Gas 2.0

Plug-In Hybrid Hummer Tackles Moab Off-Roading
MyFord Touch Driver Interface is Light Years Better Than the Rest; Adds Useful Fuel Economy Coaching Features
Aptera Unveils 200 MPG 2E Prototype | Popular Mechanics

Plug-In Hybrid Hummer Tackles Moab Off-Roading

Posted: 16 Apr 2010 01:18 PM PDT

While frowned upon by many in my home state of Connecticut, off-roading is nevertheless a prevalent past time in a state filled with farms, forest, and Fortune 500 CEO’s. In fact, for such a politically liberal state, there are a surprising number of Hummers (though far more Priuses). While mostly reserved for commuting, every now and then I’ve seen a Hummer tearing it up off-road.

Still, there is a part of me that winces everytime I see the mud flying and the engines revving. It is bad for the environment, and off-roading definately breeds a disregard for nature. It is still fun, but if there was a better way to do it, I would be all over it. Raser Tech’s plug-in hybrid Hummer might just be that better way.

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MyFord Touch Driver Interface is Light Years Better Than the Rest; Adds Useful Fuel Economy Coaching Features

Posted: 16 Apr 2010 11:57 AM PDT

In my view, one of the most important aspects of next generation vehicles is how well their drivers (and passengers) can interact with them. As our cars become much more complicated machines that provide increasing access to valuable information available through features such as detailed navigation, energy usage statistics, vehicle status reports, and Internet access, they also risk becoming too complicated for people to effectively use them.

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Aptera Unveils 200 MPG 2E Prototype | Popular Mechanics

Posted: 16 Apr 2010 10:18 AM PDT

Aptera unveils a design-intent version of its all-electric 2E and insists that it’s on the road to financial stability.

This post originally appeared on the Popular Mechanics website, where you can read the entire post. Written by Basem Wasef.

CARLSBAD, Calif.—On Wednesday, Aptera’s vice president and chief engineer Tom Reichenbach unveiled a design-intent prototype of the Aptera 2E. The all-electric vehicle—which was hours away from being shipped to Detroit to compete for the Automotive X Prize—wears a number of outwardly visible alterations from the earlier Typ-1 e prototype that will make it more suitable for daily use. Though the body is visibly paunchier than the predecessor we test drove two years ago, the 2E retains its striking, head-turning silhouette, not to mention a coefficient of drag that’s below 0.15.

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