accessories
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The BMW i3 electric car is a tour de force of advanced engineering--and it was the most energy-efficient car sold in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015. Its body shell is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, riding on an aluminum platform containing the lithium-ion battery, the electric motor, and the crash structures. But you can't get AM radio in the car. In other words, no local traffic reports or news headlines for you, harried commuter. CHECK OUT: 2018 BMW i3 electric car range adds sportier i3s version We noticed this quirk in the BMW i3 REx extended-range electric cars tested over by...
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Electric Car 'Do Not Unplug' Notices: Public Education At Its Best
Hanger signs could help eliminate conflicts over public charging spaces.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model S Body Kit: Definitely Different, Range-Robbing Too?
Body kits--add-on components and replacements for a car's front and rear fascias and door sills--are often a good way for owners to make their vehicle stand out from the crowd. Often used on luxury brands and tuner cars, the updated looks are usually edgier and more aggressive than the factory...
John Voelcker -
Electric-Car Charging Station Blocked? Get An Extension Cord!
It's called "ICE-ing," and sooner or later, every electric-car driver experiences it. The term refers to a non-electric car with an internal combustion engine (or ICE) occupying a parking space where a public charging station is located. The car is thereby blocking electric cars from recharging at...
John Voelcker -
Had To Happen: Tesla Model S Spawns 'Teslacessories' Startup
Accessories are a huge part of the auto business, and for every car, somewhere there's a business (or a few dozen) offering aftermarket items the manufacturer hasn't, can't, or won't provide. And so it turns out to be for the Tesla Model S, the all-electric sport sedan from Silicon Valley startup...
John Voelcker -
Five Official Nissan Leaf Accessories You Can’t Buy In The U.S.
As with many other cars sold around the world, there are small differences between the 2012 Nissan Leaf sold in the U.S. and the 2012 Nissan Leaf found in other countries. While Leaf owners in other countries may end up paying more for their cars, they often get more features included as standard...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
We pick five accessories and modifications that will dress up your Leaf electric car to make it more functional, more stylish, or just cooler.
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Toyota Adds Prius Plus Performance Package To Hot Up Hybrid Handling
Pretty much every Toyota Prius hybrid you see on the streets looks the same. Wild customization is generally limited to personalized plates that promote the driver's green credentials, solar panels, eco-living, or general hybrid luv-luv-LUV. That's about to change. Toyota announced today it will...
John Voelcker -
Now, For Your Fuel-Efficient Little Green Car, V-8 Sound!
If you drive a small car or, heaven forfend, a hybrid or a clean-diesel, you may have heard the jokes. And the jibes. "Hey, Mister, how many rubber bands that thing have?" And so on. But we've got a foolproof way for you to grin all the way past the gas pumps. Suppose your fuel-efficient green car...
John Voelcker -
New Hybrid Scorecard Slams Carmakers For Loading On Luxury
It's long been known that hybrid buyers often choose them over luxury cars, and aren't buying them solely for the payback in gasoline savings. But a new Hybrid Scorecard, launched by the Union of Concerned Scientists, slams carmakers for inflating their prices by loading luxury into fuel-efficient...
John Voelcker -
Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Accessories For Your Toyota Prius
The huge SEMA show, mecca of car modifications from awful to awesome, now attracts even manufacturers, who commission custom versions of production cars in hopes that hotness will rub off on them. Even Toyota showed the Prius Aerius and Aemulus this year. But the real action is in the aftermarket...
John Voelcker