Filed under: MPG
Earlier this week, we heard rumblings that workers at the east India plant that is supposed to build the Tata Nano could be besieged by members and supporters of the opposition party in the state. Automotive News Europe now brings us an update and says that the dissatisfaction against Tata Motors resulted in… »
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Toyota, Japan
One of the last electric car hold-outs has announced they will finally be jumping on the zero-emission bandwagon. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe let slip today in Tokyo future plans for just such a vehicle. Skimping on the details he said only that they would be mass produced and go on sale… »
Yes, that’s a real landspeeder, just like Luke Skywalker’s X-34 in Star Wars. No computer-generated Hollywood movie magic here. Well, except that it doesn’t exactly hover. The fiberglass body is mounted on a custom aluminum electric car chassis. With a top speed of only about 25 MPH, it’s going to take awhile to get across… »
Filed under: Hybrid
Here at the Detroit Grand Prix today, Corsa Motorsports announced their intention to debut a hybrid powered sports car in the LMP1 class at the Petit Le Mans in October. Corsa will be using a chassis developed by Zytek with an E10/electric hybrid powertrain. The 10-hour race at Road Atlanta on October 4… »
If you ponied up for the heated washer fluid on your late-model GM vehicle, you likely own one of more than 950,000 cars, trucks and SUVs worldwide that the company is recalling. The Detroit News reports a short-circuit in the heated windshield washer fluid circuit could cause smoke, an odor or potentially a fire. But… »
Filed under: Hybrid
Azure Dynamics doesn’t make the world’s flashiest hybrids, but the company’s Balance Hybrid Electric system built into Ford E450 chassis are regularly sold to utilities and other fleet operators. The latest order, for three such vehicles, comes from Con Edison of New York. According to Azure, the gasoline-electric hybrids boost fuel economy by… »
Call it amusing, call it ridiculous, but whatever you call it, reader James has applied the classic Martini livery to his Lada Niva weekend toy, and we call it awesome. The little Ruskie brute wears the vinyl graphics with all the class and sophistication of the rally and race cars of yore. Check out the… »
As big fans of the Alfa Romeo Alfetta, this New York Times profile of one abandoned Alfa in Brooklyn has touched us. Owned by a Romanian immigrant who passed away, the worn 1975 Alfetta should have been towed away after a few parking tickets because alternate side of the street parking in NYC is strictly… »
Filed under: Etc., Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Legislation and Policy
Now that Sen. Barack Obama has been officially anointed as the Democratic Party’s choice to head the ticket in November, it’s perhaps time to take a closer look at some of his policies as they relate to the subject matter of this blog. Over at… »
Only a couple of minutes into the briefing and already things are going bad. “The supercharged engine doesn’t trail off up to the 6,200 RPM redline, so on the track, you may find yourself hitting the rev limiter once or twice,†says a Cadillac spokesperson, preparing us for our first foray onto the track at… »