Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Audi will debut its new A3 Sportback TDI at today's New York Auto Show.
The four-door hatchback will join the A3 sedan TDI in the summer of 2015, as a sportier option for those wanting Audi's...
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Volvo Previews S60 Gasoline Plug-In Hybrid At Beijing Auto ShowJust over a year ago we got a chance to drive Volvo's V60 Plug-In Hybrid. It's a powerful, attractive and fuel-efficient vehicle--but the major talking point is its use of a diesel, rather than gasoline engine as its main source of motive power. The car is selling well in Europe, but Volvo is...
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Famous Tuner Saleen Releases Tesla Model S Hot-Rod SketchesNo matter how fast a car is, there's always someone who'll want to make it faster. That's why you'll find as many companies tuning high-end cars as there are modifying pony cars or basic subcompacts. And it's why Saleen is developing its own hot-rodded version of the Tesla Model S electric sedan...
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Honda Accord Hybrid Remains In Tight Supply; Buyers On Waiting ListsThe Insight may be Honda's flagship hybrid model, but that hasn't stopped the Japanese automaker from putting it out of its misery recently, with no replacement on the horizon. Luckily, another Honda hybrid is doing rather better--with demand actually outstripping current supply. According to Wards...
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Worst Thing About An Electric Car? Better Half Drives It MoreDespite their myriad benefits, electric vehicles do still have their problems. Not everyone can live with the limited range of many vehicles on sale at the moment. They can be a little expensive, too. And getting 'ICEd' is a frustration drivers of regular vehicles simply don't experience. DON'T...
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Toyota Gasoline Engine Achieves Thermal Efficiency Of 38 PercentMost internal combustion engines are incredibly inefficient at turning fuel burned into usable energy. The efficiency by which they do so is measured in terms of "thermal efficiency", and most gasoline combustion engines average around 20 percent thermal efficiency. Diesels are typically...
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The 2014 New York Auto Show is fast approaching, and as usual a small roster of green vehicles will be making their debuts.
This year it's mainly about production vehicles, with very few green...
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Johammer Electric Motorcycle: World's Weirdest Way To Go GreenThere are two types of green vehicle fans in this world: Those who wish you to know they've picked the latest green vehicle, and those that don't. Anyone who chooses Austrian firm Johammer's electric motorcycle will peg themselves firmly in the former category. It is, by quite a margin, the...
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Electric Truck Maker Smith Vehicles Suspends Operations, Not Shutting DownKansas City-based Smith Electric Vehicles has become the latest electric-vehicle building startup to cease operations--though the company says it isn't shutting its doors for good. The firm builds electrically-powered commercial vehicles both in the U.S. and abroad, but hasn't yet turned a profit...
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2015 Lexus NX Compact Crossover Launches With Hybrid And Turbo OptionsLexus has unveiled the first official images of its new compact crossover, known as the NX. The NX is set to debut at the upcoming Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, and will be offered with hybrid, turbocharged and naturally-aspirated powertrains. The former, known as the NX 300h, is...
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Audi's e-tron Plug-In And Electric Cars: Ultimate GuideIf you're confused when someone says "Audi e-tron," and you're not sure which electric car it means, don't feel bad--we're confused too. Audi may have more branded electric car concepts, prototypes, test vehicles, limited-production cars, and planned volume-production plug-in electric models than...
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VW Passat, Jetta, Beetle Sales Suspended Over Transmission LeaksVolkswagen has told dealerships across the country to halt the sale of some of its vehicles while it investigates transmission leaks. 2014 Volkswagen Passat, Jetta, Beetle and Beetle Convertible models built after February 1, with the 1.8-liter gasoline engine and automatic transmission are...
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So, you've done the right thing: You've decided your next car will be considerably more fuel-efficient than the one you drive now.
That's great news. But, have you considered how it's built--and more...
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Diesel Or Hybrid? Road & Track Says Benz Beats PriusCar shoppers today are spoiled for choice when it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles. When else in history have we had the choice between gasoline, diesel, biofuel, natural gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles? When it comes to actually putting fuel in your tank, many turn...
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First Electric Saab 9-3 Models Built, Will Go To China Test FleetNational Electric Vehicles Sweden, the Chinese-Swedish company behind the re-launch of Saab, has started production of its first electric Saab models. The electrically-powered 9-3 sedans are built in Sweden, but the first cars will actually be sold in China. According to Auto Motor & Sport...
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Want A Tesla Model S Convertible? Newport Engineering Says It'll Build You OneIn theory, convertibles are the perfect way to enjoy electric motoring. What better way to experience your zero-emissions car than with the roof down--enjoying the silence, the sounds of nature and the wind in your hair? Tesla's first car, the Roadster, offered just such an experience--and one...
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Audi Q4 Hybrid Crossover Concept: Sketches Appear Before Beijing ShowThe market for crossover vehicles grows with every passing year, so it's surprising that few automakers have offered the vehicles with hybrid or plug-in powertrains up until now. One that could is Audi's Q4 crossover, should a production version of the Beijing-bound concept appear in the next few...
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China's Electric-Car Future: Government Subsidies, Buyer ResistanceOver the last few years, China has experienced some of the highest city pollution concentrations anywhere on earth--with concentrations of pollutants climbing far past dangerous levels on official scales. Roughly a quarter of that is due to heavy traffic, and it's prompted legislation to clean up...
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Ever since the first Honda Insight and Toyota Prius arrived on U.S. shores, hybrid vehicles have been among the most efficient vehicles on the road.
The latest Toyota Prius is rated at 50 mpg...
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Had To Happen: Hacking Into A Tesla Model S Electric Car"Jailbreaking" used to mean... well, breaking out of jail. In the modern world though, it typically refers to the process of cracking software codes to take greater control of applications and user interfaces. It's rife in the world of smartphones, and now it's possible with electric vehicles...
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Tesla Model S Sets Record For Single-Month Sales In NorwayIn the last few years of electric car sales, the only records cars have been breaking are their own. Nissan, for example, has just had its best March ever for Leaf sales. And we know that global electric car sales have doubled each year for the past few years. But now, reports The Wall Street...
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2015 Lexus NX Crossover Gets Beijing Auto Show DebutLexus has announced that its eagerly-awaited 2015 NX crossover will debut at the upcoming 2014 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. Thanks to leaked images back in January, we already have a pretty good idea of what the production NX will look like--but largely the car will be a toned-down...
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Always Wanted A Harley-Davidson-Powered Prius? You're In Luck!It's fair to say most Toyota Prius owners are probably quite happy with their cars. Sure, they aren't the quickest vehicles on the road, and plug-in cars use even less gas. But they're quiet, efficient and easy to drive. It might not have crossed many owners' minds to swap the clean-burning...
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2014 Ford Escape: Great Small SUV, Not-So-Great Gas MileageThe previous model of Ford Escape was a popular car in the U.S. from 2001 through 2012--not only for its utility, but also for the availability of a hybrid model. At 32 mpg combined in front-wheel-drive form, the Escape Hybrid was comfortably one of the most economical crossovers on the market...
Antony Ingram