Honda has planned to discontinue the Ridgeline in 2013, and with this move, there is an opening for a new pickup truck. The next-gen CR-V could spawn a new compact pickup variant. The CR-V is actually based on the Civic, so the pickup would be more of car based utility vehicle much like the Ridgeline....
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The third generation Smart fortwo is on its way, hitting dealers in the spring of 2012. The electric Smart car will roll off the production line in Hamback, France and will be available in more than thirty markets worldwide when released. The third generation smart fortwo electric drive features a fifty-five kW magneto-electric motor, churning...
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After a 27 year absence, Fiat has had a very successful launch in North America. Currently, the 500 is available in three trim levels, but the model range is set to expand next year with the introduction of the sporty Abarth version and an all-electric 500. Fiat will also launch a fifth vehicle in 2013, a...
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Audi is continuing to dump money into the development of its next generation crossovers, with the brand selling 155,000 Q5s globally last year along with 47,700 Q7s. “There is no doubt…that crossovers are still selling like hotcakes even though the trend seems to be shifting toward more compact models,” says Audi chairman Rupert Stadler. The high-riding Q5 and Q7...
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A new Harvard study has found that electric vehicles won’t be accepted by the American public until gas hits $4.50 per gallon. The study also found that surprisingly, over the life of the car, plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt cost $5,377 more than gas powered cars. The story is the same for the Nissan...
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Mini has shifted to become fully integrated into the BMW family, and will grow to include 10 individual models. Mini’s traditional three-door hatchback will be the first of the Mk3 Minis to arrive before the end of next year, and go on sale in 2013. The other nine new Mini’s will be lauched by the middle of...
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Anyone who has played around with an electric radio-control car knows that power comes instantly and as a result acceleration is pretty rapid. Expand the idea to a full-size vehicle, and the results are certainly thrilling. So far, all fully-electric vehicles have had a drawback, their single-speed gearbox, which tend to neuter the driving experience....
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Nissan has confirmed today, that starting in early 2013, the electric motor for the Nissan Leaf will be produced at the Decherd, Tennessee powertrain assembly plant. Prepping the plant for the electric motor production has been facilitated by U.S Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program loan funds. The Leaf motor will also create...
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Audi has once again won the Silvretta Electric Car Rally in Austria’s Montafon region. Last year, the R8 e-tron won the competition, and this year, a Q5 also competed finishing sixth place out of 32 vehicles. The A1 e-tron bearing the number 206 covered 307 kilometers in three days, winning the car rally. The event...
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Toyota’s new Yaris is built on the strengths the Yaris has become known for including its durability, versatility, efficient engines and easy to drive nature. Toyota has now taken these key aspects into the new model and gone further to offer a sharper, more agile, more contemporary looking vehicle. The Yaris will also appeal both to technology-focused customers and...
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The birth of the Fisker Karma has not been easy. The project has seen delays and customers have seen the price go up over the years, before the car even set foot on any showroom floor. However, it now seems that the project is finally well on its way to hit the open road, as...
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Do you feel that your electric vehicle isn’t clean enough because it uses power from the grid to charge up your car, and the grid could be run on fossil fuels? To make your green motoring even greener, Nissan and 4R Energy has teamed up to develop a new EV charging system, that makes use...
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The electric car market will become much more competitive in the next year when the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Ford Focus Electric hit the road. An announcement was just made regarding the official miles per gallon equivalency ratings, or MPGe, putting the Mitsubishi in the EV lead for now. The i has been rated for...
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Mitsubishi is becoming much more aggressive regarding future EV sales in its home market of Japan. Currently Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV sells for 3.98 million yen which equals $49,200. Government subsidies bring the price down a million yen equalling $36,900. The i-MiEV’s chief rival, the Nissan Leaf costs 3.76 million yen which equals $46,500 before subsidies and is...
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As part of the celebrations for the World Environment Day, Chevrolet showcased an electric version of their Beat sub-compact car in India. The Beat BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) is powered by 300 lithium-ion battery cells, which will take eight-hours to charge from a standard 240V house outlet. On a full charge, the Beat BEV can...
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With the Vatican looking to expand their use of green technology, the next generation Popemobile is reportedly set to employ hybrid technology, although His Holiness would reportedly prefer a fully electric vehicle powered by solar panels. The new Popemobile will be based off the next-generation Mercedes ML-Class, and used a hybrid system with a 10kw...
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Evidently, the third time wasn’t the charm for Think, the Norwegian manufacturer of small electric vehicles. The company has gone bust for the fourth time in its 20 year history. Think attempted to restructure, but was ultimately not successful. “We needed some additional funding and although we had interested investors they were not able to...
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Fisker Automotive is looking to hire 120 workers at its newly refurbished Delaware plant as the company gears up for its second electric vehicle, a sedan code-named Project Nina. Although the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid has still not gone on sale, Fisker is looking to hire assembly line workers as well as engineering staff and electro-mechanical...
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Nissan is looking to add even more utility to their electric vehicle, the Leaf, by incorporating the technology required for the EV to power a home in the case of a blackout. That’s right, in Nissan’s ideal world those with a Leaf would no longer have the need for a generator as the Leaf’s battery...
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e Things are looking greener every day. Take this new battery-powered vehicle that’s being developed at the Imperial College London. This green-mobile not only offers a bigger battery, it can also store electricity in the car itself. Currently being worked on by Dr. Emile Greenhalgh, this car can store extra power in the roof, the...
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Nissan has officially announced, that sales of the updated 2012 Leaf will start in the fall of 2012. The 2012 Leaf will include the addition of a standard heater, heated outside mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and a rear HVAC duct. A quick charge port has also been added as standard...
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The 2012 Chevrolet Volt will now be available in all 50 states, priced at $39,995, including an $850 destination charge. The price reduction comes as in-dash navigation is now offered as part of an option package rather than standard. Some customers will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, bringing the effective price to $32,495. The...
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At the recent Geneva Motor Show, Rolls Royce surprised everyone by showing an electric version of their Phantom luxury sedan. This super-green version might have been good for the environment, however it had its limitations, like taking 24-hours to fully charge from a household outlet (or eight-hours by using an induction charging system developed by...
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ZF, a leader in automotive tranmissions, has announced a new nine-speed automatic gearbox for passenger cars. This gearbox was designed for a transverse mounted engine and will provide up to 16 percent better fuel economy compared to a six-speed automatic transmission. The nine-speed is referred to as the 9HP and is extremely flexible, capable of...
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