For drivers who are passionate about performance, there has long been a compromise when choosing between a manual and an automatic transmission. Sure, a manual gearbox offers more control under those conditions when you need it, but an automatic gives you the flexibility of letting the car decide the shift times when necessary—like during your morning commute. But with BMW’s Steptronic automatic transmission, there’s no need to choose. That’s because this “manu-matic” gearbox offers the best of both worlds; a manual-shifting experience when you want it, and a multi-drive mode automatic when t ..read more

Plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric cars may be relatively new, but there are public charging stations where you can give your car some juice. Many of these charging stations are located near shopping centers, restaurants, parking lots and other public places. There are three levels of charging stations: Level 1, Level 2 and DCFC. Level 1 and Level 2 charging station plugs have been standardized to allow owners of all electric cars to use the same charging infrastructure. The DCFC charging stations are fast. They use direct-current (DC) energy transfer and a 480 VAC input. So, it’s wise to k ..read more