Given the many fuel-efficient models on the market today, you’d think that the auto industry is clearly heading in the right direction. Now, a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency verifies this, quantifying the fuel and CO2 emissions savings achieved by this sustained effort, reversing a slight downward trend in 2011. EPA’s annual ‘Light-Duty […]
The 2014 Infiniti QX60 premium crossover lineup will include a new gasoline-electric hybrid variant, giving this automaker three advanced ‘Direct Response Hybrid’ models in its U.S. lineup. Slated for its U.S. unveiling at the New York International Auto Show, the new hybrid offering will join Infiniti’s Q70 Hybrid – currently badged as the M Hybrid […]
Driving on clean-burning natural gas is an option with the Honda Civic GX, an example of Honda's leadership with CNG vehicles.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or G-wagen – short for Geländewagen – has been around since 1979. It looks like Mercedes-Benz could be offering this iconic, off-road capable SUV for many more years. Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California created the Ener-G-Force concept shown at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show, a civilian version of the Mercedes-Benz […]
VW has unveiled its Golf GTD at the Geneva Motor Show, a sporty and fuel-sipping model offering a welcome 56 combined city/highway mpg. It does this with a new 184 hp four-cylinder TDI engine, a turbocharged and direct-injected powerplant that meets the challenging EU-6 emissions standard. The 56 mpg figure is achieved with Golf GTDs equipped […]
By mid-2013, Mazda will be offering a diesel engine sedan in the U.S. market, the first diesel car from an Asian manufacturer here in recent times. The Mazda 2.2-liter SkyACTIVE-D diesel engine will be available in the all-new 2014 Mazda6 along with a 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine, the latter coming first. Both engines can be […]
How to extend the range of battery electric vehicles? A start-up company in Stuttgart, Germany has developed an answer in the form of the ‘ebuggy,’ a trailer carrying a lithium-ion battery designed to be towed behind an EV. The ebuggy is viewed as an ‘on-demand’ solution since an EV would drive on urban trips without […]
It’s the beginning of awards season in Hollywood as I write this and we are in the thick of making plans for our annual Pre-Oscar party. It’s been almost 10 years since we launched the Global Green USA ‘Red Carpet, Green Cars’ campaign to help make hybrid and fuel-efficient cars fun and sexy. Once again, […]
General Motor has debuted its first all-electric car since the sporty EV1 that was sold for a time in the 1990s. The Chevrolet Spark EV is basically a Korean-built, five-door Spark subcompact sedan converted into an electric vehicle. However, the drive unit and motor will be assembled at GM’s White Marsh, Maryland manufacturing facility using […]
Lexus has unveiled its all-new, next-generation Lexus IS compact sport sedan. The new IS features IS 250, IS 350, and IS 300h choices, with the latter offering powerful and efficient Lexus Hybrid Drive. The F SPORT version shown is available across the board. Stylishly aggressive, the new IS sedan features a longer wheelbase and increased […]
The Dept. of Energy is supporting twenty new projects that aim to develop the infrastructure, training, and regional planning needed to support demand for cars and trucks that run on natural gas, electricity, and propane. Cumulatively, the Energy Department is investing about $11 million in these projects. Through DOE’s Clean Cities initiative, the projects deal […]
I am an electric car fan, always have been since I drove my first electric car – the experimental Sears XDH-1 – back in the mid-1970s.
I recently climbed out from behind the wheel of a 2013 Lexus GS450h. Fully loaded, this very luxurious hybrid will easily top $70,000 MSRP. And that’s not the most expensive hybrid offered by Toyota’s luxury brand. The LS600h L starts at $119,910. Back to the GS450h: It’s hard not to be impressed with the car’s […]
E15 ethanol remains the most tested fuel ever approved by EPA and is perfectly safe and effective for approved engines.
Ford’s super-efficient 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will make its first appearance on our shores next year in the new 2014 Ford Fiesta. It’s expected to be the smallest engine in its class and also achieve the best fuel economy of any non-hybrid car sold in America. The award-winning engine is already making waves in Europe, where […]
Computer and communication technologies are proving important in helping motorists drive more intelligently and efficiently. These high-tech strategies are increasingly being used to complement the fuel economy and emissions reductions brought by improved powerplants and vehicle electrification. On the way to the federally mandated fleet fuel economy average of 54.5 mpg, all strategies and efficiency […]
Mitsubishi’s recently-unveiled Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a first for this automaker, combining mainstream sport-utility appeal with advanced, plug-in hybrid efficiency. The Outlander PHEV promises drivers the flexibility of an affordable and spacious sport utility that can run in quiet, zero-emission electric mode for commuting, then turn around and handle weekend getaways for […]
Honda has developed a new lightweight and compact one-motor hybrid system that’s optimized for small vehicles. The Sport Hybrid Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive system is the latest addition to Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology suite of next-generation powertrain technologies that aims at both high fuel efficiency and driving performance. This new system joins the two-motor Sport […]