According to a recent article published in the Bangor Daily News, some people are still somewhat skeptical about just how smart of an investment the Smart Cars are. By now, most people have heard or the Smart Cars, but for those who don’t know, here is a little breakdown of what and who it is:

member of Mercedes-Benz cars
over 900,000 vehicles sold in 36 other countries throughout the world
introduced to the United States in January of 2008
currently 2 models available for sale in the USA
smart USA will eventually have a dealership network of over 70 smart centers across the Read the Rest…

Tags: Auto Transportation, auto by Janelle - 3 Comments »

When I was out looking around to buy my first vehicle, I was excited but also made the mistake of not doing my research prior to making that first trip to the dealership. I shopped purely on emotion and nothing else. The result? A brand new Jeep that is sucking the money out of my wallet both at the pump and in car payments. And to add insult to injury, even though it is in mint condition and isn’t even a year old, no one wants it! So, now I begin the car journey all over again, hopefully Read the Rest…

Tags: auto by Janelle - 10 Comments »

Have you ever been witness to someone who has had road rage? Or even worse, have you ever been in the same vehicle as someone who has road rage? Perhaps you’ve even been guilty of it. One of the major causes of car accidents today is the fact that people become distracted or are simply impatient while they drive. We need to always remember that driving is a privilege- not a right.
My Way or the Highway
With the price of gas soaring out of control, increasing numbers of people have turned to their bicycles in order to Read the Rest…

Tags: auto by Janelle - No Comments »

Like most people who are fed up with gas prices and the oil situation, Jennifer Marsh was also annoyed. Also an artist, Marsh decided to do something about it by making an art project out of an abandoned gas station that had become an eyesore on her way to work. She came up with the idea to cover the entire gas station with a collage of artwork collected from various people around the world. In essence, the gas station would be covered with what would look like a giant blanket of artwork. The whole point of Read the Rest…

Tags: auto news by Janelle - No Comments »

There’s a nasty rumor going around that electric vehicles aren’t as good as gas-powered vehicles; and, admittedly, I fell victim to it too. However, on an episode of the popular show Mythbusters, they put this rumor to the test. The guys on Mythbusters decided to put gas and electric models of compact cars, ATVs, motorcycles and go-karts to the test to see which electric model could last the longest.
The Car Test
Among several tests that were conducted, the first one consisted of “home-built” vehicles. The test consisted of taking two average compact cars-one with a gas engine and Read the Rest…

Tags: Auto Transportation, alternative transportation by Janelle - 1 Comment »

According to an article published back in 2006, Sweden claimed that it wanted to be completely free from being dependent on oil, and it was determined to make that happen by the year 2020. If the plan actually worked, it would be the world’s first ‘almost’ oil-free economy.
According to the Swedish government, Sweden’s intention is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises. Additionally, a governmental official claimed:
We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan Read the Rest…

Tags: auto news by Janelle - 1 Comment »

With the ever-increasing gas prices, more people are actually digging their 10-speeds out of the shed. It should be no surprise that the high gas prices are causing bike sales to go up. This great news if you own a bicycle repair shop or if you sell bicycles in general. For instance, according to a recent article published in The Frederick News-Post out of Maryland, more adults are buying bicycles…and not for their kids either..for themselves!
According to one employee at Goodwill Industries in the Frederick area, no bicycles could even be found at the store. Read the Rest…

Tags: Auto Transportation, alternative transportation, auto by Janelle - 1 Comment »

If you live in a city like Raleigh, NC, then you probably hate the traffic lights. A lot of the traffic lights throughout the city have red light cameras, which is part of the city’s effort to catch people who violate the law. It seems like a good idea, and in fact, a lot of other cities have also adopted this method of law enforcement as well. However, there are some negatives to this ‘red light’ camera ordeal.
Breaking the Law
Despite the fact that red light cameras are supposed to reduce the number of people who are speeding Read the Rest…

Tags: Driving, Saftey, auto, auto news by Janelle - 1 Comment »

That’s right. According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, the people at Japanese car maker, Mazda were forced to make a “crushing” decision when it came to figuring out what to do with 4,703 brand new vehicles that kinda’, sorta’ sank in the Pacific Ocean.
Around two years ago, a freighter ship was transporting the vehicles overseas when, for whatever reason, turned on its side at a 60 degree angle for weeks before finally getting back on track. All of the cars had been secured throughout this ordeal; however, it was unsure what damage (if Read the Rest…

Tags: auto news by Janelle - No Comments »

According to an article published in Technology Review, a type of lithium-ion battery developed by A123 Systems, a company housed in Watertown, MA, could be the key to making electric and hybrid cars dominate the roadways in the very near future. A123 Systems is just one of many other similar companies who are burning the midnight oil (no pun intended) when it comes to coming up with technology to support our alternative fuel vehicles. This particular battery stores twice as much energy as a nickel-metal hydride battery, which (for those of us out there who know little Read the Rest…

Tags: auto news by Janelle - 3 Comments »