Today the vehicle is a trendsetter and a synonym for forward-looking battery-electric-driven urban mobility of the future.

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It is a hybrid, powered by both a small internal combustion engine and a battery-driven electric motor.

ECONOMIST: Fuel economy

Like C-MAX Hybrid, C-MAX Energi has projected total system horsepower of 188 that stems from the combination of a gasoline engine and a battery-driven electric motor.

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New technology brought down costs: hand-driven presses gave way to steam-driven ones, and then electric ones.

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In the power systems business that manufactures and sells a variety of engines and diesel-electric locomotives, sales were driven by petroleum and rail applications.

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Thus, the life-cycle analysis shows that for every mile driven, the average electric car indirectly emits about six ounces of carbon-dioxide.

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The Chevy Volt is driven by electric motors powered by lithium-ion batteries that are charged by plugging the vehicle into a standard 110-volt socket.

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General Electric (GE) shifted its salaried employees into consumer-driven plans in 2010.

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Even if the electric car is driven for 90, 000 miles and the owner stays away from coal-powered electricity, the car will cause just 24% less carbon-dioxide emission than its gas-powered cousin.

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And over the coming two decades, where we can expect even more ICT-driven efficiency gains, the EIA still forecasts a 16% aggregate rise in electric demand.

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