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Drive Green

Honda, Ford, Nissan Prep Hybrids to Hunt Prius Before Volt Unveil

As it becomes increasingly likely that General Motors will unveil the production version of its much-anticipated Chevy Volt here later this month, competing automakers are now codifying their plans for next-generation hybrids of their own. Click For More.

2009 Ford Fiesta Test Drive: Could Ford's Future Hang on Success of This Subcompact's 50+ MPGs?

After a 32-year absence, Fiesta will return to the U.S. in the form of a sedan that we first saw as the Ford Verve Concept in Frankfurt last year—along with a handsome five-door and a racy three-door hatchback version. Click For More.

Will Chevy Volt Breed a 2011 Plug-in Pontiac Electric Car? Spy Report

We've already heard that GM may offer a Cadillac version of the Volt, so a Pontiac version would have to stand apart. In fact, GM has said the Volt is its single most important future project. Click For More.

Why Offshore Drilling Can Bridge Gap to U.S. Energy Future: Op-Ed

The Democratic and Republican conventions have arrived amidst a litany of calls for government-sponsored energy projects. Despite progress, Popular Mechanics’ editor-in-chief says Americans should be careful what we wish for. Click For More.

10 More Blazing Fast Cars From Bonneville Speed Week '08

PM's man on the ground... er, salt had a great time Wednesday hanging with some hot-rodders from New Zealand, meeting the fastest grandma on two wheels and watching some classic cars leave newer models in the dust. Click For More.

McCain, Obama Promise Plug-in Cars as Detroit Charts a Timetable

PM's Geek the Vote series examines the presidential candidates' policies on science and technology. In this installment, experts evaluate the stances of Senators McCain and Obama on America's future electric vehicles. Click For More.

Inside the Future of Electric Cars, Hydrogen and Next-Gen Biofuels

Americans burned through more than 142 billion gallons of gas last year. It's an expensive habit at over $4 (and over 20 pounds of CO2 emissions) a pop. No wonder the market has never looked better for alt fuels. Click For More.

How to Make 4 Alternative Fuels at Home: Goodbye, Big Oil!

Ready to make your own gas alternative? These products can give you a start—but energy independence won’t come cheaply. Click For More.

How to Make a Car-Shaped Beaker: Behind-the-Scenes VIDEO of PM’s Cover Story

For the cover story of our new issue, “The Shape of Fuels to Come,” glass-blowing demonstrator Eric Meek hand-crafted nearly a dozen beakers bottoming out into the shape of a car. Click For More.

7 Next-Gen Biofuels to Drive Beyond Gasoline

Forget food crops. Future fuels will come from more practical feedstocks. Plus, each generation will use fewer resources and pack more energy than the last. PM crunches the numbers on alternative fuels for the real world. Click For More.

Nissan EV-02 Cube Electric Car Test Drive: Gunning for 150-Mile Range by 2010 With Super Quick Charge

The first US version of the EV-02 will be limited to fleet applications, offering Nissan a relatively controlled, real-world test. But the real challenge comes in 2012, when the EV is slated for retail launch. Click For More.

2008 BMW 745d Diesel Test Drive: Big, Luxury Thrust With 25 MPG

The 745d's interaction with the driver and passengers is as refined and sophisticated as any of its gas-powered contemporaries. In other words, you don't really notice it's a diesel. Click For More.

2009 Jaguar XF V6 Diesel Test Drive: Does U.S. Want Europe’s 30-MPG Luxury Sedan?

The diesel XF offers most of the refinement of its petrol counterparts, but with far better fuel mileage. If you haven't started your letter-writing campaign for Euro cars not yet in the U.S., start letting Jaguar know now. Click For More.

Water-Powered Cars: Hydrogen Electrolyzer Mod Can't Up MPGs

After batting down the hype over startups and DIYers claiming they could run a car on water, PM's senior automotive editor installs a hand-built HHO kit—only to find he was right the first time. Click For More.

Obama's Call for Tire Inflation to Beat Gas Crunch: Reality Check

As Sens. Obama and McCain continue to spar over energy issues this week, one car maintenance measure has taken center stage: inflating your tires. Our senior automotive editor weighs in. Click For More.

