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Zipcar, it appears, has uncovered a niche that’s no longer ignorable by large rental car firms scrambling for market share and sales growth. Hourly car rentals have grown into an estimated $1.8 billion business in the U.S., which represents nearly six-percent of the $30.5 billion U.S. rental...

With many of today’s small cars hitting dealer lots with EPA ratings that rival those of hybrid cars, it’s easy to forget that not all small cars are green. Many small cars win the gas-mileage race, but which small cars should you avoid if you're trying to top out on fuel economy? These...

It's quite the morning for electric-car news today, but we didn't want to let one from yesterday slip by either. After a lumpy start to sales of the Chevrolet Volt, it appears that California dealers now can't keep the range-extended electric car in stock. According to an analysis of registration...

Deliveries of the 2012 Tesla Model S electric sedan will officially begin on June 22. But the very first production Model S off the line has already been handed over to its new owner. It went to none other than venture capitalist and Tesla board member Steve Jurvetson, who is now driving it around...

The 2013 Honda Fit EV has earned the highest EPA efficiency rating granted to any vehicle offered in the U.S.: 118 miles-per-gallon-equivalent. That's higher than the 2012 Mitsubishi i minicar, the previous record-holder at 112 MPGe, and considerably higher than the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus...

Less than 30 days hence, the first 2012 Tesla Model S sedans will be delivered to paying customers. Now, one Model S buyer who holds a low reservation number for the all-electric luxury car is using it as a lure to sell a million-dollar home in an upscale Illinois suburb. Not only has the home...

Like so many Americans, perhaps you've been thinking you really have to replace your old car this year. And maybe you're thinking your next car should get much better gas mileage, to protect against fluctuating gas prices. (They're down this month, but who knows for the future?) Well, looks like...

Electric-car charging stations may be coming to the U.S. Senate garage, under a bill passed yesterday on a bipartisan basis. But fear not, zealous guardians of the sacred taxpayer dollar--no public funds will be used for the installation. Yesterday, S.739 was passed by the Senate. The bill had been...

One of the most anticipated cars of the year is the 2013 Ford Fusion, which will be attempting to cater to a much wider audience than the current model thanks to the introduction of three separate variants: regular gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. While the plug-in hybrid, or Energi as Ford likes to...

Car buyers are notoriously fond of focusing only on the purchase price of new vehicles, without much thinking about the total cost of ownership. For electric cars that may cost twice or more what a similar-size gasoline vehicle does, that's a problem. Still, two separate pieces of evidence begin to...

Toyota, take note: as Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell from HBO's popular Game Of Thrones might say, “Ford Is Coming.” Pop culture references aside, Ford announced yesterday that it has begun to accept orders for its 2013 C-Max Hybrid hatchback, a car it hopes will steal Toyota’s...

Oh, for heaven's sakes. We're all for saving fuel by buying fuel-efficient cars, driving economically, cutting out unnecessary trips, planning ahead, carpooling, and all the other sensible, practical steps anyone can take to cut gas costs, lower their personal carbon footprint, and otherwise...

Ask anyone what company makes the most fuel-efficient car on the market, and they'll likely answer Toyota. That's correct. But Toyota's reputation for fuel economy rests largely on its expanding line of hybrid-electric vehicles, led by the Prius family of four separate models. Its gasoline models...

Garages in single-family homes are relatively easy to wire for electric-car charging; shared garages in multifamily residences often aren't. Therein lies much frustration, not only for plug-in car drivers but also their landlords. The latest episode hit the airwaves last Wednesday, when KGO-TV in...

Why would you buy a plug-in electric car? To save money on gas? To save the planet? Maybe. But that's not how they should be marketed, said Hollywood producer Dean Devlin. "The Volt is an amazing, groundbreaking car," he said. "The Leaf is a gigantic breakthrough--but they're being sold as...

The improving fuel efficiency of modern cars is set to be a double-edged sword for car buyers, at least as far as reducing gas bills is concerned. With gas mileage rising all the time, we're using less fuel--undoubtedly a good thing. That also means less gas tax revenue for the government however...

There are many routes to outstanding fuel efficiency, but it's often diesel that's chosen to demonstrate the highest mpg numbers and longest distances. Mileage experts Helen and John Taylor achieved both, to become the world record holders for the longest distance driven on one tank of fuel, using...

More often than most automakers would care to admit, that new car that you see debuted at a major auto show will undergo some minor -- and sometimes major -- alterations before it hits the dealer forecourt. Take the 2012 Kia Rio, for example. Officially launched at the 2011 New York Auto Show, Kia...

Since last year, you've likely heard a lot about electric cars. You'll hear much more in the years to come. But whether you're a fan or a foe, understand this: A few of the battery-electric cars you've heard about are "real"--meaning their makers want to sell as many as they can. But quite a few of...

Yesterday, we told you electric-car sales were down slightly in April--even as overall car sales continued to recover. But while the plug-in sales will likely stay low for awhile, both ebbing and flowing, one green model benefited greatly in April: the ur-hybrid Toyota Prius. Now that all four...