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Audi R4 Axed: The Car God’s Are Crying
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It is a very sad day for any auto enthusiast who enjoys German engineering. The highly anticipated Audi R4 has reportedly been axed by Audi. While nothing is official, Auto Motor and Sport says the model will not be produced because it would steal sales from the Audi TT, not to mention the Porsche Boxster/…
Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles is the Future Say Experts
Wireless-induction charging of vehicles and plug-in hybrids is likely to become common within the automotive industry say EV experts. “We believe it’s not a matter of if but when wireless charging will be in all (electric) vehicles,” Laura Marino of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory stated during a recent Automotive Power Electronics conference. Inductive charging…
BMW South Carolina One Of America’s Top Green Power Generators
Full of crap? Not exactly, but as it turns out BMW‘s Spartansburg, South Carolina plant gets over 37% of its power from methane gas harvested and compressed from a local landfill, which is enough to land it a solid 4th place rating on the EPA’s Top 20 Green Power Partners list. “BMW Manufacturing is leading the…
Cobra iRadar App Now Available for Android OS
While it may seem that Apple’s iPhone continues to dominate the smart phone market, Google’s Android is actually the more popular operating system. So naturally, many app developers and companies are slowly creating variants of their iPhone/iPad apps to work on Google’s Android system. Included in that list is radar detector company Cobra. Cobra’s iRadar…
State Farm Driver Feedback App is Just Asking to be Abused
We actually think this app will do more harm than good, but hey, State Farm is an insurance company so they clearly took calculated risks prior to releasing this. Their Driver Feedback app utilizes the iPhone’s GPS and accelerometer to calculate your driving, from acceleration to braking to cornering. It then calculates your score based…
Homer Simpson Voices TomTom iPhone App: Woo Hoo!
Did you make a wrong turn? D-oh! Now that Homer will be your navigator, thanks to the new TomTom GPS iPhone app, you’ll never get lost on your way to pick up donuts again (woo hoo!). Homer Simpson, aka Dan Castellaneta, of The Simpsons fame, is the new voice of this TomTom app that’s available…
Tests Back Bold Range Claims for Audi A2 Electric Car
Naturally, the results were quickly met with skepticism, further fueled by the car being destroyed in a warehouse fire aftewards (the battery pack did survive).
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Online Ordering Site Announced
The actual system will give punters a chance to choose options and configurations, exterior colors, the dealership they wish to purchase from (selected within 14 of the 15 launch states) and the ability for them to track their vehicle order through the phases of production, shipping and delivery.
London Mayor Takes Delivery of His Nissan Leaf
The ceremony was part of a pilot program, initiated by Transport for London which will use the car on a trial basis for approximately one month, to determine the effectiveness of electric cars in city driving.
Audi A3 eTron Concept is Believable, Quick and a Hybrid
Under the hood is a 1.4-liter turbocharged and direct injected gasoline four-cylinder engine, along with a 20 kW electric motor. Together the motor and gas engine generate 238 horsepower.
Saab Gets Funding to Restart Production
According to website Saabs United (sounds more like a soccer team if you ask us), the Swedish government has given Saab the go-ahead to secure more funding from a European bank.
Refuel 2011 Lets You Drive Laguna Seca In Your EV
Think electric vehicles aren’t sporty enough to tackle the vaunted Laguna Seca? Speed Ventures doesn’t think so. For the third year in a row, they’re offering EV owners the chance to drive the world-famous race track, compete against each other, and even win a trophy. Refuel 2011 is open to all EVs, including electric motorcycles…
Lamborghini Laptop By Asus Lets You Rev Up At Home
If you feel that your personal laptop is a bit bland or boring for your taste, then the latest offering from Asus might just be the thing for you. It may work like any other laptop, but its design is inspired by Lamborghini’s, and is a licensed product. So if you like playing racing games…
Volvo Hypermiling Challenge Sets Goal To Cover 850 Miles On A Single Tank Of Diesel, But Failed
Two intrepid travelers set out to make the run from Marlow, U.K. to Mayrhofen, Austria on just one tank of fuel, using a Volvo V50 wagon. This particular V50 example is a European market model, which features a 1.6-liter, diesel engine. Their task was to use hypermiling techniques to cover the distance between Volvo cars…
Mercedes S350 BlueTEC Gets Stop/Start Feature
Another result of this has been a further reduction in emissions output, enabling the diesel engine, already fitted with Mercedes’ AdBlue urea injection system, to easily clear the tough new Euro 6 smog requirements designed to take effect in 2014.
Follow Audi On Foursquare For Great Road Tips
You’re not the only one who loves to let their friends know where they are via Foursquare. Now, Audi is in on the action and have they got some tips for all of their followers. So what do you have to do? Just follow Audi on Foursquare and find out where some of the best…
Google Engineer Claims Its Driverless Cars Could Save A Million Lives Every Year
When the robot uprising comes, Sebastian Thrun will be accused of sympathizing with the androids. The Google engineer and leader of its driverless car project believes that by replacing the follies and foibles of human driving, its computer-controlled cars could save a million lives every year. Apocalypse jokes aside, Thrun, a professor of computer science…
2013 Chevy Malibu Interior; First Look Via Facebook
Chevrolet has just revealed a single image of what the interior of the new 2012 Malibu will look like, releasing a single photo on its Facebook page. Showing a new in-dash screen similar to the one found in the new Buick Regal, it’s clear Chevy is taking a big step forward with the car when…
Tesla Beats Over 100 Challengers At Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally
For the second year in a row, while competing against alternative-fuel cars and hybrids, an all-electric Tesla Roadster has won the Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally. Former F1 driver Erik Comas was chosen by Tesla to compete in the 800-km (497-mile) rally against more than 100 competitors. It ended Sunday, and included sprints on the…
New York Still Trying To Foster Hybrid Taxi Fleet
After a Federal Appeals court stuck down New York City’s plans to create a hybrid taxi fleet, it appears the impetus to get it done has not yet failed. The New York State Congress is now mulling the Green Taxis Act, a bill which would permit individual municipalities to set their own taxi fleet fuel-efficiency…
Cadillac to Copy Ford With Buttonless Center Stacks
Starting in 2013 Cadillac will begin to dramatically change the interior of its cars, switching away from conventional controls to a new center stack nearly devoid of buttons, knobs and switches. According to a report by GMInsideNews, Chicago-based Methode Electronics, Inc., which supplies the MyFord Touch units for new models like the 2011 Ford Edge,…
BMW May Use A Range Extender For Electric Vehicles
Has BMW, the maker of the ultimate (electric) driving machines decided to follow Chevrolet’s example? Word from Munich today is that BMW’s head of electrical components, Dr. Christian Schmidt, said it is weighing the possibility of a range-extended engine to pair to electric vehicles. For some time now BMW has said it would consider an…
Coming Soon to a Tire Near You: Diamonds!
Impress your neighbors! Increase your resale value! Blind oncoming motorists! Diamonds for your tires: a perfect complement to your Cadillac’s $250,000 Asanti wheels—because let’s face it, there’s no other choice when it comes to decking out your car with enough diamonds to make Glen Campbell feel underappreciated. Don’t page Weezy just yet, however: these tires…
FIA And EU Considering Electric F1 Racing
With an eye toward fostering electric-powered F1 competition, Jean Todt, president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), said it plans to begin with electric auto, go-kart, and single-seater racing. The first season could come as soon as 2013, he said, and plans for a series and championships are comprehensive. “We want as soon as…
