Eric Loveday, Author
Articles
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The powertrain in the Ford Escape Hybrid was selected by Wards Auto as one of the ten best for 2009.
The 10 Best Engine Award winners are selected for their breakthrough design, outstanding output,...
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Chrysler's EV Program Appears to Be Intact Despite BankruptcyAmidst bankruptcy, many are concerned whether or not Chrysler's electric vehicle and hybrid program will continue on. The latest news indicates that Chrysler's EV future may still be intact. Though Fiat is expected to bring several small cars to market in the U.S. in the next few years, there may...
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Toyota Considers Sporty Hybrid With Prius Powertrain to Compete With Honda CRZToyota is currently considering bringing a small, affordable, sporty hybrid to market in the next few years to compete with the upcoming Honda CRZ Hybrid. The new vehicle could be based on the MR2 according to sources, and would be engineered around the Prius Synergy Drive hybrid drivetrain, ...
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Zero S Electric Motorcycle Offers Strong Performance At A PriceI know motorcycles are not cars; therefore they don't fit the name of this website. But often times, technology is borrowed or shared amongst vehicles. And the Zero S electric motorcycle packs a lot of technology into a small package. The Zero S runs on electric power only and has a range of 60...
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Battery Maker Axion Hopes New Lead Carbon Battery Will Find its Way Into Large Hybrid VehiclesAxion, a small lead acid battery maker is betting on their new type of lead carbon batteries for future hybrid versions of large family sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks. Axion believes that its new lead carbon batteries or PbC for short can allow for cheaper hybrid vehicles in the future by cutting...
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May is National EcoDriving MonthMay is National EcoDriving Month according to an announcement from EcoDriving USA. The program that kicks off this month is designed to encourage drivers to drive in a manner that improves fuel efficiency and reduces their carbon footprint. As part of EcoDriving Month, EcoDriving USA will partner...
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Nissan believes that it will have a real opportunity for their upcoming EV to beat the much talked about Chevrolet Volt to the U.S. market.
They plans to bring their upcoming unnamed and unseen EV to...
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Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid Will Live on as a New Brand and ModelEverything at GM is undecided at this point. At least almost everything. GM has decided that the progress made on the 2-mode plugin hybrid powertrain and is simply too much to lose. Though Saturn support will be ending, the engineering behind the planned Saturn VUE plug-in hybrid will live. The...
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GM To Keep Volt Based Opel Ampera Even If Opel is SoldWith possible bankruptcy looming for General Motors, a lot of decisions remain up in the air. What will come of Saturn and Opel, how will the unexpected fall of Pontiac affect the company, how about Holden's future. Many questions will remain unanswered for some time, but one thing is for...
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UK Grid Capable of Supporting 3 Million Plug-ins With EaseAccording to a recent study dealing with power shortage concerns in the UK, there is no need to worry as there is ample power available to support a significant increase in the amount of plug-ins on the road. The study was conducted by companies including Land Rover and Jaguar and was aimed at...
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Ford Retools Michigan Assembly Plant for New Focus and Focus BEVYesterday Ford Motor Company announced that they will be retooling the existing Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The plant's new focus will be the upcoming Ford Focus and the Focus EV. The investment from Ford totals $550 million. The plant was previously used to build the Ford...
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Nissan's Upcoming EV Will Be a Real Car
According to officials at Nissan, their upcoming EV will be a "real" car. Nissan's EV is still unnamed at this point. But Nissan promises that it will be a "real" car. What makes it a real car? According to Nissan, it will be about the size of the Nissan Sentra, will seat five people in...
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Miles Electric Crash Testing EV Sedan Prototypes, Name To Be Announced Soon, Production Only Months Away Eric LovedayMiles Electric Vehicles will introduce an all-electric vehicle next year with a price around $45,000. The vehicle, a four door sedan, will be marketed under a different brand name, but is designed...
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Toyota Uses YouTube To Promote New PriusThe new Toyota Prius is coming soon and Toyota has hyped the model up like no other before. Toyota has gone so far in marketing the Prius, even recently posting to YouTube to allow soon to be buyers a sneak peek of what to expect. The video posted by Toyota on their own YouTube page takes you...
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NYPD Puts Nissan Altima Hybrids to Use as Patrol CarsThe New York Police Department has begun the process of converting its fleet of patrol cars to more efficient hybrids. The NYPD will put 40 new Nissan Altima hybrids on the road shortly and the first ones are in use now. 18 of the 40 cars will be marked for patrol use while the remaining 22 will...
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Ford Pushes Past Toyota in Sales for April With Strong Showing From Fusion HybridThe Ford Fusion along with its hybrid offering have helped to push Ford past Toyota in sales for the month of April. Even more surprising or promising for Ford, many Fusion and Fusion hybrid sales have come for former import car owners. According to Ford's vice president of sales and marketing...
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AFS Trinity Heads To Washington With 150 mpg Plug-in Saturn Vue Looking For FundsAFS Trinity, the group that touts their 150 mpg Saturn Vue plug-in around the country is made at least their second trip to Washington D.C. in hopes of securing funds from the Department of Energy (DOE for short). In January of this year, AFS applied for $2.5 billion in loans from the DOE. The...
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Brammo Gets Ready For Release of Enertia Electric Motorcycle, Adds Top Execs to CompanyBrammo, a small start up company is set to release the first motorcycle in their lineup of electric vehicles. The Enertia electric motorcycle will provide up to an equivalent of 293 miles per gallons. The Enertia motorcycle is more than a fast scooter according to Brammo. It is a real...
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David Letterman's take on the upcoming Chevy Volt has sparked a lot of dislike towards him. Letterman, last Wednesday on the Late Show, dismissed the Volt and the Voltec technology and in general...
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Canadian Study Suggests LSVs Be Restricted to Roads with Low Speed LimitsA recent study in Canada concludes that due to safety concerns, Low Speed Electric Vehicles known as LSVs should be restricted to roads with a maximum speed limit below 31. The study was conducted by the Canadian National Research Council and they presented 30 recommendations to help ease the...
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Ford Fusion Hybrid Smart Gauge with EcoGuide Intriguing Even For Avid HypermilersWards Auto makes a bold prediction that could prove true. Their prediction, "The ranks of hyper-milers will grow with the Ford Fusion Hybrid volume." Hyper-milers are drawn to gauges that tell you how good you are doing. Gauges that accurately display real time fuel economy, battery power and such...
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Nielsen Ratings Suggest Prius Trumps Insight in Online DiscussionsIn online discussions, the Toyota Prius reigns supreme. According to a Nielsen rating report, out of all of the online discussions regarding the Honda Insight as the main focus, 61 percent of them also include a mention of the Toyota Prius. However, the same does not hold true when the two cars...
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Mitsubishi To Increase ImiEV Production AgainAccording to Automotive News, Mitsubishi will increase production once again on its I-MiEV Electric Car. Initially, Mitsubishi planned to make 20,000 units of the I-MiEV each year, but they have decided to rev up production to 30,000 units by 2013. The announcement comes as no surprise as...
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Saab Fashionista Concept Based on Chevy VoltRumors about a possible upcoming Saab and it's connection to the Chevy Volt are certainly intriguing. But is there any truth to the concept? The pictured vehicle is called the Saab Fashionista Concept. It is designed by Mayeul Walser, a 4th year design student at Creopole-ESDI. According to...
Eric Loveday