Chevrolet introduced the Cruze Turbo Diesel in 2014, the first diesel sedan from an American nameplate since the less-than-stellar diesel cars Detroit offered in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It’s a world of difference. Actually, GM brought the European Cruze 2.0-liter turbodiesel to the Cruze powertrain lineup here, a well-proved engine that accounts for […]
Many believe hydrogen to have the greatest potential of all alternative fuels, not only for vehicles but as a primary energy source for all aspects of life. Used in fuel cells to electrochemically create electricity for powering a vehicle’s electric motors, hydrogen produces no emissions other than water vapor and heat. There are no CO2 […]
It’s well understood that Ford’s EcoBoost engines combine direct injection, variable valve timing, and turbocharging to achieve impressive power and high efficiency. While these advanced engines deliver the acceleration and high fuel economy desired in mainstream models, EcoBoost engines also power the automaker’s performance-oriented models like the Mustang and Fiesta ST. As die-hard enthusiasts always wonder…is […]
For a decade, Green Car Journal has been recognizing vehicles that significantly raise the bar in environmental performance. With automakers stepping up to offer ever-more efficient and ‘greener’ vehicles in all classes, the magazine’s awards program has naturally expanded to include a greater number of awards for recognizing deserving vehicles. This prompted the recent suite […]
Volkswagen has called for greater state and federal government support to bolster the next level of adoption of electric vehicles. At the 2015 Electric Drive Congress in Washington D.C., VW product marketing and strategy VP Jörg Sommer pointed out that automakers have largely delivered the electric vehicles that can satisfy the needs of most drivers, […]
The evolving world of 3D printing is nothing less than astonishing. Today, 3D printing is being used to help create everything from body parts to car parts. As demonstrated at last year’s SEMA Show, an entire car can also be created in real time and driven off under its own power. Now students at Nanyang […]
Expanding the driving range capabilities of electric cars through fast charging is of growing interest. Tesla has keyed in on this with its high-profile Supercharger network of fast chargers along major transportation corridors. While this is great for Tesla owners, it’s not a comfort to drivers of other EVs since the SuperCharger network is not […]
Coinciding with the release of symposium co-sponsor Alcantara’s fifth annual Sustainability Report, the International Symposium on Sustainability brought together leaders in the automotive field including manufacturers, NGOs, and academics from leading universities. Staged at the prestigious Venice International University in Venice, Italy, the symposium’s purpose was to share ideas and, at times, argue salient points […]
The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, a model already leading the pickup pack in fuel efficiency, just keeps getting better. The pickup’s new HFE (High Fuel Efficiency) version now bumps up the clean diesel model’s highway fuel economy by another mile per gallon, delivering the highest fuel economy of all current full-size pickups. Like the standard EcoDiesel […]
Just about every major automaker is developing automated vehicle technology. Experts predict we’ll see the first highly automated production vehicles by 2020 with fully automated cars expected by 2025. Automation will come incrementally with more of these technologies becoming available with each new model year. Already, vehicles with early forms of self-driving technology are in […]
It’s no mystery that automotive buying trends are influenced by many factors, especially the cost of gas. Sales of efficient vehicles are waning again.
The Consumer Electronics Show is a big deal in the consumer electronics industry. With the expanding integration of advanced electronics into cars it has become a high-profile venue for auto manufacturers as well, with automaker CEOs giving keynote addresses and auto press conferences growing in volume. Most of these involve connectivity, autonomous driving, and other […]
If plug-in hybrids aren’t on your radar, they should be. This next-generation cousin of the gas-electric hybrid is a model of efficiency.
The road to higher efficiency is an appealing one these days and driving a small car is one way to get there. While it’s true that not everyone is in the market for a small car, the appeal grows if small means efficient and highly functional but not constrained or boring. This is the theme […]
It isn’t all about efficient powertrains. Lightweighting vehicles is having a positive effect on increasing fuel efficiency.
It may be more straightforward to add hydrogen fueling stations than previously thought. One of the many challenges faced by a developing hydrogen fueling infrastructure is where to site new stations. Thus, the thought: What if hydrogen fueling could be added to existing gas stations at a more affordable cost? A recent study by Sandia […]
Personally experiencing the modern ‘green’ car’s fascinating evolution brings important perspective on how we got here and where we’re going.
Here’s a thought: What if you never had to wash your car? Just think of the time and money that would no longer need to be devoted to this task, let alone the water saved in an increasingly water-starved world. That’s the concept being forwarded by Nissan through an electric LEAF sporting a special superhydrophobic […]