The Renault Twizy is a small electric city car which is ideal for personal transportation in an urban environment, and will be available to drive without the need for a license – overseas in the UK. The small car is a few inches shorter than a Smart Fortwo, which means that it is actually classified...
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The quintessential go-anywhere, do-anything, vehicle, Land Rover is celebrating the production of its one-millionth Land Rover Discovery. In light of the landmark achievement, Land Rover is holding a 50-day expedition and £1 million (GBP) fundraiser to benefit the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a Global Humanitarian Partner of Land Rover. Displaying...
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Despite recently released distracted driving guidelines targeting in-car navigation systems, Chevrolet announced its new GogoLink smartphone app that delivers full-function navigation to the Spark and Sonic’s MyLink infotainment system. Imagine what the NTSB thinks about this, an application on a smartphone that provides plenty of distracting pictures on the vehicle’s infotainment system. Nonetheless, the aim of the...
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Opel is now the first automaker to road-test a fully integrated matrix light in its prototype vehicles. Its new LED light matrix technology is designed to make night time driving safer by using high beams in standard driving mode. While that may sound annoying to the other drivers on the road, the light matrix is...
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Among the many announcements piling up before next week’s New York Auto Show, Mazda dropped a subtle bomb. Debuting at the Mazda booth, we will see the Takeri concept (pictured above) in for the first time on US soil. While the sedan concept itself is nothing new (first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show), the drivetrain...
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Also, in order to enable fleet operators to better keep track of their costs and monitor emissions output, Ford is also introducing a new tool dubbed The Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Cost Calculator.
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As pressure mounts to curb distracted driving, one North Carolina town has made an unprecedented move, banning cell phone use in cars, including Bluetooth. While most states have some type of ban on cell phone use while driving, Bluetooth hand’s free devices are promoted as a safer alternative – even if the jury is still out...
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Looking for a way to keep track of your family members when they’re out and about? Whether you’re a nervous parent or a suspicious spouse, OnStar is adding a new Family Link program for just $3.99 a month that will allow subscribers to locate their vehicle no matter where it is. The optional service has...
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The all-new Cadillac XTS will start production this spring and when it finally hits dealerships, it will be the industry’s first car to feature directional tactile sensation to warn drivers of potential crash threats. While the “directional tactile sensation” name might sound fancy, in laymen’s terms it’s simply vibrations of the driver’s seat bottom. That’s...
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Powered by a 562 horsepower version of the 4.8-liter V8 (up 10 hp from the regular LFA), the Nürburgring Edition is capable of galloping from 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and topping out at 202 mph
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Despite having little to no support, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still pushing forward with its proposal to ban hands-free calling while operating a vehicle. NTSB recommends that all cell phone use be banned for a driver but has failed to gain the support of NHTSA or any major automaker. Regardless, the organization...
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An all-new Mercedes-Benz SL does not come very often. Since 1954, Mercedes-Benz has only introduced five generations of its luxury grand-touring coupe. For the 6th generation 2013 SL that will hit showrooms later this year, Mercedes-Benz spared no expense, packing it full of all the most desirable luxuries available to make it a true successor...
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After announcing an initial green car partnership at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, BMW and Toyota have now signed a collaborative research agreement to develop the next-generation of lithium-ion battery cells. The plan by both automakers is to focus on improving the performance and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells, using new materials for cathodes, anodes...
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Last week, details of NHTSA’s distracted driving guidelines were released with some of it focusing on in-car navigation technology. NHTSA proposed that static images on navigation displays would help make drivers less distracted, but we agree that such a restriction almost defeats the purpose of real-time navigation entirely. Thankfully, AT&T Labs is thinking outside the...
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When Opel/Vauxhall first announced that its Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would participate in the 13th International Monte Carlo Rally for alternative energy vehicles, it made a point to challenge the Tesla Roadster, which won the previous two years. Completing the racing stages from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monte Carlo from March 22 through 25, the Opel Ampera of Bernard...
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Equipped with new batteries, GM’s first electric car in America is already being tested in Torrance, California. Six Chevy Spark EVs are being tested by a group of engineers as the American automaker prepares it for its 2013 debut. The engineers are adding roughly 62 miles per day on the Spark EVs, putting it through...
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We know that Honda is heavily investing into continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) but what about a standard automatic transmission offering? It appears that the Japanese automaker could be investing in a nine-speed automatic manufactured by German supplier ZF. Chances are though that we won’t see any Hondas or Acuras on the road equipped with it...
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Batteries and cold climates often don’t mix well. Anyone who has tried to operate an electric device, like a camera that has been sitting in the cold, will soon find that the batteries have lost their charge. This sort of issue isn’t catastrophic with a small device, just a little inconvenient. The same can’t be...
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Volvo’s “Mean Green” is one tough looking truck. Although it is not ready to haul any trailers down the road, the hybrid is going to make an attempt to break its own record by hitting a top speed in excess of 165 mph (260 km/h). “Mean Green” puts out a whopping 2,100 hp and makes just...
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It was only December of last year when Google earned patents for autonomous vehicles. Now, the technology continues to rapidly move ahead as automotive supplier Continental has commenced testing a semi-autonomous vehicle of its own that is more affordable and could be among the first licensed for use on Nevada’s designated public roads by months...
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The witch hunt is already in motion for anything that distracts drivers: cell phones, iPods, even GPS with moving maps. Given that, it might seem short-sighted and illogical to market an in-car espresso machine. Toss logic out the window because the future is now and such a thing exists. That’s right, for a paltry €150, roughly...
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The Nissan Delta Wing is no doubt one of the most innovative cars to come out of the racing world in a while, weighing about half of what other comparable race cars do and putting out only half the power, yet remaining competitive. Nissan has been testing its new race car at the Sebring racetrack...
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With the strong dollar eating into profit margins and GM already engaged in a global consolidation and cutting exercise, it must be sorely tempting to seriously consider relocating production of these vehicles elsewhere if not dropping them entirely.
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Last month, NHTSA issued guidelines to establish criteria for reducing distraction from electronic devices installed by manufacturers while the vehicle is in motion, but those rules come with some surprising stipulations. One of those strange recommendations said “dynamic, continuously moving maps are not recommended.” In other words, the navigation display that updates in real-time to show...
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