First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen e-Up!

Story and photos by John LeBlanc FRANKFURT — Initially conceived as a rear-engine, rear-drive city car, the first production Volkswagen Up! went on sale in Europe as a front-drive, two-door, four-passenger hatch two years ago. But Volkswagen always had bigger plans for its smallest car.

GM working on Tesla-rivaling electric vehicle

Story by John LeBlanc Although sales haven’t met expectations, General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has garnered plenty of attention towards the technical and engineering capabilities of the biggest automaker in the world. But with upstarts like Tesla gaining further green cred with pure-electric vehicles, America’s GM is once again talking about building an electric […]

Slow sales causing electric vehicle makers to slash prices and add incentives

By John LeBlanc With almost five months of inventory sitting on its U.S. dealer lots — more than double the supply analysts’ say is normal — General Motors’ Chevrolet brand has started offering up to $5,000 U.S. dollars (USD) in purchase incentives on its Volt plug-in electric gas electric hybrid.

First Drive: 2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. –  Each time Ford launches a new electrified vehicle of some kind, inevitably, rival Toyota takes a licking. Two months ago, Ford launched its new 2013 Fusion Hybrid sedan. And the American automaker’s media presentation was chock-a-block with references to how much better its hybrid sedan […]

2011 Michelin Challenge Bibendum: The world’s only “green” auto show

By John LeBlanc BERLIN, Germany — Michelin’s Challenge Bibendum might be the ‘greenest’ auto event of the year. This year’s event, held for the first time in Berlin, marks the eleventh time Michelin has put on its “green” — or what it calls its “sustainable mobility” — auto show. Back in the late-1990s, the higher-ups at […]

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