Top 10 Best-Selling High-MPG Cars in May 2013
May continues the trend of good sales for hybrids, electric cars, plug-in hybrids and clean diesels. Consumers are seeking out these cars and keeping their sales numbers high.
2013 Fiat 500e Road Test
The Fiat 500e is flat-out the most fun of the pack of electric cars that I have driven over the past two decades. It’s got the sportiness of the original EV1 with a hip Italian package.
First Drive: 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV
Toyota’s 2013 RAV4 EV is the automaker’s second go round of converting its small gasoline powered sport utility to an electric vehicle. From 1997 to 2003, 1,484 RAV4 EVs were leased or sold. Of those, Toyota says approximately 449 are still on the road. This time around, rather than develop the electric RAV4 on its own, Toyota joined forces with upstart Silicon Valley electric carmaker Tesla Motors in a collaboration to develop and engineer the latest all-electric RAV4.
Top 10 Best-Selling High-MPG Cars of 2013 (April)
Compared to last year, hybrid sales for the first four months are up 12.3%, almost double the overall market’s gain. Plug-ins are on a tear with 130% growth, but on relatively small numbers. Diesels have taken a dip so far this year, dropping 6.2%, but are expected to rebound when high-volume cars like the Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, Mazda6 SkyActiv-D, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 hit showrooms later this year. Both the hybrid and plug-in electric segments are also adding models as well.
The Top 10 Electric Cars You Can Buy–Finally!
For all the twists and turns that the auto industry undergoes, it looks like 2013 will be a clear milestone for electric cars. The point here is to look at how far we have come and note the arrival of the electric car industry. It’s no longer a model or two, but a substantial variety of vehicles from major manufacturers that the EV-conscious consumer can choose from.
Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Needs a Better Accountant
Rebuttal of a misleading Wall Street Journal op-ed that trashes clean cars.
Company Turns Trees Into Gasoline Replacement
The goal is reducing petroleum use. ZeaChem gets California grant to produce ethanol to blend with gasoline from woody biomass and agricultural residue. They have a demonstration plant in Oregon producing ethanol from locally grown poplar trees.
Good and Green Reasons to Consider an Electric Car This Year
A pair of environmentalists dismiss some of the common misconceptions that prevent the eco-conscious from buying electric cars.
VW Plans To Build Highest MPG Car
Volkswagen showed the latest version of its super-high-mileage cars–and this time said it would put it into production. In testing the two-passenger car delivers 261 miles per gallon. It’s body is made of lightweight but strong carbon fiber and its plug-in hybrid powertrain combines a small diesel engine and electric motors powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Top 10 Worst Traffic Cities; They Need Congestion-Pricing/Zero Emission Travel
Vehicle congestion in the 10 large cities in the U.S. is costing drivers and the economy money and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. It doesn’t look much better in medium size cities and predictions are it won’t get any better as the economy improves. In Top 10 most congested cities it is likely that plug-in vehicles will get special privileges and access to reduce CO2 while other vehicles are charged.