Control Climate Change

A primer on fiberglass mold making and molding fiberglass parts, using MAX’s nose parts (hood and bubble) as examples.

A crazy idea to make a car battery last forever is quite crazy indeed.

An automotive whiz explains why it’s not a great idea to let your car warm up by idling.

Propelling a vehicle with air or water is possible, but whether it’s practical is another story.

There’s a new automotive fuel efficiency contest coming up — the Rally Green — and now MAX has a tachometer, a digital wonder called a Tiny Tach.

Electric car charging infrastructure will be launched in major urban areas nationwide. This is in part due to $15 million in stimulus money being set aside for the charging stations. Now we need to get the remaining $22 million in co-funding.

Electric car charging infrastructure will be launched in major urban areas nationwide. This is in part due to $15 million in stimulus money being set aside for the charging stations. Now we need to get the remaining $22 million in co-funding.

More progress on MAX’s streamlined body, using a laser to make curved body parts fit on a flat frame.

Electric motorcycles offer clean, efficient and cost-effective transportation, and thanks to growing technology, there are a lot of fun bikes available today. This excerpt from Carl Vogel’s helpful book, Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle, will help you pick the perfect option.

MAX’s bodywork continues, as Jack modifies the race car nose to fit over the Kubota engine.

We’re modifying the Lola race car’s nose to fit MAX’s chassis. The first step is cutting the nose down the middle so we can move the fenders apart a few more inches, which will let us steer enough for parking and other normal street activities.

Did you know that you can get better gas mileage, simply by learning how to “hypermile”? With a little practice, hypermilers can increase the number of miles their car will travel on a tank of gas (up to 40 percent more), and save money! Check out these smart tips for saving gas.

MAX’s classic race car skin remains a work in progress. Jack wants MAX to look Lola-esque, but not too Lola-esque.

You can build this small electric car for neighborhood travel.

Is MAX an actual modern-day vehicle, or just a high school shop class experiment? In this update, Jack answers sharp questions from an automotive engineer.

The new emissions standards are projected to conserve 1.8 billion barrels of oil during the lives of the vehicles covered.

At the time, it seemed like a clear car was a good idea.

A reader recently raised concerns that MAX is illegal in Uncle Sam’s eyes. Here’s the skinny.

Four gasoline-electric hybrids and two clean diesel cars make up the 2010 Best Green Cars list from MOTHER EARTH NEWS. They are the Ford Fusion Hybrid, The Honda Civic Hybrid, the Honda Insight, the Toyota Prius, the Volkswagen Golf TDI and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

A new era of green cars calls for a new way to distinguish noteworthy vehicles. Enter the 2010 Best Green Cars from MOTHER EARTH NEWS. For our first annual list, we spotlight six reliable cars capable of 40 mpg or better. Five of the six are available for $25,000 or less. All are regarded for their safety features and mechanical reliability. And, because different people need different things from their cars, we present a variety of best-of lists - from best green cars for the least bucks to best green trucks.

Has Toyota’s recall of more than 8 million cars affected your faith in the automaker?

Would you like to save money on gas? Why not make your own? Alcohol fuel, also known as ethanol, is surprisingly easy to make at home, all you need is a permit and a small still. You can produce ethanol from your own crops, or from a variety of other products including food waste and crop culls. Just choose the materials that are most sustainable and economical for you.

If you’re wondering when we’ll have an all-electric car that’s both affordable and dependable, Nissan may have some good news for you. Scheduled for sale in late 2010, the Nissan Leaf is designed to have a range that will cover many commutes, and is said to have a price range close to that of a comparable well-equipped gasoline car. Hop in, and check out the other exciting features the Leaf has to offer. 

General Motors is making waves in the green vehicle industry. The company recently announced that they will invest $246 million in producing electric motors and components right here in the United States.

In which Jack departs a little from his fashion sense and MAX gets new racing seats. But not just any racing seats: safer seats with real head restraints.

Two Spoke, an online forum devoted to cycling, gives cyclists a place to discuss everything from commuting bikes to cycling apparel to cyclist rights. This interview with a Two Spoke site administrator discusses the forum and its role as a resource for cyclists.

Could MAX pass federal safety standards for mass-produced cars? Nope. Should that matter?

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize will host a series of competitions in Michigan this year to determine the winners of a $10 million purse for super fuel-efficient vehicles. A combination of on-track stages and lab tests will lead to a September awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Honda and Toyota introduced new hybrid vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car show also featured the latest in electrified vehicles, including new entries from BMW, BYD Auto, Cadillac, Volkswagen and Volvo.

General Motors has manufactured the first battery pack for its Chevy Volt in Michigan, marking a milestone on the path to production of the extended-range electric vehicle later this year. Ford is also planning to manufacture electric vehicles in Michigan.