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First Fisker dealership opens in LA, 120 pre-orders already taken

Take an old Lexus dealership in Santa Monica, repurpose the showroom to display a Fisker Karma, invite a bunch of plug-in hybrid-loving locals over a grand opening and – boom – you've got yourself a fun night. This is what happened recently in Los Angeles, with about 200 people attending the invite-only grand opening of the Santa Monica Fisker dealership, the first. The car was popular with attendees, some of whom put down deposits once they saw the PHEV in person for the first time. Dealer Mike Sullivan told Automotive News ... Read more →

It's Friday: Swedish automatic PHEV charging prod gets a big WTF? from us [w/VIDEO] Sebastian Blanco

Is it too harsh to say that the Trinnovator is a solution without a problem? At the very least, we don't think that a flexible, extendable prod coming out of the front bumper of a plug-in car and ...

LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs Jeremy Korzeniewski

This year's iteration of the annual Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show asks the question: How will a new generation of drivers age 16-23 – raised with cell phones, web cams and online ...

SEMA 2009: Wicked Chevelle isn't as fuelish as it seems Frank Filipponio

The clean exterior of this 1970 Chevelle hides a wicked little secret. If you take a look at the photo above, you'll see what we mean. The bundle of plumbing you see spilling out of the engine ...

Toyota's long hybrid patent fight with Paice continues in court Sebastian Blanco

Toyota's legal battle to over making and selling the Hybrid Synergy Drive has a long history. Toyota has fought with both Solomon Technologies and Paice LLC over the gasoline-electric technology. ...

Plug-in vehicles will get special license plate in Ontario next year 2 days ago on Autoblog Green

Want to emblazon your ride with Ontario's new "environmentally friendly vehicles" license plate? There are two hurdles you'll have to jump. First, wait until next year when the plate actually becomes available on July 1. Second, you'll need to get a car with a plug. According to the Toronto Star, ...

Perennial wishes: Auto industry execs calling for higher gas tax yet again 2 days ago on Autoblog Green

How often do the Wall Street Journal, Bill Ford, Jr. and Thomas Friedman agree on something? When it's the gas tax, it's 100 percent of the time, and now a number of auto executives have added their voices in favor of a gas tax in order to reach the end goal of getting more fuel efficient vehicles ...

Fisker picks large distributor for European Karma sales, nearing UAW deal 3 days ago on Autoblog Green

Further cementing its worldwide distribution plans, Fisker Automotive CEO Henrik Fisker said today that his company has selected "a large distributor" for European sales of its Karma plug-in hybrid and is also investigating a similar deal with "several importers" in China. The unnamed dealer has ...

STUDY: Lots of local, green electricity possible for most of the U.S. 3 days ago on Autoblog Green

One of the reasons that a vehicle powered by something other than gasoline is such a popular idea in the U.S. is that it helps us become less reliant on other countries for our transportation needs. To this end, biofuels and electric vehicles offer great potential to use local sources of energy ...

Motorcycle Industry Council: Two-wheelers are green 4 days ago on Autoblog Green

We often hear debates about the merits of riding motorcycles and scooters for environmental reasons. For sure, older bikes manufactured before emissions equipment were prevalent are significantly more polluting than most modern automobiles. On the other hand, motorcycles are nearly always more ...

Coming Soon to an Automobile Near You: Plastic engines? 6 days ago on Autoblog Green

Automakers and consumers alike all want lighter cars. "Adding lightness" has a lot of desirable effects, most notably in overall fuel efficiency and performance. While numerous efforts have been made to reduce the weight of automobiles – including downsizing, subtracting unnecessary components ...

5 mpg = green in NASCAR 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

NASCAR has already gone solar and wants to help you (not themselves) use less fuel, but the cold hard reality is that those ovals are being made in cars that get around five miles per gallon. Not exactly hybrid SUV territory there. So, to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in each race, race ...

