Electric motor
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Last week, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, GM's vice president of global vehicle engineering, set to rest rumors of a mid-engine next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. That got a lot of attention among Corvette fans. But a footnote to the story was that Stracke said not only that a hybrid Corvette was possible, but that such a powertrain would be "an interesting idea." He noted that Porsche has announced it will add hybrids across its lineup, to meet new fuel efficiency regulations. Hypothetically, Stracke said, a carmaker might offer a very small number of standard powertrains in its sports car lines...
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2012 Infiniti M35h, Its First Hybrid, Previews at Pebble Beach
Almost a year ago, Infiniti confirmed a hybrid version of its new M sedan, to be launched at the end of 2010. Now, the company has unveiled that car, in the tony surroundings of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the premier U.S. showcase for classic cars. Infiniti has adopted the Lexus...
John Voelcker -
GM To Build All-Electric Cars Again: A Very Few, Just For Tests
The big news in green cars today will be the noon release of pricing and ordering information for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, GM's upcoming range-extended compact electric car. But GM had more noteworthy news today, all the way from the other side of the world. General Motors, the company pilloried...
John Voelcker -
Report: All-Wheel Drive Hybrid Hard Hitter To Join Ford Focus Lineup
Hot hatches. The Europeans love them, we--as a whole--apparently hate them, and consequently miss out on some amazing cars that our cousins across the Atlantic have been enjoying for years. But that’s all about to change thanks to stylish newcomers like the 2011 Ford Fiesta and upcoming 2012...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New London Taxi Steers From the Rear, Now Going Electric Too
We happened to be in London earlier this week, where it's hard to avoid the sight of the ubiquitous "London Taxi," a distinctive vehicle purpose-built to meet a specific set of regulations involving tiny turning circles, top-hat headroom, and other arcana. That hasn't stopped a consortium of...
John Voelcker -
2010 Chicago Auto Show: Electric 2011 Ford Transit Connect, Alt-Fuel Taxi
It's long been known that Ford's first electric car would actually be a truck. Now, we have all the details of the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric, an all-electric conversion of the Transit Connect commercial van that offers a range of up to 80 miles on a full charge. The 2011 Transit Connect...
John Voelcker -
Before either car launched, the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Honda Insight were viewed as natural rivals. Would the third generation of Toyota's definitive hybrid be threatened by Honda's "least expensive hybrid", which too offered five doors and good gas mileage? What a difference a year makes. Prius romps, Insight craters The 2010 Prius was a smash hit. Its global sales success strained Toyota and caused shortages of nickel-metal-hydride battery packs. Of 270,000 sales to date, about 140,000 came from the United States. Its nemesis proved to be not Honda, but high-tech braking software. The...
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Striking BMW EfficientDynamics Hybrid Concept Will Be Built
The striking BMW Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid concept was unquestionably the star concept of September's Frankfurt Motor Show. It proved, once again, that when German carmakers turn their minds toward a new goal--in this case, a sports car with breathtaking fuel efficiency--they can produce...
John Voelcker