Safety in Numbers: Charting Traffic-Safety and Fatality Data ? Feature

Traffic deaths are at an all-time low?our timeline shows how they got there. For drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians, 2009 was a very good year: Motor-vehicle-related fatalities fell to an all-time low in America, with only 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In total, deaths fell to 33,808, the lowest number since [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/aUQfDjkvQv8/

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High Gas Prices Mean More Scooters On The Road -- But Are They Right For You?

There's been a lot of discussion the past few weeks about gas prices and the effect they're having on vehicle sales. One the one hand, we've seen studies indicating that fuel efficiency is now the leading factor in new car purchases -- data that jibes pretty well with the increased popularity of fuel-efficient cars during the 2008 gas spike. On...


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCarConnection/~3/MJ1hhSeym18/1059184_high-gas-prices-mean-more-scooters-on-the-road---but-are-they-right-for-you

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Check out Jeep?s New Wrangler Pickup in Action

For those who pooh-pooh four-wheeling, we suggest you send your high horse off to the glue factory and give off-roading a go?it?s simply some of the most fun one can have between a horizontal state and 15 mph. That said, there?s something mildly preposterous about saying, ?I?m gonna drive over this thing! Watch!? Of course, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/OBgSg6Zi_KY/

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2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe and Spyder Special Edition ? Auto Shows

The Eclipse?s swan song comes with rocker stripes and rockin? wheels. Introduced more than 20 years ago, Mitsubishi?s Eclipse reaches the end of the road this summer. The Japanese automaker will shut down the Normal, Illinois, lines that crank out the slow-selling coupe and retool the plant to make the Outlander Sport, which is sure [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/ZNnvYhSV6Os/

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Barron's: Zipcar stock steady around $26; prudent investors should steer clear

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Zipcar motto

Zipcar's initial public offering (IPO) earlier this month turned a concept - vehicles available for rent by the hour - into a $1.2 billion stock-market value, according to Barron's, America's so-called "premier" financial magazine. However, the car-sharing company, as we've pointed out before, is in the red. Despite that, Zipcar shares are currently trading for around $26, up substantially from the IPO price of $18. However, Barron's suggests that the future outlook for Zipcar is sketchy, posting that:

Growing competition in hourly-rental from conventional rental-car companies like Hertz and Enterprise could make it tough for Zipcar to generate sufficient earnings to justify its lofty market capitalization. The stock, which went public at 18 and now trades near 29, looks richly priced.
Barron's points out that some will inevitably argue that Zipcar, as a leader in the car-sharing industry, should have pricing power and a "first-mover" advantage, but the financial magazine still warns that Zipcar's future looks questionable. In fact, Barron's cites Zipcar's 2010 combined pre-tax profits of a mere $23 million in its four established markets - New York, Washington, Boston and San Francisco - and losses reported in most of Zipcar's other markets, as the main reason that "prudent investors will steer clear" of Zipcar stock.

And here's an obvious disclaimer (again): AutoblogGreen is an automotive site, not a financial one. The views and opinions expressed above are those of Barron's Andrew Bary.

[Source: Barron's]

Barron's: Zipcar stock steady around $26; prudent investors should steer clear originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/28/barrons-zipcar-stock-steady-around-26-prudent-investors-shou/

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Will plug-in cars ruin roads with their heavy batteries?

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2011 Chevrolet Volt

We've heard some pretty interesting arguments against the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf, but this is perhaps one of the more interesting. In an Op Ed, Tainted Green has outlined just how the weight of those vehicles will ultimately lead to the degradation of our nation's infrastructure. Seriously.

As you may recall, both the Volt and the Leaf performed remarkably well in crash tests thanks in part to their heavy battery packs. Tainted Green says that those li-ion pounds will generate undue wear and tear on road surfaces and, since hybrids and EVs aren't subject to the same percentage of gasoline tax as their full internal combustion counterparts, the rest of the driving population are going to be stuck footing the bill.

The Nissan Leaf tips the scales at 3,370 pounds while the Chevrolet Volt weighs in at 3,760 lbs. For perspective, the electric Nissan weighs around 18 percent more than its Versa equivalent. The Chevrolet, meanwhile, comes at 17 percent heavier than its platform cousin, the Cruze.

So, does Tainted Green have a point? Yes and no. While both the Volt and the Leaf weigh more than their compact and subcompact counterparts, the vehicles are still well under the average weight of a modern mid-sized sedan, to say nothing of the tonnage represented by a full-size pickup or a big rig. Given the relatively few Leaf and Volt models projected to be sold in the near future, we don't see our nation's highways crumbling under the strain of EV motoring any time soon.

[Source: Tainted Green | Image: Zach Bowman / AOL]

Will plug-in cars ruin roads with their heavy batteries? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/29/will-plug-in-cars-ruin-roads-with-heavy-batteries/

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2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 (w/video) - 2011 NY Auto Show

Adding a new dimension of pure performance to its flagship sedan, the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT matches top-line Hemi power with handling enhancements and bolder visuals to serve up the division's most potent and best-handling model, ever.

Source: http://rss.kbb.com/~r/kbb-car-news/~3/yKmBoCA45FA/2012-chrysler-300-srt8-_-2011-ny-auto-show

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BMW?s New Three-, Four-, and Six-Cylinder Engine Family Detailed, Magicked Into Being By Laser-Wielding Sentient Robots

Sweeping changes are afoot at Bavarian Motor Works, as the automaker confirms plans to bring three-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines to market as part of a new, modular engine family. The base engine in the family?its heart, if you will?is a four-cylinder, from which an inline-six will be derived; that engine in turn forms the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/iNZ-q06FSDw/

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Report: Honda working on hybrid Goldwing?

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2012 Honda Goldwing

It looks as if Honda may be toying with the notion of bringing hybrid technology to the motorcycle world. According to Motorbiker, the Japanese manufacturer filed a patent for a hybrid bike complete with a detailed drawing of the machine. The interesting part is that the line sketch fits pretty well with the profile of the company's Goldwing; a bike that's built for sucking up mile after mile of comfortable interstate cruising. As Motorbike points out, most hybrids are happiest off of the highway, which makes the big cruiser an odd platform choice for a battery pack.

We would have thought that the company's CBR250R would have been a more fitting bike to bestow the glory of electric motivation upon, but that's just us. The small commuter is built to spend time in stop and go traffic and field quick runs about town, which would be perfect for the fuel-economy optimizing attributes of a hybrid. Of course, all of those battery packs have to fit somewhere and a Goldwing has plenty of space on board. Head over to Motorbiker to check out the patent drawing and the full patent for yourself.

[Source: Motorbiker]

Report: Honda working on hybrid Goldwing? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/28/report-honda-working-on-hybrid-goldwing/

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