Standard half-ton pickup or heavy-duty variant? That’s the question often faced by those needing a pickup for commercial use, combined personal/business activity, or heavy-duty towing. It’s a tough choice because heavy-duty pickups really do offer levels of functionality that typically exceed that of light-duty pickups, but they’re also costlier, more cumbersome to maneuver, and usually […]
Alternative fuels have been an important focus at GM over the past 25 years. The 2016 Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel is the latest model to offer the ability to seamlessly run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline. Natural gas is the cleanest-burning of all fossil fuels and emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally powered vehicles. […]
When it comes to chips, automakers are all-in. That is, the silicon variety and not those with which you can gamble away a fortune, something auto companies are loathe to do. Traditionally, the risks auto manufacturers undertake are carefully calculated and always rooted in the world of profit and market share. As they look to […]
Among owners and fans, it’s a foregone conclusion that Tesla will remain the dominant producer of electric vehicles (EVs) as the automotive world increasingly adopts this technology. And why shouldn’t it? Tesla produces the best EVs, and perhaps the best cars made, has developed an incredible brand, and fills waitlists years before a new car […]
Hyundai's soon-to-come 2017 Ioniq comes in three flavors – hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric. All use the same dedicated platform but with distinctly different electrified powertrains, styling cues, and characters. The Ioniq Hybrid combines a new Kappa 1.6 liter, direct-injected, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with a 43 horsepower electric motor and 1.56 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion polymer battery. The […]
With its very limited edition 918 Spyder and more mainstream Panamera S E-Hybrid – not to mention the coming electric Mission E – Porsche has shown that it takes electrification seriously. The premium automaker’s next step in its electrification strategy is represented by the 2016 Cayenne S E-Hybrid, a move that has brought plug-in hybrid […]
It used to be that light-duty commercial vans were all pretty much alike – boxy, unexciting, and devoid of the kind of features we expect in our everyday vehicles. That all changed six years ago when Ford brought its European Transit Connect panel van to the States as an all-new offering on our shores. Thus […]
We are heading toward self-driving cars quicker than anyone could have imagined just a few years ago. While it will clearly be some time before our highways are packed with driverless cars making their way to work, home, and parts beyond, there are glimpses of the future driving alongside us now. It may be the […]
Mazda's CX-3, this automaker’s entry in the hot compact crossover SUV segment, aims to provide the style and functionality of a crossover SUV at a price approachable to a great many buyers, beginning at just $19,960. Sporting the unique front grill and fascia that speak the brand’s latest design language, the CX-3 shares its platform […]
Chevrolet’s all-new 2016 Malibu features an aggressively-stylish design, loads of on-board tech, a four inch longer wheelbase, and greater rear leg room. It does all this while also increasing efficiency compared to its predecessor. The bump in efficiency comes in no small part from the use of a high strength steel structure that sheds 300 […]
The all-new, seventh-generation Hyundai Sonata that emerged in the 2015 model year proved this automaker’s ability to offer increasingly sophisticated and compelling models. It featured a more exciting design, improved road manners, and greater use of advanced on-board electronics. What it didn’t offer was a new hybrid variant. Hyundai strategically retained its previous-generation hybrid Sonata […]
Illustrating once again that technologies proved on the race track ultimately trickle down to production cars, NVIDIA is applying its artificial intelligence (AI) prowess to driverless electric race cars that will compete next year in the FIA Formula-e Roborace Championship series. Being used is NVIDIA’s DRIVE PX2 graphics processing unit (GPU) that has the computing […]
Featuring design cues from the iconic VW Microbus, the BUDD-e is VW's first concept vehicle using the all-new Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) designed specifically for plug-in vehicles. The MEB architecture represents a fundamental change in future electric-powered Volkswagens, from body and interior design to packaging and drive characteristics. An all-electric range of about 230 miles […]
Toyota has added ‘Prime’ to the branding of its second generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to emphasize it’s the most technologically advanced, best-equipped Prius ever. Prime is the first Toyota hybrid to feature a dual-mode generator drive system that enables the Hybrid Synergy Drive’s electric motor and generator to both provide power for maximum […]
The Lexus RX 450h is a completely revised model this year featuring slightly larger dimensions, updated styling, and the signature Lexus spindle grille. A sportier F Sport model is also available for those who want to move even farther upscale on the SUV ladder. This SUV’s hybrid system uses a 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V-6 with […]
Positioned below the Honda CR-V in size and price, Honda’s new HR-V compact crossover aims to attract buyers with its coupe-like styling, SUV functionality, and of course the quality and dependability of a Honda. The HR-V is based on the Honda Fit platform although it’s substantially larger than the Fit, measuring in 9.1 inches longer, 2.8 […]
The Toyota RAV4 that emerged an all-new generation SUV in 2013 features a stylish refresh this year with a bolder front fascia, restyled bumpers, and sharper rocker panels. That’s not the big news for 2016, though, because the RAV4 now features an important new addition – the first-ever hybrid powertrain in the RAV4. While an […]
As the auto industry rushes headlong into autonomous vehicles and technologies there are some important learning curves ahead. Google admitted as much when one of its self-driving cars was involved in a mild fender-bender with a bus…not necessarily the fault of the self-driving Google car, but no doubt caused by reacting to an unfolding situation […]