While a number of fancier all-electric automobiles have still not yet hit the streets en masse, quite a few companies are already looking at the prospects of bringing plug-in cars to a wider range of individuals. One of those folks would be Miles Rubin, who apparently hopes that his "$30,000 Miles XS 500" can deliver the gas-shunning attributes we crave sans the outrageous price tag. Reportedly, the sedan would sport a "top speed of 80 miles-per-hour and a range of 120-miles at 60 miles-per-hour," and the costs would seemingly be kept down thanks to low Chinese manufacturing costs. Of course, Rubin has yet to utter a date in which he expects these Chinese-constructed motorcars to pass our inspections (and earn our trust), and while a low-cost electric whip sounds enticing in theory, we're going to need a bit more evidence that this thing can survive some form of collision before we remove our skepticism caps.

[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Nick]

If you've been wondering how your Honda or Acura just seems to cover ground an awful lot quicker than your previous ride without even getting you a speeding ticket, listen up. Apparently, around six million Honda / Acura owners have been wheeling around in vehicles that are clicking off miles quite a bit faster than they're actually being driven. The Society of Automotive Engineers' voluntary standard for fluctuation in an odometer "is plus or minus 4-percent," and strangely enough, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't even regulate it. Honda claims that its units were "accurate to within 3.75-percent" on the high side, but a lawsuit against them claims that's just a bit too close for the average consumer's well-being. The automaker will be shelling out over $6 million in overcharges for leasers who were unfairly penalized for exceeding the agreed upon mileage, and will also extend the warranty mileage five-percent. Of course, Honda has since tightened up its standards (read: fixed the programming bug), purportedly "aiming for zero" in regard to future error, but if you happen to own a Honda / Acura purchased between April of 2002 and November of last year (or a select '07 Honda Fit), these benefits should be coming your way pending a district court judgment on the settlement.