Illuminating the road ahead is a crucial element in driving. It’s also one that has long benefitted from technological innovation. To this end, Audi celebrates the evolution of automotive lighting with its Sport quattro laserlight concept car. The high performance, two-door, Plasma Red coupe harkens back to the iconic 1983 Sport quattro even as it’s […]
Do extended range electric cars and plug-in hybrids really save energy and make an environmental difference like all-electric vehicles? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ if enough zero-emission miles are driven. To that end, the latest news from Chevrolet is encouraging: Since Chevy’s Volt extended range electric was introduced in 2010, Volt owners have reportedly […]
Building more efficient, environmentally friendly cars involves more than just advanced powertrains. Lightweighting future vehicles is also key.
To bolster the market, battery electric cars will require continuing federal and state incentives that combined typically total $10,000 or more.
Location-efficient affordable housing is key to sustainability. Kalos, the Greek word for ‘beautiful,’ may be the name of an 83 unit affordable housing project in San Diego, California, but it also describes the ‘green’ car capacity the developer, Community HousingWorks, plans for the project as part of its pursuit of LEED platinum certification. We have […]
Subaru is somewhat late to the game when it comes to hybrids, with its first entry – the XV Crosstrek Hybrid – making its appearance in dealer showrooms in recent months. It is based on the automaker’s conventional XV Crosstrek crossover model that debuted late last year. Like all Subaru models except for the rear-drive […]
Many believe that the ultimate goal for electric transportation is the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV), with battery electric vehicles being just a step along the way. Hyundai is skipping this step and concentrating on developing and marketing FCVs. The automaker notes that affordable electric vehicle technology is best suited to smaller urban vehicles, not […]
Volvo’s new Concept Estate not only continues to reveal this automaker’s evolving design language, but also illustrates that Volvo is ready for the ‘big screen.’ Of special interest is this concept wagon’s interior design, which integrates a large tablet-like touchscreen at the center of the dash, a sure sign that connectivity and infotainment loom large […]
Mahindra Racing, the motor sports division of India’s Mahindra Group, has officially unveiled its Formula E race car. This represents the country’s first entry in the electric race car series. Featuring a lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum monocoque, the race car is powered by a 270 hp electric motor that enables a top speed of […]
The evolution of the auto industry has been no less than amazing. I have witnessed this first-hand while documenting the advent of ‘green’ cars over two decades at Green Car Journal and at Motor Trend before that. We had electric cars back in the 1990s as we do now, battling for acceptance, with other alternative fuels also jockeying for […]
Tesla, the upstart Silicon Valley company that’s proved an entrepreneurial automaker far from Detroit can make an exceptional and aspirational electric car, is embroiled in yet another fire controversy. Even as the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) continues its investigation into two crash-related Model S fires in the U.S. (but not a third fire in […]
It has not been an easy road for Fisker Automotive, manufacturer of the stunning Karma extended range electric car. A series of misfortunes led to this automaker suspending production and ultimately filing for bankruptcy. Now it appears this model is poised for reemergence through China’s Wanxiang Group, the company that just won a bidding war […]
Honda has been an industry leader in developing and deploying fuel cell vehicles for nearly two decades. The Honda FCX was the world’s first production fuel cell vehicle when it was introduced to the U.S. and Japan in December 2002. This was followed by the second generation FCX Clarity in 2008, the first dedicated production […]
The Department of Transportation’s year-long Safety Pilot ‘model deployment’ in Ann Arbor, Michigan is over but the learning curve has just begun. Representing the largest-ever road test of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology with nearly 3,000 vehicles, the demonstration explored V2V’s many benefits in real-world situations as vehicles communicated with one another, exchanging real-time information like speed […]
Nissan’s one-of-a-kind Frontier Diesel Runner made its first appearance at the Chicago Auto show, illustrating this automaker’s interest in the increasingly important clean diesel pickup market. Powered by a 2.8-liter Cummins turbo diesel with nearly 200 horsepower and, more importantly, some 350 lb-ft torque, the pickup features the performance and functionality required of today’s […]
While drivers in many other countries can choose from dozens of passenger car models operating on compressed natural gas (CNG), that’s not the case here. We have one: Honda’s Civic Natural Gas. That changes with the coming 2015 Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel Sedan. Like the Civic, the alternative fuel Impala comes straight from the manufacturer – […]
Can cost-efficient carbon fiber be created from renewable, non-food-based feedstocks like agricultural residues and woody biomass? The Department of Energy believes so and is now putting up $12 million in funding to help make it happen. The agency says that carbon fiber created from biomass offers greater environmental benefits than traditional carbon fiber produced from […]
Saleen Automotive’s offerings are traditionally gasoline-driven and they are fast. The company is well-known in automotive circles for its stylish and performance-oriented versions of noted sports cars like Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, and Dodge Challengers. Now Saleen is turning attention to high-performance in the electrified world with a new effort involving Tesla’s Model S. Company […]