Fisker’s latest Karma problems? Vehicles stuck at sea

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Fisker

How many ways can a car be delayed? For the Fisker Karma, the answer is: a lot. Following all sorts of problems in getting the luxury plug-in hybrid to market (to say nothing of the price increases and the two insta-recalls), Fisker’s latest problem is, apparently, having finished vehicles that are [...]

Mercedes and Ducati highlight partnership with pair of matching vehicles

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Motorcycle, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz and Ducati joined forces a little over a year ago, and the two brands have chosen the Bologna Motor Show to mark the anniversary. The companies are showing off an SLK 55 AMG and a Streetfighter 848, respectively. Both machines are painted in eye-melting [...]

Toyota recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide for potential steering problem

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it is recalling more than 420,000 vehicles in the United States for a potentially faulty crank shaft pulley. A total of 283,200 Toyota vehicles as well as 137,000 Lexus vehicles may experience a pulley failure in which the inner and outer rings become misaligned. If that happens, [...]

More than 1 million fuel cell vehicles will be sold by 2020

Filed under: Hydrogen

The fuel cell boom is coming.
According to Pike Research, sales of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) will break the one-million-unit mark by 2020, with a cumulative 1.2 million vehicles sold globally by the end of that year. All those road-worthy FCVs will generate $16.9 billion in annual revenue by 2020. Yep, that’s billion, with [...]

Diesel passenger vehicles sales slip 13% in September; VW, BMW on top

Filed under: Diesel, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, USA

Oil-sippers failed to make even the slightest of dents in the U.S.’ hybrid-heavy green vehicle scene.
Through the end of September 2011, sales of diesel passenger vehicles in the U.S. were up 30.9 percent, compared to the same nine-month period in 2010. However, at only 7,663 total units [...]

Why plug-in vehicles with “small” battery packs should be subsidized in a big way

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, USA

Are plug-in vehicle incentives distributed correctly?
Apparently not. A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University (PDF) suggests that by subsidizing vehicles with big battery packs (that is, bigger than 16 kWh), the return on investment (in terms of reducing gas/diesel consumption and lowering emissions) is less than if the $7,500 tax credit [...]

Pike Research says annual sales of plug-in vehicles in U.S. will hit 358,959 by 2017

Filed under: EV/Plug-in

Pike Research has put out an estimate saying that annual sales of plug-in vehicles in the United States will hit 358,959 by 2017. And they’re not all going to the usual suspects. Mostly, sure, but not all.
Since there is no national Level 2 (or faster) charging infrastructure the way there is a gasoline [...]

Could plug-in vehicles save the U.S. Postal Service?

Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, MPG, USA

With the United States Postal Service facing financial woes, Infrastructurist claims to have found a plugged-in solution that will keep the centuries-old, Constitution-formed government agency alive and kicking: four tips that, if successful, would make Benjamin Franklin* proud. Here’s an abbreviated look at tip number one:

The USPS currently operates [...]

Need another reason to buy cleaner vehicles? How about a lower risk of heart attacks

Filed under: Diesel, Etc., MPG

Breathing in traffic fumes can trigger a heart attack up to six hours after exposure, according to research published by the British Medical Journal.
The Journal identified exposure to particulate matter (PM-10) and nitrogen dioxide – both found to be at elevated levels of concentration in urban centers – as possible triggers [...]

Elon Musk: “majority” of vehicles will be electric by 2030

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, Tesla Motors

The oft-outspoken chief executive officer of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, is chomping at the electric bit again.
While speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco recently, Musk, a 40-year-old billionaire recently profiled by Bloomberg Risk Takers, shared an enthusiastic vision of electric cars and solar energy with the room-filling [...]

Next Page »