My Hydrogen-Powered Car Averages 40+ MPG, but I Want More

Crunching the numbers after his 3-month lease of a lifetime, PM's Citizen Fuel Cell proved fuel cells can, indeed, double the fuel economy of your average gasoline-powered car, and the future of hydrogen is looking a little brighter. Click For More.

Top 10 Fun, MPG-Friendly Cars You Can't Buy In America—Yet

Those lucky devils across the pond have just the cars we're looking for. Now all that's left is convincing manufacturers that we want these mighty mites on our shores. Start sending your letters now. Click For More.

2008 Audi TT 2.0 Diesel Test Drive: Could This Be America's First Sporty 40-MPG Car?

Audi seems determined to blaze a diesel trail into the hearts of United States car buyers. This 140 mph 4-cylinder TT should do a good job in that respect. Click For More.

10 Big Questions for Maverick Geneticist J. Craig Venter on America's Energy Future

Geneticist J. Craig Venter raced to map the human genome in the 1990s. Now he's putting the same cutting-edge science to work engineering a whole new generation of biofuels. Click For More.

Giant Twist Freedom DX Electric Bike Test Drive: A Flying Good Time (With Video!)

The Giant Twist Freedom DX bicycle is an electric bike that uses a mix of muscle and machine to propel riders as far as 75 miles on a single charge. Here's what we thought after a recent test ride. Click For More.

4 Wild New Cars for Mega MPG @ HybridFest 2008

At the annual HybridFest, hypermilers flocked to join green-car techies and owners from across North America for presentations, hybrid and EV test drives—plus some of the coolest technology coming our way soon. Click For More.

Why My Hydrogen-Powered Car Needs Futuristic "Gas" Stations

After getting the lease of a lifetime in GM's next-gen Equinox prototype, PM's Citizen Fuel Cell breaks down fuel cell fill-er-up technology and makes the case for America's hydrogen infrastructure. Click For More.

2008 Zero X Electric Motorcycle Test Drive: Hot, Clean Fun in the Summertime With 40-Mile Range (and 60 on the Way!)

At 140 pounds, this motorcycle is so small and light that it feels more like a big, electric mountain bike than anything. Bikes like the Zero could very well be the future of off-road, and on-road riding, too. Click For More.

14 Big Questions on Hydrogen, Hybrids and More for VW’s Alt-Fuel Chief

We sat down with John Tilman, program manager for VW of America’s advanced powertrain research program, and got the inside scoop on the real future of driving. Click For More.

The Truth About Water-Powered Cars: Mechanic's Diary

It's one thing for a car to run on air, but do the latest claims of hydrogen-turned-oxygen-turned-electricity propulsion hold water—or feed in to the hysteria of the gas crunch? Click For More.

Building Smart in Fuel Crunch, Bike Industry's Gear Shift Pays Off

Bike manufacturers big and small are breaking all their old rules to cater to a new generation of bike commuters. A dispatch from the reinvented world of the no-fuss two-wheeler. Click For More.

2008 Mercedes-Benz Bluetec SUV Test Drives: Diesel Engine Offers Hope for Big Vehicles

Mercedes-Benz officials have faith that the current cost of diesel is an anomaly that will soon right itself and are launching a line of premium, diesel powered, SUVs. Click For More.

In Gas-to-Hydrogen Switch, Forget Ponies and Embrace Silence

PM's Citizen Fuel Cell feels some serious giddyup from his new hydrogren-powered electric motor. Comparing GM's prototype Chevy Equinox with his parents' Prius and a temporarily parked Jeep Grand Cherokee, his only complaint is some noisy idling (with audio). Click For More.

Tesla Model S Electric Sedan Set for 2010 Production, $60K Price Tag: From SFGate.com

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Monday that Tesla Motors would soon begin building its long-awaited second vehicle: a five-passenger sports sedan that should hit a 225-mi. range per all-electric charge. Head on over to The San Francisco Chronicle for the scoop, then check out PM's expert analysis below. Click For More.

5 Real DIY Aerodynamic Mods Detroit Can Add for MPGs in '09

You don't need a wind tunnel—or even a welding kit, really—to know which way the wheels go. PM's guest hypermiler tracks down five average joes whose simple, cheap DIY car adjustments are maxing out fuel efficiency—and could inspire the world's top automakers. Click For More.

