Category: Autoblog

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery
We've had plenty of discussion around here about the extensive testing that General Motors has been doing on the battery pack of the Chevrolet Volt, but considerably less on the pack for the…

It was a big day for MINI news as ABG published a full review of the diesel powered MINI Cooper D that got 47 mpg, and MINI USA VP Jim McDowell told us that the recently announced electric MINI will arrive in the US next summer. We may even get the…

Click the MINI E for a high res gallery
An interesting question came up the other day regarding my quick drive review of the new battery powered MINI E. I noted that the MINI uses much more regen than other electrically-driven vehicles that I've…

Mercedes-Benz has just introduced a new dual-fueled version of the Sprinter van that can run on either gasoline or natural gas. The big van is powered by a 156hp supercharged 1.8L four cylinder with 177lb-ft of torque. Mercedes claims the Sprinter…

Lot's of rich people buy Ferraris and Lamborghinis and Bugattis. Actually, rich people are the only ones who buy such cars. On the other hand, not all wealthy folks are extravagent; many of them tend to be on the frugal side. It's how they get rich…

If you're an EV fan in the Los Angeles area next week there will be an opportunity to check out the Tesla Roadster first hand at a meeting of the Motor Press guild. The car will be on display while Tesla CEO Martin Eberhard speaks at a luncheon of…

The first DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge event in 2004 was a complete disaster without a single one of the autonomous vehicle competitors managing to complete the 142 mile desert course. The farthest anyone got was…

Click on the photo for a high-res gallery of the Polo
The guys over at eGMCarTech are reporting that Volkswagen is considering launching the b-class Polo in the US market. If it does come over here it could launch sometime around 2010. The Polo is…

I fully agree that we need more fuel efficient vehicles. But I also firmly believe that the vast majority of American drivers (and others around the world) will always buy the biggest, most powerful vehicle they think they can afford to operate. When…

Nation grocery store chain Safeway has announced that they have converted their entire distribution truck fleet to running on biodiesel. The company has over 1,000 trucks in their fleet, all of which are now fueled with biodiesel. Safeway estimates…