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VIDEO: Lightning Hybrids' LH4 hits the road
Lightning Hybrids LH4 - Click above to watch the video after the break Back in early April at the Denver International Auto Show, Lightning Hybrids' showed off its new biodiesel-powered hydraulic-hybrid LH4, the design of which was inspired by the classic 1963 Split-Window Corvette. Although the team had to scramble to get the prototype together in time for its unveiling, things have now settled down a bit and Lightning has managed to get the vehicle in running condition. Assuming everything goes to plan, the car – supposedly capable ... Read more →
Stop? Pause? A distinction without a difference with Mazda iStop Sam Abuelsamid
Mazda3 with i-Stop - click above for high-res image gallery If an engine is not being fed any fuel and the crankshaft is not rotating, is it running? Of course not. But would you say it is stopped ...
Review: 2009 Smart ForTwo - Undone by a Dud of a Tranny Sebastian Blanco
2009 Smart ForTwo – Click above for high-res image gallery The Smart ForTwo isn't for shy people. Even though Smart USA has sold about 30,000 of these tiny two-seaters in the U.S., the ...
Skoda introduces new 1.2L three cylinder, coming to a VW soon Sam Abuelsamid
The low price Czech-based division of the Volkswagen group, Skoda, has started producing a revised version of its 1.2-liter three cylinder engine. The powerplant is debuting in the Fabia but will ...
EDITORIAL: Attention Wall Street Journal - Ford does not use Toyota's hybrid system! Sam Abuelsamid
2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery in an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Alan Reynolds of the Cato Institute starts by making a few decent points ...
More mpg news
BMW X1 coming to America in 2011, diesel a possibility, up to 45.2 mpg (U.S.) 1 day ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 BMW X1 - click above for high-res image gallery After weeks of teasing and even letting some European media drive prototypes, the crew over at BMW's Munich headquarters finally released all the goods on its newest and smallest crossover, the X1. The U.S. branch of BMW has also confirmed ...
Suzuki offering free gas for summer with SX4 purchase 1 day ago on AutoblogGreen
2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery Suzuki is getting in on the free gas sales promotion bandwagon that Hyundai kicked off this year by launching a "Free Gas for Summer" promotion on all SX4s sold from now through August 31st. Of course, it pays to read the fine print ...
Dead Diesels: Six automakers reportedly kill plans for oil burners 2 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Diesel's near-term prospects in America took a huge hit with the revelation that nine diesel-powered 2010 models are on hold. Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have put the kibosh on rolling out more oil burners due to cost and perception issues. Toyota's obviously on a ...
Opel adds Sports Tourer Wagon to Insignia ecoFlex line 3 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer ecoFlex - click above for high res image Over in Europe, Opel has expanded it's Insignia ecoFlex line with a Sports Tourer model. That would be a station wagon in American English. Whatever you call it, this handsome machine gets the same range of optimizations ...
New Hyundai Assurance provision locks gas at $1.49/gal for one year [w/VIDEO] 3 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Hyundai Assurance Gas Lock ads – Click above to watch the videos after the jump Hyundai is piling on additional incentives to boost its Assurance program as the industry heads into the dog days of summer. The newest promotion, Gas Lock, fixes the price of regular unleaded at $1.49 per ...
Carver Europe files for bankruptcy, technology may live on 3 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Carver One - Click above for high-res image gallery We've been following the story of the Carver One leaning three-wheeler for the last few years, and we've often thought the vehicle was a great idea just waiting to catch on. Unfortunately, the company may never build another vehicle of its own ...
No fluke: new survey finds $4 gas is the tipping point 4 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Last year, the reality of $4 gallons of gasoline (and, of course, economic uncertainly), caused a lot of changes in the auto industy in the U.S., from a drop in vehicle miles traveled to a decrease in big vehicle sales. Looks like that $4 level is the tipping point for any future changes in driver ...
