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

2012 Toyota Prius Gets Updated: More Features, Higher Prices Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 20, 2011

Toyota finally released the pricing and specifications of its 2012 Toyota Prius hatchback yesterday, increasing the starting price of the popular hatchback from $23,520 to $24,000.

Coming with a...
2012 Mitsubishi i Deliveries Have Started: Have You Seen One Yet?
Look back a year, and you’ll probably remember the hype surrounding the first 2011 Nissan Leafs and 2011 Chevrolet Volts to be delivered to retail customers in the U.S. For the 350 or so lucky Volt and 10 Leaf owners, it meant they were among the pioneers: the first people to own one of a new...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 20, 2011

Plug-in Army Tanks? Coming To A Battlefield Near You
Think of plug-in hybrids and you’ll probably think of cars like the 2012 Chevrolet Volt or 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. But plug-in hybrid army tanks? They might just be closer than you think. Enter the U.S. Army, and its latest prototype test vehicle, a fully-amored plug-in vehicle...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 19, 2011
Is A $24,000 Price Needed For Electric Car Sales To Soar?
This past January, many commentators hailed 2011 as the year of the electric car. But as we approach the end of the year, neither Chevrolet nor Nissan has sold as many plug-in cars as it had predicted a year ago it would--due to everything from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami (Nissan) to overly...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 19, 2011
BMW Won’t Be Giving Lexus Diesel Engines, BMW Confirms
At the end of November, BMW and Toyota Europe announced they had entered into a green engine partnership in order to work together on diesel engine and battery technology. At the time, we pointed out the European-based collaboration was unlikely to result in any new drivetrain options for U.S...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 19, 2011
Alt-Country Song Lauds Electric Cars, Though Cowboys May Cringe
There was a time--not that long ago--when country music was predictable. Usually it involved a dog, a pickup truck, and a lost lady-love. Then alternative folk came along. And it brought electric cars with it. Enter self-styled alternative folk singer/songwriter Deb Seymour, and her latest single...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 16, 2011
Lola-Drayson Set To Unveil All-Electric Race Car In January Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 16, 2011

Former American Le Mans Series veterans Drayson Racing might not be racing electric cars as quickly as they’d hoped thanks to the cancellation of this year’s EVCup, but the green-minded...

Five Holiday gift Ideas For Hybrid Car Drivers
There’s just over one week left until Christmas, so we hope you’ve done most of your gift shopping to spare you that last-minute holiday rush. But have you got a present for your favorite hybrid car driver? Last week, we told you about our Five Holiday Gift Ideas For Electric Car...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 16, 2011
2012 Nissan Leaf Gets Unofficial Jet-Powered Range Extender, Quick Charger
Since the Nissan Leaf first launched a year ago, we’ve seen leaf enthusiasts produce a whole range of unofficial modifications for the all-electric hatchback, ranging from the extremely useful to the downright bizarre. We’re not sure which category a propane-powered gas-turbine range...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 15, 2011
Toyota Leads In Hybrid, Electric Patent Filings, But Is It Really Ahead?
Here’s an interesting question for you: which automakers are currently leading when it comes to electric and hybrid car development? Like us, you might have the inclination to chose Toyota or perhaps Nissan. After all, the Renault-Nissan alliance has already spent over $5.6 Billion on...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 15, 2011
Honda EV-STER Electric Concept Car Could Make It To Production
Two weeks ago, Honda unveiled the EV-STER Electric Sports Convertible Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, along with its new Earth Dreams range of eco-friendly engines, drivetrains and advanced drive technology. Now we learn that Honda could be about to use the EV-STER as the basis for a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 15, 2011
What’s Nissan’s Next Electric Car? Company Mulls Its Options
The Japanese automaker Nissan has just celebrated the first birthday of its first all-electric production car, the Leaf family hatchback. Two years ago however, Renault Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn promised that there would be four all-electric vehicles coming to the U.S. in the near future. With cars...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 14, 2011

