Moroso Baffled Pc V Valve Grommet P/n 68772 on 2040-parts.com

Five least-green vehicles

We are a generation seemingly obsessed with the environment, eager to cover our carbon footprints in any way possible--or at least give off a green vibe visible to our neighbors). And though many car buyers are jumping on the hybrid and electric bandwagons, the majority of us still crave brute-power cars and trucks. While being environmentally friendly is nice, there comes a time when you just have to be mean -- eco-mean, in this case.

Google reveals its first self-driving car prototype (video)

Google’s first self-driving car prototype (pictured) Google might not be the first company that springs to mind as a car maker, but Tesla has already proved that Silicon Valley can produce a car that buyers want and Google are intent on following a similar route. But where Tesla’s USP is its long-range electric capabilities – and a desire to build cars for the market – Google’s goal is more technology orientated and is all about developing self-driving car technology that works in the real world. For the last few years, Google has been experimenting with existing cars kitted out with self-driving gubbins, but now they’ve taken the next step and built their own self-driving prototype.

Study: Hybrids safer in accidents, more dangerous to pedestrians

In the first analysis of its kind, the Highway Loss Data Institute found that drivers of hybrid vehicles are, on average, 25 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than drivers of conventional vehicles. Matt Moore, the data institute's vice president and author of the study, said weight was a big factor in its analysis. “Hybrids on average are 10 percent heavier than their standard counterparts,” Moore said in a statement on Thursday.