Jim Motavalli Blog

An upside to Hurricane Sandy? Auto sales soar
The big storm caused $70 billion in damages and ruined an estimated 230,000 cars in the Northeast. Honda and Toyota benefited most, but the industry had a big bump and is likely to top 15 million for 2012.
At L.A. Auto Show, Chevy and Fiat roll out EVs aimed at California
The plug-in Chevy Spark and Fiat 500e are designed to meet California zero-emission laws. And if you buy one, well, that's OK, too.
Driving Ford's snazzy new C-Max Hybrid
A bit of a chameleon, this new $25,995 car offers good looks, stellar utility and 47 mpg in the city or on the highway. If you try it, you'll like it.
Running big-draw server farms on fuel cells, solar and wind
The Internet uses more power than the auto industry. Microsoft and Google are trying to cut the carbon output of their server farms by investing in alternative energy. How about a data center powered by a fuel cell running on waste methane?
Car safety ratings: What they mean, and what you can do to avoid accidents
New car window stickers offer star ratings, but are 4 stars enough, and what's the deal with all those 3-star rollover ratings? What else would make my car safer?
I left my hybrid taxi in San Francisco
California's City by the Bay has dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions by switching to a mostly hybrid taxi fleet. It's a model for the rest of the country. Too bad about New York, though.
U.S. to become the world's biggest oil producer, but hold the applause
By 2030, America could surpass Saudi Arabia in terms of crude output. That's great for energy independence, but it's not all good news.
A macho electric Baja racer for the U.S. military
The EV1 was built for the Baja 1000, but now the armed forces are taking an interest. Why not, when this thing can go anywhere and combat-ready gasoline is $435 a gallon?
Hurricane Sandy: A boon to bike sales in N.Y.
The paralyzing storm has accomplished something that decades of public policy couldn't do — get New Yorkers out of cars and onto bicycles.
Hurricane Sandy: Lights out, tenuous connections
My post-Sandy challenges — connecting to the Internet and getting my work posted online — don't amount to a hill of beans compared to others' woes, but I'm sure readers will be nodding their heads.

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