Electric Vehicles

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2013 Ford C-Max: hybrid, plug-in hybrid offer vast mpg, car-like rides

The 2013 Ford C-Max is a five-door hatchback available as a hybrid and just released plug-in hybrid Energi the manufacturer hopes will infiltrate the dominance of the Toyota Prius in the green car market. Ford touts the C-Max as the most “car-like” of three top green car offerings the carmaker compared during a recent media briefing and brief drive in San Francisco. John Davis, a Ford spokesman, said during the debut presentation: “We want to people to feel like they are driving a normal car.” Davis compared the C-Max to the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt with specifics —  the vehicles’ cost prior to and after government rebates. (In California, the C-Max is also eligible for an additional rebate.)The respective

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Hurricane Sandy damage: 200,000 cars destroyed by fire, water

The devastation of Hurricane Sandy not only affected the business of numerous auto dealerships but it’s estimated about 200,000 vehicles will have to be replaced, including  15,000 new Nissan and Infiniti models and 338 Fisker Karma models. The loss of the Fisker Karma units, including 16 in a fire, while small in numbers represented nearly $35 million, since the base of the specialty car is $103,000. According to a Fisker Karma spokesperson: “Fisker engineers determined that the damage to the Karmas was the result of the cars being submerged under five to eight feet of seawater for several hours that left corrosive salt in a low‑voltage Vehicle Control Unit in one Karma.  The Vehicle Control Unit is a standard component

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2013 Tesla Model S claims Car of the Year honors

The Tesla Model S sport sedan, overcoming the financial troubles of its owner, long delays, pricing increases and bad press, has been named as the 2013 Automobile of the Year by Automobile magazine. “It’s the performance that won us over,” said the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jean Jennings when announcing the award. “The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses.”The magazine’s road-test editor Christopher Nelson was equally impressed. “Driving the Model S is decidedly not like piloting a Nissan Leaf or an electric Smart,” he said. One of Automobile’s contributors, Ezra Dyer arranged a race with a 560-horsepower, $89,900 BMW M5 sports sedan, seeing which vehicle could first

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2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Redesign adds further appeal to surprising sedan

By Bruce Aldrich, Contributing Edtior The 2013 Toyota Avalon will debut in December, and the fourth generation sedan has a new mission statement — excitement. The car has a entirely new look, an upgraded interior and better handling. Expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The real news is the hybrid Avalon. The hybrid drivetrain is the same used in the hybrid Camry. This Synergy Drive system uses a 2.5-liter gas motor, combined with an electric motor to provide 200 horsepower. I prefer the hybrid Avalon over gas models. The hybrid does everything the gas model does, but with less drama. The constant velocity transmission (infinite gears, unlike just six in the gas car) provides perfectly

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Toyota Avalon, 2013: New design invigorates old school sedan

By Bruce Aldrich/Contributing Editor Our grandfather’s car has been reborn. For 2013, the fourth generation Toyota Avalon has been redesigned to attract people with color left in their hair. The car looks and drives better because the manufacturer’s President Akio Toyoda wants it that way. Toyoda’s goal is to put excitement into Toyota automobiles. The Avalon is the first car in the Toyota line to benefit from the new edict, and expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The first thing I noticed about the Avalon is new styling. It doesn’t look like any other Toyota. The old, rounded jellybean look is gone. The new car has pronounced wheel arches, a dramatic sloping roofline and a

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Ford, Mazda, Dodge, Toyota named Green Car of the Year finalists

The Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-Max and Fusion, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Prius C are finalists for the Green Car of the Year, the yearly honor selected by editors and guest judges of the Green Car Journal and announced at the L.A. Auto Show. The finalists list runs the gamut of fuel-efficient powertrains — hybrids and plug-ins to high-mileage gas burners. The two Fords, for example, make the list in part because they come in both hybrids and plug-in hybrid flavors. Past Green Car of the Year winners include the Honda Civic Natural Gas (2012), Chevrolet Volt (2011), Audi A3 TDI (2010), Volkswagen Jetta TDI (2009) and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (2008).The 2013 winner will be announced Nov. 29 at the

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Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012: Stylish, efficient sedan improves Korean lineup

Twelve years after the Kia Optima debuted in the United Sates with little fanfare and few sales, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid was unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and was available to the public one year later. The 2012 Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, nearly the same as the 2011 editions, use the same powertrain, combining a 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 30kW electric motor and lightweight lithium polymer batteries to produce a full gasoline-electric hybrid. Key Takeaways Shared powertrain with Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: The Optima Hybrid pairs a 2.4-liter engine with a 30kW electric motor and lithium polymer batteries through a six-speed automatic, producing 206 combined horsepower. 35 city/40 highway/37

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Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012: Only CNG car in U.S. turns age 1, still unheralded

Thirteen years after its unceremonious debut in California as the Civic GX, the rebranded Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle has turned age 1 as the only natural gas vehicle available nationwide. Honda initially marketed the car to government agencies and commercial users. But beginning in 2005 individual consumers could also lease the car. In the fall of 2011, the Honda Civic Natural Gas received its new name and was for the first time included nationally in Honda’s marketing campaigns. For nine straight years, the Honda GX and (and now the Natural Gas) have been rated first in the “Greenest Vehicle of the Year” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A decade ago, the EPA first designated, the Civic

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Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012: Mixes racy style with economy, comfort