REPORT: Scion iQ headed for America by early 2011 with a few changes 4 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Scion iQ Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery As expected, Toyota's youthful Scion division will indeed get a version of the diminutive iQ for the North American market, possibly by either the end of 2010 as an '11 model or in early 2011 as a '12 model. According to Motor ...
Ford's new 1.6L EcoBoost four to come in three power levels 4 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Ford iosis Max Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery When Ford introduces the next-generation Focus in Europe next year it will be powered by the first of the company's new four cylinder EcoBoost engines. The engines will be built at the Bridgend in Wales starting with a 1.6-liter ...
Greenies can shoot for platinum in Nissan's new Intelligent Driver Project UK 4 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Following the lead of a similar project in Japan, Nissan has kicked off the Nissan Intelligent Driver Project (NIDP) in Europe. The NIDP combines all kinds of technological aids, including telematics, to help drivers reduce fuel consumption. In Europe, the NIDP is an eight-month study that uses ...
VIDEO: Jaguar extols the glory of aluminum 5 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Jaguar XJ - Click above to view the video after the jump Jaguar has long been a proponent of aluminum construction for automobiles. In fact, the current-generation XJ uses an aluminum-intensive chassis that's held together by loads of epoxy and over 3,000 rivets, which allows the big Jag's ...
Buy a smart fortwo for just $99 a month 7 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2008 smart fortwo - Click above image for high-res gallery With smart fortwo sales in the U.S. not going as well as hoped, smart USA has decided to offer its first incentive on the diminutive little car. That incentive lets qualified buyers get 4.2-percent financing on a 2009 fortwo through the ...
BMW plans "most advanced small engine ever" 7 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Lending further credence to rumors that BMW will be launching a new engine line that will feature three and four cylinders and comparatively small displacements is a report from Channel 4 in the UK that quotes BMW chief engineer Holger Winkelmann as saying the German automaker will soon launch the ...
Obama signs Cash-for-Clunkers bill into law, countdown to start begins 7 days ago on AutoblogGreen
President Obama has taken pen to paper and signed off on Cash-for-Clunkers, a law that could help the auto industry shake its year-long funk. The Transportation Department now has 30 days to determine the rules and regulations for Cash-for-Clunkers, placing the start of the program at the end of ...
Greenlings: Can pulse and glide work to improve electric vehicle highway range? 8 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Wayne Gerdes explains hypermiling before the Ford Fusion 1,000 mile challenge Recently we got a question from a reader regarding the benefit of using the common hypermiling technique of "pulse and glide" with a battery electric vehicle. Given the relative scarcity of pure electric vehicles, ...
Ford wouldn't turn down another $5 billion loan from the DOE 9 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Ford Taurus SHO - Click above for high-res gallery While Ford managed to get $5.9 billion from the DOE's ATVMLP fund yesterday, that's only about half of what the automaker asked for. Ford's original request for help was for $11 billion. And, since the feds are still handing out money at a ...
2010 Buick LaCrosse to add 2.4L DI four cylinder, 30 mpg highway 10 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Buick LaCrosse - Click above for high-res image gallery During a recent online media event, Buick announced a new addition to the powertrain lineup for the 2010 LaCrosse. When we first heard about the LaCrosse in January, it was to be powered by the 3.0-liter and 3.6-liter direct injected ...
Officially, official: Ford gets $5.9b from DOE in ATVMP funds for 13 greener cars 10 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Ford Focus EV Mule - Click above for high-res gallery The third piece of the DOE's funding puzzle that was laid out this morning goes, as expected, to Ford. What's notable is that Ford's share of the $8 billion in conditional loan commitments that the DOE announced today for electric cars is by ...
V-Vehicle Company video might reveal a few more details on upcoming high-mpg car 10 days ago on AutoblogGreen
They're nothing more than brief flashes on a screen and there's no guarantee that they represent the mysterious new vehicle announced last week, but the teaser images in a promotional video about V-Venture Co. from Louisiana Economic Development could be previewing the company's upcoming high-mpg ...
