The finalists for the 2011 Green Car of the Year award have been announced and unlike in years past there’s a lot of competition, not to mention a lot at stake. Some serious heavyweights are on the list for 2011 including the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. Other finalists include the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid...
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When we test drove the Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 , we did our best to provide you with an accurate impression of what it feels like to drive something so completely different from anything else on the road. Even with the limited range, the lack of practicality and the huge pricetag, we would still have one without...
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Nissan has released information about a new plug-in sedan set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, a vehicle known as the Ellure. No details or photos have been released, but a nice bit of marketing fluff states that “Nissan’s dramatic new-value sedan exploration, the Nissan Ellure, is designed to bring a higher level...
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On the heels of the soon-to-be-released Chevrolet Volt, GM has announced its in-home charger, which will sell for the reasonable price of $490. Once you factor in what it would cost for gas, you’re probably willing to dip into your wallet. But it’s the installation cost for the in-home charging unit that will shock you....
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A report in trade publication Automotive News suggests that Porsche is planning a hybrid variant of every model in its lineup. Porsche’s Cayenne Hybrid is the first Cayenne sold to the public, while the 911 GT3.R has successfully campaigned in high level sports car racing in Europe. Next up is a Panamera Hybrid, as well...
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General Motors is increasing Chevrolet Volt production numbers in 2012, from 30,000 to 45,000 to a maximum output of 60,000 units. The increase in production to maximum capacity will conincide with the nationwide rollout of the Volt. Doug Parks, vehicle line director in charge of the Volt, said that “Starting in ‘12, we’ll be at...
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What’s very interesting is that besides working together, each power source can also operate independently – the 70 kW electric motor driving the wheels, while the 1.2-liter natural gas unit powers the fronts.
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Buying an electric car can be a tough decision to make, especially if you’ve never owned one before. EV manufacturer Coda has come up with of the perfect solution. The company has teamed up with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to add its all-electric sedan into the rental car company’s fleet. Coda will introduce about 100 sedans across...
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BP is set to install charging ports at 45 gas stations across the United States, which will be able to charge a Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi i-MEiV to 80% capacity in under 30 minutes. The charge stations use 480 volts rather than the 220 volts used in the home charging units. With the lower voltage,...
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PSA Peugeot Citroen is the first automaker to publicly stand up to the Chinese government’s proposed Green Car Plan. Recently an initial draft of a new piece of Chinese government legislation was leaked in which was revealed plans by the world’s largest auto market to strong arm international auotmakers into sharing their hybrid and electric...
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If you’re one of the many who signed up for a 2011 Nissan Leaf, you may be suffering from “range anxiety” (the fear of running out of power in the middle of nowhere). To help you overcome this, Nissan is coming up with a program that would give Leaf buyers a longer-range alternative. This program...
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The Chevy Volt’s Voltec powertrain might not be as special as we’ve been led to believe. Then again, maybe it’s even more so. After several initial reports about the car’s electric drive/hybrid system GM has issued a press release to clarify exactly how it works, stating that specifics were never given in the past as...
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Earlier this week, we reported that the Nissan Leaf had won the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award. Joining the Leaf in this prestigious honor is the Chevrolet Volt, which has been praised by Popular Mechanics as “more than the sum of its cutting-edge parts.” Just one of the features that helped secure the award is the...
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The Vivaro e-Concept is a plug-in, extended range vehicle that uses technology similar to the Chevy Volt.
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It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s a… bus? Superbus, actually (despite the Batmobile-esque appearance of the thing). And it’s electric. An electric Superbus (no relation to the 70′s disco classic) straight out of Holland (or is it called the Netherlands?). Whichever it is, one thing’s for certain: this ain’t your grandmammy’s bus. This 20,000...
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eBay is just full of hidden gems and surprises, along with really random and cheap stuff. We ran across this Mitsubishi Eclipse and on the outside it looks like your standard Eclipse with minimal modifications. Then you take a look at the interior and it’s overwhelming … tacky, but then you notice there’s a whole...
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Congratulations Nissan! The Leaf has just won the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award. What are you going to do now? Picked as one of the year’s 10 most transformative products, the Nissan Leaf made the cut based on a panel of experts and Popular Mechanics’ editorial board of advisers. Says Popular Mechanics of the Nissan Leaf:...
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Word on the street is that the Ford is gearing up build a new, high-end, low-volume halo car. This new car is the highly anticipated follow up to the GT40-inspired Ford GT, made especially for its 100th anniversary back in 2003. What’s even more surprising is that suggestions are flying around to turn this car...
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Citroen’s Survolt electric car is pretty single-minded. While the Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car for the road, the Survolt is meant to be an outright race car. With two electric motors making 300 horsepower, the Survolt has muscle, and can hit over 160 miles per hour. 0-60 comes in just under 5 seconds,...
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SEAT, Volkswagen‘s sporty, Spanish division, is known for taking old VW products, refreshing them, and selling them at firesale prices. SEAT’s newest concept, the IBE, shows what a SEAT coupe could look like. Perhaps the brand will get a version of VW’s Scirroco? 0-60 mph takes 9.7 seconds, which seems slow, until you consider that...
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MINI’s Scooter E Concept is the polar opposite from the brand’s other Pairs debut, the Countryman WRC, but it represents an important new direction, with MINI focusing on “mobility” as well as cars. The MINI Scooter E is all-electric, with an electric motor in each wheel hooked up to a lithium-ion battery. A smartphone can...
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Nissan‘s Townpod is a “pure concept”, but we wouldn’t be surprised if something like it ended up debuting from Nissan in the near future. A zero-emissions vehicle designed to meet the needs of young urban buyers (a familiar theme at this year’s show), the Townpod has rear doors that swing like an old Chevrolet Suburban, and the...
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With styling hints reminiscent of the stunning XJ220, Jaguar has just released the first photos of an 780-hp range-extended electric supercar concept ahead of its official debut tomorrow at the Paris Auto Show. Along with being achingly beautiful, as a range-extended electric car it has a propulsion system similar to that found in the Chevy...
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Infiniti has just released a teaser design sketch of what it’s upcoming luxury electric car will look like. Believed to be based on the same platform as Nissan Leaf EV, the Infiniti model is set to hit dealers in North America in 2013. Little info is available yet, but Infiniti promises the EV will deliver...
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