Cornell Auto X Prize Squad Swaps in Digital for Analog With Hybrid Tech

Armed with data from May’s Green Grand Prix, the PM-sponsored Cornell Automotive X Prize team is currently installing and testing a new digital control system that will increase the efficiency of its electric motor. Click For More.

Building a DIY Fuel-Saving Gadget, Cheap Tech Gets Big Results

High-tech gadgets that give you a real-time mileage readout are great to help you fine-tune your driving style for the best fuel economy. But what about the older cars and trucks without an on-board computer? Click For More.

For Future of Biofuel, Secret of MPG Ooze Lies in Mutant Bacteria

Scientists are looking way beyond ethanol to a new generation of power—one that's designed on a computer, produced by bacteria and acts just like good old gasoline. The countdown to production-ready designer fuels has begun. Click For More.

McCain Proposes $300M Car Battery Prize: Are We Close?

Looking to combat the energy crisis with a proposal that would literally give the Automotive X Prize a run for its money, Sen. John McCain's "Clean Car Challenge" aims to speed up the race for production-ready plug-in vehicles. Click For More.

Fuel-Efficient 'Cute Ute' Concepts Could Resurrect the Dying SUV

Detroit says the SUV is (almost) dead. Long live the SUV? So says Jalopnik's editor-in-chief in his monthly guest analyis for PopularMechanics.com. Click For More.

Not Just the Hydrogen: Honda FCX Clarity Is Fun on the Road

The Web is abuzz as Honda's first fuel-cell car rolls off the production line. But as we learned in a test drive late last year, the FCX works pretty well as a prototype—you know, as far as 68-mpg vehicles are concerned. Take a look back at PM's full review of this next-gen ride. Click For More.

How to Monitor Your Fuel Economy in Real Time on the Road

Tinkering with new mpg monitoring gadgets (not the “mega-efficient” gas savers he's debunked time and again), PM's senior auto editor reminds us of maybe the most obvious—if overlooked—advice when it comes to today's hell at the pump. Click For More.

Algae Startups Confront Promise of Miracle Fuel With Big Summer

After years of hype as the mucky green grail of the oil crunch, algae is finally taking on its "impossible" hurdles to move from test tubes to barrels. With key players in this budding industry laying their bets on the winning biofuel formula, how long will it take before ... Click For More.

Hybrid Technologies Building 220+ MPG Supercar With 'Wild' Horsepower: Exclusive First Look

With company's X Prize entry comes a larger plan to conquer the market for green supercars. "We're looking for this car basically to end up mainstream—not just built for a one-and-done," says Ron Cerven. Click For More.

6 Fuel-Efficient SUV Mods by College Kids: 2008 GM Challenge X Test Drive

GM supplied 17 teams a with a 2006 Chevy Equinox, then let them tweak for better mileage and lower emissions. Team MSU bested 16 teams—not that there weren't some cool powertrain ideas out there. Click For More.

2009 Smart Fortwo Test Drive: With Li-Ion Smart Two Years Out, European Eco Trifecta Gives Preview

Mercedes-Benz announced this week that they will sell an electric Smart for 2010, along with an electric Mercedes-branded vehicle. We slid behind the wheel of the first-gen Smart EVs—part of a research project in conjunction with British electronic specialists Zytek. Click For More.

Hypermilers Heart Memorial Day, Snake-oil Salesman Debunked & Fast Times at West Philly High: MPGenius PODCAST

Good news for the fuel crunch: Benjamin Jones says the cult of the ecomodders can help you save gas from your garage, Mike Allen sniffs out efficiency scams, and Simon Hauger’s after-school class is building a 130-mpg car. Click For More.

7 More Fuel-Sipping Myths Debunked: Mechanic's Diary

It's $4/gallon season, and the snake-oil salesmen are out in force. Forget the fill-up tricks, premium-gas ruses and miracle-gadget cons: PM's no-bull senior automotive editor is here to remind you that the truth is out there. Click For More.