Bosch looks for more business as Chrysler starts to build Fiats 10 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Bosch has long been a major supplier of many different automotive components to Fiat, and the company is hoping to leverage that association with the new Chrysler. Bosch provides a higher proportion of the parts and systems that go into the Italian cars than they ever have had at Chrysler. However, ...
STUDY: The way to profits in Detroit? Make fuel efficient cars 11 days ago on AutoblogGreen
According to a new study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the Detroit three automakers need to make major changes in their current corporate cultures if they truly want to reverse their fortunes, and that will likely require new leadership. Says Walter McManus, ...
Analysts: There's no guarantee that cash-for-clunkers will really drive car sales 11 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Now that the cash-for-clunkers bill is ready for the President's signature, attention is turning to how much of an impact the negotiated bill will actually have on car sales. There are a lot of positive stories about the bill floating around - headlines say the bill might "jumpstart US auto sales" ...
NHTSA proposes tire fuel efficiency stickers 12 days ago on AutoblogGreen
American car buyers are used to seeing window stickers with information about fuel efficiency, crash test ratings and emissions. They may soon have another chunk of information to review when they go to their local tire store to buy new rubber. Buying new tires has always been problematic for ...
PSA expands production of transmissions for better fuel efficiency 13 days ago on AutoblogGreen
PSA has produced 30 million transmissions at its Valenciennes factory near Calais, France since opening in 1981, and it has just launched an expansion there. While the plant produces four different types of transmissions, the expansion is focused on the two newest designs for the mechanical compact ...
REPORT: Three cylinder coming to next Mercedes-Benz C-Class, hybrids for all models 13 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Mercedes-Benz A-Class - Click above for high-res image gallery According to a report from AutoWeek.nl, Mercedes-Benz is taking a long, hard look at a new three-cylinder engine for its upcoming range of small cars and hybrids. Daimler already offers a 1.0-liter three-banger in the diminutive ...
EPA rates new CVT-equipped Subaru Legacy at 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway 14 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Subaru Legacy – Click above for high-res image gallery The EPA has finished its work on the new 2010 Subaru Legacy and, in spite of growing in size, the mid-sized sedan now sports better fuel economy numbers. In its efforts to capture a unique niche of the car market, Subaru still ...
Hyundai to launch direct injection for 2010 Santa Fe, Sonata 14 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Hyundai Sonata being evaluated on a Detroit area freeway Hyundai's Montgomery, AL factory added production of four-cylinder engines last year, but recently the engine line has been getting some upgrades. Evidently, Hyundai is getting ready to add direct injection to its 2.4-liter ...
More information on V Vehicle Co.'s Louisiana plant endeavor, high-mpg cars 15 days ago on AutoblogGreen
There was big news out of Louisiana yesterday when new automaker V-Vehicle Co. came out of stealth mode with its announcement that it would start building high-mileage, environmentally friendly vehicles in an idled GM plant. In the hours since, we've found a bit more information about VVC and ...
Toyota ups the small car score with the iQ3 (iQ cubed) 15 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Toyota iQ3 - Click above for high-res image gallery The original iQ is such a museum piece. The new iQ3, which Toyota announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March, is now on sale in the UK. The iQ cubed adds a 98 bhp 1.33-liter engine with Toyota Optimal Drive to the small car line up and the ...
VW 1.4-liter Twincharger wins 2009 International Engine of the Year 15 days ago on AutoblogGreen
What qualities are required for an engine to be considered the best-of-the-best in today's world? Naturally, any given engine needs to make enough power for its intended application, but fuel efficiency is just as important in modern society. This being the case, it's not terribly surprising that ...
Ford adds new 2.0-liter, 45.2 mpg (U.S.) Mondeo ecoNetic in Europe 15 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Ford of Europe is expanding its Mondeo ecoNetic line with a new 115 hp 2.0-liter model. The latest variant gets a CO2 rating of just 139 g/km on the EU drive cycle and consumes diesel at the rate of 45.2 mpg (U.S.). Like other ecoNetic vehicles (and the low CO2 models from other automakers) the ...
