Efficiency, baby, efficiency: NRDC report touts better cars as solution to oil woes
April 19th, 2012
Consumers looking for relief from high gasoline prices are finding solutions in the US car market, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
US car buyers can choose from among 57 models of energy-efficient cars and trucks in showrooms today. That’s more than double the 27 efficient models that were available in the spring of 2009.
Related Topics: · auto efficiency, auto standards for 2025, gasoline engine, high mileage, improved mpg, new mileage standards, new standards for 2016, NRDC
Green Test Drive: Mazda3 shows agility on the road, without a toll at the pump
April 2nd, 2012
Cars that are fun to drive typically come with a catch. There is, it seems, always a but…
The Jaguar XK is fun to drive but the starting MSRP is $84,500.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a blast to drive but there is only room for two.
Related Topics: · high mileage cars, Mazda3, sports cars with good mileage
First CODA drives off the line, giving consumers another EV option
March 13th, 2012
CODA, the innocuous looking sedan that boldly promises the best range of any electric car on the market, officially entered its production phase this week.
The first fully outfitted silver, all-electric five-passenger Coda rolled off the assembly line at the plant in Benicia, Calif., on Monday, as factory workers cheered and company executives pledged to kick butt in a field that includes the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt and the pricey Tesla Roadster.
Related Topics: · all-electric sedan, California, Coda, EV competition, EV markets, Los Angeles, production EV models
Green Test Drive: Toyota Camry Hybrid
March 12th, 2012
You can’t really say the Toyota Camry is exciting, but this may get your pulse racing – 38.8 miles per gallon.
Related Topics: · Green Test Drive, high mileage cars, Hybrids, Toyota Camry Hybrid
Green Test Drive: Kia Optima Hybrid
January 27th, 2012
ou reach a certain age when it seems the only surprises are bad surprises. The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid is a rare happy surprise. The rise of Korean automobile makers is an oft-told tale – cheap lemons to top-notch serious competition for the likes of Toyota and Honda. The 2012 Kia Optima isn’t your father’s Kia. Heck, it isn’t even your big brother’s Kia.
Related Topics: · Clint Williams, Fuel Efficiency, Green Test Drive, high mileage cars, hybrid cars, Kia Optima Hybrid, Kia sedans
How the US auto industry is creating jobs and cutting pollution while helping Americans save money
January 10th, 2012
Imagine if our nation was offered a choice of how to spend half a trillion dollars of our wealth over the next two decades.
One option would be to send $350 billion overseas to the Middle East and other oil exporting countries, and the remainder on increasing oil industry revenues.
An alternative option would be to take that half a trillion dollars and invest $300 billion directly into the U.S. auto industry, put $200 billion back into consumers’ pockets, and create half a million new jobs while cutting emissions of dangerous carbon pollution.
Is this choice just a pipe dream? Is it too simplistic a way to look at things?
Hardly.
Related Topics: · 2025 mileage standards, American jobs, car manufacturers, Detroit, efficient gas engines, energy security, Ford, fuel economy, Fuel Efficiency, GM, green cars, mileage standards, Natural Resources Defense Council, OtherVoicesBlog, Roland Hwang
Eaton and Coulomb Technologies team up to expand North American EV charging network
January 9th, 2012
Eaton Corporation and Coulomb Technologies announced plans today to expand the North American footprint of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs).
The partnership will connect Eaton’s quick-charging Level II and DC “Pow-R-Stations” to Coulomb’s ChargePoint® Network, which is the largest network of independently owned charging stations in the world with more than 4,500 charging locations in North America.
Related Topics: · ChargePoint network, Coluomb Technologies, Eaton car chargers, Electric vehicles, EV network
Green Test Drive: 2012 Prius v offers an eco ride for families
November 29th, 2011
The high-mileage Toyota Prius is the best-selling hybrid on the road, but it’s not a car for everybody. It can fit four in reasonable comfort, as long as they travel light. While that makes it a great second car for long commutes or the principal ride of eco-conscious empty-nesters, it’s not really a family car – unless your family consists of a couple of dogs smaller than a football.
The 2012 Prius v, however, offers a mash-up of hybrid technology and station wagon roominess to serve as the family’s primary vehicle. Unless you’re Kate Gosselin.
Related Topics: · cars getting more than 40 mpg, eco-friendly cars, green cars, green family car, high mileage cars, new Prius for 2012, Prius family car, Toyota Prius V
Toyota Prius c subcompact hybrid coming for spring
November 15th, 2011
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., will launch a fuel-efficient hybrid at a more accessible price when the Prius c joins the Prius Family of vehicles in the spring of 2012. The U.S. debut of the Prius c will be next January at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Related Topics: · Hybrid Synergy Drive, Prius c, Toyota
Major electric cars for 2011-2012
October 20th, 2011
Here is a list of some of the more notable electric cars that are now available or coming soon:
Related Topics: · Electric Cars
Study suggests electric cars could have a large market
January 12th, 2011
Many automobile industry executives believe that sales of traditional vehicles will peak before 2020 and expect electric-only vehicles (EVs) to be one of the next hot products, according to a new IBM survey of consumer attitudes and a recent study of auto industry executives. But the studies also suggest that automakers will have to address consumers’ concerns about EV performance, recharging issues and convenience factors.
Related Topics: · Electric Cars, Electric vehicles, IBM Institute for Business Value
GE will invest in electric cars to boost charging equipment sales
November 12th, 2010
Hoping to help spark demand for its own charging equipment, General Electric Co. plans to buy 25,000 electric vehicles from makers including General Motors Co over the next five years. GE hopes the move will speed acceptance of electric cars by getting more of them on road more quickly and prompting investment in the equipment that users will need to charge them.
Related Topics: · A123 Systems, Chevy Volt, electric car charging stations, Electric Cars, General Electric, General Motors, Nissan LEAF, WattStation
