2011 Honda Ridgeline 4wd Crew Cab Rtl W/navi on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Car Club USA: CleanMPG Northwest Rally

Car Club USA heads to Los Angeles for the CleanMPG Northwest Rally, where a group of like-minded hypermiling enthusiasts led by Wayne Gerdes attempts to drive from Los Angeles, CA, to Bend, OR, on one tank of fuel. For this challenge, Wayne tapped some of the most accomplished hypermilers in the world, including Guinness World Record holder Bob Winger and Mike Sefton, "the most fuel efficient driver in all of Canada." It doesn't take long for the competition to get heated. "They're not aggressive enough, and it's not going to save them anything by being soft right now," says Gerdes as the group attempts to navigate the Interstate traffic. "Driving in Los Angeles is a hyper miler's nightmare," says Winger. The trip will challenge both car and driver, while putting the latest fuel-efficient tech to the test. Wayne is piloting the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen TDI, Sefton drives the Audi A3 TDI, and Winger attempts the trek in a Honda Accord Hybrid. It's diesel versus hybrid tech on this fuel-efficient trip of a lifetime. Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Green Audi Honda Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Green Driving Driving Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Car Club USA Videos Original Video cleanmpg

Newest version of Honda's ASIMO coming to TV on April 15

Honda's ASIMO robot is moving into its teenage years, having originally been introduced in 2000, and like all teens, it's still learning. The bot has received regular incremental upgrades over that time, and the latest version will premiere on LIVE with Kelly and Michael on Tuesday, April 15.
The newest enhancements provide ASIMO with improved hand dexterity, the ability to use sign language, run faster, climb stars more smoothly, balance on one foot, jump and more. Honda says other new features will be demonstrated with hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan on the show.
The ongoing development of ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, is being done so that one day it can help humans who require assistance. The current version is 4-feet, 3-inches tall, weighs 110 pounds and is made mostly from magnesium alloy and plastic. A big limit is still its lithium-ion battery that only provides 40 minutes of charge. The robot has not needed human control to move since a previous iteration in 2011, which also improved its manual dexterity. It could even pour drinks.

Honda ditching Takata for next Accord's airbags

Today brings unsurprising news that Honda will move away from Takata and source airbags for the next-generation Accord, among other models, from one of the embattled company's competitors. Both companies have been in headlines of late after the former recalled millions of vehicles that were fitted with the latter's airbag inflators, which had the unpleasant tendency to spew shrapnel at consumers. The move, as Reuters explains it, is particularly devastating for Takata. Honda is the company's largest customer, and the Accord represents its biggest product, accounting for over a quarter of the company's sales last year. It gets worse, though, as a confidential source with knowledge of the situation is reporting to Reuters that both the 2016 CR-V and Odyssey will source their airbags from Toyoda Gosei. If true, that'd mean that Takata will be losing out on more than half the cars Honda sells in the US market. At this point, Takata, Honda and Toyoda Gosei have all passed on opportunities to comment to Reuters.