San Diego Auto Repair

Driving Alternative Fuel Cars in San Diego Like we've said before, alternative fuel cars are pretty great, but people want to know how they actually drive. We're here to answer that question; having driven the latest and most popular alternative fuel vehicles for the better part of a week (only up and down the notorious Southern California freeways, but to be fair that can be quite the punishment), we better understand how alternative fuel cars really drive. If you're looking for our thoughts on diesels or hybrids, check out Part 1. For now, we're going to discuss the latest and greatest plug-in hybrids, all electric cars, and those really alternative fuels, hydrogen and natural gas. Plug-in Hybrids Image: James Hamel2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid vs ... read more

Alternative fuel cars are great - they save you loads on gas, they do a pretty decent thing for Planet Earth, some get you into the carpool lane on your solo commute, and they're even starting to look pretty darn stylish. But how do they drive? Dear readers, we are about to tell you which alternative fuel cars we think are the future and which ones we could hardly tolerate during our brief time together. Just to be clear, we drove these cars like we normally would drive a car and abstained from cruel or unusual tests, unless you count the insane freeways of Southern California as cruel and unusual. And in some of these vehicles, doing just that was torment enough... but we'll talk about the Nissan Leaf in Part 2 (ba-dum-bah!). Brains and Beauty - Fun To Drive Alternative Fuel Cars We have got a lot of automotive ground to cover and a bunch of different ways to refuel each of these vehicles. So pay attention, you don ... read more

While many people assume energy efficiency in driving is limited to the fuel efficiency rating of your vehicle, there are other ways to increase your energy efficiency without moving to a hybrid vehicle or spending a ton. Obviously, having an energy efficient car is going to give you a leg up over more gas guzzling models, but you can't expect to get 50 MPG if you're constantly pushing your Prius to its limit. Top Gear showed us that driving style plays a huge role in how fuel efficient your car actually is (a BMW beat a Prius in fuel efficiency in their race test). So then, what does it mean to be energy efficient while driving? Image: Flickr  1. Keep your vehicle maintained. Making sure your car has a clean air filter, properly inflated tires ... read more

Alternative fuels sources are a hot topic for the news media as well as researchers as oil-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel become more scarce. Alternative fuel means anything that doesn't run soley on gasoline, and includes hybrid vehicles (that run on a combination of gasoline and other fuels), electric vehicles, natural gas fueled vehicles, and biofuel vehicles (vehicles that use a fuel made from corn or other organic sources). So, what are the renewable resources out there being tapped to power our automotive futures? San Diego is quickly adopting alternative fuel stations to facilitate this new car market - electric car charging stations are in most major shopping centers and CNG and other fuel stations are already here. Are you seeing any of these alternative fuel stations pop up in your neighborhood? Image: Flic ... read more