Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Which car are you most excited about for 2013?
If the BMW i3 electric car isn't near the top of the list, we'd be surprised. Its bare figures may not be headline-grabbing, but on design alone it...
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VW: Plug-In Hybrids 'A Long-Term Trend', Steps Up For 2013If 2012 was the year that several companies realised the importance of hybrid and electric vehicles, 2013 will be the year that we see the fruits of their labor. Volkswagen, initially reluctant to dabble in the plug-in market, is set to launch at least two new high-volume plug-in hybrids over the...
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Herbs For Your Battery: Don't Make It Tasty, Do Make It GreenerHowever you choose to enjoy herbal products, the last place you'd expect to find them is in your electric car battery. Thanks to a new discovery though, the Madder plant, also known as Rubia, could prove useful as a natural cathode in batteries. Madder has long been used as a source of purpurin, an...
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Lit Motors C-1: Electric Motorcycle That Won't Fall OverThe trouble with motorcycles, as anyone who has ever suffered road rash will tell you, is that falling off is actually rather painful. You have to try much harder to fall off a car, but those aren't without issues either--they're rather heavy, and that makes them relatively inefficient. The Lit...
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BMW Celebrates 40 Years Of Electric Cars, From 1602 To i3Think BMW, and your first thoughts may turn to sports sedans, luxury cars and sports cars. None are known for being particularly green, but BMW is set to change that when it launches the i3 electric compact car, and the upcoming i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. In fact, BMW has been developing...
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Tesla Model S Already A Future Classic? Auto Library Thinks SoPut a group of auto enthusiasts in a room, ply them with suitable amounts of alcohol, and soon conversation will turn to 'future classics'. The term refers to a modern car which gains the kind of respect and appeal of a classic vehicle in its lifetime, guaranteeing it a similar status many years in...
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2013 sees two significant Honda models subtly improved, the Civic sedan, and the CR-Z hybrid coupe.
Both have come under criticism for different reasons, and a host of small updates and specification...
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How Do You Make An Electric Car? Smart Shows YouIf you read our reviews a few months back, you'll be aware that the 2013 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is a much better car than its predecessors. In third-generation form, it's quicker and has a greater range, but is now available to buy as well as lease--and it's the cheapest electric car on sale...
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How To Get Good Gas Mileage On Your Christmas Travels'Tis the season to be jolly--and with under two weeks to go before Christmas, drivers across the country will be planning trips to see relatives and friends for the holiday period. Driving in the middle of winter already presents its own unique challenges, but if you're looking to get good gas...
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Detroit Auto Show Preview: Honda 'Urban SUV' ConceptHonda has teased the first image of a new concept car, due at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The 'Urban SUV Concept' will make its debut at Detroit in January, hinting at the look of a small SUV designed for city driving. Honda says it combines "a sporty and dynamic SUV profile with a spacious...
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EPA To Dig Into Ford Fusion Hybrid, C-Max Hybrid MileageThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to look into claims that two Ford hybrids don't meet their official fuel economy ratings in real world driving. We reported back in November that the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid struggled to attain their official ratings, even driven with...
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Think You'll Work On Your Electric Car Yourself? Think Twice, PleaseElectric cars, as you might have gathered, are quite different from their gasoline or diesel-fueled counterparts. Sure, they might look similar on the outside--for the most part--but under the skin that alternative source of propulsion brings with it a host of new challenges. That continues to...
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British luxury automaker Jaguar has cancelled plans to build a hybrid supercar, the company said today.
The C-X75 plug-in hybrid supercar was originally set for launch in late 2013, following on from...
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Bankrupt Battery Maker A123 Systems Bought By WanxiangA123 Systems, the bankrupt battery maker which supplies Fisker Automotive and others, has finally found a buyer. Chinese auto parts maker Wanxiang Group Corp. fought off a joint bid from U.S. parts company Johnson Controls Inc. and Japan's NEC Corp, with a bid of $256.6 million. Reuters reports...
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Rinspeed MicroMAX Concept: 6 Upright Seats In MINI-Sized VanEvery year at the Geneva Motor Show, Swiss carmaker Rinspeed shows off its latest confusing concept to the assembled crowds. In 2012, it displayed the Dock+Go--a lightly disguised Smart Electric Drive with a docking system to accept a larger battery pack. In 2011, it was the Bamboo, a beach-buggy...
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Coda Electric Sedan: Only 2 Stars In NHTSA Frontal Crash TestsAs part of standard procedure, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash-tests an example of each vehicle on sale, and assigns a rating based on how it performs. Most are expected to get four or five stars out of five these days--while all cars meet basic minimum safety...
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How Far Will A Tesla Model S Go? One Owner Did 405 MilesBack in May, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] released range estimates for the 2012 Model S. While the company predicted that 250-300 miles would be typical for the largest, 85 kilowatt-hour battery, and the EPA confirmed this with an official 265 miles, insiders at Tesla had a sneaky feeling that 400...
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Charging Networks Struggle To Survive Slowly Growing Electric Car MarketDo you build electric cars first, and worry about the chargers later? Or do you build a network up-front, and hope the buyers follow? Public charging networks are necessary to give buyers confidence that they can charge their cars anywhere. But often, they're not used that much, owners typically...
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Toyota has revealed pricing details for a large selection of its 2013 model year vehicles.
Among pricing for many of its SUVs and trucks, the 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2013 Toyota Prius C see...
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Incapable In Amsterdam? Call An Emission-Free Electric Scooter TaxiAmsterdam in the Netherlands is known for many things--canals, beautiful architecture, and a relaxed attitude to drugs and carnal pleasures. It's also, as it happens, an excellent city to explore on two wheels. Not only are there few hills to contend with, but Amsterdam is very much geared towards...
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Tesla Model S Reservations Open In U.K.U.K. Tesla fans jealous of their counterparts in the U.S. are finally able to reserve their own 2013 Tesla Model S. Buyers will be able to choose between Model S and Model S Signature, and will get to enjoy the same specifications as buyers in the U.S. That means the same color and trim options...
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2012 BMW X5 Diesel Recalled Over Power Steering FailureBMW is recalling certain 2012 model-year X5 diesel models, as well as some 2013 X5 and X6 models, over potential power steering failure. The recall affects 2009-2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d models built between September 1, 2008 and November 15, 2012. BMW estimates that 29,800 vehicles are affected in...
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Top 10 Green Concept Cars Of 2012Concept cars used to be flights of fancy, vehicles designed solely to grab attention when a carmaker's regular products were lacking visual verve. In more recent times, they've been so much more than that. They still look extreme and showcase blue-sky technology, but concepts now give us a much...
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2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: German Sales Start, Buy Soon In U.S.No longer is Volkswagen's Jetta sedan all about diesel engines--it's the hybrid which now wears that car's high-mileage crown. German dealers have just started taking orders for the car, and American dealers should also now be taking deposits, with the Hybrid set to arrive in U.S. dealers in the...
Antony Ingram