Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
-
European electric car fans will soon get to enjoy the Tesla Model S as much as their American counterparts, when the car is launched in Europe this summer.
Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has spent some of...
-
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Perfection? 1966 Volvo Nears 3 Million MilesOne of the more familiar perceptions of green vehicles is that the energy they require to build outweighs any benefits they may have in use. The reality couldn't be more different, but there's still plenty to be said for getting the most out of the car you have, and extending its usable life. Some...
Antony Ingram -
Ford Cut Plant CO2 Emissions By A Third Since 2000; Another Third By 2025 TargetedThere's more to making a car green than just the car itself. Ideally, the whole process of making the car should be as environmentally-friendly as possible too. Ford is doing just that, having cut global carbon dioxide emissions at its plants by over a third since 2000. CO2 emissions have dropped...
Antony Ingram -
University Of Michigan Solar Car Takes Sun Power To New ExtremesIf you want to know why road-going electric vehicles aren't powered by solar panels mounted on the roof, here's your answer. Technically it's feasible, but you'd have to do without amenities, comfort, performance, or indeed a vehicle which doesn't look like an asymmetric air hockey table. The air...
Antony Ingram -
2025 Gas Mileage Reachable With 'Radical Downsizing' HyBoost Engine, Says RicardoNoticed engines getting smaller recently? You're not alone. "Downsizing", as it's called, involves using a smaller engine to do the work of a larger alternative--usually through turbocharging--while enjoying the fuel efficiency benefits associated with its size. Engineering firm Ricardo thinks this...
Antony Ingram -
Colorado Dealers Target State's Worst-Polluting Cars For BuybacksLast year, we reported on a scheme aimed at helping Colorado car owners get their dirtiest vehicles off the road. The Clear the Air Foundation and ReForest Colorado aimed to plant a tree for every polluting old vehicle donated--cleaning up the air in more ways than one. The scheme is now doing...
Antony Ingram -
China is fast becoming an air quality disaster zone.
On several occasions over the past six months, smog levels in major cities have reached hazardous levels, requiring fast action and dramatic...
-
How Often Can Stop-Start Systems Restart An Engine? More Than 1 Million TimesVisit any European city, and you'll be struck by an unfamiliar sound: That of engines, previously silent, re-starting on every green light. A large number of cars in Europe now feature stop-start technology as standard, and while EPA mileage figures aren't favorable to its effects, they're starting...
Antony Ingram -
Best Time To Drive A Hybrid? When The Traffic Is Really BadShow us someone who actively enjoys getting stuck in heavy traffic and we'll show you someone with nothing better to do. But if you have little choice but to sit in that traffic on your way to work, a new study shows you'd be best off with a hybrid vehicle. You probably didn't need a study to tell...
Antony Ingram -
Ford Focus Electric Production Began In Germany Last WeekFord started European production of its Focus Electric at its German plant last week. It isn't just the first electric car Ford has produced in Europe, but the first electrified production vehicle period--none of Ford's existing or previous hybrid vehicles have been sold in Europe, where diesel...
Antony Ingram -
Used Hybrid Car Prices Fall As Gas Cost Remains StableIn the market for a used hybrid? Now could be the time to start looking, as prices are steadily falling. It's all down to stable gas prices, reports Wards Auto, which have seen used hybrid values fall faster than any other segment--down a full 9 percent from January. Where fuel prices in 2011 and...
Antony Ingram -
First Aircraft To Taxi On Electric Power: Paris Air Show PremiereYou know that feeling when you realize you've been missing out on some low-hanging fruit for years? That could be what the aviation industry is feeling right now, as Airbus shows off its new Electric Green Taxiing System (EGTS) at this year's Paris air show. The concept, reported by Aviation Week...
Antony Ingram -
Electric vehicles are still considered a risky strategy in the business world, with relatively low sales numbers not enough to convince skeptics of their business case.
Nissan has had plenty of...
-
2014 Cadillac ELR Electric Luxury Coupe Featured On Jay Leno's GarageDon't you wish more auto enthusiasts were like Jay Leno? Sure, plenty of the stuff he likes isn't overly green, but at least he can't drive his massive collection of cars all at once. And he does like plenty of electric and hybrid vehicles too--among them, the Chevrolet Volt. Leno has his own Volt...
Antony Ingram -
Ford: Regenerative Braking Has Saved 100 Million Gallons Of GasIt's pretty easy to take regenerative braking for granted, these days--virtually every electric and hybrid car on sale uses it to some extent. Maybe we should be a little more appreciative of its benefits, as Ford estimates owners of its vehicles have saved 100 million gallons of gasoline over the...
Antony Ingram -
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Tester Tightens StandardsElectric cars aren't cut much slack in the mainstream media, and any issues are usually jumped upon before facts have time to surface. Recent high-profile battery failures have been seized with zeal whether automobile-related or not, but one product safety company is aiming to curtail that with...
Antony Ingram -
Flying Electric Bicycle Debuts In Prague, Will NYC Ban These Too?New Yorker? Own an electric bicycle? You're probably pretty angry right now, since the city has just banned the use of electric bikes on its streets. Which would be fine, had you not just bought one, still entirely legally, from a shop. It's okay though, we have a solution--turn it into a flying...
Antony Ingram -
Can Plug-In Electric Road Trips Revitalize Fading Historic Route 66?U.S. Historic Route 66 is one of the most famous highways in the world, but it's a mere shadow of the journey it was in its 1930s to 1950s heyday. Eisenhower's Interstate Highway Act of 1956 effectively signed the route's death warrant--and indeed, the towns along it, as flat, smooth, effortless...
Antony Ingram -
If you've ever seen a child zipping along on a bicycle at breakneck speed the concept of putting them behind the wheel of a car is truly terrifying.
Toyota still wants to give it a go though, and...
-
Low Carbon Fuel Standard Proving More Successful Than ExpectedA report analyzing the uptake of low-carbon fuels says that fossil-fuel alternatives are actually growing faster than expected. The report, produced by a coalition of investors, utilities, and makers of alternative fuels and vehicles, suggests alternative fuels are proving more popular than...
Antony Ingram -
Land Rover Diesel Hybrids Could Reach U.S. In 2014: ReportWe're often asked why more automakers don't sell diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. There are plenty of good reasons why, but that doesn't stop people wanting the twin-pronged benefits of highway and city economy. SUV buyers could get their wish if Land Rover brings diesel-electric hybrids to the...
Antony Ingram -
Want To Test-Drive BMW's i3 Electric Car? Join The Other 100,000...No single automaker has yet sold 100,000 examples of an electric car. BMW is no different, and won't be for quite some time--as its full production electric vehicles, notably the i3 city car, are yet to hit the streets. But the German automaker has got that many people interested in its i3, at...
Antony Ingram -
Energy Department Launches 'eGallon' To Explain Electric-Car Cost, EfficiencyIt isn't easy to compare gasoline and electric vehicles. Sure, you can look at EPA stickers, sit in them and appreciate the way they drive, but comparing like-for-like on an economic basis is requires some thought. The U.S. Department of Energy has simplified the process with its new eGallon...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Ford Fiesta SFE: 34 MPG Combined, 41 MPG HighwayFord's updated Fiesta SFE is offering even better fuel efficiency for the 2014 model year. The Fiesta uses a 1.6-liter gasoline engine, developing around 120 horsepower. It's a fun little car to drive, but the main focus here is economy. With EPA-rated mileage figures of 30 mpg city, 41 highway and...
Antony Ingram