diesel fuel and engines...

  • 2003 Honda Element DX
    Advice: Better Gas Mileage, Used Small, All-Wheel-Drive SUV--UPDATE

    UPDATE: Well, we got a note from Denise: I bought a car today. It's a certified pre-owned 2005 Toyota RAV4, single owner, 41K miles. The only thing I need for it is an iPod adapter! It's really nice, fabulous condition, and I did fairly well on both the price and trade-in. What do you think of her...

  • Assembly of Think City electric cars, Elkhart, Indiana, Jan 2011
    New Management, Structure, Cash For Electric-Car Maker Think?

    Back in January, we toured the Think electric-car assembly facility in Elkhart, Indiana, "the RV capital of the world." We got some striking photos of hundreds of the City electric two-seater cars that Think was gearing up to sell, assembled in the U.S. out of kits shipped from the manufacturing...

  • Smart ForTwo Electric Drive at Urban Stage, London
    2011 Smart Electric Drive On The Streets Of London: Driven

    What makes the perfect city car? Compact dimensions are a good place to start, so you can sneak into small parking spaces on a crowded street and squeeze through gaps that would leave other traffic impatiently waiting. Nippy acceleration is useful too, so you aren't left lagging at the lights...

  • Springboard Biodiesel markets the BioPro to restaurants. Image: Springboard Biodiesel

    Biodiesel has gathered a cult following over many years, but outside of a few companies and co-ops, getting an assurance on consistency and quality--especially above b20 (20 percent biodiesel), or for a newer vehicle--can be an issue. Springboard Biodiesel has a solution, and could turn your company, or the fast-food franchise on the strip, into a biodiesel refiner. Their BioPro 190 system simplifies the process of converting waste cooking oil into ASTM-grade biodiesel; all you need is a BioPro unit, fifty gallons of waste cooking oil (filtered and dewatered, please), some methanol, potassium...

  • 2010 Audi A3 TDI
    Five Reasons Small Diesels Won't Dominate the U.S. Car Market

    There's nothing like a rant from an old friend to focus the mind. We recently read a profanity-laced note from a high school pal excoriating all the major automakers for not selling small, high-mileage diesel cars and trucks in the U.S. We referred him to an article about why we can't buy small...

  • 2004 Toyota Prius
    Does The Toyota Prius Hybrid Hold Up? Consumer Reports: Yes

    Gas prices are going up, smaller cars are better than ever, and once again, U.S. car buyers are turning their sights toward higher gas mileage. For that, there's nothing that beats the 2011 Toyota Prius, with its 50-mpg combined EPA rating. But will that Prius hold up? Will the battery pack and...

  • Inductive battery charging illustration from Volvo
    Volvo Tests Inductive Charging (Just In Time For The C30 Electric)

    EV automakers face an uphill road. Not only do they have to make great looking cars that offer all the amenities of their gas-engined equivalents, but they've also got to assuage public concerns about the EV charging infrastructure -- an infrastructure that lies largely outside their control. Now...

  • Aptera 2e development prototype at company offices in Vista, California
    Aptera Struggles Toward Production Of 3-Wheel Electric Car, Maybe

    One of the most remarkable--and most delayed--of the promised new generation of electric cars is the three-wheeled Aptera 2e. The unusual, highly aerodynamic vehicle was designed by a startup automaker in Southern California. The resin-bodied car was a finalist at last year’s Auto X-Prize...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt Production Line
    Chevy Prepares for Volt Production Increase, 60,000 by 2012

    It’s only four months since General Motors announced that it was upping production of its 2011 Volt to meet the strong consumer demand for its first full-scale production plug-in vehicle, but now the automaker has said it will be undertaking a series of upgrades to its Detroit-Hamtramck...

  • 2011 Nissan Juke

    Truth in advertising might seem like fiction to some, but the there is such a thing as being accountable for misleading advertising. The automotive industry has a lot of facts to keep straight when it comes to this, especially when some cars can have 100s of option combinations. Unfortunately for Nissan someone flubbed and they were caught with what could be construed as misleading advertising. The mini-controversy centers on the 2011 Nissan Juke AWD and the fuel tank capacity. The issue is that the 2WD Nissan Juke comes with a 13.2-gallon fuel tank and the AWD Nissan Juke comes with a...

  • Aptera 2e
    Aptera Ditches San Diego As Home of Electric Car Factory, Blames Economics

    Remember Aptera, the plucky San Diego firm responsible for the three wheeled Aptera 2e electric car which resembles an airplane but is technically a motorcycle? After the firm lost out in last year’s Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize it went mysteriously silent, save for the occasional...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt
    Buying or Leasing An Electric Car: Why Residual Value Matters

    You’ve read up on the latest electric cars, gone for test drives and are ready to make a purchase. However, there’s one more thing you should consider before singing the contract: how much will your car be worth in a few years’ time? The answer depends on who you ask and could...

  • Oil cap
    Recycling Used Oil Into Fresh, Clean Oil: Enterprise Signs On

    Over the years, the norms around what to do with used oil have changed. Used to be you tossed it down the nearest drain. Then came recycling. As energy prices soared, using old oil as heating fuel in special-purpose space heaters arrived. Now, the loop has closed, and used oil can be considered...

  • Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Edition
    Aston Martin Cygnet Edges Towards Reality, Electrifies Spies

    Every self-respecting spy need the latest gadgets to keep them safe, suave and sexy. But while James Bond would be nothing without the technological prowess of Q, his favorite brand of automobiles looks to be turning its attention towards its own electric wizardry in the form of the all-electric...

  • Gazoo Racing Lexus CT 200h race car
    Hybrid Hot Rods: Lexus CT 200h 'Ring Racer, Mugen Honda CR-Z Hardly Dull

    Hybrid cars, often defined in the public eye by the distinctive shape of the Toyota Prius, are frequently derided as dull and no fun to drive. While the Tesla Roadster smashed the stereotype of plug-in electric cars as slow and dorky, hybrids haven't been as lucky. So here are a couple of hybrid...

News First Drives Electric Cars Hybrids Guides Green Life