10 Quick Fuel Efficiency Tips to Beat the Gas Crunch

The summer season of highway hell has officially arrived—and $4/gallon prices at the pump certainly aren't making life on the road any easier. As the next generation of hypermilers develops new ways to hack your car's fuel economy, our guest MPG geek breaks down the vehicle ... Click For More.

Last-Minute Mods Get Cornell’s Auto X Prize Mule in Test Rally for Real-World MPG Clues

Cornell AXP participated in the 2008 Green Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The road rally is a showcase for alternative-energy vehicles and was their first stop en route to the race for the Automotive X Prize. Click For More.

MythBuster: Why Electric Vehicles Beat Gas in 5 Extreme Tests

Jamie Hyneman breaks down his team's most recent eye-popping experiment: rolling out a Ferrari, Harley, ATV, compact car and hand-built go-kart to the track, and pitting each against its electric-propulsion counterpart. Click For More.

MythBusters Hack Go-Kart in Extreme Electric vs. Gas Test

To test the advantages of gas versus electric propulsion, the MythBusters tear apart a perfectly good gasoline-powered go-kart and transform it into a tire-smoking machine that's fast—and clean. Click For More.

Looking Past Indy 500, VW’s Jetta TDI Cup Shows Off Clean Diesel’s Racing Power

Each race-ready Jetta TDI is identical—built to spec, right from of the factory. These cars are competing in the first ever all-diesel race series in North America—the TDI Cup. Click For More.

Upending Auto X Prize Field, Big Players at Tata Motors (and Neil Young!) Enter 100-mpg Plans

With two all-new builds in the making, the Indian-British powerhouse of mini-vehicles for the masses (which also just bought Jaguar and Land Rover) becomes the most established manufacturer to join the AXP's already promising early field. Click For More.

Cornell Auto X Prize Team Hacks Metro Geo Chassis for 100-mpg Hybrid

As Cornell’s Popular Mechanics-sponsored AXP team integrated electrical components into its Geo Metro mule, the car’s chassis has received a complete overhaul as well. Click For More.

13 Must-Know Tricks to Max Out Your Road-Trip MPGs

With federal regulations requiring like-new emissions output for 100,000 miles, a traditional tuneup has become a relic of the past. A few simple calculations can help you optimize how much you spend on fuel. So let's hit the toolbox before we hit the road. Click For More.

Inside Tesla's First Electric Roadster Dealership: First Look (With Photos!)

With its exposed wooden rafters and chatty central bar, Tesla Motors’ first store is an art gallery/coffee house hybrid for plug-in vehicles—and the salespeople want you to gawk as much as buy. Click For More.

Micro Fueler Is First Ethanol Kit for Brewing Backyard Biofuels on the Cheap

The E-Fuel Corporation, a Silicon Valley startup, has introduced the first ethanol refinery system designed for home use. The backyard fueling station can create a gallon of pure E100 ethanol from 10 gallons of sugar—with offsetting cost options galore. Click For More.

2008 VW Polo BlueMotion Hits 46 MPG in Real-World Euro Test

We averaged 45.72 mpg on a mix of cold starts and fast runs in freezing temperatures, rain and urban crawls. With a lead-footed Englander driving, that's very impressive—and it makes something of a mockery out of the Toyota Prius. Click For More.

Jay Leno's E85 Corvette Shows Powerhouses Can Go Green

Jay’s goal: Transfer the soul of a race car into a powerful sports car that runs on a fuel other than gasoline. The result: a 600-hp flex-fuel C6RS Vette. Click For More.

Top 10 Early Contenders for the Automotive X Prize

As gas prices soar and the AXP entry pool officially opens, we analyze all 64 entrants thus far based on six key factors. The result is the most comprehensive, up-to-date scouting report on the field for the ultimate 100-mpg car of tomorrow. Click For More.

Why Lead-Footed Car Geeks Should Actually Buy an Alt-Fuel Ride

The hard-throttle automotive enthusiast has to deal with these damn gas prices, too! We asked our favorite car blogger if he'd pony up for a Prius—or something better. Click For More.

New Battery Player Creeps in on Heated Race for Chevy Volt Power

Taking a scientific look at the battle to build the first lithium-ion pack safe enough for the road, PM's resident geek turns up a street-legal battery formula all too forgotten in the recall-laden history of electronics. Click For More.

