Gas 2.0

Ever marvel at how many millions of miles of roads there are in America? After my recent cross country adventure, I can say I am honestly in awe at how much of our country has been paved over. There seems to be no place left in America where paved roads don’t lead, which is great for travelers, and not so great for nature.

Due to the economic crunch though, some counties in America are actually unpaving their roads, and turning them back to gravel. Is it a sign of harsh economic times, or is America overpaved to begin with?

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I have always struggled with my weight, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Despite my best efforts, and being on pretty much any sports team that would have me, I’ve always been a big boy. Doesn’t bother me in the least, because for once in my life, I am in the majority. Most Americans are overweight. It’s a fact, and it is directly related to many health problems in our country.

Turns out it may also be costing us extra money as the gas pump. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a study that says all that extra weight Americans like me have packed on have directly effected fuel efficiency.

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Remember way back in December last year, when the rumors were swirling that the next generation of Nissan’s sports rocket, the GT-R, would be getting a hybrid drivetrain? Since then we’ve gotten subsequent confirmation that, indeed, Nissan was thinking about putting some kind of electric drivetrain into the GT-R—be it hybrid or fully electric.

And with the upcoming launch of the new Infiniti M35 hybrid at the LA Auto Show later this year, it seems that all the clues are falling into place—could the M35’s hybrid system be a portent of what’s to come for the GT-R?

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Although you might think a car like the Mini would be perfectly suited to getting incredible fuel economy from a hybrid system—especially one that combined an already efficient diesel engine with electric assist—according to Mini, you’d be wrong.

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It seems like there is a new electric or alt-fuel sportscar coming out of Europe every week, each more exotic and exciting than the last. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these cars turn out to be vaporware.

That sketch above? That’s the Izaro GTe—a slinky electric GT envisioned by a bunch hot-blooded Spaniards. But the Izaro is different from the vaporware pretenders in one key area: it’s real.

Find out more, after the jump.

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Although it will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show next month, Kia released a scant few details about its electric Pop concept car today, along with some pictures.

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What do seats and charging stations have in common? Very little, except that automotive seat supply giant, Lear, has been chosen by GM to supply the home charging stations and some key parts for the Chevrolet Volt.

Although Lear is best known as a car seat supplier, the Southfield, Michigan, based company says they’ve realized how important it is to get in on the electric car supply chain early on in the process. And, instead of GM going with an electronics supply company for the chargers and parts, GM chose to go with a company that may not have the electronics history, but does have a great deal of experience in the automotive realm.

To GM it seems that knowledge and experience in the auto world holds more water than a lengthy experience in electronics when it comes to the new world of plug-in vehicles.

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Lancia started delivering the first examples of its MultiAir-powered Delta model to European clients last month, which is good news for Chrysler fans: that car is slated to come to the US next year, as the Chrysler Delta.

What can we expect from (what is sure to be) Chrysler’s most fuel-efficient offering for 2011? Find out, after the break.

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Mercedes’ S400 hybrid luxury sedan has received a lot of attention this month after a Canadian market study of 16 hybrids singled out the big Benz as the “only” cost-effective hybrid option on the market.  Let’s face facts, though: the S400’s clients are less interested in what’s cost-effective, and more interested in what they’re being asked to sacrifice (in terms of luxury) in order to greenwash their driveways.  I was curious, too, and when a showroom-fresh S400 made itself available, I jumped at the chance to poke around and see what was what.

How does Mercedes’ S400 hybrid stack up against its more conventional, V8-powered brothers?  Find out, after the jump.

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The Nissan LEAF is one hot ticket. From hand-raisers to pre-orderers, just about everybody wants to get their hands on a Nissan LEAF. Who can blame them? It will be the first mass-market electric vehicle with an affordable price and practicality to boot. Nissan wants to sell these things en masse too, but at least at launch, numbers will be extremely limited… especially in the U.S.

That is because Nissan has decided on a January launch for the LEAF in Japan. To keep up with orders over there, Nissan is cutting the expected U.S. shipment by 2/3, from 10,000 cars to just 3,300.

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Who doesn’t love eBay? I made a small fortune in college buying my text books for a semester and then selling them (always at a profit) on eBay at the end of the term. It has also helped me track down obscure parts for my stable of perpetual project cars. Besides books and car parts, I’ve sold cameras, computers, and much much more on eBay.

Never have I thought of using eBay to launch a company though. Ricky Søndergård, a Scandinavian, wants to find some capital investment for his new brand of lightweight, low-carbon sports cars. He claims his prototype makes 330 horsepower and gets around 80 mpg. Too good to be true?

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I am a country boy, through and through. I don’t like crowds, or traffic congestion, or the endless hustle and bustle that entails city life. That said, I enjoy a visit to the city (either Boston or New York, I’m half way in between both) and I can see some of the appeal of living there. Yet just as “white flight” led to suburban sprawl in the late ’40’s and 50’s, people seem to be gravitating back to cities… especially in the developing world.

Frost & Sullivan, a global consulting firm, released a study that suggests “Mega-Supercities” will drive up the demand for electric vehicles. So tell us something we don’t know.

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How far can you get on a tank of gas? 200 miles? 300? Maybe even as much as 500 miles in a single tank (and if so, you either have a very light right foot, or a very big gas tank!) 500 miles seems to be the “golden ticket,” as it were, when it comes to electric vehicles and their batteries. There is even a government-sponsored contest that will award a large sum of money to the first individual or company to make a battery that can propel a car 500 miles. That is a long time coming though… right?

Not according to Martin Eberhard, a former Tesla employee who is now developing a battery system Volkswagen. In an interview with AutoCar, Eberhard says that within 10 years, electric vehicles will have a range of 500 miles or more. Do you believe him?

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I used to hate the cyclists that ride in front of my house at all hours during the spring and summer time. I have grudgingly grown to accept their right to the narrow roads in my neighborhood (though I still hate those that insist on riding side-by-side). I haven’t ridden a bicycle in years, and yet lately I’ve had the strange desire to hop on one and go for a ride myself. Maybe I am just growing up?

Then again, maybe I am having a mid-life crisis (at age 24!). According to research from the UK, affluent, educated, mid-life men are twice as likely to be cyclists… and to own multiple cars! Has bicycling become a new way to deal with a mid-life crisis?

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We all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, and Ford has finally started lifting the veil on the F-150 EcoBoost. This engine is a big deal for Ford and pickup truck owners, and it could have a profound effect on pickups as a whole. Are buyers willing to pay a premium for an engine that gets better gas mileage, if all other factors remain the same?

The 2011 F-150 will get four engine options, two V6 engines and two V8s. The 3.7 liter V6 will be the base engine, and the 3.5 liter EcoBoost will be the top end motor, the two V8’s (5.0 and 6.2 liter) sandwiched in between. Is a 20% boost in highway gas mileage going to be worth the as-yet unspecified price premium?

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