Cars and Motors

Thinking about trading your sedan in for a bicycle? Consider getting up to speed on traffic safety before that first commute.

Back in 2002, BMW revealed a tricycle-based concept that called the CLEVER. It stood for Compact Low Emissions Vehicle for Urban Transport and was light enough to be powered by a small compressed natural gas engine. Now, BMW has released another of their tricycle-based concepts that has been dubbed the SIMPLE.

Few automakers can match the safety and reliability Volvo has been able to work into nearly every one of their vehicles. Their innovative methods and cutting edge technology have gotten them more than a few life-long customers and more are sure to come. Their latest piece of safety hardware could very well be one of the key factors in driving these new customers in.

Over the years, we have come to expect great things from the Lotus Engineering team, which they have been more than able to provide. The research and development they accomplish has been used in a myriad of applications extending far beyond their automotive realm. Recently, they unveiled a new range extending motor that will most likely follow the same path of global application.

Building an exceedingly complex 1/16 replica of one of Japan's historic World War II warplanes won't cost you an arm and a leg when you buy weekly parts kits on the installment plan.

Since first being introduced in 2002, the Volkswagen L1 Concept has been dubbed the most fuel efficient automobile in the world. While this is a lofty claim on the part of VW, the evidence to support this title seems to be sufficient.

Even the most exotic sports cars available today cannot match the potential acceleration of a high output electrically powered sports car. This is mostly due to full torque available at 0 RPMs. To really drive this point home, Audi has developed the E-Tron, which could easily become the next generation of high end sports cars.

Web 2.0 has not only ushered in social media, it fostered a movement of consumer-generated content and crowdsourcing. We can believe and trust in things we read and view if its endorsed by one of our friends, business associates or social networks chums. Traditional advertising? ... not so much! Consumer-generated content as a sea-change has gained so much traction that even advertising in a lot of respects is now controlled by the public.

Even though using public transportation within a city greatly reduces the overall amount of pollution, this doesn’t stop people from demanding cleaner and more efficient means.  A new kind of bus being launched in Britain may be able to provide the perfect solution to such demands, as well as bring a halt to the reliance on diesel.

Can you imagine the energy harnessing potential we would have if the roads we drove on every day were solar paneled?

An aging population facing mobility issues is the intended target of the Honda U3-X electric unicycle, but the style, design and performance of this "personal mobility" device should appeal to those of ANY generation.

With as much attention as the Fiskar Karma go, it only makes sense that the up and coming automaker would start planning something new. The rumors now are that this next Fiskar model will be a Plug In Hybrid with a starting price somewhere in the $39,000 range.

Finally! Finally! There may be a way to escape my husbands desire to ride a tandem bike together. At least I think there may be. Why? An inventor, who needs to be thanked over and over again, has invented a tandem companion. No, she isn't sexy nor alive!

In keeping with their plan to rely heavily on the EcoBoost engine line up, Ford has introduced another variant of the potent powerplant.  This time, the turbocharged engine displaces a total of 1.6 liters, making it the smallest and possibly the most widely used for the upcoming model years.

Feeling blue? Japan's railways and subways have come up with a bright idea to reduce the number of suicides at train stations: eerie blue LED lighting that supposedly has a calming effect on suicidal psyches.

Both gasoline engines and diesel engines have their advantages over the other when it comes to certain applications.  However, they both also suffer from drawbacks that some people find too difficult to live with.  This may all change though, as a new gasoline-diesel mixture is being researched and tested that promises to bring the best of both worlds into the hands of the consumer.

Lichtblick, a German based Energy Company specializing in environmentally friendly systems, has been working on a new in-house energy system that could very well replace large nuclear or coal burning power plants. Even more interesting, is that Volkswagen is now on-board with the business plan and providing funding to get the project moving.

Anyone who has ever been to New York City knows how heavy the traffic can get at pretty much any time of the day. To combat this, the city began developing different forms of mass transit that they hoped would eventually replace personal vehicles inside the crowded city. Among these, was the diesel burning kneeling bus, which has undergone very few changes until just recently when a new turbine powered unit was developed.

Scaling up the amount of ethanol produced every year is no easy task. Aside from the huge amount of corn needed to produce a decent amount of fuel, the process also requires an almost constant flow of water. While many people are working to solve the issues, others are looking for alternative methods to produce the cleaner fuel. Interestingly enough, that alternative method may end up being watermelons.

Not too long ago, Lexus let it slip that they were working on a hybrid coupe, at the time called the LF-CT, which would likely be competing in the same ring as the recently released BMW 1-Series. Now, they have offered up some sketches of the soon-to-be-revealed concept and given us its true name.