One of the many controversial points currently ridiculing the electric car is the lack of an audible mechanical engine noise, which come normally in cars with internal combustion engines. And the reason why the lack of an engine sound is controversial is for safety reasons: pedestrians with impaired vision or hearing may not realize that [...]
Companies have been hard at work to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon. And while it’s thoroughly proven that EVs are still suffering from practicality issues, EVs are essentially the band-aids for the broken legs of the automobile’s oil consumption and environmental problems. Hydrogen however on the other hand, is arguably the solution to all [...]
We’re not huge fans of the way the Honda Pilot looks but in terms of utility, reliability and the fact that it can transport 8-passengers, it’s a pretty good bet. For the 2012 model year, the Honda Pilot gets a “more refined look, improves its comfort and convenience features, and is designed to deliver the [...]
General Motors has been focused on several key car launches across its four brands including Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. While passenger cars have recently dominated GM’s vehicle-launch spree lately, the next-generation of full-sized pickups and SUVs are on the way in 2013 as 2014 model years. Until then, most of the focus will remain [...]
About a month ago, electric-car maker Think Global announced that it has filed for bankruptcy. Reports now state that Russian entrepreneur Boris Zingarevich, a major shareholder in Think, has been selected by a Norwegian court to bring Think out of another bankruptcy. Zingarevich said that new version of the Think City electric-car will be launched [...]
If you had any sort of childhood in the United States, then you’ve definitely heard of Mattel, Barbie and Hot Wheels – so it’s pretty sad for us to report today that Elliot Handler, the inventor of Hot Wheels die-cast toy cars, died on July 21 at his home in Southern California. Handler, 95, and [...]
Fiat of America has just confirmed on Twitter that the U.S. market Fiat 500 Abarth will debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Currently, the Euro-spec Fiat 500 Abarth is powered by a 1.4 16v gasoline Turbo engine, which delivers 135 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 152 lb-ft at [...]
During a recent trip to Stuttgart, Germany to visit Mercedes-Benz, I spent two days getting acquainted with the brand’s 125 year history and what the brand has in the works for the near future. One of the many stops I made was at the Mercedes-Benz museum where my tour guide pointed out something very interesting. [...]
The all-electric 2011 Nissan LEAF has been given a 5-star overall vehicle rating for safety as a part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). That makes the LEAF the first fully-electric vehicle to earn the 5-star rating from NHTSA. Starting with 2011 models, NHTSA introduced tougher tests and requirements [...]
Several senior auto executives met up with the White House on Friday in order to talk about the latest fuel economy standards. The proposed fleetwide target average of 56.2 mpg by 2012, according to analysts, are proving to be very difficult both financially and technology, especially since cars have continued to get bigger and heavier. [...]
