Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Most major automakers have nailed their colors to their mast when it comes to alternative powertrains for the future.
For Volkswagen, that's electric vehicles at its most extreme. Japanese automaker...
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Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid: Gas Mileage Drive ReportThe Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid isn't a "forbidden fruit", but it sure feels like one to American customers right now. A series of delays has pushed its on-sale date to fall 2015, almost two years after it debuted in Japan and a full year after it went on sale in Europe. Luckily, that...
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Self-Driving Cars From Tesla In About 3 Years, Says CEO Elon MuskAutonomous vehicles have become a hot talking point in recent years, as major firms like Google continue high-profile development of the technology. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has also expressed an interest in recent years, and now tells Nikkei that the firm could introduce...
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Saleen Foursixteen Tesla Model S Burns Rubber, Not GasAn electric car's main purposes are those of efficiency and reducing reliance on oil. But as cars, they're also objects ingrained into culture and often bought for emotive reasons, like speed and aesthetics. It's no surprise that with both plenty of performance and a sleek body style, the Tesla...
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Peugeot 208 Hybrid Air Latest To Aim For French 117 MPG TargetFrench automaker Renault is expected to show a concept vehicle at the upcoming Paris Auto Show capable of hitting 117 mpg combined. Not one to be left out, rival Peugeot will also show a 117 mpg concept at Paris--albeit one that may not be too far from production. It stems from a French government...
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More Tesla-Toyota Plans In The Pipeline? Musk Hints At PossibilityTesla can now add Japan to the list of countries that its Model S electric sedan is roaming the roads. CEO Elon Musk appeared at a recent ceremony to launch the car, but also used the occasion to hint that there may be another project with Toyota in the pipeline. According to Automotive News, Tesla...
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As an example of how far the reach of electric vehicles has grown, you need to look little further than the growth of National Drive Electric Week.
Now in its fourth year, Drive Electric Week began...
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Carbon Fiber Wheels Proposed To Cut Weight, Boost EfficiencyYou probably don't think about your car's wheels that much, but to state the exceedingly obvious they're an essential part of every car. They're also surprisingly heavy, as you'll know if you've ever rotated your tires or had to change to a spare at the side of the road. Heaviness is a quality...
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2016 Mazda Miata: Sexy New Roadster Highlights Low Sales Of Two-Seat CarsThe Mazda MX-5, formerly Miata, holds a Guinness World Record as the highest-selling two-seater sports car in history. More than 940,000 MX-5s have been made since 1989, and the new 2016 MX-5 has just made its debut. Despite those impressive sales numbers though, the MX-5 is actually the perfect...
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2014 Toyota Prius V: Hybrid Wagon Ultimate GuideThe Prius name has been around since the very first Prius sedan back in 1999, but for quite a while Toyota's flagship hybrid was a single-model range. The Prius C subcompact and Prius V changed that, and we've put together a guide on the latter to help you make the right decision when choosing your...
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2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid Priced, MPG Remains The SameToyota has announced pricing and specification details for the 2015 Toyota Camry and Toyota Camry Hybrid. Available in LE, SE and XLE grades, the 2015 Camry Hybrid starts at $26,790--$3,820 more than an equivalent 2015 Camry LE with the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder. A Camry Hybrid in SE trim is...
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Mitsubishi Plans Sporty Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Concept For Paris Auto ShowRubbing salt in the wounds of U.S. customers as-yet denied access to the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, Mitsubishi will show a concept car based on the model at the upcoming Paris Auto Show. The production Outlander PHEV made its debut at Paris two years ago and has since gone on sale in Japan and...
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Steep climbs are the enemy of electric car drivers.
While modern electric vehicles are more than capable of powering up a hill, with ample torque, the effect on a car with limited range can be...
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Has Tesla 'Proved Electric Cars Are Better' If Public, Industry Don't Know It Yet?
When industry analysts, financial analysts and the motoring press have all lavished praise on a car, there's a fair chance it's a pretty good car. That's the case for the Tesla Model S electric car, particularly as two market analysts from Credit Suisse have seen fit to provide a point-by-point...
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Tesla In Deal To Build 400 Charging Stations In ChinaThe Chinese market has become vital for many global automakers. For some, it's a haven of high sales numbers to offset struggles in markets like the U.S. and Europe. To others, like Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], it's a way to promote your product to a vast and growing marketplace. Tesla has made a big...
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Gas Prices Fall For Labor Day With Oil Supplies AmpleIf you're getting out on the road this Labor Day weekend visiting friends or family, you may be pleased to hear it'll cost you a little less than it did this time last year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) 'Today in Energy' brief shows that average U.S. gas prices are as low as...
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2016 Chevy Volt Range-Extending Engine To Have 75 HP?Electric power is only one part of the Chevrolet Volt equation. While it's a part that covers two thirds of all Volt miles driven, the other third is handled by its range-extending 1.4-liter Ecotec gasoline engine. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is expected to downsize to a three-cylinder unit to boost...
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Renault To Show 117 MPG Concept At Paris Auto Show To Hit French TargetEurope's CO2-based taxation system means consumers already have access to a wide range of highly efficient vehicles. There are stricter targets on the horizon however, and Renault is the latest to accept a challenge set by the French government to produce a 117 mpg car by 2020. According to...
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Hybrid sales might have been slow to take off in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but there are no such concerns these days.
In the first half of 2014, Japanese automaker Toyota sold 665,740 hybrid...
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Main Path To Better Fuel Efficiency: Lighter Vehicles, Say AutomakersThere are many routes to improving fuel efficiency in modern cars, but one route in particular seems to be resonating with automakers, automotive engineers and designers: Shedding weight. A survey of 900 automotive engineers and designers conducted by Wards Auto and sponsored by DuPont showed that...
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Tesla's Battery Gigafactory May Achieve Nirvana: $100 Per Kilowatt-Hour, Report SaysMany within the electric car industry believe that $100 per kilowatt-hour will be the tipping point for electric-car batteries. It is the point at which electric vehicles will be able to compete directly with internal combustion vehicles on price, and therefore a major step in boosting sales...
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2016 Volvo XC90 Will Be Only Seven-Passenger Plug-In HybridIt is, as yet, not possible to buy a plug-in car with seating for seven passengers. That will all change when the 2016 Volvo XC90 hits the market, as the latest generation of the Swedish SUV features both a seven-seat option, and the availability of a Twin Engine plug-in hybrid model. At a glance...
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Sakti3 Claims Solid-State Battery Breakthrough For Electric CarsA Michigan-based startup called Sakti3 claims it has battery chemistry that doubles the energy density of today's best lithium-ion batteries. Speaking to Scientific American, Sakti3's co-founder and CEO Ann Marie Sastry says the firm's prototype solid-state lithium cells have reached 1,143...
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Ford EcoBoost High-Efficiency Turbo Engines: Ultimate GuideIf you've spent any time looking at Fords recently, one word won't have escaped your attention: EcoBoost. EcoBoost is Ford-speak for a downsized, turbocharged gasoline engine that aims to either supplement or replace a larger, naturally-aspirated engine in a given vehicle lineup. The name is pure...
Antony Ingram