Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, Contributing Writer

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on the street while other girls her age were more interested in Barbie Dolls. Although she trained as a classical musician she’s now a full-time broadcaster and journalist, covering green fuels and tech. After passing her driving test she’s owned a wide selection of cars, including a 1962 Morris Minor Woodie Hotrod; a single seat electric bubble car; a ’92 Honda Prelude; a ’91 Volvo 240; a ’04 Toyota Prius Plug in Hybrid (which she converted herself); an ’85 VW electric factory built rabbit; and a ’09 Smart ForTwo CDI Nikki specializes in electric vehicles, but also enjoys clandestine gas-guzzling, working on the rule that the larger and noisier the better. She is also loves riding motorcycles, but currently doesn't own one. Nikki also hosts the TransportEvolved podcast. She lives in Bristol UK with her wife, their two daughters and their Border Collie.

Articles

U.K. Plug-In Electric Car Incentives: Why Haven't They Worked? Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 2, 2013

Sales figures for plug-in cars in the U.S. crossed the 100,000 mark four months ago, but in the U.K., the government has announced that it will end plug-in car incentives.

Some point to poor sales...
How We Became An All-Plug-In Electric Car Household
Since November 2006, our family has always owned at least one plug-in car and one powered by gasoline. For almost two years, our fleet has been a Nissan Leaf electric hatchback, and a used 2008 Toyota Prius. After two years and nearly 42,000 miles of driving the Leaf, however, our once high-tech...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield July 30, 2013

Know How To Shift A Stick? Mini Explains Manual Transmissions For You
While automatic transmissions are more efficient than ever before -- and many now beat manual transmissions on gas mileage -- fans of stick-shift gearboxes are quick to point out that guiding your car into the right gear with your right hand is a sure-fire way to give you an enjoyable, efficient...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield July 24, 2013
2013 Zero S: Proof That Electric Motorcycles Have Grown Up At Last
As any parent will tell you, watching children grow up and mature is a powerful, life-changing experience. We’re not sure the same can be said watching a car or a motorcycle grow and evolve from one generation to the next--but if the 2013 Zero S were to have parents, we think they’d be...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield July 23, 2013
Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion: High-MPG Diesel Is Forbidden Fruit For Us
With substantial weight savings and all-new drivetrains, the seventh-generation 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI -- coming to the U.S. next year as a 2.0-litre TDI model, and also a hot hatch Golf GTD -- suggests diesel fans may get the kind of fuel-efficiency figures normally reserved for hybrid cars. But...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield July 8, 2013
2015 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen: We Drive It In Europe (In Golf Drag)
Now approaching its 30th year and in its 7th incarnation, the Volkswagen Golf is a mainstay of the European car market. Offering everything from economical TDI diesel family cars and load-carrying wagons through to the performance-oriented GTI and R32 models, the Golf brand-name is used by many as...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield July 3, 2013
Is The 2001-2003 Toyota Prius A Good Used Car Buy? Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield June 5, 2013

It was small, unassuming, almost a shrinking violet, really.

The first-generation Toyota Prius hybrid -- launched in the U.S. in 2001 -- was the first five-seat family car to offer hybrid-electric...

Volvo S60 KERS Hybrid Prototype: Brief First Drive
Is KERS an energy-saving technology we'll be seeing in production cars any time soon, or is it just a way to help increase performance? We've been to Sweden to find out at Volvo's Gothenburg test track.
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield May 17, 2013
2011 Nissan Leaf At Two Years: 32,000 Miles, No Signs Of Age
Almost two years ago, I took delivery of one of the very first 2011 Nissan Leafs to be imported into the United Kingdom. With its two-year anniversary approaching, and more than 32,000 miles on the clock, has our family's opinion of the Nissan Leaf changed? What has life with the car been like? And...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield February 27, 2013
Finally! A Nissan Leaf Global Ad That Everyone Understands
In a few months’ time, the Nissan Leaf electric car will have been on sale in the U.S. for two years. While a steady--if slow--stream of Leafs have left dealers all over the U.S. since, Nissan, like some of its rivals, has struggled to find the right way of advertising its first plug-in car...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 26, 2012
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: Is It The Ideal Modern Family Car?
If you’re a parent, the chances are you’ve had to make the painful choice between everyday practicality and gas mileage when looking at new cars. In fact, if your family consists of the archetypal two kids, two adults, a dog, and a whole lot of luggage, the chances are you’ve...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 26, 2012
Why It’s Time For Me To Find Another Place To Plug In
Later on today, I will hit the publish button on my final article as a full-time writer at Green Car Reports, turn off my computer, and officially end my time as an automotive journalist. Today, I start the transition from automotive writer to electric car advocate, a role I’ve wanted for...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 26, 2012

