August a Record Month for Chevy Volt Sales Thanks to Big Discounts; But is it Really Good News?

All-electric and hybrid car sales so far account for just 3.5 percent of total vehicle sales in the U.S. this year. Not exactly what their makers expected when they launched these models.

At a first glance, the situation is improving for General Motors, as its Volt extended-range hybrid sold a record 2,800 units last month. Year-to-date Volt sales have so far reached 13,000 units, which certainly compares very well to the 7,700 cars that were sold in 2011.

For example, before the discounts, Bunnin Chevrolet in Culver City, California was selling three to five Volts per month. Last month it shifted 36 cars, mostly leases, and sales manager Chad Kelman told The Detroit News that the dealership is having a hard time keeping enough units in stock.

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1967 Ford XR Falcon ZERO'D with 600hp V8 Diesel is Even Greener Than it Looks

Joining the local introductions and even some world premieres like the Lexus LF-LC II at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney this October will be a unique muscle car build from the Land Down Under.

Australia is known for its love of muscle cars and has a long tradition in the category with vehicles such as the classic 1970s Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III, Holden Monaro and Torana V8s, and Valliant Charger R/Ts (Chrysler Group), as well as the contemporary offerings from Holden's HSV and Ford's FPV performance divisions.

Now, an Australian has come up with a green muscle car build – and we're not referring to its beautiful, rich exterior shade.

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Greenpeace Attacks the New VW Golf Once Again, Stages Protest During Official Launch

One of the most important models that will debut at the upcoming Paris Auto Show is the seventh-generation VW Golf, which was unveiled in Berlin last Tuesday, September 4.

Even though the brand-new Golf’s basic version posts an official average fuel consumption of 4.9 lt/100 km (48 mpg US), Greenpeace staged a protest outside the New National Gallery, where the event was taking place.

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London Urges Drivers to Turn Off their Idling Engines or Face a Fine

Fuel saving systems like auto start/stop are becoming increasingly common in all kinds of new models, from minis to supercars. The thing is that these technologies have only recently been widely adopted by car companies. Thus, most vehicles out there are still polluting even when they are standing still.

Transport for London, the local government body that oversees Greater London’s transport system, released a study showing that if all drivers in the center of the city turned off their engines for one minute when stationary instead of letting them idle, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 100 million kg (220 million pounds) each year.

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BMW Presents New C Evolution Electric Scooter Prototype at London Olympics [w/Video]

Not to be outshone by the BMW car brand and its upcoming "i" series of pure-electric models, BMW Motorrad, which is the German company's motorcycle division, is also gearing up for the presentation of its first zero emissions model.

Following the original E-Scooter concept at the BMW Motorrad Innovation Day 2011 and the Concept e at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW has now introduced a near-production prototype of the electric scooter named the C Evolution.

The electric-powered scooter was presented in the U.K. capital today with BMW to allow selected London Olympics visitors to drive the prototypes during the games.

The C Evolution features a hybrid composite structure upon which it fits an electric motor producing a continuous output of 11kW (15hp) and a peak output of 35kW (47hp) allowing for an electronically limited top speed of 120km/h (75mph).

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