The Chinese Government has created a National High Technology Research and Development Program, dubbed the “863 Program,” and one of the first funding recipients is China BAK Battery Corp. China BAK will be getting a grant of up $3.1 million,…
Category: Autoblog
John Edwards calls for Justice Department to investigate gas price gouging
Former Senator and now presidential candidate again John Edwards is trying to make some political hay out of the current high price of gasoline. Edwards dropped by Silicon Valley on Thursday and took aim at the consolidation in the oil industry in…
Automobile mag picks Two-Mode Hybrid as technology of the year
The awards keep rolling in for General Motors' new Two-Mode hybrid system. After winning the Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the system has just been awarded the Technology of the Year by Automobile Magazine. According to…
Another cost of going electric: Installing home charging gear
Chevrolet Volt home charging – Click above for high-res image gallery
It doesn't matter if you are switching from Windows to Mac, AT&T to Verizon or cable to satellite, there are usually some unanticipated costs associated with the change. The same…
PSA: Proper winter tires are more important than all-wheel drive
With the adoption of front-wheel drive as the mainstream power delivery system of choice, the semi-annual ritual of swapping snow tires has largely disappeared for most Americans. In many northern areas, all-wheel drive has become an increasingly…
Next-gen BMW 7-series likely to be a recipient of new mild-hybrid system
The mild-hybrid system that BMW is showing in the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the Geneva Motor Show will find a home in a number of BMW models over the next few years with one probable candidtate being the 2009 7-series. The system, which…
Lotus Exige 265E gets Japanese debut
Lotus is taking their flex-fuel Exige 265E sports car outside of Britain for the first time when they show it at JSAE Show in Yokohama Japan. The 265 hp, E85-capable Exige will be prominently displayed at Lotus' booth. The Toyota-sourced supercharged…
Amusing: Zoe Renault doesn't want there to be an electric car called the Renault Zoe
Renault Zoe Z.E. concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Any marketing person will tell you that coming up with the right name is one of the most difficult aspects of launching a new product. Big companies will spend millions of dollars…
GM and Ford hybrids have a good sales month in April
2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid – Click above for high-res gallery
April 2009 proved to be yet another ugly month for U.S. vehicle sales pretty much across the board with virtually every brand showing significant declines and the seasonally adjusted annual…
American MINI fans want in on the diesel goodness too!
Click the photo for a high-res gallery of the new Mini Cooper D
A couple of months ago the latest generation Mini went on sale in Europe in a Cooper D edition with the D being a reference to Dr. Rudolf and his magical oil burner. The 53.5mpg diesel…