Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
-
From the current Toyota lineup, the Prius C compact hybrid probably wouldn't be your first choice for turning into a sports car.
Toyota itself might disagree though, and will display just such a...
-
2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Drivers Can Opt For Solar Charging ServiceBMW's first full-scale production electric car isn't a vehicle done by half measures. It's uniquely styled, features high-tech carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction and the minimalist interior is awash with sustainable materials. BMW thinks its customers might want to continue that...
Antony Ingram -
U.S. Now Produces More Oil Than It Imports: Is This Good?It's official: The U.S. now produces more oil than it imports from foreign countries. It isn't the first time that's ever happened, but it's the first time in two decades--and according to the White House, it's going hand-in-hand with lower CO2 emissions and growing GDP. For those advocating...
Antony Ingram -
Honda Refines Uni-Cub Electric Personal Mobility DeviceHonda's Super Cub motorcycle is one of the most important motor vehicles ever made. With more than 60 million produced since 1958 it's done more to get people moving than any other motorized vehicle in history. Honda's electric Uni-Cub has done none of those things but its ethos is the...
Antony Ingram -
Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe Concept Updated For LA Auto ShowThe choice of fuel-efficient crossovers is rather limited right now. There's a Lexus RX, the diesel Audi Q5, and we're waiting on Mitsubishi's Outlander plug-in hybrid... but that's about it. Volkswagen will preview one more at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, in the form of an updated CrossBlue...
Antony Ingram -
Battery Lessor For Electric Renault Zoe Can Halt Recharging RemotelyDigital Rights Management, or DRM, is either the scourge of the digital age or a necessary evil to ensure people who create content get paid for it--depending on who you believe. It's essentially a collection of technologies that determines how you can use digital content or technology after you've...
Antony Ingram -
Researchers at MIT say that a benign virus could be the next step in improving lithium-air battery technology.
Viruses typically have negative connotations--think seasonal flu or malicious files sent...
-
2015 Subaru Legacy Concept Unveiled For LA Auto ShowSubaru has released the first images of its Legacy Concept, due to make its worldwide debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. Updates for Subaru's midsize sedan are always awaited with eagerness, and the concept points the way to a more dynamic, sleek offering than the current car. Resplendent in...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan's Ghosn: We'll Miss 2016's 1.5M Electric Car Sales TargetRenault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has admitted the companies will miss out on his original electric car sales targets...and by quite some margin. Ghosn has previously said that the two companies would be on track to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. But like so many other electric vehicle...
Antony Ingram -
Workers Burned In Industrial Accident At Tesla Motors PlantThree workers have suffered burns in an accident at the Fremont, California assembly plant, where Tesla Motors builds its Model S electric car. According to the company, a low-pressure aluminum casting press failed on Wednesday afternoon, spilling hot metal onto the workers. All three employees...
Antony Ingram -
Yet Another New Fuel: Will Dimethyl Ether Matter For Big Trucks?It's frustrating driving a fuel-efficient vehicle sometimes. While you know you're just one small part of an effort to clean up transportation, seeing an 18-wheeler pumping clouds of black smoke into the air can make you feel like your efforts are going to waste. Cleaning up trucks should be a high...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla's Elon Musk: Model S Fires Overhyped, Car Is SafeRecent fires of Tesla Model S electric cars aren't worrying the company's CEO, Elon Musk--at least publicly. In a recent CNBC interview (via Forbes), the Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] founder said reports of the fires were little more than an overreaction by the press--and that Tesla's cars are still...
Antony Ingram -
Automakers have fired the latest salvo in the ongoing battle against ethanol blends in gasoline, saying it can damage engine components.
That's despite several manufacturers approving it for use in...
-
What's Next For Chinese-Owned Battery Maker A123?When battery maker A123 Systems went bankrupt, it seemed to be just one in a long line of failed energy startups--albeit one with some high-profile customers. Stalled battery production after A123's bankruptcy is considered one of the main catalyst's for Fisker's litany of struggles, while...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Lexus CT 200h Hybrid To Debut In ChinaIt's a mark of how important the Chinese market now is that Lexus has chosen the upcoming Guangzhou Motor Show to reveal its updated CT 200h. That's despite both the Los Angeles International Auto Show and the Tokyo Motor Show starting around the same time--both shows hosting several significant...
Antony Ingram -
2014 MINI Cooper Teased With New VideoWhat's the 2014 MINI Cooper going to look like? The old one, probably--a perception that isn't tarnished by MINI's latest teaser video, which gives us a hint as to the new car's form. The new car is set to be unveiled in full on November 18, the 107th anniversary of the birth of Sir Alec Issigonis...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Cadillac ELR Saks Fifth Avenue: Plug-In Bling For Model S MoneyGeneral consensus is that Cadillac's range-extended ELR coupe is too expensive. At $75,995, they may have a point--that's a lot of extra dough for a car based on the $34,995 Chevrolet Volt. So the best thing to do to draw attention to the ELR would be to make it cheaper, right? Not exactly. At...
Antony Ingram -
Honda To Debut Fuel Cell Concept At 2013 Los Angeles Auto ShowHonda has released a lone sketch to hint at the form of a new fuel cell concept debuting at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. The company says the new FCEV Concept expresses a "potential styling direction" for a next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle due in 2015--ready to meet Toyota's...
Antony Ingram -
Mitsubishi's relatively low U.S. sales reflect the theory that its best models aren't to be found in its volume range; this is a company offering its best in more niche-market products.
That means...
-
2014 Zero SR Electric Motorcycle Boosts Power, Range: VideoThe needs of electric motorcycles are very different from those of electric cars, and it's leading to a quite startling pace of development in the electric two-wheeler market. Nowhere is this illustrated better than in the 2014 Zero SR, the latest bike from one of the best-known electric motorcycle...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Honda CR-Z HPD: Performance Up, Economy Down For Hybrid Hatch?Poor Honda. It launches the CR-Z, perhaps hoping to rekindle the spirit of the much-beloved 1980s CR-X lines, but when the car is released it doesn't really please anyone. As a sporty hatchback, it isn't fast enough for enthusiasts. And as a hybrid, it isn't economical enough. The 2014 Honda CR-Z...
Antony Ingram -
BMW i3 Demand Will Be Strong In U.S. Too, Says ExecutiveEarly demand for BMW's i3 electric car in Europe looks set to continue when it debuts in the United States, according to the company's North American CEO. Despite plans to produce just 10,000 units in its first year, BMW has considered expanding production after 8,000 reservations were made on the...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan BladeGlider Concept: Electric Delta Wing Racer For The RoadThe claim that race car development helps road car development is getting harder to uphold these days, but there are still some engineers willing to have a go. Look at the Nissan BladeGlider electric car concept for example, and it's hard to argue that the design and engineering hasn't been...
Antony Ingram -
Volkswagen Twin-Up: XL1-Powered Plug-In Minicar RevealedVW has hinted for some time that the diesel-electric drivetrain from its XL1 eco-supercar would appear in something a little more humble and affordable. Now, writes Autocar, it's revealed the result of such a concoction, in the shape of the Twin-Up. As the name suggests, it's based on the...
Antony Ingram