One of the most stressful things about renting a car with a conventional rental company is the need to return the car with at least as much gas in it as it had when you rented it. Failure to do so, in many cases, leads to fines and a ludicrously … [continued]
Detroit Electric planned to begin building its Lotus Elise-derived electric sportscar at a facility in Plymouth, MI earlier this month, ultimately ramping up to a projected production capacity of about 2,500 units while employing over 100 skilled auto workers. The deal on the factory fell through, the projected demand and … [continued]
Decades ago, plug-in cars were common in Minnesota.
For cars poorly suited for the upper Midwest’s frigid winters, a block heater plugged in overnight could keep the engine warm enough to start the next morning. Cars and trucks with electrical cords protruding from their grills were a frequent sight.
New technologies such as fuel injection, direct ignition, superior motor oils and better batteries have largely relegated that custom to history in all but the most frigid regions of the world. But with more than a dozen electric and plug-in car models due on the U.S. market in 2012, some Minnesotans will find themselves reviving the practice. […]
