Green Driving
Cash for Clunkers Sold a Lot of Full-Size Pickup Trucks
Posted: Nov. 06, 2009 10:11:14 a.m.
When the federal government launched a program to clear gas guzzlers off the roads and replace them with more fuel-efficient cars this summer, Americans responded. We traded in our old big trucks. We bought new big trucks.
The AP explains, “Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program mostly involved swaps of old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that got only marginally better gas ...
Electric Car Startup Fisker Buys GM Plant to Build Midsize Car
Posted: Oct. 28, 2009 10:10:48 a.m.
Over the next few years, we expect to begin seeing some unfamiliar hood ornaments in the rear-view mirror. One of the start-up companies vying to become the future of the American automotive industry just took a big step toward viability.
Edmunds Inside Line reports, "Tiny Fisker Automotive on Tuesday confirmed that it will spend $18 million to buy GM's dormant Wilmington Assembly plant in Delaware to build its plug-in hybrid sedan starting in late 2012." The plant once built ...
World's Largest Cash-Back Rebate: $42K Off Tesla Roadster
Posted: Oct. 23, 2009 11:10:02 a.m.
If you're in the market for a new car and would like a little help with the purchase, there's a nice $3,500 cash-back rebate this month on the Pontiac G8. There's a similar $3,500 rebate on leftover 2009 Ford Mustangs. Or, for Colorado residents, there's a $42,083 rebate on the all-electric Tesla Roadster.
Yeah, read it again.
Didn't change, did it?
Autoblog reports, "Colorado is offering a $42,083 rebate on the ...
GM Contest: Name a Color, Win a Chevy Volt Test Drive
Posted: Oct. 23, 2009 11:10:09 a.m.
Sangria Red Pearl. Mocha Steel Metallic. Black Mica Slate.
Sometimes we think they name car colors with a short list of words taped to the wall and a dart.
It must be a challenge, though. Some of these colors don't exactly inspire a flood of adjectives. Take the muted gray used on the Chevy Volt prototype auto enthusiasts have been seeing for nearly a year now. It's...well...it's gray. It's a safe choice, since various ...
New Book Argues: Love The Earth? Kill Your Dog, Buy an SUV
Posted: Oct. 23, 2009 11:10:25 a.m.
If you love the earth, you'll get rid of the dog and buy a Range Rover instead. The authors of a new book argue that you'd do less damage to the environment in your luxury large SUV than you do by feeding your Rottweiler.
Fox News explains, "New Zealand authors Robert and Brenda Vale's book, Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living is an exhaustive analysis of the environmental impact of common pets ...
2011 Honda CR-Z: Driving Enthusiast's Hybrid Coming to U.S.
Posted: Oct. 21, 2009 10:10:27 a.m.
At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show opening today, Honda has unveiled the first affordable hybrid car built with driving enthusiasts in mind. The 2011 Honda CR-Z is a long way from the practical-but-sluggish Prius. This thing even comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
Edmunds Inside Line reports, "Compact and sleek, the 161-inch coupe, which has been two years in the making, is now reportedly ‘95 percent' representative of the final production product which is set to be unveiled at the ...
Report: Nissan May Build One-Seat Car That Leans Into Turns
Posted: Oct. 20, 2009 10:10:43 a.m.
On one hand, concept cars are often wacky vehicles that rarely see production, built to test the limits of what automotive designers can do. On the other hand, a lot of the cars currently in American showrooms, or scheduled to reach the sales floor over the next few years, are a little strange by old-school standards. Perhaps we should have seen the day coming when an automaker might decide to build one of its more bizarre concepts, and offer it ...
2011 Chevy Cruze: GM Aiming for 44 mpg with Next Small Car
Posted: Oct. 20, 2009 10:10:13 a.m.
When General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson met with the company's new Board of Directors earlier this month, he didn't tell them the future was riding on the much-hyped Chevy Volt. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Mr. Henderson said the most important product launch in 2010 will be the Chevy Cruze, a small car developed overseas to better compete with Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla."
Early reports say the Cruze is a significantly more refined vehicle than the Chevy ...
Some Buyers Still Getting Checks in the Mail from Their Clunkers
Posted: Oct. 19, 2009 10:10:13 a.m.
Just because you traded in your '93 Grand Caravan two months ago, that doesn't mean it's stopped paying you back. If you live in Oregon, there may still be another check in the mail relating to your clunker -- coming to you, not the dealership. If you don't live in Oregon, you may still be due some money.
Kicking Tires explains, "Some Oregon car buyers who traded in their old vehicles for more fuel-efficient models under the Cash ...
Congress Approves Funds for Three-Wheeled Cars
Posted: Oct. 19, 2009 10:10:48 a.m.
How many wheels does a car have? Four, according to the U.S. Congress. Or three. Three-wheeled vehicles can qualify, too.
Automotive News explains, "A bill to make fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles eligible for federal funding now available to automakers and their suppliers has passed Congress and is headed to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature." The bill will provide Energy Department funds to startups like Aptera Motors and Elio Motors, which have developed experimental three-wheeled vehicles that ...