In Efficiency Lab, GM Rethinks the Old-School Engine (With Video)

Could the internal combustion engine—powered by, yes, gasoline—get a green makeover to be more efficient and less harmful to the earth than hybrids? The automotive industry suddenly seems to think so. Click For More.

Aptera Ramps Up for 2008 Production With Veteran Supercar Guru

In another big piece to its 100-plus-mpg puzzle, the electric car startup has tapped Neil Hannemann, who's been at the helm of some of Detroit’s most exciting small-vehicle programs, as senior vice president of program management and manufacturing. Click For More.

Trees in Your Tank? The Future of Green Gasoline: Earth Day Extra

A new method of refining hydrocarbons stands out as likely the first direct conversion from cellulose, opening up as potential fuel sources virtually anything that grows. Commercialization may take another five to 10 years, but it could mean $1/gallon gas. Click For More.

Tesla v. The World: Does Silicon Valley's Car Darling Have a Case? Expert Opinion

The breakthrough startup company is now tied up in two high-profile lawsuits involving former partners. What does it all mean for the future of the electric car? We asked attorney Nilay Patel, to break down the proceedings for us. Click For More.

10 Questions for NPR's Car Talk Guys on Fuel-Efficient Tech

Offering their opinions on clean diesel, ultracapacitors, American buying habits and the future of the internal-combustion engine, Tom and Ray Magliozzi sat down with PM to discuss driving green on the eve of their new PBS special. Click For More.

PM-Sponsored Cornell Auto X Prize Squad Builds Mega-Efficient Drivetrain

With just one semester before AXF qualifiers begin, the Cornell AXP team is progressing fast. In their monthly blog, engineering students reveal the secrets behind their 100-mpg Geo Metro's modified drivetrain. Click For More.

GM Testing Volt's Battery, iPhone-like Dash on Track to 2010

Here at GM's top-secret Technical Center lies the high-tech bones of the Chevrolet Volt, which is looking more and more like it'll be in dealerships by 2010. Click For More.

Nano Tanks Could Store Hydrogen in Microscopic 'Soccer Balls'

Hydrogen, for all its potential, presents some serious technical challenges. As a gas, it requires gigantic tanks to store, and as a liquid, it must be kept impracticably cold. Researchers at Rice University, however, recently tested a third option. Click For More.

Automotive X Prize Revs Up for 100-mpg Race (With Video!)

A year after releasing details to PM, the X Prize Foundation threw its official coming-out party for a 100-mpg challenge that could upend the automotive industry. Click For More.

Can America Find True Happiness in a Microcar? Mechanic's Diary

Thanks to high gas prices, a growing environmental consciousness and automakers waking up to the sobering reality of a coming 35-mpg CAFE standard­, senior automotive editor Mike Allen sees the micro revolution finally coming to town. Click For More.

Subaru R1e Electric Microcar Could Be Headed for NYPD: 2008 New York Auto Show Exclusive Test Drive (With Video!)

The R1e is based on Subaru’s domestic microcar, which is already well-established in the Japanese microcar segment. It's just hitting the market in Japan, but PM has already tested one on the streets of New York City. Click For More.

Could Mitsubishi's iMiev EV Make It Stateside This Decade? New York Auto Show Test Drive (With Video!)

The folks at Mitsubishi are as busy anyone for the auto show here this week, showing their eco-friendly iMiev prototype and talking up all-electric tech. We got a chance to slide behind the wheel—and a peek into the Japanese giant's green production future. Click For More.

Plug-in Cars Could Drain U.S. Water Supply, Researcher Says

A new study concludes that hybrid electric car miles take three times the water consumption of gasoline miles. That could pose problems for water-stressed regions, making power plants more vulnerable to shut down during times of drought. Click For More.

GM Says It’s Tripled Power With Next-Gen Li-Ion—and Will Produce 100,000 Per Year: Live at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show

Despite taking up 1/4 less space and weighing 40% less than nickel-metal hydride batteries, GM promises their new lithium-ions will pump out three times more power. Click For More.

