With gas prices reaching for the clouds, you may be tempted to go for the lower grade when it’s time to top off the tank. For most of the motoring world, that’s not a problem, but what about the rest of the cars out there whose owner’s manuals call for mid grade or high test? While you may see an immediate savings at the pump, running your engine off of a fuel other than what the manufacturer recommends will end up hurting you in the long run.

If you believe electric vehicles are a new technology, think again. Their widely unfamiliar history actually pre-dates that of gasoline-powered cars. In fact, it takes going back as far as 1830 – that’s no typo – to start uncovering their spotty past. 

Two of the most successful North American automotive brand launches in recent memory, Mini and Scion, both owe their success to a broad palate of customization options available to personalize these already attention-grabbing cars. 

Each year, around 10 million vehicles are disposed of in the United States. Before vexing your conscience though, you should know that over 95 percent of these “retired” cars head straight to one of the 7,000 vehicle recycling operations around the country and 75 percent of these cars’ parts are completely recycled, letting cars claim top spot as the world’s most recycled product.

In these days of skyrocketing fuel costs, we’re sure you’re doing everything possible to keep your gas bills at a minimum. “Everything possible” takes on any entirely different meaning for a growing group of people calling themselves “hypermilers”. No, it’s not an affectionate moniker for drivers with ADD. These dedicated, fuel economy-conscious drivers alter their driving habits to achieve gas mileage far beyond the EPA’s estimates for their cars. 

Fuel prices have mercifully fallen from the astronomical perches they occupied just a few short months ago, but that’s no excuse to not do what you can to save gas. Every penny that stays out of your tank is another cent that can go toward whatever your heart desires, and there are plenty of ways to save cash at the pump that don’t involve buying a new hybrid or squeezing the family into a sub-compact.

As Kasper points out, “The motivations to reduce the amount we spend on gas, to reduce our dependence on oil-based fuel, and to reduce our carbon footprints are the forces driving the changes in the EV market.”

With regards to fully crash-tested, highway safe electric vehicles here in the U.S., pickings are noticeably slim (read: there’s only one). Right now, city cars or neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) are still more prevalent. These are not highway safe and remain speed limited because of a lack of safety testing and pesky little safety features like airbags. It is not that they don’t care if little Jimmy in the backseat is involved in an accident, the small companies don’t have the capital for the testing and implementation of all the features. To cover the expensive overheads of new technology, the city cars aren’t a cheap proposition and are frequently bought as company vehicles for within business parks and resorts. 

We are not going to mince words here: we are on the cusp of a monumental push by global automakers to bring electric vehicles (EVs) to market. They have quite a history, but our current energy situation means we need them now more than ever. 

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the words environmental and green were hardly a blip on America’s radar. There were no catalytic converters, no smog emissions, none of the checks we have on automobiles now. Most of the vehicles on the road were powered by V-8 engines and guzzled filthy leaded gasoline. Their poor gas mileage wasn’t even a consideration. 

For years we’ve enjoyed gas prices that rival only those of the fuel-producing countries in the Middle East. Returning from trips to Europe, we’ve scoffed at the ridiculous amount of Euros it took to fill up our tiny Fiat rental cars. Now, as of August 2008, we’re crying all the way to and from the pump, emptying our wallets to fill a tank and desperately searching for new ways to improve gas mileage to save as much money as we can. 

We’ve already shown you that there are more than a few great domestic vehicles out there for under $30,000, but what about above that magic mark? For those with a little more disposable income and less of an eye toward fuel economy, the U.S. is producing plenty of vehicles that beat their German and Japanese counterparts at their own game. Cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Dodge Viper ACR SRT10 have made their mark on the infamous Nürburgring, beating out the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, while the Cadillac CTS-V proves that high-performance luxury isn’t just for imports anymore.

If you’re in the market for a new car these days, you might find yourself shying away from the domestic automakers. With news of increasing debt, failed government bailouts, plant closings and ever mounting layoffs, it’s easy to think the future looks dim for the Big Three. However, there are plenty of rides out right now, or within a few short years of production, that show innovation isn’t dead stateside, and that Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are capable of producing quality vehicles that can go toe to toe with their import counterparts.