honda

If you're sick of high fuel prices, Carnegie Mellon is running a car conversion project that takes gasoline-powered Hondas and makes them all electric.

The automaker showed off an electric Fit last year that can travel 100 miles per charge, but if you want a greener Civic, the CMU Robotics Institute's ChargeCar Electric Vehicle Conversion Project might be for you.

Researchers such as Illah Nourbakhsh of the institute's Create Lab work with local mechanics in converting Civics. At an open house near CMU on March 25, they will unveil a 2002 Civic EX four-door sedan that's been electrified.

The Civic's conventional powertrain has been replaced with a 35-horsepower electric motor and 33 lithium-iron-phosphate batteries.

According to a CMU release, the car can drive more than 40 miles in mixed urban and highway driving, and has a top speed of more than 70 miles per hour (CMU would not specify an exact number).

The project has details on the conversion of a 2005 Honda Civic LX with the same stats; charging takes about 10 hours. Check out the photo gallery here.

How much does conversion cost? Jobs vary, but a CMU official said the best estimate he's seen is $17,000 or more. Ouch. … Read more

The devastating earthquake and tsunami shuts down Japanese automotive plants, new car hacks, and which car is the last to come with a cassette player.

• Quake hobbles Japan's auto output

• Japan quake will disrupt car audio this year

• Toyota sees cost of fuel cells dropping dramatically in just a few years - will hydrogen have the last laugh?

• New report on ease of compromising cars without physical access

• Glenlivet 70 Year Old 1940

If you're ready to move on to the greener pastures of fuel cell technology, geography is the single biggest factor limiting your ability to drive a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Although no fuel-cell vehicles are available for sale at this time, a handful of auto manufacturers have opened their hydrogen-testing programs to the public. But it's not an open-door policy; you have to qualify.

Car makers typically partner with universities, commercial fleets, or government agencies to get feedback on their technology platforms while working out the bugs. These organizations often have access to private hydrogen gas refueling stations, and can … Read more

Brian Cooley takes you for a drive in the 2011 Honda CR-V EX-L Navi to check the tech, such as it is.

(CNET review of the 2011 CR-V EX-L)

For years, the Honda Civic has stood as the gold standard for small, fun-to-drive cars. Recently, however, C-segment competition has started to heat up, and Honda is facing some serious competition from the likes of Hyundai. Yes, Hyundai; don't laugh. We were recently given an opportunity to spend time behind the wheel of Hyundai's all-new compact sedan and we're now thoroughly convinced that Honda should definitely be afraid of the 2011 Elantra GLS.

Starting in the engine room, the Elantra is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that, at 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque, … Read more

TOKYO--The earthquake that hammered Japan on Friday stopped production at several assembly plants that export vehicles to the United States.

The shutdowns could affect exports of such cars as the Toyota Yaris and Scion xB and Scion xD, as well as the Honda Fit, Accord sedan, and CR-V crossover. The quake also disrupted production of Acura and Infiniti models.

Japan's strongest quake in at least a century struck off the coast of Sendai, 80 miles north of Tokyo.

Toyota evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and has two … Read more

Acura announced this week that the revamped 2012 Acura TL will go on sale March 18. The midsize TL sedan has a freshened-up look and new detailing.

The 2012 TL's new look incorporates improved aerodynamics with a redesigned front bumper, a revised grille, and a shorter front overhang. The most noticeable change to the rear bumper is the repositioned license plate opening, smaller rear reflectors, and thinner rear-trunk edge trim. The new TL also has body-colored door handles and rear window trim.

"With the 2009 TL, the exterior design was a lot about passion," said Damon Schell, … Read more

In this edition of CNET's Roadside Assistance, Brian Cooley and Wayne Cunningham are out, but Antuan Goodwin is in to answers questions about the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, Bose audio, and something about a Kia and an Oldsmobile sharing the same design cues.

When we last saw the Honda CR-V, we were behind the wheel of the 2009 CR-V EX-L 4WD with navigation. A little over two years later, we found ourselves spending a week with the new 2011 CR-V EX-L 4WD with navigation. Not much has changed for Honda's little crossover. Aside from a refreshed front end, physically the CR-V is virtually unchanged. Under the hood, Honda's engineers have been able to coax about 20 more ponies out of the 2.4-liter engine, but you probably wouldn't notice that without back-to-back testing of the two generations. Most heinously, the … Read more