In Bow to Impending MPG Law, Chrysler Chief Says All Cars Will Be Hybrids

Every vehicle that Chrysler makes will be hybrid-powered, president Jim Press said, without offering a timetable. The statement was the first by a major auto exec to embrace hybrid tech as an across-the board sea change for all vehicles in a lineup. Click For More.

Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010 at Sub-$18,000, Could Hit 1000-Mile Range

A New York-based startup wants to make the first air-powered car to hit U.S. roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, 96-mph, four-door version of MDI's CityCAT that, thanks to a radical dual-energy engine, is said to travel up to 1000 miles with each tiny fill-up. Click For More.

Coskata’s $1/Gallon 'Trash-to-Gas' Tech Starts Up Ethanol 2.0: How It Works

The GM-funded startup says it can make ethanol from almost any carbon-rich source for about half as much as gas. The potential result: garbage men one day joining oil-rig workers and wind farmers as pioneers of American energy independence. Click For More.

Inside Plug-in Car Tech's Race to Production (and Top 10 Rides)

Big automakers and promising startups say electric vehicles are coming as soon as next year, but there's a lot of work to be done—by scientists—before lithium-ion batteries are ready for mainstream hybrids. Click For More.

Ethanol Makes Mini Comeback: Live at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

There’s been a lot of talk about ethanol lately, most of it not very positive. But you wouldn’t know it from the E85 buzz here at the show. The silver lining? One GM-invested research company says it can make ethanol for less than $1 a gallon. Click For More.

Inside Eight 100-MPG Plans to Win the Automotive X Prize: Live at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

Strict rules for the competition—and lack of funding for some teams—will no doubt weed out many of the entrants. But for every engineer, the nascent stages of the AXP (and this huge show) provide a larger venue for publicizing advanced auto tech. Click For More.

Shadow of New CAFE Standard Law Pushes Detroit Even Greener

From the show floor here at Detroit, it seems automakers are bracing for the MPG change both in the messages they deliver to the press and the production and concept cars they're showing. How will the new law affect the cars we drive in the near future? Click For More.

Why Detroit Should Build a Plug-in Car With Generators Onboard

In his biweekly Mechanic's Diary, PM's senior automotive editor takes a hint from his hippie days in a VW Microbus to imagine a mass-market electric vehicle that can get you can get to work and back on a single charge—the engine never starts, and you burn no gas. Click For More.

2008 Tata Nano Is the $2500 Car That Might Change the World: Live First Look From India

If the pageantry seemed excessive, this wasn’t the time to complain: At the 2008 AutoExpo in New Delhi, the debut of the world's most affordable car was about much more than than the Nano itself. Click For More.

Cadillac Provoq Concept Plugs in to Volt Tech: Detroit Auto Show Preview @ CES

Describing freedom from petroleum fuels and emissions as the "ultimate luxury," General Motors is unveiling the Cadillac Provoq Concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with hopes of furthering its reborn reputation as a forward-thinking automaker. Click For More.

Aptera's Super-MPG Electric Typ-1 e: Exclusive Video Test Drive

PM hits the streets and gets looked at more than ever before, then heads to the shop for first-look details on a futuristic car so efficient it’ll make your jaw drop. The good news? It’s coming next year. Click For More.

The Ethanol Fallacy: Op-Ed

America needs smart alternative to oil, but the just-passed energy bill puts too much emphasis on the wrong alternative, PM's editor-in-chief says. Click For More.

Geek the Vote '08: Auto Proposals From the Candidates

PM compiled these links to make it easier to compare leading presidential candidates on several issues—and almost all of them have big promises for fuel efficiency. Click For More.

Two-Mode Hybrid System (Almost) Lives Up to MPG Hype

It’s new, it’s cool and it’s green. But does the efficient system really deliver? We got our hands on a new 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid for an extensive test of its capabilities, piling on over 700 rugged miles to obtain real-world fuel economy numbers. Click For More.

Why the New 35-MPG Fuel Economy Standard Is a Bad Idea

In his biweekly op-ed on the state of American cars, PM's senior automotive editor picks apart the House-approved CAFE legislation. Could higher gas prices be the only way to get more efficient cars on the road? Click For More.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDi Test Drive: Clean Diesel’s 50 MPG Meets Prius-Humbling Thrust

The Jetta has always been agile and zippy, but the ground-breaking diesel version gives it more oomph, allowing us to power through traffic and accelerate from stoplights with authority and a little bravado—we totally tooled on a Toyota Prius. Click For More.