GM CEO: electric cars require teamwork; hydrogen cars 10x more expensive than Volt 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

New GM CEO Fritz Henderson has some good words for his competitors. Surprised? It's all in an effort to make sure that plug-in vehicles get the help they need to become cost competitive. Henderson spoke with the Washington Post and said that costs are the big problem holding back electric cars. ...

Eating his words: Michael Pollan retracts Hummer-vegan/Prius-meat-eater comment 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Want to give your public pronouncement a little zing? Try throwing in the words Hummer and Prius and imply that the SUV is better for the earth than the Prius. CNW sure knows the value of making the false claim. Last week, author Michael Pollan tried a similar trick when he said at the 2009 Poptech ...

STUDY: Market share for plug ins, hybrids set for huge growth by 2013 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Reports that hybrid vehicles would continue to be popular are nothing new and seem to be coming true. But a new study by NextGen Research paints a picture that might be a bit too rosy. Maybe. Components used in electric and hybrid vehicles will see a huge growth spurt in the coming years, ...

REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Were you born somewhere between 1976 and the early 1990s? Are you the child of a so-called Baby Boomer? If so, you, like me, are a member of Generation Y. So, what does that mean? Well, nothing really, but it's a convenient way to classify a large chunk of the American population... and we ...

REPORT: Toyota develops its own flower species for cleaner air at Prius plant 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

Automakers make cars and trucks, no surprises there. Some even make other interesting things, like Honda, which also builds motorcycles, jets, robots and solar cells. But up until now, we haven't been able to think of any car companies that develop their own species of flowers. Thankfully, ...

Bel & Bel recycling old Vespa scooters into office furniture 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

As cool as vintage Vespa scooters are – which would be very cool indeed, if you ask us – there's no debate that the old air-cooled, two-stroke, single cylinder engines are extremely damaging to the environment. Of course, it seems like such a shame to let all those pretty Italian ...

VIDEO: New Toyota Prius ad channels Vishnu to explain hybrid tech 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

What do you want from me, I've only got two hands?! Wouldn't we all be a bit more productive if we were blessed with another set of upper appendages, complete with opposable thumbs? Toyota apparently thinks so, and the Japanese automotive giant is using the point to prove that two drivetrains ...

REPORT: Detroit ignored voices calling for fuel efficient vehicles, says GM insider 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

We noted the other day that a recent survey from PriceWaterhouseCoopers that found out fuel economy has finally overtaken cup holders as the most important feature in new cars and trucks for Americans. That fuel economy wasn't at the top of the list in the recent past fits with the insistence ...

Quick Spin: Myers Motors NmG - redefining fast and small for the future 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Myers_Motors_NmG_Redefining_Fast_Small_Car_For_The_Future'; It's ironic that the NmG we got to take for a spin during the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit last week might be the last one-seater that Myers Motors ever makes. The company is getting ...

Reinking: electric cars "could threaten some manufacturers' survival" 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

Electric vehicle pessimist – or realist, depending on your POV – Guido Reinking is back with another critical look at EVs. Earlier this year, Reinking wrote that it'll take 15 more years for electric cars to become widespread; this time his target is explaining how EVs hurt the auto ...

HFO-1234yf: Get used to hearing it 14 days ago on Autoblog Green

What the heck is HFO-1234yf? That's the name of a new refrigerant that's reportedly 350-times less damaging to the atmosphere than the current HFC-134a (or 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, if you prefer). You may recall that today's refrigerant was actually put into widespread use back in the early ...

Posawatz: Volt range-extended mileage to be "better than any conventional car." But what about hybrids? 14 days ago on Autoblog Green

So, plenty of time has passed since General Motors first made the announcement that its Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle would score 230 miles per gallon on the yet-to-be-completed EPA testing procedure for such vehicles. Still, lots of questions remain, such as How many miles per ...

REPORT: Fisker going to Delaware for Project Nina plant; Quantum readies diesel-hybrid powertrain 14 days ago on Autoblog Green

We heard earlier this week that Fisker Automotive has selected a location to build its U.S. production facility for its upcoming, lower-cost plug-in hybrid. Now there are all sorts of rumors swirling that Delaware is the place where Fisker wants to be, even if Fisker won't officially announce it ...

