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NHTSA safety consultant dies at 64

Miami trauma surgeon and preeminent car-crash researcher Jeffrey Augenstein would often tell the story of the time he was talking to a crash victim who collapsed and died from hidden injuries in the middle of the conversation. The experience led Augenstein to research and then call attention to the unexpected injuries that could occur when drivers interacted with airbags. It's but one example of the achievements of Augenstein, who died recently at age 64.

Toyota prices RAV4 EV at $50,610 before tax incentives

Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled the production version of its RAV4 electric vehicle, which carries a battery pack and electric motor system developed in collaboration with Tesla Motors. The crossover will carry a sticker price of $50,610 including an $810 destination charge but before available tax incentives of $2,500 in California and $7,500 at the federal level.

Ford Energi drivers use all-electric mode 60 percent of the time

Ford has noticed quite a few interesting things by researching how owners use their Ford plug-in hybrids. It appears that Ford owners are driving their hybrids in electric mode nearly 60 percent of the time, using their cars' 21 miles of gas-free all-electric range. This figure contrasts quite a bit with the 41 percent of all-electric drive time earlier in the year, demonstrating that winter driving patterns differ quite a bit from summer driving.