Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Toyota's Prius hybrid has undoubtedly done more to raise awareness of green vehicles and improving fuel efficiency than any other single model on sale today.
First launched in the U.S. in 1999 and... -
2015 Toyota Yaris Subcompact Updated Before All-New Model
In the next few years, American customers will be able to purchase an all-new Toyota Yaris, based on the next-generation Mazda 2 and built in Mexico. In the meantime, Toyota has refreshed the existing car with a new front facia and upgraded equipment levels. Toyota has injected the refreshed Yaris...
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Has China 'Messed Up' Its Electric-Car Charging Standards?
Recent electric car news from China might lead you to believe things are finally on the up, after years of poor sales and uncertainty. There is still though one major hurdle the country needs to overcome before electric cars are fully viable--charging standards. It's an issue debated in every...
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Tesla Halts Model S Assembly, Prepares For Model X
Tesla Motors has halted production of the Model S electric car while it upgrades the assembly line for its next vehicle--the Model X crossover. A two-week production hiatus will give the firm enough time to complete a full $100 million upgrade to the plant, before production restarts at increased...
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Ford Details Small Fuel-Saving Engine For Big F-150 Lineup
It's been a while since full-size trucks have used engines as small as 2.7 liters, but that's exactly what the 2015 Ford F-150 will use when you tick the Ecoboost box in the dealership. It's not just 2.7 liters, of course--you also get six cylinders and two turbochargers, and it's those that Ford...
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Electric Cars Equal Gasoline Cost Of Just 75 Cents A Gallon
The last time you could buy a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. for 75 cents was around the late 1970s. If you own an electric car today though, the price you're paying for electricity is equivalent to about 75 cents per gallon. READ: Tesla's Important Not Only For Electric Cars But For Silicon...
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European buyers may soon have one fewer plug-in vehicle to choose from, with news that the Opel Ampera--European cousin to the Chevrolet Volt--could be dropped due to slow sales.
The Ampera arrived...
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Audi Confirms V-6 Diesel For Plug-In Hybrid A8 Sedan
Audi has revealed more details of its second major plug-in hybrid drivetrain, set to appear first in the upcoming Audi A8 e-tron luxury sedan. The German automaker has chosen to go down the diesel route with its larger plug-in hybrid setup, which Auto Express reveals will use a new 3.0-liter V-6...
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Japan's Fuel-Cell Vehicle Pursuit: Is It Obama's 'All Of The Above' Approach?
Two Japanese automakers, Toyota and Honda, are putting their weight behind fuel-cell vehicles, rather than battery electric cars, as the alternative-propulsion technology of the future. Time will tell if that's a wise decision but they do at least have one significant supporter--the Japanese...
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2016 Smart Fortwo Faces Mercedes S-Class In Crash Test: Video
Reassuring people that its tiny Fortwo city car is safe must be a constant struggle for Daimler's Smart brand. In Europe, where the diminutive cars roam around streets barely wider than the car, it's not such a problem. But in the U.S, where half the population drives 5,000-lb pickup trucks, people...
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China To Mandate One-Third Of Government Vehicles Be Plug-Ins
China is continuing its march of electric car progress with the announcement that 30 percent of all government vehicles should be plug-ins. Battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars will all be eligible under the plan, set to be phased in over the next two years. According to...
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2015 BMW 2-Series Active Tourer: More Details Announced
BMWs are big, aggressive gas-guzzlers, right? Not so much, in recent months. The BMW i3 electric car is already finding fans, as is the plug-in hybrid i8. And while the new BMW 2-Series Active Tourer doesn't have electric drive on its side, the small, front-wheel drive BMW compact car certainly...
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The Tesla Model S is undoubtedly an excellent car.
It's quick, efficient, looks good to most eyes and can compete with most fossil-fueled equivalents on even footing.
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Quant Limousine With Flow-Cell Battery Tech Begins German Road Trials
At the Geneva Motor Show in March, German firm Quant revealed a car powered by what it called 'nanoFLOWCELL' technology. Now, the flow-cell vehicle will make its road-going debut, as the car has been approved for real-world testing by the TÜV or Technischer Überwachungsverein, Germany's...
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Airbus Electric Aircraft Makes Public Flight In UK, We Still Want One
Aircraft--larger ones, at least--are surprisingly fuel-efficient ways of moving people around. They are however quite noisy, and aren't subject to nearly as many pollution controls as road vehicles, so there's still plenty room for improvement. The E-Fan light aircraft, designed by Airbus, looks...
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2016 Mazda 2 Revealed: First Details And Images
Mazda has revealed the first official pictures and details of the new Mazda2 subcompact. Unsurprisingly, it bears striking resemblance to the Hazumi concept launched at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, and utilizes the firm's now-standard 'Kodo' design language. That means a familiar grille...
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2016 Smart ForTwo And ForFour: World Debut Live Photos
Daimler will be hoping that third time is the charm with the new third-generation 2016 Smart Fortwo and its four-seat counterpart. The all-new models have now been revealed in all their glory at the launch event in Berlin, and while several facets of the brand's values remain, a whole lot has...
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Is Detroit Responding To Tesla Patent Offer With Collective 'Meh'?
Last month, electric car maker Tesla Motors took the unusual step of opening up its patents to other automakers. Automakers usually guard their patents very closely, ensuring them as much competitive advantage as they can get away with before someone builds something better. Open Tesla's patents...
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Mercedes-Benz revealed back in May that it would launch a plug-in hybrid version of its all-new C-Class in the fall of 2015.
Further details of that car have now emerged, including drivetrain...
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New Kind Of Nurburgring Record: Toyota Prius Plug-In Sets Fuel-Economy Bar
Automakers love to boast about Nürburgring lap times when selling performance cars. Once one of the most dangerous motor racing circuits in the world, it's now a measuring stick for the capabilities of road-going sports cars, performance sedans and supercars. ALSO READ: White House Responds To...
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New Name For Tesla 'Third-Generation' Electric Sedan: Model III, Musk Says
It's probably fair to say that model names aren't that important in the world of Tesla Motors. That's a good thing of course--the product itself is much more important. But a roadster called Roadster, a sedan called the Model S and a crossover called Model X are not the stuff of naming legend. Any...
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EPA Wants Carmakers To Verify Gas Mileage With Road Testing Too
Several automakers have come under fire in recent years over reported EPA gas mileage figures that prove unattainable in the real world. According to the Wall Street Journal, the EPA plans to require car manufacturers to road-test new cars to confirm gas-mileage ratings based on laboratory tests...
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BMW, Samsung To Share Electric-Car Battery Tech With Other Makers
BMW has announced that it's open to sharing the battery technology it uses in its i3 and i8 plug-in vehicles with other automakers. The company hopes that by sharing the technology, which it co-developed with Samsung SDI, it will benefit from improved economies of scale. According to Automotive...
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Audi TDI Diesel Engines: Honoring 25 Years Of Fuel Efficiency, Lower Emissions
U.S. customers haven't had quite the range of diesel vehicles their European counterparts enjoy, but it's still hard to believe that one of the biggest badges in diesel technology--TDI--is now a quarter-century old. Audi launched its first TDI diesel model at the 1989 Frankfurt Auto Show. That car...
Antony Ingram