Hybrids & Alternative Cars

Smart buying decisions right now on automobiles

Decreasing gas prices and midyear model changeovers are two factors creating some unique buying opportunities right now in the car market. First, on the gas price front, we've probably all seen the prices at the pump dropping. I've already predicted that prices in some of the lowest-cost markets could start ...

• 1:41 p.m. Thursday, May 17, 2012

Rising motorcycle sales signal economic recovery

There's an unusual and very loud economic indicator that says we are definitely in a recovery: Motorcycles! I read in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that motorcycle manufacturers are booming right now. That's a big changed from when we went into the Great Recession five years ago. At that time, motorcycle ...

• 1:34 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, 2012
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Best and Worst payback times on fuel-efficient cars

Most people are looking more closely at fuel-efficient vehicles, event though they can cost more upfront. Here are the rides that offer the best and worst payback for your car-buying dollar.

• 12:00 a.m. Friday, April 20, 2012
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Fuel-efficient vehicles: Best and worst payback

The high price of gas is making a lot of people consider fuel-efficient vehicles. But which ones are worth your money? A new analysis from TrueCar.com analysis shows that my car, the Nissan Leaf, takes 8+ years to make back its cost vs. the Nissan Versa. So I'm looking pretty ...

• 1:13 p.m. Thursday, April 12, 2012
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Why gas is up even though increased domestic supply is up

The price of gas has become a huge campaign issue between Democrats and Republicans. Yet as the politicians argue and point fingers, the reality is this is a case where we the people have power and we're actually doing something about it. Our domestic oil producers are using new methods ...

• 1:31 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2012
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Startups that let you rent your ride for extra cash

Do you have a spare vehicle sitting around collecting dust? Try renting it out. Kiplinger  magazine reports there are several new websites that can help you get started as a 1-personal rental agency, with the possibility of generating several hundred dollars in extra income each month. The reality is most ...

• 1:01 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2012
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Used fryer grease is a hot steal for crooks

The crime of opportunity of the moment is stealing restaurant grease. I read a report in The San Francisco Chronicle  that this is a plague in the Bay area. What are the crooks using it for? Converting it to diesel fuel to operate diesel cars or trucks! A lot of ...

• 1:24 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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How would you solve the energy riddle of the United States?

How would you solve the energy riddle of the United States? Do you know what the Saudis are doing for us right now? The Saudis are trying to reduce the price of oil here in the United States in a very market-driven kind of way, according to The Financial Times ...

• 1:22 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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Remote charging of electric devices coming soon

It seems that charging electric devices is just part of our lives now. But it could get a lot easier in the very near future. WiTricity.com is one company that has a device that can recharge a smartphone from several feet away, using magnetic induction. The Watertown, Mass., company is ...

• 2:14 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2012

More options coming for reduced fuel consumption

There's a lot of unhappiness about gas prices all across the country. But I want you to know there's so much we can do about it and we are! For starters, we're generating more domestic energy supplies than ever before. It's shocking how much natural gas we're producing thanks to ...

• 1:13 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, 2012
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