Batteries

According to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Toyota is preparing a larger version of their popular Prius hybrid for production by the end of 2010. The new vehicle will fall into the SUV or station wagon class and will utilize lithium-ion batteries as opposed to the nickel-metal hydride...

General Motors will follow its 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car with a production version of the Cadillac Converj concept car revealed at this year's Detroit Auto Show. It's been an open question for a while now: What will be the next vehicle to use GM's Voltec series hybrid...

Dates and cities have been announced for the "Zero Emission Tour" that will introduce the 2012 Nissan Leaf hatchback electric car to potential buyers in the U.S. markets where it will first be sold. The car won't be sold nationwide for more than two years. Instead, it will be offered where Nissan...

The Nikkei is reporting that Sanyo Electric Co. has signed an agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen to supply nickel-metal hydride batteries for diesel-electric hybrids. Peugeot wants to be the first car maker to put diesel-electric powertrains into production vehicles. The French auto company will...

Europeans have been slow to the game with hybrids, having bet most of their green strategy on highly efficient clean diesels. But they are increasingly hedging their bets, learning to work with electric motors and battery packs. In the sports-car world, aside from startups Fisker and Tesla, no...

It's a sad thing when an auto show loses its exhibitors, and this was a tough year for Tokyo. Foreign automakers shunned the show--unless you count England's Lotus--so the biannual event had pretty much only Japanese products on display. Despite the downsizing, green cars abounded, ranging from new...

We can't help it. Once in a while, we like to toss in big honkin' performance cars, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. And even screaming smaller tuner sedans, like the 2010 Subaru STi WRC and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. But now comes news to rock the world: The next generation of the Mitsubishi...

[REVISED UPDATE, October 23: For awhile, it seemed too good to be true. The full text of Colorado House bill 09-1331, "An Act Concerning Incentives For Efficient Motor Vehicles," turns out to include a cap of $6,000 on the tax credit available for any low-emission car. The all-important phrase...

Do you ever wish your car came in an electric version? Do you find yourself daydreaming about bio-diesel conversions? If so, the bloggers at Inhabitat have assembled a list of vehicles to inspire you. The so-called "Top 5 Pimped-Out Eco Rides" range from a Hummer H1 stretch-limo to a 1985 Chevy S10...

In the summer of 2008, amid staggering gas prices, Central Michigan University (CMU) invested $23,000 into an electric vehicle. Just over a year later, the school is requesting a refund, citing the vehicle's poor performance in cold weather. The EV in question is believed to be a Miles ZX40ST Work...

Mini has been on a roll this year, with a new Coupe concept to celebrate its 50th birthday and the much-publicized U.S. release of 200 Mini E electric conversions. Now, 40 Britons will be able to drive the electric Mini E as well, 20 of them members of the public chosen from more than 500...

If Panasonic gets its way, your average laptop battery could be the electric vehicle power source of the future. The Japanese consumer electronics company announced Thursday that it has developed a method of binding standard lithium-ion batteries together (Tesla Motors style), for use in...

While Nissan goes full-bore into electric cars, including projected sales of 20,000 of its 2012 Nissan Leaf, the company's Infiniti luxury marque has neither electric cars nor hybrids in its 2010 lineup. But that will change next year, when it launches the redesigned 2011 Infiniti M luxury sedan...

In March we told you that Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, planned to release a hybrid version of their M sedan. Today the Japanese automaker has confirmed that the new hybrid will be available in the spring of 2011 for the 2012 model year. This will be Infiniti's first offering in the luxury...

Our editor Marty Padgett is spending the day with Volkswagen, driving new models, learning about advanced technologies, and quizzing executives. Here's his preview of VW's upcoming Touareg Hybrid sport utility vehicle. Volkswagen will launch a hybrid electric model of its Touareg sport utility...

  Suzuki says that their cars are as much fun as their bikes. Now they're trying to make one model just as fuel efficient. The Japanese automaker plans to unveil a plug-in hybrid version of the Swift hatchback at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Suzuki's subcompact already has a loyal following in...

The 2012 Nissan Leaf hatchback, the first all-electric car from a major manufacturer to be offered in the U.S. since GM's late lamented EV1 two-seater a decade ago, won't go on sale nationally for more than two years. Nonetheless, Nissan is hoping to accumulate 20,000 U.S. advance orders for the...

Sure, Porsche is planning an electric vehicle, but it won't be in showrooms for years, and it probably won't ever be as charming as this 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster. If a carbon neutral vintage Porsche replica turns you on, check out this eBay listing posted by Jack Rickard. Jack is an EV...

Driving a mile on electricity always costs less than using gasoline for the same mile. Now Better Place, the consortium wiring Israel with electric-car recharging stations and battery quick-swap facilities, has upped the ante: They claim their electric cars will cost $4,500 to $7,500 less than...

To green-car fans, the idea of an ultra-aerodynamic electric two-seater sounds pretty familiar, right? Think the late, lamented EV1 from General Motors, subject of the controversial documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car? But for more than 4,000 people who've put down deposits on the 2011 Aptera...