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Auto News – Evatran Develops Easy Button for Electric Charging

 Who knew? It only took a few short years to adapt Staples fictional “Easy” Button for real-world purposes. Evatran, a little company in Wythville, Virginia, has developed a Plugless Power (that’s the brand) wireless electric charging product for electric vehicles. There’s two components to the product; a little receiver that gets mounted on the underside of the electric vehicle, and the Plugless Power Easy Button:

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Common (and Not-So-Common) Traffic Violations

If you’re around my (undisclosed) age, then Driver’s Ed may have been more than a few years ago for you. And while we all do our best to remember everything that was taught to us in good faith, some of the more obscure traffic violation rules may slip through the cracks. There are plenty of people who inadvertently violate traffic laws every day because they simply don’t remember them or don’t care. You’ve seen this guy – he’s the one that makes the rolling stop at the stop sign, or who doesn’t yield for the pedestrian who puts a foot into the crosswalk.

Below is a list of traffic violations that people may need a refresher course on, or are so bizarre and specific, that no one could ever fathom in the first place. Remember: every state is different, so be sure you check your state’s DOT rules about being a conscientious driver. Safety first!

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How to Read Dealer Reviews Like a Pro

Recently, Yelp informed me I’d become an “Elite” member. Being an Elite’r means that not only am I writing reviews for the businesses I visit, I’m also reading reviews of those I intend to visit.

Over the years, I’ve developed a few quick methods to ascertain what to expect at a business beyond what their overall star rating suggests. Usually, I find that looking beyond the surface has its rewards. For instance, if I’m reading reviews of a dentist and I see one complaint about the waiting room amongst great reviews for the dentist himself, I’ll pay less attention to the waiting room review. After all, I’m looking for a great dentist, not a great waiting room.

Here’s some tips on finding the right dealership for your new car purchase, whether you consult reviews from Google, Dealer Rater, Yelp, or Yahoo. 

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Auto News In a Word: Karma

When the federal government and its Department of Energy shell out $529 million to develop an eco-friendly plug-in hybrid vehicle, it’s wise to abide by those little rules and milestones in the loan agreement. Mostly because the government has an uncanny ability to create bad financial karma whenever they deem it necessary.

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Auto News – The Eli Manning Face

Chances are you watched the Super Bowl and saw how clutch the New York Giants’ Eli Manning is. Eli won the M.V.P, helping to pierce the heart of New England by ripping a tight-spiral bulls-eye right through Boston, Cambridge, Worcester and Portland, and further tarnishing the Belichick/Brady veneer. They are, without doubt, the most despised head coach/QB duo in NFL history. And quite the juxtaposition to the red-faced Coughlin and Eli Manning-faced Eli Manning.

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2012 Ford SVT Raptor

While any truck worth its salt can be stacked with accessories to become a badass all-terrain explorer, Ford’s SVT Raptor is prepackaged to help you find whatever you’re looking for out in the world beyond pavement.  The Raptor is based off of the F-150, which is already the Prom King of pick-ups, but Ford has injected this version with X-Men type mutant prowess.  Svtusa.com really nails it when describing SVT Raptor as ‘the world’s biggest Tonka toy.’  The Raptor can perform the things you practiced on a smaller scale as a child in the living room, because this is Ford’s domestic version of the truck that cut its teeth at the Baja 1000 off-road endurance race.

In case you’ve been stuck in the desert sun without any Ford truck news, here’s what the 2012 SVT Raptor has to offer. 

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Review Your New Car on CarWoo!

Car reviews from professionals are helpful when you’re researching trims, options, safety features and gas mileage for your new car. Most reviewers get to test out the car for a week before writing about it. Since they’re professionals, they usually know what to look for.

But there’s another kind of review that’s just as important, but not nearly as common as professional columns. At CarWoo!, we’re looking for reviews from you, the new car buyer.

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Auto News – Auto Sales Ridiculously Strong for January!

New vehicle sales in the U.S. in January 2012 rose 11.4% from January 2011, signaling a whole bunch of things. The industry’s annual selling rate climbed above 14 million, indicating that maybe, maybe, the U.S. will sell 14 million new cars this year. Which would be a considerable giraffe-sized improvement from 2009 annual sales of 10.4 million. 

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Best Cars Under 15K

Some people like to say that good things come in small packages, but those good things better not put a big dent in my wallet, which is where the best cars under 15K come in. All of the car manufacturers have become more mindful of doing more with less these days, and that doesn’t result in a lesser car; it results in a more well-rounded vehicle. And, much like the people purchasing these vehicles, they are practical, comfortable, stylish, technologically savvy, and they make a mean breakfast. Okay, maybe not the last part – that’s me I’m thinking of.

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2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

When you first see the Outlander Sport’s aggressive exterior, you can picture it pouncing on the road for a little pavement fun.  The little part fits, because the Sport is related to, but not quite a shrunken down version of Mitsubishi’s bigger Outlander.  And there’s certainly fun to be had here, just don’t jump when you realize that the Sport’s performance is more economically inclined.  Think of this Mitsubishi as a role player- it’ll get you where you want to go with little hassle, for a cheap price.  And affordable ease can be pretty underrated.

Check out the ins and outs of the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. 

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Super Bowl Commercials: Hangover Edition

Three-fourths of a 6 foot sub, 1 ½ pizzas, countless bottles of booze/antacid concoctions, and a couple of million dollars later, how did the auto brands fare on Game Day?  Super Bowl commercials tend to mimic the game itself- some ads come up huge while others flop embarrassingly.  And there’s gotta be one MVP.  For those of you who were too ‘fatigued’ yesterday to remember the ups and downs of Super Bowl Sunday, here’s your Monday morning recap.