MINI Roadster
As it’s not a hybrid, the MINI Roadster might not seem like a car that shoppers for alternative energy vehicles would fancy. This was also said about the standard MINI Cooper, yet the Cooper’s most cross-shopped car is none other than the Toyota Prius. Could the Roadster continue this trend?
Those who would consider a MINI vs. a Prius are probably less interested in the amazing fuel economy of the Prius (though it’s certainly a factor) and more impressed by the car’s look and the image it portrays. These “lifestyle buyers” are exactly the sort of shopper that would also consider purchasing a MINI Roadster.
Fuel economy numbers have yet to be released for the Roadster, but if they’re anything like the Coupe, expect digits in the high 30s on the highway – not in Prius territory, but again, this unlikely competitor is not only about fuel efficiency.
Motivation
In base form the Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine making 121 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 114 pound-feet of torque at 4250 rpm. It gets a 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds, but in true MINI fashion will likely feel faster. Despite some added weight, surprisingly, acceleration is improved over the convertible Cooper model, due in part to sportier gearing.
2011 Volkswagen Jetta – AutoTrader New Car Review
VW is aiming for mainstream with the new bigger and cheaper Jetta sedan. Opt for the TDI clean diesel for a hybrid rivaling 42 mpg. Compare cars, read reviews and find deals at www.autotrader.com
California Expected to Approve Landmark EV Rules
By Jeff Cobb
title="2012_nissan" />
2012 Nissan Leaf.
We’ve heard from naysayers that electric and other zero emissions vehicles are not the “future,” and from advocates who say they are.
Of course no one knows the actual future, but if today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approves its proposed “advanced clean air rules” as it is expected to, zero-emissions vehicles could become far more commonplace nationwide.
Latest Hybrid Vehicle News
Peugeot 3008 Crossover Hybrid4 first drive
every saving the car industry can give to the hard pressed UK motorist is most welcome. Drive forward Peugeot who have introduced a 'world first' with their diesel hybrid power partnership now arriving in the UK in the form of the 3008 Crossover …
Read more on girlracer
Could GM's electric car be killed again?
The darling of the North American auto industry, the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, due on sale in Australia as a Holden later this year, became “a political punching bag” in Washington overnight. A US government committee interrogated General Motors …
Read more on Sydney Morning Herald
Testimony Emerges from Chevy Volt Congressional Hearing
National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland
The “unnatural relationship” between the Obama administration and US carmakers in the wake of the 2009 auto bailouts may have led to a delay in disclosing a potential safety defect in Chevrolet Volts, Republican lawmakers claim in a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report. Some Republicans questioned whether the US government’s 32-percent ownership stake in General Motors means that it cannot be “an effective regulator.”
Specifically, US Representative, Darrel Issa (R-CA), stated “This unnatural relationship has blurred the lines between the public and private sector as President Obama touts the survival of General Motors as one of the top accomplishments of his administration. On a policy level, this relationship raises serious questions about whether or not the administration is too heavily invested in the success of GM to be an effective regulator.”
Today’s hearing—titled “Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA know and when did they know it?”—stems from the Volt fire incidents and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) handling of the issue. Republicans assert that both General Motors and the NHTSA delayed disclosing info related to the first Volt fire until after Bloomberg News broke the story.
The NHTSA opened a formal investigation in late November and closed it in mid-January, concluding that “no discernible defect trend exists” and that “modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts.”
