Aug 25, 2010

Morgan Motor Company celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Though the world is much different from when the company was first founded in 1909, Morgan still hand assembles every car it builds. It makes just a few hundred vehicles a year, but they are of the highest quality and are some of the most sought after cars ever built.

Despite the exclusive nature of the Morgan automobile though, the company must be admired for its ability to look forward. Hybrids, hydrogen-power, and electric cars are the future, and Morgan doesn’t plan on being left behind. They have announced that they will be building a diesel-electric hybrid car with a 1,000 mile range.

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Aug 25, 2010

In preparation for its official debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show next month, Honda released some pics and a few details for the much anticipated Honda Fit Hybrid today (called the Jazz in Europe and Japan). The car will be the first modern subcompact parallel hybrid to reach consumers since the release of the original Honda Insight back in 1999—and it is rumored to cost between $16,500 and $18,600 when it goes on sale in Japan next year. At that price it would be the cheapest hybrid available on the market.

Yet, as the news fans out on the internet today, one bit of info buried rather vaguely in the press release that hasn’t been picked up elsewhere piqued my curiosity. Up till now, speculation about the expected fuel economy of the Fit Hybrid ranged anywhere from 60-70 mpg, but according to Honda, the Fit Hybrid will have about the same fuel economy as the current Insight.

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Aug 25, 2010

When anybody says “hybrid”, the first car that comes to mind is the Toyota Prius. For Toyota, this is a good thing, as they have become synonymous with “green” vehicles. The Prius has dominated the hybrid car market for over a decade, and you cannot go anywhere without seeing at least a few of them in a parking lot.

Still, overall sales of hybrids have slowed as gas prices remain low. Consumers are instead, once again, turning towards pickups and SUV’s and shunning hybrids. In light of lower sales, Toyota has lowered its targeted hybrid production for 2011 from 1 million units to around 740,000.

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Aug 25, 2010

When Honda first announced the CRZ Hybrid, they promised a spiritual successor to the “totally 80’s” CRX Si—a car that set the standard for small, fun-to-drive commuters.

When the final production version debuted, many felt that the CRZ program had failed. The new car was slower, heavier, and fuel economy was lagging behind the 80’s CRX… not exactly a recipe for automotive fun.

ENTER: HKS (let the fun begin!).

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Aug 24, 2010

There are many things that General Motors has been incredibly forthcoming about as they’ve developed the Volt for all the world to see. Certainly no other vehicle has been the subject of so many videos and webchats detailing its trips through 2 feet of water or its visits to the arctic or some other form of vehicle torture.

But when it comes to the Volt’s real-world fuel efficiency, GM has methodically avoided comment. Now, thanks to the keen eyes of some web denizens, it appears that one video shot by a Volt test driver shows that the Volt achieves less than 30 mpg after the battery has been depleted—in what’s called charge-sustaining mode. Given that the Prius is capable of obtaining 50 mpg on average, the revelation is rather shocking.

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Aug 24, 2010

Although Peugeot’s frequent collaborator, Mini, has chosen to forgo the hybrid-diesel system in favor of improving engine fuel economy in more mundane manners, Peugeot is full steam ahead with their rather interesting take on hybrid technology.

The 3008 HYbrid4 won’t be making its official market debut until next spring, but as the world’s first mass-market diesel hybrid—and Peugeot’s first delve into the world of hybrids—the details that Peugeot unveiled yesterday reveal a company bent on staking a claim in the rapidly expanding hybrid market.

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Aug 24, 2010

I’ve been in some pretty terrible traffic jams. It took me four hours to go just 60 miles during L.A.’s infamous rush hour, and back home in Connecticut, I-84 seems to be perpetually backed up, even on weekends. For all my bellyaching though, I usually just stick it out and try to relax while the traffic unwinds itself.

That isn’t an option for travelers southeast of China’s capital city, Beijing. For the past ten days, traffic has been piling up along the National Expressway 100 as road construction has slowed speeds to a crawl.

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Aug 24, 2010

As some of you may already know, I spent about half the summer driving around the country in an old Ford Mustang. It was an amazing experience fraught with mistakes and poorly laid plans. Next time, I will do things differently. For one, I’ll probably try to find a van or station wagon big enough to sleep in, should circumstances call for it.

Then again, maybe I’ll just buy a Buffalino. This clever little three wheeler packs an entire RV in a very small area. Designed for one person, it looks like the perfect mobile office. Just don’t expect to get anywhere in a rush.

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Aug 24, 2010

According to some venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, America’s quick-paced advances towards more efficient energy production and conservation may mean that, by 2020, the US will be faced with a huge energy SURPLUS.

Is there any reason to believe they might be right? More, after the jump.

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Aug 24, 2010

For the past few years, we’ve gotten a lot of promises from major car manufacturers and electric vehicle startups alike. Tesla Motors and Fisker are perhaps the best known new car startups, and while the former has been delivering electric roadsters for two years now, the latter has yet to put a journalist behind the wheel of its much ballyhooed Karma plug-in hybrid sedan.

While we haven’t seen anything of substance from Fisker yet, they have just released a sexy new commercial that definitely has the production qualities of a major manufacturer. Read on to see the video and watch as Fisker brings sexy back to electric vehicles.

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Aug 19, 2010

Ever marvel at how many millions of miles of roads there are in America? After my recent cross country adventure, I can say I am honestly in awe at how much of our country has been paved over. There seems to be no place left in America where paved roads don’t lead, which is great for travelers, and not so great for nature.

Due to the economic crunch though, some counties in America are actually unpaving their roads, and turning them back to gravel. Is it a sign of harsh economic times, or is America overpaved to begin with?

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Aug 19, 2010

I have always struggled with my weight, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Despite my best efforts, and being on pretty much any sports team that would have me, I’ve always been a big boy. Doesn’t bother me in the least, because for once in my life, I am in the majority. Most Americans are overweight. It’s a fact, and it is directly related to many health problems in our country.

Turns out it may also be costing us extra money as the gas pump. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a study that says all that extra weight Americans like me have packed on have directly effected fuel efficiency.

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