Hybrid Owners Have More Accidents, Get More Tickets

Not dirty, sexy, or violent, brand is 'a minor miracle'

(NEWSER) - Nissan already had its work cut out in designing a hybrid—whatever it made had to measure up to Toyota’s hugely successful Prius. Then it needed a name, which came at the end of a process blending business, culture, and the law. Possibilities must be cleared in hundreds of countries, not only for copyright restrictions but for potential unintended hilarity: see Mazda’s “Bongo Friendee” van and Daihatsu’s “Naked” minicar. The result is the green-sounding Leaf. More»

Prius owners stay a little bit truer

(NEWSER) - America's love affair with hybrids has turned out to be more of a fling for many owners: A new study finds that when they go to trade in, about 65% of hybrid owners pass on getting another hybrid. The numbers, based on 2011 data, do fluctuate based on the model: Prius owners were slightly more likely to stick with a gas-electric ride, with 41% selecting another hybrid; for Honda hybrid owners, that number sunk to less than 20%, reports MSNBC . More»

(NEWSER) - As the US moves away from a gasoline-only auto culture, researchers and the government are investigating alternative taxes to fund road-building and maintenance, the Kansas City Star reports. The leading idea to supplant the gas tax is a by-the-mile approach endorsed by a federal commission. “If you’re committed to the system being improved then it was a no-brainer,” the chairman said. More»

Except for a few models, hybrids and electric cars take years to pay off

(NEWSER) - Thinking of buying a hybrid or electric vehicle to ease the pain at the pump? You may want to think again: A TrueCar.com study commissioned by the New York Times shows that, except in three cases, fuel-efficient technology is so expensive that these types of cars take years to pay off at today's gas prices—and that remains true even if gas were to hit $5 per gallon. In some cases, the average driver would take more than a decade to see savings over comparable conventional vehicles, which is a problem since the average person owns a car just six years. Most fuel-efficient cars will be more expensive to purchase and to drive for five years, at minimum. More»

Conventional cars are giving hybrids a run for their money

(NEWSER) - Hybrids are gas-sipping wonders, and electric cars may be the green wave of the future, but oil-addicted America's best hope may be ... the conventional gasoline engine, reports the Washington Post . GM, Ford, and Hyundai are now selling cars with conventional engines that get 40mpg or better on the highway, and getting there wasn't that hard: Chevy shaved 200 hundred pounds off its Cruze Eco, tightened the aerodynamics, upgraded the engine, and is now squeezing 50mpg out of the car. More»