Xavier Navarro - Autoblog

2009 BYD F3DM - Click above for high-res image gallery

2010 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery

While paying for your parking meter using a cell phone is not a new thing, the Dutch city of Utrecht has announced a program that goes a step beyond. From April 1st 2010, citizens parking their cars in this city will need only a cell phone and their registration number connected to a nation-wide database. What's the database for? To download information into your GPS system to find the closest empty parking space to your destination, saving time and fuel, for one thing. For another, Utrecht has

One of Lancia's achievements with the Y10, later called Ypsilon, was creating the urban chic supermini well before the new Minis or Smarts were on the road. Although not the most successful car in the segment, the Ypsilon has been a Lancia staple since its introduction in 1996. Since the current version is starting to look outdated, the Italian marque is planning to launch an updated based on the future F

2009 Alfa Romeo MiTo Imola - Click for complete gallery

As we announced, SEAT is trying to maximize the possibilities of the sunny Mediterranean climate for its factory in Martorell, near Barcelona, Spain. SEAT's plan is ambitious, and could allow the plant to be able to function almost off the grid. The factory will use 320,000 m2 of solar panels on the roof, the equivalent of 10 MW of electric power. Annually, the plant cou

Thrifty Dutch Hyundai owners have been given a chance to enter a contest where the prize is the equivalent of five years' worth of gas, estimated at €10,000. The package goes to whoever is the most frugal at the wheel. Anyone registering for the contest at Dutch Hyundai dealers is also entered to win a €500 fuel card. The fuel challenge will be conducted in December and there's more information at the officia

Ford Lusitánia, the Portuguese importer of The Blue Oval's vehicles, is currently promoting the Projecto Eco-Condução Portugal. The project includes a contest and a campaign to promote a small set of eco-driving tips.

Peugeot Concept HYbrid3 Evolution hybrid scooter - Click for complete high-resolution gallery

Citroen C-Zero - click above for high res image gallery

For 10 years, diesels lovers have had a reason to celebrate their engines a little bit more than before: filters that reduce pollution. Called Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), the devices were first introduced by Peugeot at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 1999. The lucky vehicle was a Peugeot 607. As you might know, DPFs come in two versions. Some of them, like the ones used by PSA, need a special additive, called Eolys. Ot

It's been a while since we've heard an update on the car coming from the joint venture of Renault-Nissan and Indian manufacturer Bajaj, a competitor to the Tata Nano. Carlos Ghosn, Renault-Nissan's CEO, fills us in with a statement that the ULC (Ultra Low Car) project is alive and well. What news do we learn? First, the 2011 releas

Do you get bored when driving along the interstate? Ever wish you could just pull out your laptop and check Facebook on a long straightaway? If a EU-funded project called Sartre ever becomes a reality, you could. Sartre is a sort of drafting software that would use wireless controls to group up to 8 cars together into a train that would follow a truck or bus driven by a professional driver. The software uses GPS-based technology to control the distance between cars and keeps them moving at a con

Citroën's entry in the medium-large car segment is the C5. This sedan, which competes against offerings such as the VW Passat, gets updated with a couple of Euro V-compliant powertrains that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. First, the C5 gets the 1.6-liter THP turbo gasoline engine, which was co-developed with BMW and can be found in other PSA offerings as well as the Mini. This 163 hp unit replaces the 2-liter 143 hp unit and burns 7.1 l/100 km (33 mpg U.S.). The new d

2010 Volvo FE Hybrid Truck - Click for gallery

The UK's Minister for Transport, Sadiq Khan, has announced a new color-coded label that would help identify the most fuel-efficient cars right in the showroom. This label will also include information about the car's CO2 emissions, estimated fuel costs over 12,000 miles and MPG. This label was created by the British Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and, although it's not mandatory yet, 94 percent of British car dealers have signed up to display it on new and new-ish cars. That's rig

The Basque Government in Spain has announced an agreement with Repsol to install recharging points for EVs at gasoline refueling stations. These EV stations would be safely separated from gasoline pumps but will be installed near already existing infrastructure. The plan was announced by Repsol's CEO Antoni Brufau, the Basque Prime Minister Patxi López and the Director of the Basque Institute of Energy, Bernabé Unda. Repsol is Spain's largest gasoline distributor and the world's