honda

Environmentally conscious consumers these days have more choices when it comes to deciding on a greener car. Hybrid? Plug-in hybrid? All-electric?

Well, what about natural gas, says Honda. The automaker has been rolling out its Civic that runs on natural gas to more states. But how common are fueling stations with natural gas? (As with electric vehicles, it's all about the infrastructure.)

In the video above, SmartPlanet's Sumi Das talks to Jay Guzowski, senior product planner with Honda, about the automaker's plans to sell the Civic nationwide.

This video first appeared at SmartPlanet under the headline "… Read more

Honda's humanoid robot Asimo can now run faster, hop around, autonomously avoid people, and communicate in sign language with its new hands.

In the first major update to the droid in four years, Asimo has improved AI skills, being able to operate continuously without human control, and also has better locomotion, and a remarkable 57 axes of movement.

It's another step in the multimillion dollar, decades-old effort to make Asimo, first unveiled 12 years ago, useful. It also follows criticism of Japan's robotics community for a limp response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis. … Read more

Happy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Day! Actually, that probably means none of you are listening to our show today. You're likely at your local Costco, Sam's Club, or other restaurant supply depot stocking up on Twizzlers and Four Loko for the next two weeks of gaming hibernation.

But if you're ready for a break, today we'll tell you how to case business interiors for your next B&E using Google+ and GMaps, access the hidden panorama mode in the iOS5 camera app, pay $19 for a truly unlimited everything cell phone plan, and why you probably shouldn't let a cowboy doctor in the UK shine a laser in your beautiful brown eyes.

Stream or download today's podcast after the break!… Read more

Electric and hybrid cars grab all the headlines, but Honda's natural gas-powered Civic has been quietly running along, reducing CO2 emissions since 1998.

Of Honda's line of 2012 Civics, people are most likely to be unfamiliar with the Natural Gas version. The public in general is not aware that natural gas can power cars, in addition to heating houses and cooking food. Nor is the average man on the street likely to know that a gallon of natural gas is two-thirds (or less) the cost of a gallon of gasoline. That natural gas emits 30 percent less CO2 than gasoline is another little-known fact.

To spread some knowledge, Honda put me behind the wheel of its 2012 Civic Natural Gas for a drive that included city traffic, freeway merging, and some mountain twisties.… Read more

Can cold weather ruin your car speakers? More of your insights into self-driving cars, recommendations for cheap cars that are fun to drive, and our plans to review the VW GTI.

LAS VEGAS--Last year's SEMA Show may have been the year of the hybrid, but this year Honda is throwing its weight behind its original golden child, the Honda Civic.

The automaker has filled its booth here at the 2011 SEMA Show with a collection of high-performance and high-styled 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan models.

Leading the high-performance charge is the Bisimoto Engineering 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe, which spins the dyno's rollers to the tune of 1,004 horsepower. That's no typo: one thousand and four ponies. More amazingly, Bisimoto does so with the Si'… Read more

SAN DIEGO--Because of the chilly reception this year for its redesigned Civic, which was universally panned for its cheap, hard-plastic instrument panel and center console, Honda is moving more quickly than planned on some midcycle changes.

"We take feedback seriously, regardless of who it's from, and we will act accordingly quickly," John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, said in an interview.

The midcycle update normally would occur in spring 2014. But Mendel said the change could occur sometime in 2013.

Honda was in the midst of redesigning the Civic when the global economy imploded in 2009. … Read more

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v, and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI are all finalists for 2012 Green Car of the Year, Green Car Journal announced today in a press release.

The winner will be announced during a press conference at a Los Angeles Auto Show press day on November 17. This marks the seventh consecutive year the award has been given out.

Green Car Journal editors considered dozens of models that were designed to reduce their environmental impact and be more energy-efficient. According to the press release, the cars … Read more

Hyundai bails on EVs, satellite radio just got more expensive, when is it cheaper to fly? (there's an app for that), and we drive the new (but maybe not new enough) Honda Civic Hybrid.

• Hyundai seems to be bailing out on battery electric cars

• The world's fastest hybrid car is...

• An app to tell you when it really is cheaper to drive.

• Is OnStar spying on you, or just doing business 21st century style?

• CNET Reviews the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid… Read more