2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Motor Production Starts In TN Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 25, 2012

U.S. production of the 2013 Nissan Leaf moved one step closer to reality earlier this week, when Nissan started eMotor production trials at its factility in Decherd, Tennessee.

Located about 70...
2014 Acura NSX Hybrid Supercar: Will Debut January In Detroit
At the start of this year, at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, Honda’s luxury arm Acura wooed the crowds with the world premiere of its NSX hybrid supercar concept. At the time, Acura promised its new flagship car would be on the roads for 2015 and ran a Super Bowl ad so popular, it crashed...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 25, 2012
Want To Get A 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV? Here's How
It might be a compliance car, built by Toyota for the sole purpose of meeting California’s regulations for zero-emission vehicles, but the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is one of the most highly-anticipated plug-in cars of 2012. The anticipation is with good reason. Combining the practicality of a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 25, 2012
Polite Reminder: As It Gets Colder, Your Plug-in’s Range May Drop
The nights are getting longer, children are starting to get ready for Halloween, and in certain states, you’ll have already had the first fall frost. If you’re approaching your first winter of plug-in car ownership, however, you might be in for a shock as the mercury starts to drop...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 24, 2012
Want Better Gas Mileage? Rethink Your Daily Commute
If you live in a large city, work in a 9-5 job, and drive to the office, it’s probable that you end up spending at least some of your daily commute stuck in traffic. Assuming you drive a regular gasoline car--one without stop-start technology or hybrid drivetrain--congested traffic can...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 24, 2012
2013 Ford C-Max Energi, Fusion Energi Join California HOV Lane
Californians wanting to gain single-occupancy access to the state’s high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes now have twice as many eligible cars to choose from when buying their next vehicle. Yesterday, Ford announced that its 2013 C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid has met the standards set out by the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 24, 2012

Congratulations! You’ve Bought Your Electric Car: Now What? Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 23, 2012

Like an increasingly large number of Americans, you’ve decided that paying nearly $5 for gasoline isn’t your idea of a good time.

So, with all the due care and attention that goes with...
Kepler Hybrid Supercar Does 0-60 MPH in 2.5 Secs (Video)
What does a hybrid car need to be sexy? Speed? Good looks? Impressive gas mileage? Kepler Motors thinks its first supercar, the Motion Hybrid, has it all. Announced back in 2009, Kepler Motors has been quietly working on its super lightweight Motion hybrid for nearly three years. Now the company...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 23, 2012
2013 Chevy Volt Software Update Required To Avert Delayed-Charging Glitch
Yesterday, General Motors announced it will be running a ‘customer satisfaction program’ for some 4,000 2013 Chevrolet Volts to fix a software glitch that could cause the car’s electric motor to power down while driving. In other words, GM is asking all 2013 Chevy Volt owners to...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 23, 2012
2012 Chevrolet Volt (Vauxhall Ampera) Drives From U.K. To France, Underground
Last week, the Chevrolet Volt became the first production car to drive from the U.K. to France, using the service tunnel of the Eurotunnel underwater railway line between the two European countries. What’s more, the stunt was orchestrated by Top Gear Magazine, the more measured, printed...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 22, 2012
2011 Nissan Leaf Long-Term Update: 25,000 Miles, No Woes
Back in March 2011, we took delivery of a U.K. spec Nissan Leaf as our principal family car. Since then, we’ve kept you up-to-date with the car’s long-term progress, including reports after driving 5,000 miles in it, after covering the 11,000 mile mark, and after one year of ownership...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 22, 2012
Toyota Prius Hybrids Now The Best-Selling Cars In California
Ten years ago, even in green-car-loving California, the Toyota Prius hybrid was a rare sight on the roads. By the start of 2012, the Toyota Prius was far from rare, recording impressive sales figures in both March and May, to become the world’s third best-selling car line. Now, Toyota’s...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 22, 2012