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If you’re like me, you’d love to have an electric car that doesn’t use any fuel. Of course, this technology is a couple years away from being mass-produced in North America. But it’s still something to think about. Some people have figured out how to convert your current gasoline-powered car into an electric car, though. Although I haven’t tested the process and have no idea if it even works, here is how they do it. Maybe if you know something about cars and engineering, you can do this yourself at home.

The main idea behind the conversion is to take out the gasoline-powered motor and replace it with an electric one. The electric motor still needs the transmission, but you’ll need to keep it detached from the electric motor. Keep the transmission where it is.

The next thing to consider is the welding work. You’ll need to create a cradle for the new electric motor so it fits nicely and snugly under the hood. This also allows you to switch out the motors with less hassle.

Other than those two steps, there isn’t a lot to converting your car if you know what you’re doing. You can also find cars that don’t have engines in them. That makes the whole process that much simpler. Or, if you prefer, you can visit your local Nissan dealer soon. They’ll have electric cars on the lot by 2010. They’ll be here before you know it!

When electric cars finally hit the North American market, where are drivers going to recharge them? Electric car makers and utility companies are starting to work together to solve this question and others as the launch date moves closer and closer.

The newest plan includes a concept called “smart-charging.” This refers to how fast a car can recharge and where it can happen. According to David Mohler, a chief technology officer at Duke Energy, smart charging is “an essential capability for Duke and all electric utilities as PHEVs enter the market.” By using the smart-charging technology, he says, “we’re able to reduce stress on the grid during peak periods and keep rates low.”

Electric cars are no longer a “futuristic” idea. California officials recently required car companies to put nearly 60,000 of them on the state’s roads between 2012 and 2014. Companies are also working together to create infrastructure that will keep everyday life with electric cars as simple as it is today.

The main leader in the electric car revolution is your local Nissan dealer. The automaker plans to launch a mass-produced electric vehicle in North America no later than the 2010 model year. Right now, they have many fuel-efficient vehicles in their inventory, too. Why not visit one today and see what’s available for you?

Who wants to get a new car from a local Nissan dealer and clutter it up in a matter of days? You’d be surprised how many people simply don’t care what their car looks like on the inside. If you’re one of those people or if you just need some ways to stay uncluttered, following are some suggestions for you.

Keep a small trash bag in the car. If you have a small trash bag within reach, you won’t throw those straw wrappers and empty food containers on the floor. Empty your trash each time you stop for gas for a quick and easy cleanup. That’s a big step to keeping your car looking nice and uncluttered.

Get a visor organizer. This is a thing that attaches to your visor and keeps things within easy reach. Many of these hold CDs but they are also great for holding your license and registration so you never need to search for them if you get pulled over.

Keep large things in the trunk. If you’re a sports person, keep your equipment in the trunk instead of throwing it in the backseat.

Only keep necessary things in your car. There’s no reason to store household items in your car.

Have a small toy box for kids. Teach them to keep their toys in the box when they’re not in the car. This will teach them a good lesson and keep your car looking nice and neat.

Wash your car. The cleaner you keep the outside of your car, the cleaner you’ll want to keep it on the inside. Take it through a car wash every couple weeks and take pride in your vehicle.

So you’ve just come home from your local Nissan dealer with a new or pre-owned car. If your new car is like most cars, it has airbags installed in it. One of these airbags, of course, is installed in your steering wheel. But are your hands going to be in the way if an emergency occurs?

Driving instructors have always told us that “10 and 2″ are the correct positions for your hands on a steering wheel. But that was before airbags were standard features on an automobile. Today, the recommended position for your hands is anywhere between the “7 and 9 o’clock” position for your left hand and the “3 and 5 o’clock” position for your right hand.

If you keep your hands at this new position, the airbag is able to deploy safely without your arms stopping it. In addition, the force of an airbag that moves at 100 mph could break or injure your arms if they get in the way when it deploys.

This isn’t just something that car manufacturers or safety organizations are suggesting. Many police departments are teaching their officers the new position to increase their safety, too. That should say something about the credibility of the new positioning.

Of course, if you drive like me, you have your left hand at the 12 o’clock position with your right arm around your beautiful wife sitting next to you.

If you’re like me, there’s probably been more than one incidence when you left your turn signal on for a few miles without realizing it. Luckily, there’s a new device on the market that can remind you that your turn signal is on and save you from annoying other drivers…and embarrassing yourself.

The company that makes the new device is JC Whitney. There are two versions of this “turn signal reminder.” You can either get the extra loud musical one that is louder than your radio. If you’re a fan of Elvis, you can even get one that sings “Love Me Tender” to tenderly remind you to turn off your signal. That one costs about $6.99.

The more expensive one costs about $9.99 from the website and has a visual flasher as well as an extra loud turn signal noise to remind you that your signal is on.

When it’s time to get a new car from your local Nissan dealer, buy one of these hand little devices and install it on your car. It could save you from getting “the bird” as you’re driving down the street.

If you’re like me, you like to get comfortable when you’re taking a road trip. My wife got a car from our local Nissan dealer and drove cross-country last week to visit some friends. My favorite way to get comfortable is to take off my shoes when I’m driving, but I’ve always wondered if that was even legal.

After worrying about breaking the law, I did some research to find out if I could get a ticket for doing this. I found out that there aren’t any laws against driving barefoot in any of the 50 states of the United States. That is, if you’re driving a car. If you’re operating a motorcycle, every state requires that you wear shoes.

