cars

Besides Toyota Motor and BMW, automakers haven't done a great job of building fleets that emit less carbon dioxide, according to an Environmental Defense report.

The organization's 80-page report, called "Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens" (PDF), evaluated the carbon dioxide emissions of vehicles from major automakers between 1990 and 2005. Companies graded were: Ford Motor, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Honda Motor, Nissan Motor, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru and Mitsubishi Motors.

"The rate of carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and light trucks in the U.S. dipped for the first time in two … Read more

Last year, HP introduced its HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion, a sleek gadget that combined the powers of a PDA and a portable navigation system into one solution. It was the first GPS device for the company, and based on user opinions, it was a pretty successful product. Now, HP has decided to embark on its first GPS-only venture with the new HP iPaq 310 Travel Companion. I got a sneak preview a couple of weeks ago, and I must say, I'm pretty impressed. Unlike the rx5900, which used TomTom software, HP created its own interface for the iPaq … Read more

With this year's SEMA show fast approaching, aftermarket car-tech manufacturers are starting to release details on the next generation of their in-car gadgetry. This week, Pioneer unveiled the latest addition to its AVIC series of all-in-one in-car navigation and media devices, the single-DIN-size AVIC-N4. Like the AVIC-Z1 and AVIC-D3 systems, the N4 features a 7-inch touch-screen LCD display, which can be used to show maps, view DVDs, and program a range of media sources, including compressed audio discs, and iPods. Unlike the larger systems, the N4 comes with a motorized faceplate, which can stow away, enabling the system to … Read more

It looks like the futuristic power system for electric cars promised by EEStor could be a little late.

EEStor CEO Richard Weir told CNET News.com in a brief phone interview that commercial production of its energy storage system--a device that holds electricity and functions somewhat like a battery--will be sometime in the next 10 months or so. The unit is also referred to as an "ultracapacitor."

"We intend to be in production on or before the middle of next year," he said.

Although that means that the company could be in production by tomorrow, the … Read more

Is it possible to achieve dharma at 25 mph?

The Zenn (which stands for Zero Emission, No Noise), available since February from Feel Good Cars subsidiary Zenn Motor, can be purchased from 33 dealerships throughout 20 U.S. states.

Surprised that you've never heard of the two-"n" Zenn? That may be because the company doesn't plan to have an official car-promoting launch until September 9, a company representative told CNET News.com last week.

Priced between $12,750 and $16,000, depending on options selected, the car offers a driving range of up to 35 … Read more

It's showtime again in the auto world--that time of the year when manufacturers trot out their latest fleets of new models and wacky concepts. In preparation for the forthcoming Frankfurt auto show, Nissan this week unveiled details of its Mixim electric concept car. According to Nissan, the Mixim (which is unlikely to make it to production) is aimed at young, Web-savvy, digital-age drivers with a penchant for gaming. Check out our photo gallery here.

Transonic is coming clean with its ambitions: it is working on a fuel injection system that will let liquid fuel cars get 100 miles a gallon.

And an engine equipped with Transonic's technology will be able to run on gas, ethanol or other types of fuel without help from batteries. In other words, a car with a Transonic-assisted engine would get as good or better mileage than a plug-in hybrid (mileage on plug-ins drops on freeways) but still have the punch of a gas car. More mileage leads directly to lower emissions, and also less dependence on foreign oil. … Read more

Far be it from Garmin to let TomTom have all the spotlight today. Yes, Garmin had some news of its own as it introduced the Garmin Nuvi 700 series of portable navigation systems. The family includes three models--the Garmin Nuvi 750, Nuvi 760, and Nuvi 770--and features an enhanced user interface that makes these systems simpler to use. For example, you can now choose between a QWERTY or alphabetical keyboard. I know, it may not seem like such a huge deal but after struggling to enter addresses on an alphabetical keyboard, I'm pretty excited about this new functionality. … Read more

Today, TomTom took the wraps off of its latest portable navigation systems, adding three new products to the portfolio: the TomTom One 3rd Edition, TomTom GO 920, and the TomTom GO 920T. So without further ado, here's your friendly little breakdown of each.

TomTom One 3rd Edition: This entry-level GPS device is similar to the TomTom One but adds the Map Share technology and "Help Me" safety feature that was first introduced in the TomTom GO 720. Map Share allows you to make adjustments to your maps (such as noting blocked roads, updating points of interest, adding … Read more