http://www.greencarreports.com/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://static.hgmsites.net/site-icons/site-logo_40016_s.jpg http://www.greencarreports.com/ en http://www.greencarreports.com/rss GreenCarReportshttp://feedburner.google.com http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084913_2025-gas-mileage-reachable-with-radical-downsizing-hyboost-engine-says-ricardo http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084913_2025-gas-mileage-reachable-with-radical-downsizing-hyboost-engine-says-ricardo Noticed engines getting smaller recently? You're not alone. "Downsizing", as it's called, involves using a smaller engine to do the work of a larger alternative--usually through turbocharging--while enjoying the fuel efficiency benefits associated with its size. Engineering firm Ricardo thinks this will continue, and not just in small...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084896_colorado-dealers-target-states-worst-polluting-cars-for-buybacks http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084896_colorado-dealers-target-states-worst-polluting-cars-for-buybacks Last year, we reported on a scheme aimed at helping Colorado car owners get their dirtiest vehicles off the road. The Clear the Air Foundation and ReForest Colorado aimed to plant a tree for every polluting old vehicle donated--cleaning up the air in more ways than one. The scheme is now doing rather well, Wards Auto reports. Clear the Air...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084919_smog-choked-chinese-city-bans-car-sales-adds-lottery-for-permits http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084919_smog-choked-chinese-city-bans-car-sales-adds-lottery-for-permits China is fast becoming an air quality disaster zone. On several occasions over the past six months, smog levels in major cities have reached hazardous levels, requiring fast action and dramatic changes from policymakers. The latest can be found in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of the steel-producing Hebei province around Beijing, where car...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084851_new-gas-mileage-rules-will-reshape-what-americans-drive-hybrids-electrics-cost http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084851_new-gas-mileage-rules-will-reshape-what-americans-drive-hybrids-electrics-cost Hybrids and plug-in electric cars probably get more press than they deserve, given how small their numbers are in the vehicle fleet. The U.S. has roughly 250 million vehicles on the roads, of which less than 2 percent are hybrids and plug-ins of all kinds. Nonetheless, both technologies are important because they're at the leading edge of the...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084908_bosch-offers-wireless-charging-for-nissan-leaf-chevy-volt http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084908_bosch-offers-wireless-charging-for-nissan-leaf-chevy-volt Tired of plugging in your Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt electric car to recharge every night? Yearn for the simplicity of simply parking over a charging pad and walking away? Bosch Automotive Service Solutions feels your pain. The service arm of the German auto-parts maker is now offering a wireless battery-charging system for owners of either...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084891_how-often-can-stop-start-systems-restart-an-engine-more-than-1-million-times http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084891_how-often-can-stop-start-systems-restart-an-engine-more-than-1-million-times Visit any European city, and you'll be struck by an unfamiliar sound: That of engines, previously silent, re-starting on every green light. A large number of cars in Europe now feature stop-start technology as standard, and while EPA mileage figures aren't favorable to its effects, they're starting to appear in the U.S. too. People do have...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084906_tesla-model-s-recall-announced-for-rear-seat-latch-bracket http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084906_tesla-model-s-recall-announced-for-rear-seat-latch-bracket Tesla Motors announced this morning that it will conduct a partial recall of Model S electric sedans manufactured between May 10 and June 8 of this year to fix a potentially weakened left-rear seat attachment striker bracket. According to a post on the company's website and signed by CEO Elon Musk, "the attachment strength of the mounting bracket...]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084892_tesla-to-show-battery-swapping-for-model-s-tweets-elon-musk http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084892_tesla-to-show-battery-swapping-for-model-s-tweets-elon-musk Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk confirmed that a press event to be held this Thursday evening will demonstrate battery-swapping for the Tesla Model S. The mode of communication was his favorite medium: a tweet. "Seeing is believing," wrote Musk, saying that the company will do a live demonstration of pack-swapping at its design studio in Hawthorne...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084878_electric-car-guide-state-by-state-specifics-from-sierra-club http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084878_electric-car-guide-state-by-state-specifics-from-sierra-club What's your first resource for electric-car information? We're hoping you answer Green Car Reports (of course!), but in reality there are quite a few by now. Today, the conservation group Sierra Club has launched its own Electric Vehicle Guide--and one of its key features is the ability to learn about state and local incentives by entering your...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084885_best-time-to-drive-a-hybrid-when-the-traffic-is-really-bad http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084885_best-time-to-drive-a-hybrid-when-the-traffic-is-really-bad Show us someone who actively enjoys getting stuck in heavy traffic and we'll show you someone with nothing better to do. But if you have little choice but to sit in that traffic on your way to work, a new study shows you'd be best off with a hybrid vehicle. You probably didn't need a study to tell you that, of course--a look at the EPA window...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084879_build-your-own-ford-transit-connect-electric-gliders-on-ebay http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084879_build-your-own-ford-transit-connect-electric-gliders-on-ebay Remember the now-defunct Ford Transit Connect Electric? It was the all-electric conversion of the Transit Connect delivery van that actually sank Azure Dynamics, which declared bankruptcy in March 2012 after sales fell short of projections. If you've always wanted one, now's your chance. But there's a catch. You'll have to build it yourself. Fox...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1079103_new-gas-mileage-rules-will-reshape-what-americans-drive-engines-and-transmissions http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1079103_new-gas-mileage-rules-will-reshape-what-americans-drive-engines-and-transmissions Smaller, more efficient engines better matched to more complex transmissions will have some of the biggest effects in making tomorrow's cars more fuel-efficient. The 2025 corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) level of 54.5 mpg translates to about 42 mpg on the EPA window sticker. And while Toyota Prius hybrid owners may note that they can do...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084877_ford-focus-electric-production-began-in-germany-last-week http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084877_ford-focus-electric-production-began-in-germany-last-week Ford started European production of its Focus Electric at its German plant last week. It isn't just the first electric car Ford has produced in Europe, but the first electrified production vehicle period--none of Ford's existing or previous hybrid vehicles have been sold in Europe, where diesel still rules. The company has confirmed the plug-in...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084876_used-hybrid-car-prices-fall-as-gas-cost-remains-stable http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084876_used-hybrid-car-prices-fall-as-gas-cost-remains-stable In the market for a used hybrid? Now could be the time to start looking, as prices are steadily falling. It's all down to stable gas prices, reports Wards Auto, which have seen used hybrid values fall faster than any other segment--down a full 9 percent from January. Where fuel prices in 2011 and 2012 spiked leading to a rise in the value of...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084874_first-aircraft-to-taxi-on-electric-power-paris-air-show-premiere http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084874_first-aircraft-to-taxi-on-electric-power-paris-air-show-premiere You know that feeling when you realize you've been missing out on some low-hanging fruit for years? That could be what the aviation industry is feeling right now, as Airbus shows off its new Electric Green Taxiing System (EGTS) at this year's Paris air show. The concept, reported by Aviation Week, is so simple you wonder how it's taken this long...]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000