Although it’s not necessarily illegal according to state laws, there are still local ordinances that could get you in trouble. Brian Grisham, an official with the Tennessee Department of Safety, said a driver would need to go through each local ordinance to get a definitive answer. When questioned about the practice of barefoot driving, officials in Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Wyoming and Ohio say it’s not illegal but it is unsafe.

So the choice is yours. You can risk getting in trouble with local ordinances, but most police officers aren’t going to ticket you for barefoot driving if you’re not being reckless or dangerous. For more information, contact your state’s Department of Public Safety and any local offices of the states you plan on driving through.

Have you ever driven away from your local Nissan dealer with a new car only to have another driver’s reckless behavior almost cause an accident with you? If so, you’ve probably been pretty mad about it. And if you’re like me, you probably uttered the following phrase: “Where are the police when you need them?”

But then there are those other times when you see a speeding car on the highway fly by you only to see them pulled over a couple miles ahead. That’s such a satisfying feeling, isn’t it?

We don’t get the chance to witness these little pieces of justice very often. But as a person who tries to follow the speed limits and laws of the road, I really enjoy seeing somebody get pulled over for being reckless.

My wife and I had the chance to witness this phenomenon while we were on the road to Georgia last week. I was driving the speed limit (maybe a little faster to keep up with the flow of traffic) and this red sports car comes up from behind and starts riding my bumper. I did as any other courteous driver would do – I slowed down even more. He couldn’t get over because there was a car next to me, too. But as soon as the driver saw an opening, he squealed his tires and went around me and almost ran me into the median.

My wife asked, “Where are the cops when you need them?” But it wasn’t more than two miles ahead when we saw the car pulled over by a state trooper. As much as I hate to admit it, we both smiled. But I suppose that’s better than pointing at the guy and laughing as we drive by.

If you have any stories where a driver has done you wrong and received their “comeuppance” a few miles ahead, we’d love to hear them. Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

With all of the gas-saving tips circulating the Internet these days, there’s likely to be a few duds out there. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to distinguish between the good tips and the bad. That’s one of the reasons we’re here. Below are four tips you may have heard about saving gas, but they actually use more gas than they’re worth.

1. Driving out of your way to save money on gas. How many times have you driven four or more miles to get a few gallons of gas because that station was selling it for five cents less? If you’ve done that, you’ve wasted more money than you saved.

2. Driving without the air conditioner. When you’re driving through town, it’s better for your fuel economy to have your windows down for cooling off. But when you’re driving at higher speeds on the highway, this creates too much drag on your car. Instead, use the A/C on the highway to make your car more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient.

3. Driving with the tailgate down on your truck. You might think leaving your tailgate up creates drag on your truck, but that’s not true. The guys at Mythbusters disproved this idea and found that leaving your tailgate up actually helps your gas mileage.

4. Accelerating slowly. A gradual acceleration is ideal, but accelerating too slowly causes your engine to use more power. Find a happy medium when you accelerate to get more miles to the gallon.

When you invest in one of the new cars at your local Nissan dealer, you won’t have to stress out so much about your fuel economy. With all of the fuel-efficient models and electric cars coming soon, you can enjoy your car without worrying as much about your gas mileage every day.

Some junior high school students in Boise, Idaho recently did something that many automakers can’t figure out – they created a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

The US Department of Energy sponsored a competition that took place in Colorado at the end of last month. This National Middle School Science Bowl had teams from middle schools all over the country. Participants were asked to come up with some “creative ideas when it comes to researching alternative fuels.”

The team that won the “monster trophy” hailed from Boise, Idaho. Five students from the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center at Riverglen Junior High won first place for creating their “little hydrogen cell vehicle.” The students worked on the project since April with some mentors from their community. They put in dozens of hours researching and doing experiments until their creation came out just right.

Andrew Hoth, one of the winning team members, was excited about his team’s creation. “Now that I see that there are things like this,” he said, “I know that we are actually heading in the right direction and that makes me feel really good.”

Things are indeed heading in the right direction. And your local Nissan dealer is heading on the right track as well. You’ll find a huge inventory of new and used cars and many of them have a fuel economy that simply can’t be beat. Visit one today and see the innovations the automaker has made.

If you’re driving around an old inefficient vehicle, gas-saving tips come in handy. Today’s gas tip involves something called “The Two-Mile Rule.”

To follow this rule, you must walk or ride your bike to any place that you go within two miles of your house. If your job is only two miles away, walk or ride your bike. If the grocery store is only two miles away, do the same thing. Here are the three things you can expect to find if you follow this rule:

1. Less wear on your car. Short trips can wreak havoc on a car. If many of your trips are around two miles, it barely gives the engine a chance to warm up. But overall, walking or biking to those nearby errands will save hundreds of miles over the period of time that you own your car.
2. Better fuel economy. Nearby errands often involve a lot of engine idling. There are usually stop signs, traffic lights and congestion for even two-mile trips. All of this is horrible for your gas mileage. You’ll find that you’re keeping more gas in your tank by cutting out these short errands.
3. You’ll feel better. In addition to making your car much better, walking or biking to these nearby places will make you feel better. You’ll lose weight and even have more energy. It’s really a win-win situation!

Of course, if you get a new or certified pre-owned car from your local Nissan dealer, you don’t have to worry about “rules” like this. With the number of fuel-efficient options, saving gas will be the least of your worries!