5 Electric Cars Making History, Not Hype

With UPS plugging in, the tide appears to be turning. Forget tomorrow’s Tesla Roadster and 2010’s GM Volt. For these cars, the future is now. Click For More.

Chrysler Goes for the Green With EcoVoyager, ZEO and Renegade Concepts: Detroit Auto Show Preview

There may be new owners in town, but that isn’t stopping Chrysler LLC from charging ahead with forward-thinking, environmentally friendly concepts. All three incorporate electric motors powered by advanced lithium-ion battery packs. Click For More.

2008 Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen Car Test Drive: Road-Ready Fuel-Cell Fun

This alt-fuel ride went from concept to prototype almost overnight, and now it's ready for production by next spring. We got behind the wheel of what could be the world's first legitmate hydrogen fuel-cell car—and zero emissions may never have felt so good. Click For More.

15 New Rides You Need to Know at the L.A. Auto Show

It was a whirlwind couple of days in Southern California, with more North American debuts than first-look unveils—and maybe more emphasis on efficiency than we've ever seen. Either way, L.A. was all about curves and original design. Here are the ones to remember. Click For More.

New Prius May Be First Plug-in to Market: Test Drive

Toyota has unveiled what may be the first plug-in hybrid to reach U.S. showrooms. In addition to running as a traditional gas/electric hybrid, the new Prius will allow drivers to run only on the electric motors, offering a seven-mile range on a three- to four-hour charge. Click For More.

Two More Solar Car Crashes at Main Event: Update

More shocking news from the world of eco-racing: Two U.S. cars have crashed during the World Solar Challenge, including the University of Michigan's much-hyped and extremely well-funded Continuum. Click For More.

3 New Ways Detroit Could Convert Electricity Into MPG

Cars waste more than 60 percent of the energy they consume. Saving even a small fraction of that energy by using thermoelectric generators that convert heat into electricity could save 1.5 billion gallons of diesel a year in heavy trucks alone, a physicist says. Click For More.

Torque Vectoring: The Hyper-Smart, Fuel-Efficient Future of All-Wheel Drive

Everyone knows there are benefits of all-wheel drive when you’re dealing with the elements—come sand or high water. But headed to market in more performance cars are systems that can seamlessly distribute torque to any single wheel at a time. Click For More.

Green Guru: Wal-Mart, Pentagon, Detroit on Verge of Big Eco-Cash

If Wal-Mart can go green, so can the Pentagon. That was how energy pioneer and PM Breakthrough Leadership Award winner Amory Lovins drove home his message that when big business executes efficiently, it’s not just about eco-image. It’s about money. Click For More.

Venturi Eclectic, the World’s First Production Solar-Electric Car: Test Drive (with Video

We recently tested the three-seat, 30-mph, 30-mile-range Eclectic street car, coming in '08 for a bit over $30,000 as the first electro-solar ride to hit the market. If it can beat Tesla and Phoenix, Venturi will have the first (albeit simple) plug-in production car—period. Click For More.

More Green Cars Than Ever on Display in Frankfurt: Analysis

The overriding message, with crude oil hitting $80 a barrel during the second day, the dollar falling to an all-time low against the Euro and the Russian and Japanese premiers resigning, was that the auto industry will soldier on, finding new solutions. Click For More.

Ford's 200-mph, 770-hp Hydrogen Fuel Cell Record Breaker: How It Works (with Video)

The Ford Fusion 999 just became the fastest hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle ever to speed across the Bonneville Salt Flats. Get under the hood inside! Click For More.

Ethanol Viper Hits 220-mph Speed Record as Hydrogen Ford Guns for More

Just because alt-fuel cars are good for the environment doesn’t mean they have to be pokey. No, driving green can still mean burning rubber, and two new, hydrogen-powered land speeders have been built to break records at next month’s Bonneville Speed Week. Click For More.

