Chevy Volt’s 230 MPG too good to be true

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Design, Transportation

Maybe I’m just getting sick of seeing those ads with the smiley-faced electrical outlet, but I figured that the 230 MPG touted for the Volt seemed a little too good to be true. 

As it turns out, someone at Chevrolet is playing with numbers.  According to DVICE:

Essentially, the Volt can drive 40 miles on battery power before kicking in the gas engine. So if you drive 10 miles, you’ll get infinite miles per gallon. If you drive 50 miles, you’ll get 250 miles per gallon. But if you drive 300 miles, you’ll be down to 62.5 miles per gallon.

This is hardly 230 MPG.  Would the electrical outlet be frowning if it knew the real truth? 

Read More | CNN

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Nissan Leaf: Zero Emissions, Total Affordability

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Design, Transportation

I think we all know that cars are one of the worst polluters on the planet today, and so I find it nice of Nissan to introduce the greener Leaf, a car that has zero emissions.  The Nissan Leaf has a lithium ion battery-powered chassis that is good for 160km (100 miles) on a single charge.  Best of all, its lack of a tailpipe can reduce one’s “carbon footprint” significantly.  I don’t have a price for it yet, but it should be “affordable” to the family of five that it has room for.  The car is slated to launch late next year in Japan, the United States, and Europe.

Read More | Nissan Leaf

Gallery: Nissan Leaf: Zero Emissions, Total Affordability

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MINI E Goes For Early Test Drive

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Science, Transportation

Five hundred lucky folks in Southern California, New York City and New Jersey will be given a chance to test drive the new 3-door MINI E before it is released to the general public. The vehicle is powered by an electric motor and can reach 62 mph in only 8.5 seconds, with a top speed of 95 mph. The motor is made of over 5,000 individual power cells to make up a single battery. Head over to the MINI site to sign up and you may be one of the lucky ones to be chosen.

Read More | Mini E

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Fuji Subaru Plug-in Stella

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Design, Editorial, Transportation

Those of us that live around the Motor City hear reports almost every day of American car companies losing workers and factories. Sad to say that they are being replaced by such energy efficient vehicles as the Toyota Prius Hybrid. Now Fuji is celebrating their successful Subaru Plug-in Stella, a combination of the EV system in the R1 and the mini-car. The prototype electric vehicle is set to go into development and test marketing. This is not the first time Fuji has gone green. They also released a horizontally-opposed diesel engine in Europe this past March.

Read More | Far East Giizmos

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