Toyota out of the Chamber of Commerce? Plug in America calls out the troops 15 days ago on Autoblog Green

The Yes Men were in the news recently for a hoax that put the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's lame position on climate change under the spotlight. This week, Move On and Plug In America are pushing an online campaign to get Toyota to stop funding the Chamber's anti-climate lobbying. The campaign ...

World's Largest Rebate? Save $42,000 on Tesla Roadster in Colorado 15 days ago on Autoblog Green

We didn't believe it until we verified it with our own eyes, but amazingly it's true: Colorado is offering a $42,083 rebate on the 2009 Tesla Roadster until December 31st. Carry the one, move the decimal point... yep, that's a 38-percent discount on what must be the most desirable electric car ...

Ford recreating Fiesta Movement with Fusion 41 program 16 days ago on Autoblog Green

Ford is diving into the burgeoning social media world head first. Based on the success of its Fiesta Movement, the Blue Oval has decided to launch a new program called Fusion 41 – so named because of the Fusion Hybrid's 41 mile-per-gallon EPA estimate in the city and the fact that Ford ...

Quick Spin: newly upgraded Bright IDEA delivers 16 days ago on Autoblog Green

The concepts that went into the Bright IDEA – a lightweight plug-in hybrid that serves a specific and large population – look great on paper. The vehicle itself, though, has never really looked all that good in the pictures we've seen. This week, during the Business of Plugging In ...

Auto X Prize announces 43 qualified teams still fighting for $10 million 17 days ago on Autoblog Green

The white stars on the map above could be used as the guidelines for a really fun road trip, if you're interested in learning as much as you can about the future of clean vehicles. From established companies (Tesla, Tata) to start-ups (Aptera) to high-school teams (West Philly EVX), these are the ...

Opposite World: Is traffic good for the environment? 18 days ago on Autoblog Green

Traffic congestion is good for the environment. Wait, come again? Are we talking about Bizarro World here? Actually, according to Wall Street Journal writer David Owen, excessive congestion can actually be a good thing when it convinces drivers to explorer transportation alternatives instead of ...

Two years in, hydrogen fuel cell bet causing some strangeness 18 days ago on Autoblog Green

It's difficult to pick the strangest part of Greg Blencoe's post today about his ongoing bet with Joe Romm over the viability of hydrogen cars. It could be the hubris, the feeling of unquestioned "win" ahead for Blencoe (who, of course) came down on the pro-hydrogen-soon of the bet. But what's ...

REPORT: Nissan Land Glider could come to the States as an Infiniti 18 days ago on Autoblog Green

Concept cars tend to push the boundaries of what is and isn't possible with a four-wheeled vehicle. Such is the case with the Nissan Land Glider, which is going on display this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. Usually, such far-out-there concepts make the auto show circuit before being abandoned ...

Lists? Yeah, electric vehicles get on lists. Hopeful, hopeful lists 18 days ago on Autoblog Green

Here are five technologies that "could change everything": Advanced car batteries Carbon capture and storage Space-based solar power Utility storage Next-generation biofuels This is the list culled by the Wall Street Journal, and we note that plug-in vehicles benefit/are tied to ...

Ethanol will get you free parking at Vikings games, sort of 19 days ago on Autoblog Green

Here's the problem with flex-fuel vehicles. Also known at E85-capable, flexfuel rides can burn straight gasoline or a gasoline/ethanol blend that is up to 85 percent ethanol. But, since they don't need ethanol, the reality is that most people fill up with petroleum pure and call it a day (in most of ...

REPORT: Michigan universities returning their electrical vehicles because of poor performance 19 days ago on Autoblog Green

Three Michigan universities are not happy with their electric vehicle, and want their money back. Actually, two have already returned their EVs, which were purchased on a trial basis, and Central Michigan University would like to do the same. Citing poor performance, especially during the cold ...

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