Car Infographics

Dodge revealed its electrification plans a couple of months back starting with an “American eMuscle”. Not a lot was revealed about the electric muscle car since it is far from its launch, but the company gave a few glimpses of it. While the teaser showed just silhouettes, we noticed that the car had borne a different logo. No, it wasn’t a new logo. It was the ‘Fratzog’ logo that the Dodge cars proudly wore back in the 60s and 70s.

Given this throwback by Dodge, we decided to present to you the most notable logos that the automaker has used since its inception.

Style, speed, power, beauty - these are the words often associated with the Prancing Horse badge. For more than seven decades, Ferrari has been a guiding light in the performance segment, bringing race-derived innovation to the street and drool-worthy posters to bedroom walls. Few marques bring the same level of respect as Ferrari, and to celebrate, Budget Direct put together the following 4-minute, 25-second video chronicling its evolution. As an added bonus, we’ve also included four images that perfectly capture Ferrari’s history in poster form.

While we love debating horsepower and performance specs as much as the next petrol head, it’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, cars are meant to be driven, preferably on some winding stretch of tarmac strung through a slice of stunning natural beauty. Luckily, those of us residing in the U.S. have plenty of options when it comes to experiencing such pleasures, and now, travel tech company Expedia has rendered five of the best driving roads in the U.S. in a series of pixel art videos. Taking inspiration from classic arcade racers like Sega’s Out Run (1986), these videos are definitely getting us hyped to get out there for a drive.

There is no shortage of car models in the auto industry these days. Some models have gained followings while others have become flashes in the pan. Then there are the titans of the business, the models that have lasted the test of time and have been around, literally, for generations. In the course of their respective lifetimes, these models have evolved in more ways than one, none more evident than their designs. These seven models have been around for so long their designs have evolved considerably from when they first came out. Knowing their place in the business, these models are unlikely to go away anytime soon.

Electric cars have technically been around since 1837 when a chemist named Robert Davidson built an electric car that was powered by galvanic cells. But, the first highway-legal electric vehicle didn’t hit the market until 2008. Since then, interest in electric vehicles has increased slowly but steadily, and in 2017 there are at least 25 PEVs now available on the market. This includes models like the Tesla Model S and X, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, Mercedes C350E, and the Volvo XC90 90 T8 PHEV, among others.

So, what is a PEV, really? A PEV is a subset of electric vehicles that includes all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. But, are PEVs actually taking a hold in the automotive market or are they set to see a decline as they did in the early 1900s? Well, we’ve put together an infographic to detail the electric vehicle market statistics here in the United States for the year 2016, including market growth, most popular models, and the number of sales by state. So, let’s take a look at the infographic in detail and talk a little more about it.

Continue reading for the full story.

Believe it or not, the police can actually be pretty easy to deal with most of the time. Of course, there’s always a chance you’ll get stopped by some rook on a power trip, but usually, it’s all business, then you’re on your way — unless you were doing like 140 in a 55 or something equally ridiculous. Which, by the way, you don’t want to get caught doing because you’ll probably go to jail. I can vouch for that.

That said, cops, officers, patrolmen, whatever they want to be called, tend to get a pretty bad rap, especially over the past few years with all the bad publicity. But, in a normal situation, where you might be doing 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit, or maybe just rolled through a stop sign, a little respect and courtesy can go a long way. I’m not talking about trying to suck up or anything, but simply doing as they ask, admitting you were wrong (assuming you were), and letting the officer do his job. Believe me; he doesn’t want to be standing on the side of the highway any more than you want to be sitting there with his squad car behind you — it’s dangerous.

So, now you’re probably thinking: “just how am I supposed to act then?” Well, the online blog, CJponyparts, has put together this nice infographic to give you a few pointers. It’s all pretty much about having common courtesy for your fellow man, so don’t think the idea is to bow down and yield life’s authority. So with all that out of the way, take a look at the infographic and take it to heart. Maybe next time you get caught bending the law, things will go a little smoother for you.

Continue reading for the full story.

Volkswagen still finds itself in hot water over its diesel emissions scandal ominously nicknamed “Dieselgate” by industry analysts and journalists. Since 2009, certain Volkswagen Group vehicles with diesel engines from its five subsidiary brands – VW, Audi, VW Commercial, Skoda, and Seat – have come with computers with emissions test-dodging software that allows the vehicles to pass rigorous inspections while producing up to 40 times the legal level of nitrogen oxides during normal driving.

