John Voelcker, Contributing Editor
Articles
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The hybrid wars look like they're heating up, with aggressive challenger Hyundai planning a dedicated hybrid that takes direct aim at the iconic Toyota Prius.
The company is "studying" a unique...
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Special Brands for Small Turbo Engines: GM To Follow Ford?Used to be that turbos were used in performance cars, from the Saab Turbos of the late Seventies to BMW's current range of twin-turbo sixes. These days, the little air pumps more often make smaller engines perform like bigger ones to give fuel economy. In brief, a turbocharger uses exhaust gases to...
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2011 Ford Fiesta Gets Sync Voice Control for Smartphone AppsWell, you can't say Ford (NYSE:F) isn't pulling out all the stops to ensure the launch of its subcompact 2011 Ford Fiesta will be a smashing success. The last piece of news to trickle out of the Ford machine is that the 2011 Fiesta four-door sedan and five-door hatchback will be the first Fords to...
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2011 Fisker Karma Countdown: Visits to Dealers, Not ReviewersThe 2011 Fisker Karma will be the world's first plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan. At a price of $87,400 before tax credits, it's not surprising that the company wants to get the car exactly right before exposing it to the glare of publicity. But Fisker is taking an unusual tack: They're touring...
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First Drive Report: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact SedanGeneral Motors has been stringing out its publicity for upcoming cars--for three years in the case of the electric 2011 Chevrolet Volt--given its recent, ummm, challenges. But now we've finally had a chance to drive its crucially important 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan, which will hit...
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Preview: 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In HybridWhile the Toyota Prius is the world's most popular hybrid vehicle--with well over 1.5 million sold globally since 1997--it's become almost an accepted part of the automotive landscape. And with plug-in vehicles seen as the next big thing, will the Prius fade away? Not if Toyota has anything to say...
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It must be something taxi-ish in the air. Last week, London got its first all-electric black cab to test (with rear wheels that steer, to boot), and now today Volkswagen has unveiled its own concept...
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2011 Fiat 500 Four-Door Model Being Developed for U.S. SalesRegular readers know we're eagerly awaiting the U.S. arrival of the 2011 Fiat 500 mini-car, the very first fruits of Chrysler's takeover by Italian maker Fiat. Now it looks like yet another variant may join the range of Fiat 500 models in U.S. showrooms. Auto-industry trade journal Automotive News...
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2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Drive Report: The Invisible Plug-In?
One of the nice things about being part of a larger network is access to other sites' content. In this case, we're pleased to be able to point ACE readers toward a drive report of a prototype 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid from our sister site GreenCarReports.com. The 2012 Prius Plug-In will be...
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Now We Know: 2011 Chevrolet Volt Will Get 50 MPG In Gas ModeIt's been one of the most-asked questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car: So what kind of gas mileage will it get? Despite confusion around Chevy's claim of 230 miles per gallon, what people wanted to know was simple: After the battery is depleted, when the car's...
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New London Taxi Steers From the Rear, Now Going Electric TooWe happened to be in London earlier this week, where it's hard to avoid the sight of the ubiquitous "London Taxi," a distinctive vehicle purpose-built to meet a specific set of regulations involving tiny turning circles, top-hat headroom, and other arcana. That hasn't stopped a consortium of...
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BMW's New Hydrogen Hybrid Mini: Hydrogen, Huh? Oh, REALLY?Perhaps we're a little cranky this morning, still being on Greenwich Mean Time while the clock says Eastern Daylight. Or maybe we're just cynical. But could everyone please take a deep breath and consider reality before getting all hot and bothered over news that BMW seems to be working on a...
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We said it on Friday: Smaller, more efficient engines are going to be the main way we increase gas mileage in the next few years (in that case, a four-cylinder 2010 Buick LaCrosse).
This morning,...
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FedEx Launches All-Electric Trucks for Urban Parcel DeliveryIn some ways, urban parcel delivery is the ideal duty cycle for electric trucks. Daily routes are usually under 100 miles, and all trucks return to a central location at night--ideal for recharging. Federal Express, which has a large fleet of green and alternative vehicles, is now putting its first...
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Smaller-More-Efficient-Engine Example: 2010 Buick LaCrosseSure, hybrids and electric cars are great, but they sell in small numbers. The way most cars will meet newer, more aggressive fuel-economy rules is by making engines smaller and more efficient. Case in point: the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, a midsize sedan now offered with a 2.4-liter direct-injected...
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BMW MegaCity Urban Electric Car To Be Built of Carbon FiberWe don't know what it looks like yet, but another detail emerged yesterday on BMW's upcoming tiny MegaCity urban electric vehicle: It will be built out of carbon fiber that is partly made in the U.S. BMW will partner with composites expert SGL Group to construct a new plant in Moses Lake...
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How the 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco Stays Slim, Trim & High-MileageWe've written already about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco high-mileage model launched at the New York Auto Show. Now we've had a chance to sit down with Gary Altman, GM's vehicle chief engineer for compact cars-North America, and find out exactly how they did it. In addition to predictable...
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Green Car Roundup: Best & Worst of the 2010 New York Auto ShowWell, it's done. The public are streaming in, and the two media preview days of the 2010 New York Auto Show are over. It wasn't a hugely significant show, but clearly the apocalyptic meltdown that automakers were experiencing last year has lifted. Sales are starting to come back, slowly, and while...
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Usually it's a good thing when a major political figure mentions an automotive brand. Unless, perhaps, it involves tax dollars and automaker bankruptcy rescues, but hopefully we're past that now.
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Obama and EPA Launch 34.1-MPG Fuel-Economy Rules for 2016The other shoe has dropped: Yesterday, two U.S. government agencies jointly announced the final fuel-economy rules for model year 2012 through 2016 vehicles, giving automakers a single national set of standards and averting the threat of state-by-state regulation. Starting with 2012, automakers...
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First 2011 Chevrolet Volt Rolls Off the Line, But Not For SaleThe 2011 Chevrolet Volt took another step last week in its long and highly publicized gestation, with the first complete vehicle rolling off the production line at GM's Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant. On Wenesday, March 31, the first model of the mass-produced electric car built in North America...
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NY Auto Show Puzzler: 'Darker Side of Green' = New Lexus Hybrid ??Hmmmmmm. First Sarah Silverman, now "The Darker Side of Green." What exactly is going on with Lexus these days? The ominous message is the tagline for an interactive web video called, logically enough, Lexus Dark Ride. It'll be released May 13. "Young, energetic, tech-savvy" It's meant to attract...
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2010 New York Auto Show: Mazda To Launch Diesel Mazda6 in 2012Yesterday's Mazda press conference mostly focused on its 2011 Mazda2 subcompact, but the company also dropped a bombshell. Starting in 2012, it will sell a clean diesel version of its Mazda6 midsize sedan in the U.S. And it expects the car to return 43 miles per gallon on the EPA highway cycle. The...
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2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Mazda Mazda2 Priced at $13,980At the 2010 New York Auto Show today, Mazda announced that its 2011 Mazda2 subcompact would carry a low starting price of $13,980 when it arrives at dealers. Not only that, but the first cars will show up in showrooms in late July, several months earlier than originally planned. Like the Fiesta but...
John Voelcker