Category: Autoblog

Since the advent of the hybrid at the turn of this century, an increasingly large group of hardcore fanatics have taken up hypermiling. For the uninitiated, hypermiling is the practice of using modified driving techniques to get the maximum possible…

GMC Granite Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
As one of the four remaining brands at the new General Motors, the folks in charge of GMC are trying to come up with a reason for the brand to exist. Until now, GMC's wares have been to…

The fast growing car sharing/short term rental service ZipCar is starting up their service in Ann Arbor, MI on November 1. The company will be making six vehicles available from three different locations on the University of Michigan central campus,…

Johnson Controls and Saft have a partnership to produce lithium ion batteries for automotive applications. Among other projects they are one of the two suppliers chosen for GM's Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid program. Saft has also provided lithium ion…

Now that ultra low sulfur diesel fuel has finally gone on sale in the United States, Mercedes-Benz has released the previously announced E320 BlueTec as well as new diesel versions of the R-class and the ML-class. All three vehicles use the same 3.0L…

A development mule for the new dedicated hybrid that Honda is due to release in 2009 has been spotted in the wild. The body of the test vehicle is built up from a Honda Airwave with the front of a Fit grafted on. The Airwave is a Japanese market…

Tata Motors is finding it increasingly difficult to meet its own self-imposed price target of $2,500 for its minimalist Nano. The latest issue is rising costs of raw materials, particularly steel. Steel prices have increased by half over the last 12…

2010 Honda Insight – Click above for high res image gallery
Electric motors and batteries are only part of the equation when it comes to hybrid vehicles. Hybrids still need an engine and Honda is a company that has built its reputation on engines…

Buyers of hybrid and electric vehicles in Japan could soon get a new break on the taxes they have to pay when buying a new car. Normally, buyers have to pay acquisition taxes that are a percentage of the purchase price and the weight of the car. A…

A study out of the Netherlands by consulting firm CE Delft predicts that a strictly enforced 80 kilometer per hour (50 mile per hour) highway speed limit could slash CO2 emissions by 30 percent. The study is careful to acknowledge that the results…