We’ve reported on the facts before, but now there’s an infographic that helps depict exactly what’s going on.

While you can read the graphic for yourself, the images show just how widespread Dieselgate extends. Approximately 11 million vehicles sold in most western countries have been pumping out the same amount of NOx gasses as all of the UK’s power stations, vehicles, industry, and agriculture combined. It’s easier to grasp after understanding 11 million vehicles equals roughly 11 percent of all the vehicles in the world. These are staggering numbers, to say the least.

Of the affected vehicles, the most common include the Audi A3, VW Beetle, Golf, Passat, and Jetta – all spanning from 2009 to 2015. Not surprisingly, Germany has the most effected cars, followed by Britain, France, Spain, and the U.S. While the U.S. is leading the charge against VW and its dirty diesels, other countries around the world have followed suit, with their respective governments and environmental agencies taking legal action against the automaker.

Volkswagen says it is still working out a permanent solution for fixing the affected cars. Until that time, owners of VW diesel vehicles can find if their car’s computer carries the defeat software by entering their VIN into VW’s websites. Check the infographic for details.

Continue reading for the full story.

The last few decades in the auto industry have certainly seen their ups and downs. The auto industry went from selling 17.3 million vehicles in 2000 to only moving 10.4 million units in the “Great Recession” of 2009. That’s fewer sales than in 1993 when the auto industry sold 13.9 million new vehicles. Slumping sales appear to be behind us, thankfully, as 2015 posted record numbers. Some 17.5 million new vehicles found homes last year.

Deals and incents can take some credit. Taking a look at the infographic down below, you’ll see incentives rose 3.9 percent per vehicle between 2014 and 2015, despite the average transaction price per vehicle rising some 2.5 percent from 2014 to $33,188.

The infographic also shows a telling story about buying practices as well. More drivers are leasing than ever before. In fact, 29 percent of new car sales are through a lease option. That represents a mere two percent rise over 2014, but a whopping 13 percent rise since 2005.

Buying trends are also in flux. Truck, crossover, and SUV sales are growing, while the car market is slowing dropping. Crossovers hold the highest growth, up 18.5 percent, followed by trucks at 13.1 percent and SUVs at 10.7 percent. The car segment lags behind, dropping 2.2 percent. Hard numbers tell a different tale; truck sales rose to more than 9.7 million new units, well above the dropping 7.7 million cars sold in 2015. Leading truck sales, of course, is the venerable Ford F-Series.

There’s plenty of factors and explanations for these facts, so be sure to check out the full infographic further down the page. Just click “continue reading.”

Continue reading for the full story.

Smartphone apps have made many aspects of our lives easier, and there is a very good chance that your life could be made better right now if you only knew which app to download in order to do it. And that might even extend to driving, but it’s sometimes difficult to figure out where to start when researching apps. There are an estimated 1.6 million apps available for Android, and Apple is only just behind with 1.5 million. So it would helpful to have someone else, someone with a lot of time on their hands, to take a look and find some really good driving apps, maybe even some of the ones you didn’t know you needed.

The folks at SMF, an online auto parts retailer in Ireland, has compiled a handy list of their top 10 app picks for car owners. Some of these are for navigation, always an important thing for drivers, and it never hurts to have a backup for when the app that came with your phone goes all Apple Maps on you. Another one sure to get a lot of use is TuneIn Radio, because good driving music is nearly as crucial as knowing where you’re going.
Continue reading for the full story.

Adventure-seekers frequently retrace the routes of famous travelers. Though the modern versions might be less epic in scope, they do have a way of showing off just how good we’ve got it in terms of transportation, and that’s kinda special. To traverse the North American continent or the nation of Japan once required a significant chunk of time, and now with a Land Rover Evoque or bullet train at your disposal, the trip across Japan, at least, can be dispatched in a matter of hours.

