Antony Ingram, Contributing Writer
Articles
-
Remember when electric cars were considered a bit of a joke?
With talented options like the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and others currently on sale, it's easy to forget that a few decades ago, their...
-
BMW Buyers Not All That Thrilled With Stop-Start SystemStop-start systems have been around for many years now, cutting the engine when stopped in order to save a little gas. The technology is more refined in some cars than it is in others, and many drivers of BMWs with stop-start have decided it's a little too much hassle. In a BMW press release, the...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Mercedes-Benz E Class Offers Hybrid, Diesel Models For MPGsThe German automakers are becoming particularly adept at filling niches, and the increasing number of models offered with gasoline, diesel and hybrid alternatives is testament to this. Only last week we asked you which of the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid or TDI you'd prefer, and this week we're asking...
Antony Ingram -
Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add To Pressure On EthanolCorn ethanol, the oft-touted answer to the problem of foreign oil, is still suffering problems. This time, a drop in production--thanks to drought conditions in the midwestern states that produce it--is harming corn ethanol exports and putting further pressure on the fuel vs. food debate. That...
Antony Ingram -
Electric DeLorean DMC-12: Better Than The Original? (Video)There's a line of thinking that recommends that you never meet your heroes, as they'll only disappoint you. GET YOUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER. SIGN UP! You could argue that the same applies to cars, and the DeLorean DMC-12, stainless star of the silver screen, is often described as one of those...
Antony Ingram -
Energy Secretary Chu Changes His Mind On Hydrogen Fuel-Cell CarsMuch of the jury is still out on the viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but they now have the blessing of the United States government. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu had previously opined that light-duty fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) were in need of a few miracles to make them viable in the...
Antony Ingram -
Think of motorsport-inspired technology and your thoughts may turn to disc brakes, active suspension and carbon fiber chassis.
It's not always that glamorous though, as demonstrated by a piece of...
-
Why You Can't Buy Just 1 Gallon Of E15 EthanolIt's fair to say that E15 gasoline--that's gasoline, blended with 15 percent ethanol--hasn't been universally popular, since being approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Not only are the blended pumps that serve it few and far between, but there are still clouds of doubt hanging...
Antony Ingram -
Mitsubishi 'i' Electric Cars At Pikes Peak Hill ClimbIf racing improves the breed, then the next generation of Mitsubishi's electric cars could be a significant step up from the humble Mitsubishi 'i' sold today. The 'i' itself is the focus of Mitsubishi's efforts at this year's Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, where a production-spec car and a...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Or Jetta TDI: Which Would You Buy?Volkswagen has long put faith in diesel technology as a way of offering both performance and economy to car buyers. In October, buyers will be granted a second option, however--with the launch of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. Using a 1.4-liter, turbocharged and hybrid-assisted four-cylinder...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Gets Back $157K From Electric Utility For Energy-Efficient ToolingYou only need to listen to Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk chat for a while to understand that there's more to Tesla than just electric cars--efficiency permeates through the company. That extends to the manufacturing process, and as production of the 2012 Tesla Model S continues, Telsa has just...
Antony Ingram -
Folding Hiriko Electric Car: The Future Of Car Sharing?Electric city cars are not a new concept, but in aiming vehicles at a city environment it can side-step many of the issues normally associated with EVs, such as short range and high pricing. Those issues are even less likely with the Hiriko electric car, which is designed to fill the "first and...
Antony Ingram -
You'll be familiar with diesel cars, and familiar with hybrids, but as yet no manufacturer sells a diesel-electric hybrid car in the U.S.
In Europe, things are different. Earlier this year, Peugeot...
-
Toyota Prius Hybrid Popular Among Very, Very Wealthy AmericansYou might think that the wealthiest individuals in society--commonly known as the 'top one percent'--would flaunt that wealth with Ferraris and Porsches. On the contrary, it seems that they prefer to remain fairly low-key on the roads--and that the humble Toyota Prius is one of the most popular...
Antony Ingram -
Green Car Buyers Need 4-Year Payback, Says FordWhy do you drive your green car? Is it to do your bit for reducing pollution, greenhouse gases and dependency on oil, or is it simply to reduce your gas bills as prices creep upward? If it's the latter, then Ford says you're the sort of consumer who'll only be driving a green vehicle if you can...
Antony Ingram -
Next Toyota Corolla To Feature Big Changes, Says ToyotaThe 2012 Corolla may still be selling strong, outpacing the Honda Civic, but in terms of design and engineering it's now off the pace of its newer rivals. Next year's model will change that, says Toyota. According to WardsAuto, Toyota and Scion general manager Bill Fay has revealed that the next...
Antony Ingram -
Ford Begins Testing Of Queue-Busting Car-To-Car TechnologyMaking cars more efficient is only one step in improving personal mobility in the future. The other, some will tell you, is making the roads themselves a more efficient place to travel. If the roads were empty, picking the greenest route and keeping an ideal pace wouldn't be a problem, but other...
Antony Ingram -
Been ICEd? Gas Cars Parking In Electric-Car Charging Spots (Video)If you drive an electric car, it's nice to know that if you're making a trip to the mall or a regular spot that you can charge up your car while you're running errands. Well, it's nice until you get there to find that some ignorant soul has parked their gas-guzzler in the space, preventing you from...
Antony Ingram -
While all automakers realise the benefits of making their cars lighter, it's only been relatively recently that some models have actually weighed less than their predecessors.
Demands for safety,...
-
eBay Watch: 1997 Solectria Force, Geo-Based Electric CarElectric car conversions aren't for everyone, but for electric car fans who can't stretch to one of the latest models, they're a much cheaper option to get behind the wheel of an EV. One such clean and cheap option, the 1997 Solectria Force, is currently sitting on eBay, with a few days remaining...
Antony Ingram -
Hybrid Owners: Still Happy After 200K-300K MilesYou'll probably remember stories about Hummers being greener than hybrids over a dust-to-rust car lifecycle from a few years back. Much of the heavyweight Hummer's supposed advantage was down to spurious claims that a hybrid would become unusable after 100,000 miles, where the tank-like off-roader...
Antony Ingram -
Will Available Natural-Gas Cars Pull Fueling Stations With Them?The relationship between natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and natural gas stations is a 'catch-22' situation. Without the former, companies are reluctant to built more natural gas stations, as the demand won't be there. But without the latter, manufacturers see no reason to produce natural gas vehicles...
Antony Ingram -
What Will 'Low Carbon Fuel' Mean For You?California is often at the forefront of clean vehicles, whether that's through startups like Tesla producing electric vehicles, or regulations that encourage the sale and manufacture of low-emissions vehicles. That trend is continuing says Pike Research, as the state aims to push through a new...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla's Elon Musk Has More New Business Ideas & A Lot To SayIf you had a mediocre superpower, what would it be? If you're Tesla CEO Elon Musk, "always beating the traffic" would be your power of choice, though given Elon's ideas past, present and future, some would argue that it's a long way off what he's actually capable of. Musk sat down for a "fireside...
Antony Ingram