Chevrolet Volt

With gas prices continuing a steady upward climb, you may be headed to the dealer in search of something less thirsty at the pump. But which cars' sticker price gives you the most bang for your buck? We asked Edmunds.com to look at the vehicles with the lowest sticker price per fuel-economy rating. The math was simple: divide the car's base price by its EPA rating for combined fuel economy. The result gives a look at how much each mile per gallon will cost you. Photos: Top 10 cars with lowest cost per mpg Topping the list is Ford's C-Max Energi.

A new National Research Council report says the U.S. may be able to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 in light-duty cars and trucks. The highly ambitious goal could be reached, the report says, through a combination of more efficient vehicles and the use of gasoline and diesel alternatives such as bio-fuels, electricity and hydrogen. "To reach the 2050 goals for reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gases, vehicles must become dramatically more efficient, regardless of how they are powered," said Douglas M. Chapin, principal of MPR Associates and chairman of the committee that wrote the report.

A new National Research Council report says the U.S. may be able to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 in light-duty cars and trucks. The highly ambitious goal could be reached, the report says, through a combination of more efficient vehicles and the use of gasoline and diesel alternatives such as bio-fuels, electricity and hydrogen. "To reach the 2050 goals for reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gases, vehicles must become dramatically more efficient, regardless of how they are powered," said Douglas M. Chapin, principal of MPR Associates and chairman of the committee that wrote the report.

Kelley Blue Book has announced the winners of its 2013 analysis of the cars, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks that have the lowest projected cost of ownership over the next five years. Kelley says its analysis includes factors that go beyond depreciation and fuel costs and include "finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees for new models. " Consumers should note that “cost to own” says nothing about whether the vehicles are reliable or drive well.

You'd think that after launching an American icon -- the 2014 Corvette -- and its best-selling U.S. vehicles in the country -- the Chevy and GMC trucks -- that General Motors would call it day. But the company launched another important model on Tuesday at the Detroit Auto Show: the ELR, a sleek luxury coupe based on the Chevrolet Volt. Cadillac designed the car with Southern California in mind. In an interview ahead of Tuesday's announcement, Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac, said the ELR could help the automaker gain ground in the country's largest luxury car market.

2011 Chevrolet Volt Base price: $41,000 Price as tested: $42,395 Powertrain: 111-kilowatt drive motor with 54-kilowatt generator motor, 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, 1.4-liter DOHC inline four, four valves per cylinder, sequential port fuel injection Maximum horsepower: 111 kilowatts, or 149 horsepower equivalent Maximum torque: 273 pound-feet Maximum speed: 100 mph ...

General Motors Co. said it will make modifications to the Chevrolet Volt after a series of fires occurred following test crashes of the plug-in hybrid vehicle. GM said the fires were caused by a coolant leak that occurred when the battery pack in the vehicle was punctured during the tests of severe side crashes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The fires occurred hours to weeks after the tests as the coolant leaked and eventually created a short circuit. The automaker will add structural reinforcement that better protects the battery pack from puncture or a coolant link in a severe side crash, said Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president of global product development.

When it comes to sales of electric vehicles, Nissan's Leaf is charging ahead. Nissan Motor Co. has sold 4,134 of the battery-powered electric cars this year. General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet, by comparison, has sold 2,745 of its Volt car, which is technically a plug-in hybrid because it runs on electricity for about 40 miles before a gasoline-fueled generator kicks in to extend the vehicle's range. Fans of the pure electric vehicles, rather than plug-in hybrid models such as the Volt, should be pleased, said Mike Omotoso, an auto industry analyst at J.D. Power & Associates.

Federal safety officials have launched a probe into whether the batteries in Chevrolet's Volt plug-in hybrid sedan are prone to fires. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was launched after a Volt caught fire following a crash test, General Motors Co. said. The agency will be looking at the safety of batteries from several makes of electric vehicles, according to the Associated Press. The Volt is designed to run off its batteries for about 40 miles.

It accelerates with a big husky twist of its electric motor. Actually, you can even chirp the front tires if you push the go-button hard enough -- very unlike a golf cart. It corners confidently and brakes crisply and, if it's no Ferrari, it certainly won't embarrass itself on the 110 Freeway, otherwise known as the Pasadena Grand Prix. It's comfortable, practical and -- graded on the curve of five-seat family hatchbacks -- reasonably attractive. Think German-made-dishwasher pretty.

Toyota's Prius has toppled the Honda Civic from its two-year reign as the bestselling vehicle in California. It was a thin margin. Toyota sold 60,688 of the hybrid last year, almost 26% of the Prius cars sold by Toyota in the U.S. last year. Honda sold 57,124 Civics. The Toyota Camry was third with sales of 50,250. The sales data are from the California New Car Dealers Assn. and tracked retail auto registrations, which do not include sales to rental car companies, government and other fleet customers.