Biodiesel Motorcycle: DIY Rally 2007, Part 7 (with Video)

Tired of smelling the exhaust from the tractors on his farm, David Hubbard learned to convert cooking grease to biodiesel. Once his tractors and backhoes were running on local oil, he decided to have some fun. Click For More.

Electric Cars Could Slash Global Warming by 2050 (but Harm Our Air)

A new study says that broad acceptance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could cut up to 6.12 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year — about 2.5 times the amount currently emitted by power plants. We break down the realities of such down-the-road estimates. Click For More.

New Fuel Economy Standards: How Detroit Can Meet Them

America is looking at its first big rise in fuel economy standards in decades, as cars and SUVs will have to hit 35 mpg by 2020. Here are four keys for automakers to bolster their fuel economy. One thing is for certain: This is going to be expensive for everyone. Click For More.

Special Report: The Truth About Plug-in Hybrid Cars

Garage tinkerers have been turning hybrids into plug-ins for years, but somehow no one paid attention. Now, the carmakers say plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are coming, if the engineers can get the batteries right. Click For More.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel: Video Test Drive

Volkswagen will have one of the first clean diesels in a mainstream non-luxury automobile on sale by January 2008. But Popular Mechanics has always had good spies, and PM.com contributor Paul Eisenstein has an exclusive video look under the hood of a prototype. Click For More.

3 Big Questions: Plug-in Challenges for the Electric Car's Future

With big pushes from GM, Ford and Toyota, plug-in hybrids are back in the spotlight, but lurking in the shadows is the same old problem: building a lightweight, powerful, affordable battery. Click For More.

Test Drive: Ford HySeries Plug-in Hybrid Edge (with VIDEO)

Though wafting zero-emissions exhaust in our face taught us plenty as to the realities of a hydrogen-powered automotive experience, what really made our test special was actually being able to drive a car running on advanced hydrogen fuel-cell technology that can power itself with a 336-volt battery pack. Click For More.

Test Drive: Hybrid Technologies Electric Mini Cooper (with VIDEO)

What may surprise anybody interested in driving electric is that you can have one of these right now, for about $50,000. We took this lithium-ion-powered Mini for a spin to see not the future of cars, but the present. Click For More.

Test Drive: Tesla Roadster

We had one of the only chances of anyone to pry the keys away from a Tesla engineer and climb behind the wheel of a hand-built $350,000 Development Prototype Tesla Roadster, winner of a 2006 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award for its 250-mile range behind a 248-hp AC motor. Click For More.

Comparison Test: Hybrids at the Crossroads

Do gas/electric hybrid vehicles really deliver on their mileage promises? PM matches up the Honda Civic and Toyota Highlander against their hybrid counterparts. Click For More.

Special Report: Crunching the Numbers on Alternative Fuels

How far can you drive on a bushel of corn? As the race to board the alternative-fuel bandwagon heats up, Popular Mechanics discovers the truth about bio fuels with a step-by step breakdown of everything from ethanol to methanol, natural gas to biodiesel, and electricity to hydrogen. Click For More.

Special Report: Crunching the Numbers on the Real Hydrogen Economy

Wild promises abound, but can the simplest element in the universe really power our homes, fuel our cars and reduce our contribution to global warming? Popular Mechanics finds the truth about hydrogen by examining all the hurdles—production, storage, distribution and use. Click For More.

Reality Check: Why Not 100 MPG?

Where's the magic carburetor? Where's the car that runs on water? Those are fantasies, but listen up: A four-door that gets 100 mpg really is possible. Today, with current technology. Click For More.

Analysis: The Realist Reporter's View on Plug-ins

After spending more than a year living off-the-grid, Ben Hewitt spent about six weeks working on PM's cover story breaking down the future of electric cars. He went from being a skeptic, to a true believer, to a skeptic again, and finally, to something between. Click For More.

Green Garage: Jay Leno's Clean Machines

Like most of us, Jay Leno has been looking hard at his footprint on the planet. In a long-term project with Popular Mechanics, The Tonight Show host and his shop team are upgrading his famous garage with environmentally friendly equipment. Click For More.

Green Living: Beyond Hybrid with Today's Energy Trends

From trends in alternative energy and the future of the automotive industry, to products for environmental efficiency and tips you can use, the best of what's right—right now. Click For More.
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