Filling the tank with used fry oil is gaining in popularity but still far from mainstream. Part of the reason is clearly the limited popularity and availability of diesel passenger cars in the US compared to many other markets. Actually getting and…

Ford's upcoming baby, the Ka, won't be making its public debut until October's Paris Motor Show, but it seems to be turning up all over the place these days. The latest sighting of a new Ka was outside of the Tychy, Poland factory where the Ka and…

At the Detroit Auto Show, American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton announced a green racing initiative for the series. A big part of that included the announcement that the Corvette Racing team would be running on E85 made with cellulosic ethanol…

Click Image for high-res gallery of the Mustangs that were at DDC
I admit it, I'm an unabashed Mustang fan. I have been ever since I was a kid and a family friend had a blue '69 Mach1. The first brand new car I bought after I graduated from college…

Aside from fuels, one of the biggest uses of petroleum is in the production of polymer materials like plastics. Just as automakers have attempted to reduce the use of petroleum-based fuels, researchers are also working on reducing the other dino…

Click the MINI E for a high res gallery
For three days before and during the media previews for the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, BMW had about a dozen electric MINIs available for evaluation drives. We finally got our crack at one Thursday…

Some people just can't keep a secret. Such is the case for the concept that Mazda will display at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of weeks. Mazda released a teaser shot a couple of weeks ago of the Furai concept. The car is based on the chassis of…

Yet another cellulosic ethanol project launched recently, this time in Alpena, MI with Governor Jennifer Granholm on hand for the ribbon cutting. The facility will be run by American Process Incorporated (API) and will produce ethanol from waste…

Renault Fluence ZE concept – click above for high res image gallery
Renault this morning made the production announcement for the fourth and final of its upcoming electric vehicles the Fluence sedan (see also: Twizy EV , Zoe Z.E., and Kangoo Z.E.).…

The MIT Technology Review has an article on plug-in hybrids and the electrical grid. The thesis of the piece is that wide-spread use of PHEVs, rather putting a strain on the electrical grid, could actually be beneficial and lead to strengthening of…