Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
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We've previewed it, we've driven the prototype, and now we can bring you live photos of the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV.
Chevy has turned its smallest offering into an electric car, and while there was...
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2014 Fiat 500e Electric Minicar: LA Auto Show Live PhotosWe previewed the 2014 Fiat 500e this morning, and now we can bring you live photos from the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The diminutive electric city car might not be beloved within the company, but there's still a lot to like about it. In bright orange, Fiat and Chrysler's compliance car certainly...
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Better Place Trouble Continues As Latest CEO QuitsOnly a month after Better Place founder Shai Agassi was replaced as CEO of the company, current CEO Moshe Kaplinsky has also departed the troubled firm. Better Place, whose corporate model allows electric car owners in Israel, Denmark and Australia to have their car's entire battery swapped at...
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2013 VW Jetta Hybrid: EPA Rating Of 45 MPGVolkswagen has finally revealed estimated EPA numbers for the 2013 Jetta Hybrid. The latest, greenest addition to the Jetta range achieves a combined 45 mpg in EPA testing. That puts its combined rating 11 mpg above that of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the previous economy champ in the range...
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2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: LA Auto Show PreviewMitsubishi is to unveil the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander for the first time in North America, at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. While the company claims the regular car will be one of the most efficient vehicles in its class, the real gas-sipper will be the plug-in hybrid version, due in early 2014...
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2013 MINI Paceman: Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewMINI is set to launch the 2013 Paceman crossover on its North American debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on the same platform as the Cooper Countryman hatchback, the Paceman has been liberated of a couple of doors and granted a lower, sloping roofline. MINI has also announced a...
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Traveling coast-to-coast isn't a trip best suited to the average electric car, but it's become a whole lot easier in Canada.
A free, 240V charging network now lines the Trans-Canada highway, allowing...
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2014 Fiat 500L: Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewOur second Fiat of the day isn't quite as compact, and with regular gasoline engines it isn't as green, but it could be significantly more important for Fiat in the U.S. The 2014 Fiat 500L makes its official debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, presenting Fiat with a rival to the MINI Cooper...
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Buy A Toyota Prius Plug-In, Get Up To $5,000 In Cash IncentivesToyota is offering up to $5,000 in bonus financing cash for buyers of the 2013 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Until December 3, buyers can get $5,000 bonus financing cash on the Plug-In Prius Advanced model (offer #1239), and $4,000 on the regular Plug-In Prius (#1235). The deals also include 0% APR...
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Nissan Leaf Breaks Electric Car Convoy Record With 225 CarsAgroup of Nissan Leaf owners from around the United Kingdom have broken the world record for the 'largest parade of electric vehicles'. With 225 Nissan Leafs and an overcast, wet Silverstone race circuit, a parade of 225 cars broke the previous record, held by Chrysler with 218 vehicles. Nissan UK...
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GM: Tire Tech Key To Fuel Efficiency, Invests $5 MillionAs your only point of contact with the road, it's no surprise that tires are important. Not just for performance, handling and safety, but gas mileage too--and General Motors has invested $5 million into the National Tire Research Center in Virginia, to help develop the next generation of...
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Got A Think Electric Car And Need Warranty Work? Get It NowIf you're one of the small but loyal band of Think electric car owners in the U.S. and need some warranty work, we suggest you act soon. Reports on the Think-Tank Facebook page for the car suggest the company hasn't found a buyer, and could be gone for good by the end of this year. User and former...
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Audi is said to be interested in developing a diesel-electric hypercar to compete with upcoming rivals from McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari.
The new model would sit above the current R8 supercar in...
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2014 Chevrolet Spark EV Priced At Less Than $32,500Chevrolet has released more details on its 2014 Spark EV, ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Along with official photos of the electric Spark, Chevy is hinting at a price "below $25,000 with incentives", meaning a pre-incentive price of under $32,500. That puts the pre-incentive price more or less...
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2013 Ford Fusion Energi Pricing: Higher Than Chevy Volt After IncentivesWere you expecting the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi to undercut its nearest rival, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt? If so, you might be in for a surprise. Ford has announced an entry-level price of $39,495 for the Fusion Energi in SE trim. That's $350 more than the Chevrolet Volt's starting price of $39,145...
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European Conflict Continues Over Incompatible Electric-Car Charging StandardsEurope may have its own single currency and be subject to many of the same laws, but for electric car owners the business of charging isn't as simple. European Union countries still have no standardized charging format, and auto industry specialists consider it the main hurdle to EV adoption in...
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Hybrid Resale-Value Leaders: Toyota Prius C, Ford Fusion HybridIt's good news for many owners of hybrid vehicles, who are not only enjoying great fuel efficiency but could find their vehicles worth more when they come to sell. The Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius C and Chevrolet Volt all ranked highest in their respective categories for resale value, in two...
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Will Zipcar Add Ridesharing--Further Reducing Need For Cars?Those in the car industry can see a paradigm shift approaching. And it could start to make things quite difficult for car companies. More people than ever before are living in cities. These congested spaces are becoming less and less suitable for cars--and a whole generation is growing up, buying...
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In mainland Europe, where gas mileage is measured in liters used per 100 kilometers (l/100km), a 'three liter car' doesn't usually refer to engine capacity.
Instead, it means 3L/100km, or around 78...
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GE To Add Ford Plug-In Hybrids To Fleet Of Volts, Other Electric CarsGeneral Electric is adding a large fleet of 2013 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids to its growing fleet of plug-in and electric vehicles. The 2,000 Energi models will join GE's existing fleet of Chevrolet Volts and other plug-ins. The deal is Ford's largest delivery of plug-in vehicles so far. For...
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GM Ups Investment In Electric-Bus Maker ProterraGeneral Motors' venture capital arm GM Ventures has invested for the second time in Proterra Inc, an electric bus maker. The Greenville, South Carolina company makes the EcoRide, a battery-electric bus that achieves the equivalent of 24 mpg in a diesel-engined bus. Proterra's EcoRide can also be...
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Getting Good Gas Mileage Is Hard; Will Tinier Engines Really Help?How small is too small, when it comes to engines? Those of the "no replacement for displacement" school of thought might be thinking more about performance than they are gas mileage, but at what point does downsizing actually start to harm gas mileage, rather than help it? As carmakers strive to...
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2013 Volvo V60 Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Enters ProductionDiesel hybrids are now no longer a new concept--even if none are sold in the U.S.--but Swedish carmaker Volvo is the only company offering a diesel plug-in hybrid. That car, the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid, is now in full production at the maker's Torslanda plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo V60...
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2013 Toyota Corolla Continues Unchanged, New Model Next YearWhile the Honda Civic is just about to enjoy a mid-cycle refresh, Toyota's Corolla is reaching the end of its current life, and new model is expected next year. Until then, the 2013 Toyota Corolla remains much the same as the 2012 car--so don't expect much excitement. For the 2013 model year, the...
Antony Ingram