Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
-
Not all cars are born equal. Some, if they're lucky, will be born as McLarens--supercars infused with technology from the race track, with one of the most famous names in motor sport.
There...
-
Electric Car Sales? Doing Better Than The Prius Was, Thank YouHybrids still sell in fairly small proportions compared to regular internal combustion vehicles. Their introduction can be judged a fair success though. The Toyota Prius is California's top selling car, and Toyota has sold over 4 million hybrids since the first Prius rolled off the line little more...
Antony Ingram -
New Lithium-Ion Battery Tech Could Appear In Next Few YearsNew battery technology is five years away, and always will be. Well, that's the impression you might get whenever new technology is announced. Some of it is very, very clever indeed, but much of it is only theoretical, and the rest has rarely been tested on suitably large scales. Silicon...
Antony Ingram -
Comparing Subcompact Cars: Is Newer Better And More Fuel-Efficient?The choice of subcompact cars on the market has never been better. Not just better in terms of numbers either, but in quality, reliability, safety, equipment and every other factor the average buyer looks for in a car. Gas mileage isn't bad either, even if it doesn't match some of the paper-thin...
Antony Ingram -
Green Tech: Tires Made From Dandelions Replace RubberIt isn't just fossil fuels that are a finite resource--rubber is another substance in high demand, and short supply. The latest estimates suggest that global demand for rubber is expected to outstrip supply by 20 percent, by 2020. That will inevitably lead to raised prices--bad news, considering...
Antony Ingram -
Bruce Weiner Microcar Exhibits Make Nearly $8M At AuctionHow much would you pay for a car that could fit in the bed of most pickup trucks? If that car is a 1958 FMR Tg500 Tiger, like a Messerschmitt with four wheels, the answer is $280,000. Well, you might not pay that personally, but somebody did, as hundreds of microcars were auctioned at the Bruce...
Antony Ingram -
Chinese companies Geely and Dongfeng are said to be among bidders from "different continents" looking for a controlling stake in troubled automaker Fisker Automotive.
Fisker, which has suffered...
-
Fiat Lussino: 100 MPG Hybrid Design Study Fiat Needs To MakeLike celebrity reality TV shows, concept cars are a tantalizing glimpse into a life we can approximate, but never fully enjoy ourselves. Take this Fiat Lussino concept, for example. "Lussino" is derived from the Italian word lusso, or "luxury". "Ino" makes it "small luxury". It's the work of...
Antony Ingram -
More Electric-Car Owners Install Home Charging StationsMore than anything else, one of the most appealing things about electric cars is being able to sit inside, every morning before going to work, to see a full battery gauge staring back at you. This isn't possible with internal combustion vehicles, because local planners get a little suspicious if...
Antony Ingram -
Citroen C3 Hybrid Air Concept: 2013 Geneva Motor ShowFrench automaker Citroen has long been a pioneer of automotive technology, from headlights that turn as you steer on the Citroen DS, to hydropneumatic suspension so smooth it was licensed by Rolls-Royce. Its latest development, "Hybrid Air" technology, is possibly the most intriguing innovation...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Coupe: Quick Drive ReportHonda launched the CR-Z hybrid coupe in 2010, aiming to defy the assertion that all hybrids are slow and boring. It has to be said that as defiant acts go, the CR-Z hasn't been entirely successful. Gearhead circles have criticized its so-so performance, while hybrid fans decry its average economy...
Antony Ingram -
NYC To Get 10,000 Electric-Car Charging Parking Spaces?New York City could be about to make a major step towards increasing electric car adoption in the city. NTC Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants a fifth of all new parking spaces to be wired up for, and set aside for electric vehicles. According to Transportation Nation, Bloomberg's prepared notes for...
Antony Ingram -
The next-generation Chevrolet Cruze will be the first car to use GM's new global compact platform, and the model has been spotted winter testing by our sister site Motor Authority.
Due to be launched...
-
2014 Ram 1500 Pickup Truck To Get Diesel EngineThe 2013 Ram 1500 pickup is already the most efficient vehicle in its class, a lead set to extend further when Chrysler introduces a diesel model to the range. The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will get Chrysler's 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine, as seen in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel. In that...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan Leaf: World's Most Popular Electric Car At 50,000 DeliveredNissan's Leaf electric car has become the highest-selling electric car of all time. The company has now sold more than 50,000 examples of the Leaf, sold across Japan, Europe and the U.S. Since the car went on sale in 2010, those 50,000 Leaf owners have racked up over 161 million miles. In reality...
Antony Ingram -
Biobot: Make Breakfast, Generate Biodiesel, Refuel CarThere are many facets to green motoring, but for some the prospect of buying a new hybrid or electric car is neither realistic nor desirable. For these people, biofuels may be an option, particularly those recycled from other products. Biodiesel made from used cooking oils is one such fuel, and is...
Antony Ingram -
More Fiats On The Way: Moving Beyond 500 To Bigger Cars?Fiat is best known for its small cars. Not just in the U.S, where the diminutive Fiat 500, the 500 Abarth, and larger 500L are its only offerings, but in its home markets in Europe, too. Large Fiats have rarely persisted--poor sales and uncompetitive products have often pushed them to the...
Antony Ingram -
Win A Fisker Karma In $500 Raffle, Help Green FoundationIf you grew up in the early 90s, or were the parent or older sibling of someone growing up in the early 90s, you'll remember the Captain Planet cartoon. The environmental superhero always managed to vanquish whichever malevolent polluter was doing their dirty deed, thanks to his ring-wearing...
Antony Ingram -
You have to admire the Chevrolet Spark EV. It may have the same gawky upright stance as the gasoline model, and certainly costs a lot more, but its specification suggests GM has put a lot of efford...
-
Gas Prices To Be Higher Than Expected In 2013, Says Energy DeptThe price of gasoline will creep up faster than expected, the U.S. Department of Energy's latest figures show. Its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook had previously put regular-grade gasoline at an average of $3.44 per gallon, but it's now expected to reach 11 cents higher. That's still lower than...
Antony Ingram -
Mitsubishi To Show Hybrid Pickup, 'Suburban Electric' Concepts At GenevaHow long do you think Mitsubishi has been working on electric vehicles? Since a few years before the i-MiEV electric car hit Japanese roads, perhaps? Nope--1966. It surprised us too, but illustrates that the company actually has considerable experience in developing electric powertrains, even if a...
Antony Ingram -
Honda Fit EV Electric-Car Leasing Expands To NortheastHonda has confirmed the five East Coast locations in which its 2013 Honda Fit EV will be leased, joining the West Coast markets of California and Oregon. The electric Fit will be available at selected locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey later this month. The...
Antony Ingram -
Will Jeep Wrangler Diesel Be Chrysler's Next EcoDiesel?Chevy's Cruze Diesel is getting all the headlines, but there's another U.S.-built diesel due out this year--the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel. The V-6, 240-horsepower EcoDiesel is expected to achieve 28 mpg highway, and a combined figure in the mid-20s. For its type, that's not bad at all. It...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Cadillac ELR: Volt-Based Luxury Coupe Winter Testing VideoWinter testing is a vital part of developing a new car. Just as cars are expected to perform in the hottest conditions and face testing in arid places like Death Valley, cold-weather capability means owners in colder climates won't face any shocks either. That's particularly relevant for...
Antony Ingram