In light of post-earthquake supply disruptions, Honda Civics may be a bit scarce where you are, but in Canada where the Civic has been the number-one selling car for 13 years straight, they now come in giant cereal boxes – or so a Vancouver ad agency would have you believe. Honda is already marketing the...
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just made it easier to legally convert light- and heavy-duty vehicle conversions to alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas. Manufacturers can now more readily sell conversions thanks to an exemption found in a 186-page EPA ruling that overrides previous rules against tampering when converting an engine. The former...
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The Chevrolet Volt has been named “Best Engineered Vehicle of 2011” by SAE International’s Automotive Engineering International (AEI) magazine. SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. For a group of engineers to name a car the “best engineered” is prestigious...
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General Motors has recently lost one of its star engineers who had been largely responsible for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel and Vauxhall derivatives. According to Automotive News Europe, Opel executive Frank Weber was accepted into BMW, and will answer directly to Klaus Draeger, BMW’s head of research and development. The external hiring from a competitor...
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When it comes to electric vehicles and hybrids, often we see cute little city cars, sensible family cars, and super-expensive sports cars. Well, for something a little different, how about a macho-looking truck ready to back up its image with action. Available as an all-electric, series hybrid or CNG V8-powered model, the Bremach USA-developed T-Rex...
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Audi is reportedly preparing to release its all-electric e-tron drivetrain in an A3-based platform, possibly within the next couple of years or so. The entry-level hatch is to get 130 horsepower, and 199 lb-ft torque from its under-hood electric motor. Juice is supplied via mid- and rear-mounted li-ion battery packs adding up to 26.5 kWh...
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As electric vehicle numbers increase, charging stations are expected to as well, but at this point there are comparatively few high-output charging facilities in most regions of the country. This week, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) said it has noticed a growing trend for RV parks to offer their already existent...
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The Think City electric car is to go on sale for $36,495 by the end of the summer this year. This is about $2,500 more than it estimated last year for the two-seater, and $3,715 more than the larger Nissan LEAF. The price does not include a $7,500 federal tax credit, or potential state and...
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The Chevrolet Volt has been reported as averaging fuel economy high enough to see 1,000 miles between trips to the gas station. “A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” said vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, Tony Posawatz, at a conference...
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For the second year in a row, while competing against alternative-fuel cars and hybrids, an all-electric Tesla Roadster has won the Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally. Former F1 driver Erik Comas was chosen by Tesla to compete in the 800-km (497-mile) rally against more than 100 competitors. It ended Sunday, and included sprints on the...
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After a Federal Appeals court stuck down New York City’s plans to create a hybrid taxi fleet, it appears the impetus to get it done has not yet failed. The New York State Congress is now mulling the Green Taxis Act, a bill which would permit individual municipalities to set their own taxi fleet fuel-efficiency...
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Apart from their limited range, another objection to electric vehicles is that they take hours to recharge a depleted battery. Recently Siemens announced that prototypes of a high-powered electric vehicle charger promise to make filling a typical EV battery inside of 60 minutes. The first 22-kilowatt (kW) CP700A chargers are being rolled out through the...
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Has BMW, the maker of the ultimate (electric) driving machines decided to follow Chevrolet’s example? Word from Munich today is that BMW’s head of electrical components, Dr. Christian Schmidt, said it is weighing the possibility of a range-extended engine to pair to electric vehicles. For some time now BMW has said it would consider an...
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Gas prices are getting higher and Chrysler would like to sell you its Fiat 500 EV that uses no gas for $10,000 below cost. What’s the catch? No catch, except its cost could be three times higher than a $15,995 gasoline-powered version. Citing the high price of developing an all-electric city car, Chrysler Fiat CEO...
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In case you were wondering, the plural term for Prius is “Prii.” You might want to remember that, because according to Toyota, the car is multiplying fast. Its supply may be limited in parts by last month’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami, but that hasn’t stopped it from setting sales records, the most recent one being...
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The initial slow start to the Chevrolet Volt rollout sped up in March with sales of more than twice the number than were sold in January and February combined. Sales of 608 Volts plus 321 in January and 281 in February now make 1,210 total. This is not a lot compared to 18,018 Cruzes sold...
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With an eye toward fostering electric-powered F1 competition, Jean Todt, president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), said it plans to begin with electric auto, go-kart, and single-seater racing. The first season could come as soon as 2013, he said, and plans for a series and championships are comprehensive. “We want as soon as...
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On of the world’s top car sharing companies, Zipcar, is planning to make an initial public offering. It recently amended its Securities and Exchange Commission filing, and is now seeking about $89.2 million from sale of 8.3 million shares at around $14-16 each. The company has been in business since 1999 with regional service for...
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After three months of delays due to a last-minute fix to its pedestrian warning system, 1,550 Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are due at U.S. dealers any day now. Hyundai said about 900 Sonata Hybrids are now in port, and 650 more are on their way. Supposedly a few were delivered in January, but Ward’s Auto reports...
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BMW’s in-development electric car, the i3 has been confirmed as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a mid-mounted electric motor. It is expected to be for sale by 2013. Its motor support platform was developed in house and made mostly of carbon fiber. The motor will be positioned ahead of the rear wheels, and the serviceable battery...
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A team of Georgia Tech students has put together a dual-battery, solar-powered Audi TT to compete later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. One of the car’s batteries is charged by solar panels, and energizes power brakes, windows and steering. The second battery puts out 120 volts which is directed to an...
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With practically every automaker jockeying for a place in the emerging EV market, it’s still open territory for small innovators like ECOmove, a, Danish firm, to also stake their claim. The company is only a couple years old, but says it has experienced automotive innovators on staff who put together its modular all-battery powered chassis...
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Federal legislators have begun examining ways to tax highway users based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as a way to bring up shortfalls to the Highway Trust Fund. A concern is that as fuel-efficient hybrids and plug-in cars increase, fuel tax generated revenues will do little for the already insufficient funding base. In a Congressional...
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Hyundai began showing a new hydrogen fuel-cell concept car today at the Seoul Motor Show. Called the Blue2, its name is a merging of Blue Drive, Hyundai’s environmentally conscious sub brand, and H2, which is the symbol for hydrogen. Also code named the HDN-6, it is a luxury car featuring around 121 horsepower, and delivering...
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