Green Car News

The principles of the gasoline engine have chugged along for a century now without much change. The last big evolutions were variable valve timing and the switch to fuel injection from carburetors. Now a flurry of innovations to boost fuel efficiency is in the pipeline. One of them comes from a...

Ford Adds Another Success To The Already Popular Fiesta

As reported earlier, Mercedes-Benz will be launching a new all-electric version of its entry-level A-Class model dubbed the A-Class E-Cell. This limited production model is being developed together with Tesla and will reportedly make its world debut next month at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. Daimler...

As regular readers know, we've never been big fans of the Smart ForTwo minicar. It's not that we dislike small two-seaters; in fact, we think they're cool (unlike most U.S. car buyers, we should add). No, our problems with the Smart stem from its unpleasant driving quality--the slamming shifts from...

From A Style Perspective The Hatch Is Totally The Way To Go

You've probably heard it through the years: "I'd love to drive a small car but, you know, they're just not safe." Sometimes it's followed by: "That's why I got a [insert name of gigantic SUV], to protect my family." (Which isn't necessarily true.) But now you can conclusively rebut those tired old...

We've always had a soft spot in our heart for the tiny Tata Nano, the world's least expensive car and India's equivalent of the Ford Model T that put the U.S. on wheels a century earlier. The Nano may or may not ever be sold in the United States, though Tata says a revised version will be offered...

The electric motor is a great invention, but it's entirely limited by the power that the battery can feed to it, and that power is limited by the amount of energy the battery can store. Battery technology is in constant development behind the scenes, though, and the latest to emerge in research at...

After A Brief Stop-Shipment Order, Ford Is Ready To Ship Again

It's been almost three weeks since we published a Tesla story. We trust that means that the Silicon Valley electric-vehicle startup is working away feverishly on the designs, engineering, production plans, and manufacturing site for its Model S four-door sports sedan, which it is still promising...

In another step toward making silent electric cars less so, Toyota Prius hybrids sold in Japan are to be offered with an optional system that broadcasts a "humming" noise outside the car whenever it operates solely on electricity. The system is Toyota's response to the fears of blind people that...

It was so much easier just a few short years ago. Luxury cars wafted and sports machines roared, with nary a thought to gasoline consumed. Hybrids were for weenies, and everyone knew their place. But now? A hybrid Ferrari, a hybrid Porsche race car, an electric BMW ... what is the world coming to?...

A century ago, Henry Ford was known for insisting that parts be shipped to his factories in wooden crates whose slats were sized so they could be reused to build parts of the Model T body. Now a similar spirit of saving scrap is being used to stamp fender baffles for the new 2011 Ford Explorer out...

As the European brands chase the benefits of diesel in smaller cars--though they're sticking their toes in the hybrid/electric waters as well--the Japanese automakers continue to push forward with their established hybrid systems. The latest is Honda, which has revealed a new hybrid version of its...

A Stock Honda Civic Si Wins the Modified Two-wheel Drive Class

In news that will no doubt be music to the ears of any manufacturer planning to sell an electric vehicle, new research by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) finds that two fifths of US adults are interested in test driving an EV. The study reveals that consumers are interested in the...

General Motors has been through the wringer over the last 18 months, nowhere more so than in North America, where it declared bankruptcy and was quickly restructured with $60 billion of Federal funds. But its overseas operations haven't had an easy time of it either, including its on-again...

Almost exactly a year ago, we wrote that Peugeot would display its 3008 HYbrid4 Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Right on schedule, the French automaker is now showing the production version of the compact crossover ahead of its debut at next month's Paris Motor Show. Why would we cover a...

Back in the day, having a car with solar panels on it meant you were driving around in something that probably looked as weird as 2006’s Venturi Eclectic concept. However, today, thanks to companies like Norway’s EnSol, virtually any car could be fitted with solar panels and you wouldn’t even...

Hyundai is determined to turn itself into a leader in the field of hybrid and electric vehicles, having already unveiled a number of production vehicles and concepts. One of these was the 2007 Hyundai i-Blue, a hydrogen powered, zero-emission concept powered by the automaker’s third generation...