Car Throttle

Calls for the cuts of carbon emissions and the lowering supplies of fossil fuels have led to a marked rise in vehicles running on alternative fuel sources over the last 10 years. Most people will be familiar with the technology found in hybrid cars; however, advances in technology may see even more changes in the fuels we use to power our daily commute. In our immediate future, the hybrid car is the only type of motor vehicle that can match a standard petrol vehicle in terms of performance. The concept has been in production since 1997 and sales have grown significantly since, especially in the last few years. So, how does a hybrid work? In simple terms, a hybrid vehicle is a combination of a petrol

Thanks to the General Motors hype machine, we've been hearing about the Volt for a long time. In fact, it has been pretty much non-stop coverage since it was revealed at the North American International Auto Show in 2007. But its arrival is now imminent - production has begun and deliveries are going to be ramping up over the next few months. Assembly takes place at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck production plant and the entire build process of the Volt has been captured on video. An amazing sight is seeing the high-tech Volt being built on the same line along with the decidedly old-GM Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucurne. Thanks to time-lapse photography we can see it all happen in just 2 minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3dZfvTLbBE&feature=player_embedded#!

Have you ever noticed an ongoing trend occurring in the motoring world today? Right now car manufacturers around the world seem to be pretty worked up about trying to save planet Earth by producing electric cars and hybrids. Even sports cars like the Tesla Roadster pictured above have started to make themselves known and have found buyers. I suppose this is what happens when they get caught up in the hype caused by concepts like global warming, the supposedly shrinking supply of oil worldwide and people suddenly thinking that they are actually contributing to the facts stated before this. I personally have no interest in hybrids and electric powered vehicles and I would like to tell you why. Let's start with those pesky hybrids first. So

How long, O Lord, how long? You're not going to see me pining away for a minivan, of any stripe or configuration, but I've never been one to doubt their efficacy. To me, minivans, although almost totally lacking in soul, panache and a few other things that are nice to have in a road vehicle, has great big helpings of practicality, room, practicality, versatility, practicality, and, of course, practicality. About the only thing that could make them even more practical is if they had efficient diesel engines in them. Well, they do, or at least Volkswagen's updated Touran with the Bluemotion mill in it does. On the downside, of course, is the sad fact that they won't be selling it over here in America. On the

Well, here it is all you global warming deniers, guys who think that Ralph Nader is some sort of Communist plot to take away your God-given Hemi, gearheads who think that "the libruls" are going to force you to drive a hideous little car with no power and no fun: The Tata Nano EV Concept. Tata has been rumored to be working on an EV version of the Nano since the day they announced the car. The normal version has been almost universally reviled by the carraratti, and wholly embraced by the greenies, granola munchers, neo-Luddite techno-lovers et al. Yes, yes car wonks. The one world socialist/communist/fascist government will soon be mandating that you HAVE TO purchase a Tata Nano EV once you've turned over

Audi's Q5 SUV looks like it will finally be getting its long rumored/hoped for hybrid treatment, and it should be hitting the roads and dealer showrooms by 2011. Of course, since the Q5 shares its platform with its corporate siblings the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne, this could have some interesting implications there as well. Given the current economic climate, a Q5 Hybrid form Audi could even further enhance the German carmakers bottom line. During the recent economic downturn, one of the few automakers that have been able to turn a profit has been the Volkswagen Group. And among VW's various brands, Audi is doing particularly well. Currently, Audi is still planning on dropping some serious coin on new models as well as redesigning some

Well, well, well what do you know? Tesla Motors has been on a long slog to profitability over the past few years. Problems with parts led to delays on the Roadster, there was mismanagement and the company ended up with a car that costed far more to produce than ever predicted. That's when one of Tesla's co-founders, Elon Musk, took over the reins and decided to make a lot of changes. Drastic cost reductions, increased prices, layoffs, reduced spending on the Model S program all were part of an effort get Tesla back on track. Having taken those steps, it was estimated that Tesla would hit profitability in July. Tesla's many critics said that was impossible, especially with the state of the economy. Against all odds though,

Most of the new alternative fuels vehicles on the market are quite boring and that's why I've stayed away from posting on CarThrottle about the latest developments in the field. However, the source of power - in this case, electricity - isn't the problem. It's the vehicles they're used in. For instance the Toyota Prius isn't exciting for enthusiasts, but the Tesla Roadster sure is. This case though is different for a few reasons - I think the introduction of a Buick plug-in crossover is a landmark development. Are bigger and greater things really in store for Buick? I hope so, but there is one thing that is a bit unnerving to be about the whole thing.... This image!! We've known for quite some time that a

If you think politics makes strange bedfellows, you should hang out around more racetracks. People that were at each other's throats last weekend are now all buddy-buddy and announcing new partnerships. Not that they were ever "at each others throats", but the American Le Mans Series has just announced that they will be working with the Nature Conservancy to protect acres in California. Overall, this seems like good move, especially on the ALMS's part. Motorheads have a bad tendency to be highly intransigent on environmental issues, largely treating them as bunk and something to be avoided at all costs. But to paraphrase Dave Despain, environmental issues are coming, and if we meet them head on, and deal with them, we will have more of a voice in

Have you ever heard of Lightning Motor Company? If you haven't, let me give you a little history. Lightning is a British company working to bring to market a high-performance GT sports car. They have followed Tesla's business plan for bringing electric vehicles to market very similarly; produce an expensive, high-end sports car first and then follow with other models later.  Before now though, we never were sure of the company's exact intention for the future though. With a name like Lightning, you might think they intended to remain a sports car-only company. Not so! While the actual car hasn't gone into production, in many ways they have moved at a quicker pace than Tesla. Tesla has been around for a few years and seen quite a