Chances are the same kind of battery that twice caught fire in Boeing 787 Dreamliners in recent weeks is in your pocket at this very moment. Lithium ion batteries, small and powerful, have become the electricity storage device of choice. They are everywhere -- in cellular phones, laptops, power tools, even cars. They allow us to talk, email and drill longer than ever possible in the past. But the incidents that led to the grounding of the 787 fleet worldwide, and the decision by Boeing on Friday to temporarily halt all deliveries of the plane, have highlighted a troubling downside of these energy-dense dynamos: their tendency to occasionally burst into flames.

You'd think that after launching an American icon -- the 2014 Corvette -- and its best-selling U.S. vehicles in the country -- the Chevy and GMC trucks -- that General Motors would call it day. But the company launched another important model on Tuesday at the Detroit Auto Show: the ELR, a sleek luxury coupe based on the Chevrolet Volt. Cadillac designed the car with Southern California in mind. In an interview ahead of Tuesday's announcement, Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac, said the ELR could help the automaker gain ground in the country's largest luxury car market.

Electric car advocates say one reason for the slow adoption of the vehicles is that not enough people have tried them out. They note that EVs are quiet and have a lot of zip at city speeds.  In other words, the cars do better going from zero to 30 mph than they do from 30 to 60. People can test drive the latest generation of electric cars at the Automobile Driving Museum near Los Angeles International Airport on Sept. 23. The event is organized by Plug In America, a nonprofit that advocates the use of rechargeable cars, and runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 610 Lairport St., El Segundo.

Toyota said the electric version of its RAV4 sport utility vehicle goes on sale the last week of this month at a price close to $50,000 before government incentives designed to speed the adoption of alternative fuel cars. The SUV, which has an Environmental Protection Agency rated range of 103 miles on one charge -- roughly 20 to 30 miles more than those of the other electric vehicles it competes against -- is a collaboration with Tesla Motors, the luxury electric car maker based in Palo Alto.

Is General Motors Co. losing $49,000 on every Chevrolet Volt electric car it sells? If so, it could be bad news for taxpayers who helped bail out GM and now own a third of an automaker that has seen its shares plunge 30% since it went public in 2010. It could also highlight how much of a political lightning rod GM and the Volt have become since the automaker's federal bailout in 2009 and as the presidential election approaches, analysts said. "The Volt as a brand has become politicized," said Jeremy Anwyl, vice chairman of auto information company Edmunds.com.

Cadillac, the upscale General Motors Co. brand, plans to come out with a luxury electric compact car — based on the decidedly blue-collar Chevrolet Volt. GM said Wednesday that the Cadillac ELR will use a drivetrain similar to what it developed for the Chevrolet Volt, which will enable the new model to travel some distance on only electricity before a gas motor kicks in to act as a generator and extend the vehicle's range. Such a system is known as a series plug-in hybrid vehicle, but others, including GM, call it an extended-range electric vehicle.

Stalled for nearly a century, electric cars are about to move into the fast lane when the first of a new generation of vehicles reaches dealer showrooms next month. Every major automaker plans some sort of electric or plug-in hybrid offering over the next several years, a wave of competing technologies reminiscent of the beginning of the automobile age. General Motors Co. this month will start shipping its Chevrolet Volt, which uses a gas engine to generate electricity when the batteries run out. It will be available for sale in December.

Is General Motors losing $49,000 on every Chevrolet Volt electric car it sells? If so, it could be bad news for taxpayers who helped bail out GM and now own a third of an automaker that has seen its shares plunge 30% since it went public in 2010. A Reuters report Monday said GM's plug-in hybrid was a big money-loser.   GM, though, disputed the contention, saying Reuters' research "is grossly wrong" and accusing the news agency of bad math. The automaker said the news agency incorrectly "allocated product development costs across the number of Volts sold instead of allocating across the lifetime volume of the program, which is how business operates.” The debate over the cost of the Volt is highlighting how much of a lightning rod GM -- and the Volt -- have become since the automaker's federal bailout in 2009 and as the presidential election approaches, analysts said.

Fisker Automotive Inc., the Anaheim maker of luxury hybrid vehicles, has hired its third chief executive in a year. Fisker said Tuesday that it had tapped Tony Posawatz, who helped lead development of Chevrolet's Volt plug-in hybrid for six years before retiring from General Motors Co. in July. The maker of pricey, sporty plug-ins — such as the Karma favored by pop star Justin Bieber — has been racked recently by stalled model development, recalls, missed deadlines and layoffs.