The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid gas-electric sedan offers a good combination of comfort, practicality, style, performance and high fuel economy. The mid-size Optima Hybrid is rather large, as are many current mid-size sedans, and its racy-looking body has a roomy interior. However, the coupe-like styling results in narrow rear door openings and poor visibility through the rear window. (The optional rear camera display thus is a good idea.) The small rear “lip” spoiler is so nicely integrated into the styling that you have to look twice to notice it. But too bad the gas/electric hybrid system prevents use of dual exhausts with shiny outlet tips—always a nice touch for a racy-looking car. Although the trunk is generally large, with a

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Toyota recalling nearly 800,000 vehicles dating to 2006 with suspension problems

Toyota is recalling nearly 800,000 RAV4 and Lexus vehicles in a six-year span dating to 2006 because of potentially suspension arms. The recall includes 760,000 Toyota RAV4 vehicles from 2006 to 2011 and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h vehicles from 2010. The manufacturer announced that if the nuts on the rear suspension arm are not tightened following the proper procedure and torque specification during a rear wheel alignment service, excessive play may occur at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation. If the problem occurred, the threaded portion of the rear suspension arm may wear and cause the arm to separate. Toyota said it's developing a solution and when available it will contact owners by mail with direction

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Rare Tesla Roadster owned by George Clooney set for Monterey Auto Week auction

It won't be the first nor likely the last celebrity car sold during Monterey Auto Week. But George Clooney's rare 2008 Tesla Roadster is expected to attract its share of attention during annual collectipn pf vintage and exotic car show and auctions. Clooney owns a Tesla Roadster "Signature 100" model. According to Inside Line, the website property of Edmunds.com, the car has only 1,700 miles on its odometer. The Obsidian Black Metallic Roadster, number 0008 from the run of 100 special editions, will be auctioned by Gooding & Company on Aug. 19. The car features a two-tone leather interior and is predicted to sell for an estimated $125,000. The purchase amount will go toward the Satellite Sentinel Project, an organization

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Tesla delivers new Model S with high hopes for luxury electric sedan

The Tesla Model S, which the controversial carmaker calls "the world's first premium electric sedan," has arrived to its initial customers with a starting price of just under $50,000 after federal tax incentives. The "affordable" sedan is about half the price of its older, svelte sibling, the two-door Roadster. With its vast array of options, the new Tesla's price can reach nearly $100,000. "It's certainly not mass market by General Motors or Toyota standards," Edmunds.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs told NPR Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne. "Tesla says they're going to make 5,000 of these this year, and then increase the production next year. So it still really is a niche vehicle." According to Tesla, the performance version of the

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Honda Fit EV, 2013: Spacious compact gets leaner with industry-best 118 mpg

Seven years after its North American debut and rapid rise to the top of the subcompact class, the Honda Fit has a new title — most fuel efficient vehicle in the United States. Reclassified in 2011 to the compact classification, the 2013 Fit EV will soon be marketed with its recently announced EPA rating of 118 MPGe. It’s the highest number ever awarded by the EPA. The 2012 gas-powered Fit has mpg averages of 27 in the city and 33 on the highway. Key Takeaways 118 MPGe sets the EPA efficiency record: The Fit EV earned the highest MPGe rating ever awarded by the EPA at its launch, surpassing the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe), Ford Focus Electric (105), and Nissan

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Toyota surpasses four million hybrid vehicles sold since 1997 debut

The Toyota Prius dominates the hybrid car segment and it's the primary reason why 16 years after its debut, the carmaker recently surpassed four million hybrid units sold. Toyota currently sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles in 80 countries and regions. This year, hybrid vehicle accounted for 15 percent of TMC’s global vehicle sales. Prius, Toyota’s first hybrid passenger car, went on sale in Japan in 1997. Hybrid technology was later introduced to the U.S. in 2000 with the arrival of the Prius. Since then, the Toyota Division of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. sold 1.5 million hybrid vehicles in the U.S., accounting for 65 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in the region. Prius, the iconic hybrid brand, comprises half

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Toyota Prius v, 2012: Roomier, supple sedan expands best-selling hybrid lineup

If you like the Toyota Prius, but want more room than the standard model offers, meet the larger, roomier new 2012 Prius v wagon. The four-door hatchback Prius v expands the Prius line. It’s longer, wider and taller than the standard Prius, although it doesn’t look as attractive. Its rear end seems to be grafted onto a standard Prius, which is no beauty contest winner, anyway. List prices for the front-wheel-drive Prius v are $26,400 for the base “Two” version, $27,165 for the mid-range “Three” version and $29,990 for the top-line “Five” which I tested. All are well-equipped. Even the Two has climate and cruise controls, AM/FM/CD stereo, back-up camera, keyless entry and power windows and mirrors. The Three’s items

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Hyundai confirms first hydrogen car Tucsan ix will debut in late 2012

Hyundai has confirmed its previously announced plans to introduce later this year its hydrogen car, the Tucsan ix, as a 2013 model and at a cost of nearly $90,000. The initial release will be 1,000 cars, with Hyundai predicting it will sell 10,000 units of the new vehicle per year by 2015. Most of the debuting hydrogen Hyundai models will be released in Europe. Most major manufacturers are planning fuel cell vehicle rollouts in limited production numbers in 2015, including Toyota, Honda, and possibly General Motors. Although the new vehicle is largely set for distribution in Europe, new Tuscan ix models that make it to the U.S., will likely be distributed in the Los Angeles where other manufacturers' fuel cell

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