Robert Scardino, Author
Articles
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As widely reported yesterday, Toyota has suspended sales of 8 models due to a faulty accelerator pedal mechanism. The defective part apparently causes the pedal to stick, resulting in unintended...
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Nissan Putting its Stamp on EVs (Or Rather, its EVs on Stamps)Customers served by the Japan Post Network's Minami Kanto office will be able to spread enthusiasm for electric vehicles with a unique set of stamps starting in February. The delivery company has partnered with Nissan to offer a new collection entitled "Nissan Electric Vehicle History." Believe it...
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Radical SRZero Electric Supercar To Endure 16,000 Mile RoadtripIf you think driving an electric sports car across the country is ambitious, wait till you hear what Radical Sportscars is planning. The UK-based company announced the creation of the Imperial College London’s Racing Green Endurance team today and concurrently unveiled their SRZero supercar...
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2011 Revenge Verde: Hybrid Vaporware On SteroidsAuto shows have always been the forum for unveiling the wildest, wackiest, most over-the-top drool-worthy vehicles. The shows have been more subdued over the past two years of economic turmoil, but this year, the folks at Revenge delivered something to smile about. The Revenge Verde takes its...
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Raging Grannies Protest Tesla's Possible Use of Toxic Dump Site For Future Model S PlantA group of concerned activists is raising questions about one potential location for Tesla's future Model S assembly plant. The Raging Grannies spent last Saturday in front of the Tesla dealership in Menlo Park, California, asking why the electric vehicle company might build their future plant...
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Volvo C30 EV Coming To Detroit (Minus Fanfare)Electric vehicles are significantly quieter than their traditional gas-powered counterparts. Maybe it's fitting then, that Volvo doesn't plan to say anything when they unveil their electric C30 at the Detroit Auto Show next week. Volvo spokesman, Dan Johnston, told Inside Line that the new...
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Apparently James Bond won't be going green any time soon. In a report published by Auto Telegraaf today, Aston Martin boss, Dr. Ulrich Bez, said that current hybrid systems aren't a good match for...
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Taiwanese Company Luxgen Displays EVs in DubaiWhile some automakers downsized and reorganized in response to the "Great Recession" one Taiwanese brand made its worldwide debut at the Dubai International Motor Show late last month. Luxgen, an electric vehicle start-up, put four vehicles on display at the show, one of which, they called the...
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Get a Free Electric Car from Drive ElectricA headline like the one above begs the question, "What's the catch?" Can you really get an electric car for free? Well, kinda. Oklahoma-based, Drive Electric, sells neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs - a.k.a. electric golf carts) made by Western Golf Cars and Zone Electric. The NEV retailer is...
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Rinspeed UC? to Debut at Geneva Motor ShowFor most automakers, putting a question mark in the name of a vehicle would be a marketing blunder. Fortunately, Rinspeed isn't most automakers. The Swiss company that brought the iChange electric sports car to the Geneva Motor Show last year, has another unique concept in store for this year's...
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Rumormill: Next Gen Nissan GT-R Going Hybrid (Godzilla Goes Green)According to a report in Best Car magazine out of Japan, the next generation Nissan GT-R will come with a hybrid powertrain. A 160 hp electric motor and a 440 hp gas engine will team up for a combined 600 hp. That's a number truly deserving of the car's nickname: Godzilla. The current generation...
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Production Honda CR-Z Pictures and Specs LeakedHonda fan-boys have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the upcoming CR-Z Hybrid for months. The Japanese automaker calls the CR-Z "that place in the universe where sport and efficiency meet." According to a Japanese brochure leaked to the Temple of VTEC, what many had hoped would be the heir...
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It's no mystery that Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, wants electric vehicles to be a significant part of the Japanese automaker's future. He takes every chance he gets to advertise his ambitions and he's...
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Best Buy's Geek Squad to Receive Four Mitsubishi iMiEVsBeware Best Buy customers. Next time the Geek Squad drops by to accidentally crash your hard drive or drop your brand new plasma, you might not hear them coming. That's because Mitsubishi has agreed to lease Best Buy's electronics "professionals" four JDM-spec i-MiEVs (Mitsubishi Innovative...
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"Viridian Joule" Chosen In Chevy Volt Color Naming ContestThe people have spoken and they've chosen Viridian Joule as the name of the Chevy Volt's green-gray paint color. Dave Thomas, of Sanford, Florida came up with the winning entry which beat the second place offering, "enviroMint" by nearly 300 votes. "EV-ergreen" came in third, falling 400 votes...
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Car and Driver Names Ford Fusion Hybrid one of 10 BestFord might need to upsize their trophy case for all the awards the new Fusion is winning. Just two weeks ago, the Fusion was awarded Motor Trend's golden calipers as the 2010 Car of the Year, beating out the Honda Insight, the Lexus HS 250h, and the Toyota Prius, among numerous others. Now Car and...
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Tata Nano Hybrid Headed for the U.S.?Is the diminutive Tata Nano Hybrid coming to America? According to a report in The Maeil Business Newspaper out of Korea, Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors, says the Indian automaker could sell the gas-sipping four-seater in more established markets like those of the U.S. and Europe. Tata was...
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Top Gear Builds an Eye-Catching ER-EVThose mischievous blokes at Top Gear are at it again. When tasked with creating a Chevy Volt competitor, the hosts of the BBC's auto-enthusiast program (Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond) put together the sight for sore eyes pictured here. They call it the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust...
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Daimler AG reported today that production of the second generation Smart ForTwo Electric Drive (ED) has begun at their plant in Hambach, France. The ForTwo employs modern lithium-ion batteries to...
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U.S. and China Announce Joint Electric Vehicles InitiativePresident Obama and Chinese President, Hu Jintao, couldn't agree on everything when they met on Monday. In a town hall meeting, Obama pressed the Chinese to relax stringent government controls on their citizens' Internet usage. A Chinese blogger later claimed that a transcript of the meeting was...
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And Then There Were Three (Names For the Chevy Volt's Signature Paint Color)On October 22, Chevy issued a challenge via the Chevrolet Voltage Blog: come up with the best name for the Volt's signature silvery-greenish color, and you'll get a free trip to the LA Auto Show, not to mention a test drive of the pre-production extended-range electric vehicle. Each name...
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Nissan Leaf Included in Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009Nissan changed the game for automakers planning electric vehicles in August when it unveiled the Leaf. The all-electric C-segment vehicle travels at speeds up to 90 miles per hour and goes 100 miles on a full charge. Nissan says it will only take 30 minutes to charge the batteries to 80% of their...
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Signs of the Apocalypse: Toyota Planning Prius SUV?According to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Toyota is preparing a larger version of their popular Prius hybrid for production by the end of 2010. The new vehicle will fall into the SUV or station wagon class and will utilize lithium-ion batteries as opposed to the nickel-metal hydride...
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Is The International Energy Agency Lying About Oil Reserves?One IEA Insider Says Yes
Robert Scardino