Modern transportation has changed the face of the world, and nowhere is that more clear than in this infographic, which compares the time originally taken to complete famous journeys with the amount of time it takes now. The time comparison makes sense, coming as it does from watches2u.com, but the comparison of technology is definitely of interest to gearheads. The 2,481-mile trip from Chicago to Los Angeles took over three months in 1800, but a new car cuts that time down to eight days (apparently the writers of this infographic only plan to drive for five hours a day), as well as accomplishing the trip in air-conditioned comfort and with plenty of restaurants along the way. Similarly, in the 1960s the 503-mile jaunt from Tokyo to Hiroshima was a nine-hour trip by car. With modern bullet trains the trip is down to just over four hours, including bus transfers.

Continue reading for the full story.

If you’ve been following the auto industry, you probably already know that Toyota was the world’s biggest-selling carmaker in 2014, with 10.23 million vehicles delivered worldwide. On top of everyone else for the third consecutive year, the Japanese brand was followed by the Volkswagen Group, with 10.14 million units, and General Motors, with 9.92 million. But does this mean these three brands are the most popular in the world?

Not exactly, and I have just the right infographic to prove it.

In late 2014, search giant Google released its annual Trends report, which included the most-searched automakers. Believe it or not, in the U.S. Toyota came in fourth and Volkswagen didn’t even make the top 10. Ford was the most-searched brand, with Jeep and Dodge in second and third, respectively.

Though it may seem complicated, the reasons for this discrepancy are quite simple. Selling millions of cars doesn’t make an automaker popular. It just means that said manufacturer meets the needs of more customers than others. "Needs" include not just types of cars, but availability and affordability as well. This is why companies that sell more cars produce a lot of econoboxes and focus on emerging markets such as Asia-Pacific and South America.

In other words, most people searching for a Subaru WRX don’t actually buy one. A WRX won’t satisfy a family man’s needs in terms of roominess and cargo space, but a larger sedan or an SUV will. The more affordable the better, and we’re back to why Toyota and Volkswagen came to cross swords for the world’s biggest selling carmaker.

Continue reading for the full story.

Summer’s not over, and it’s not too late to pack up the car and go exploring. As any dedicated road-tripper will tell you, there are literally thousands of sights to see when you drive across America. It’s the only way to really get a feeling for the sheer size and diversity of this country. Driving straight from New York to Los Angeles is a four-day affair (unless you’re in the Cannonball Run) and that’s without stopping to smell the roses, admire the natural wonders, or check out the local cuisines. Visualistan.com has come up with an “ultimate 30-day road trip” infographic to give you some travel ideas.

Aimed at European travelers, this guide is designed to give the most “American” experience possible, taking travelers straight to the heart of Manhattan (with a stop by the Empire State Building, of course) before jetting off to historic locations like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Along the way, you’ll stop in Nashville, New Orleans, San Antonio, Aspen, Vegas, the Grand Canyon and more. That’s a lot of The Land of the Free to pack into one trip, and for those who can take the 30 days to pull it off, it will be unforgettable. If I may be so bold, I’d suggest a late-1970s Mercury Colony Park station wagon (with faux wood trim of course) to give the trip the proper ambience. Don’t forget to bring a credit card for gas.

Continue reading for the full story.

In its 26 years of history until 2015, the Mazda MX-5 Miata saw three generations, several design updates, and numerous engine changes. Conceived as a rear-wheel-drive, compact roadster that was both affordable and fun to drive, the Miata quickly became a hit with sports car enthusiasts and one of the hottest-selling convertibles on the market. For 2016, the Japanese roadster received an extensive overhaul inside and out, along with a new, powerful, yet still fuel-efficient engine.

The fourth-generation Miata came in a time when both the Honda S2000 and Toyota MR2, its traditional rivals, are no longer on the market. With both the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky also gone — along with the brands that sold them — and the Mini Roadster discontinued as of 2015, the Miata is pretty much alone in its niche.

With no other roadster is as affordable as the MX-5, Mazda is now aiming the 2016 Mazda Miata at the 2013-2015 Porsche Boxster, which is both more expensive and significantly more powerful. In the real world, the Miata would be no match for the German. However, Mazda set out to prove that the Boxster isn’t that much better than the Miata in a comparison made by Mazda Parts USA that takes both performance and pricing into account. We decided to add our own input to this virtual test and have a look at the styling and amenities that come with each roadster as well.

Continue reading for the full story.