@Mark,

We're keeping close communications with Tony open, and we'll let you know of the results just as soon as he, and everyone else, has recovered from the weekend testing!

John,

You're right: my Ecopia E150 wore out pretty quickly. We replaced them with Michelin energy savers, which seem much harder wearing.

As for the tire piece? We'll note your request.

Tom,

Thanks for giving us the head-up on this obvious error. We've fixed it. Thanks.

Clayton,

All forgiven! No offence taken. As is often the case, satire doesn't always work in written language :)

Clayton,

I'm sorry to hear the article didn't meet with your expectations. However, it's worth remembering that GCR is a site which covers all types of fuels and green cars.

For what it is, a compact crossover SUV, the 2013 Ford Escape is a greener car within its class.

As part of our site, we try to cover as many different fuel types and car classes as possible. Sometimes that includes writing articles about regular gasoline cars with cleaner, greener engines than their predecessors.

While we do cover electric and plug-in cars too, it's also worth remembering that most consumers haven't made the switch to electric.

We try to provide content for them too.

Josef:

Increasing your tire pressure can lead to unpredictable handling, as well as premature tire wear. It will give you better economy, but does have its downsides.

John,

Porsche is claiming 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre for the 918 Spyder's emissions.

The 2012 Toyota Prius on the same Euro test cycle is rated at 89 grams per kilometre.

Am I missing something?

Keith,

Thanks for the comment.

You're right on one part: back in 2009 I had the unfortunate experience of having a Prius battery pack run into thermal runaway on a self-converted plug-in Prius due to inadequate cooling.

And yes, I accept responsibility for that incident. We learn from our mistakes.

However, I'm curious: what exactly is false about the story above?

In all houses, especially older houses with older electrical wiring, plugging any high-current appliance into the wall outlet comes with its own risks.

Unless you are absolutely sure that the electrical sockets in your home share an equal load, plugging a bridging converter into two 110-volt sockets to charge an electric car isn't a great idea.

Regards
Nikki.

John,

While more modern equipment is more energy efficient, there's still a drain going on in older tech -- not to mention stuff we leave on thinking it will have no effect.

Things like monitors, DVRs, Microwaves etc etc :)

Chris,

Sorry the post isn't to your taste, but this is a real and genuine question we're trying to answer. We often get folks criticising the Volt for not being a real electric car. In the past, we've even had readers comment that it should only be compared with cars like the Plug-in Prius.

Similarly, the 2012 Fisker Karma gets a lot of criticism for the same reasons...