Five Reasons Hybrid Cars Are Finally Sexy Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 14, 2011

Look back a few years, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the only people who wanted to drive a hybrid car were celebrities, leaf-leaning liberals and electric car advocates who couldn’t...
Ford Shares More About Delayed 2012 Focus Electric Car
Ford’s first all-electric mass-produced car, the 2012 Ford Focus, isn’t yet available to buy in the U.S., but Ford thinks the delay in bringing it to market will be well worth the wait. With what Ford claims will be a best-in-class fuel efficiency of 100 MPGe, and plenty of patented...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 14, 2011
Electric Car Charging Stations: Now Available At Amazon.com
We’re not sure about you, but doing that last-minute holiday gift shopping can be a real pain, especially if you’re trying to buy something specific like an electric car charging station. But just like so many other gifts, books, gadgets and household items, the humble electric car...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 13, 2011
2013 Lotus Esprit Gets Hybrid Drivetrain, But Only For Base Model
Think of Lotus, the small British sports car manufacturer, and you probably think of small, cramped but agile drivers’ cars like the Exige Coupé or the Elise Roadster. Low on creature comforts and big on power to weight ratios, Lotus cars have traditionally focused on performance, not...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 13, 2011
NYPD Isn’t Going To Ask The Chevrolet Volt For Its Badge
In Hollywood films and TV shows, good cops often have to hand in their badge and gun when they’re accused of something terrible. Luckily, in the real world, that doesn’t happen so much. Not to cops, and not to cop cars. Enter the New York Police Department, which has just confirmed that...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 13, 2011
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Wagon: A Hint Of Things To Come?
After nearly a year of waiting, Volvo has announced the full specifications and pricing of its first plug-in hybrid car, the 2012 Volvo V60 Diesel Plug-in Hybrid Wagon. Last February, we were invited to Sweden to get an exclusive sneak peak of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid Wagon concept. Then in June we...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 13, 2011

2012 Fiat 500 Gets Just 3-Stars In NHTSA Safety Test Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 12, 2011

It might be cute, get great gas mileage and ooze the same kind of retro charm as cars like the 2012 VW Beetle and the 2012 MINI Clubman, but the 2012 Fiat 500 has scored just three stars for crash...
E85 Now Harder To Find Than Electric Car Charging: Here’s Why
Despite millions of dollars of commitment from automakers like Ford and General Motors, finding somewhere to fill your flex-fuel car with E85 is now officially harder than finding somewhere to recharge a plug-in car. In fact, according to Bloomberg, the number of electric car charging stations in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 12, 2011
Nissan Serenades Leaf Electric Car On First Birthday. Did You?
How do you mark the first year of sales of an electric car? You sing Happy Birthday to it, of course. At least, that’s what Nissan North America chose to do to mark the one year anniversary of the Nissan Leaf electric car being sold in the U.S. But it wasn’t people or polar bears...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 12, 2011
Aptera’s Remaining Assets To Be Auctioned Off In 10 Days
One week ago, we heard the tragic story that Aptera Motors, which had planned to bring the ultra-efficient Aptera 3-wheeled vehicle to market, was closing for good. Then on Wednesday this week, YouTube videos surfaced showing what appeared to be Aptera Employees smashing prototype Aptera body...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 9, 2011
Five Holiday Gift Ideas For Electric Car Drivers
With just over two weeks of shopping days left before Christmas, you’ve probably already purchased a lot of your holiday gifts. But while sweaters and socks might be the gifts that you’ve traditionally given, why not look for something a little more fun for the electric vehicle owner in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 9, 2011
Hybrid, Plug-in Car Sales Reached 8-Month High In November
Sales of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars may have suffered over the summer thanks to dropping gas prices, economic woes and a drop in availability of cars, but last month sales of so-called ‘Advanced Drive’ cars reached an 8 month high. All in all, a little under 28,000...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield December 8, 2011