Hybrids
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Until this spring, the Toyota Camry Hybrid was the only mass-market, four-door full hybrid sedan sold in the US. Then Ford introduced the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and reporters have been comparing the two ever since. Perhaps to keep up with a newer, younger, hotter rival, the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid has had a bit of cosmetic surgery for the new model year. Toyota has given it a new grille and bumper, a restyled lower air intake, and updated fog lights and rear tail lamps. Inside, the meter cluster has been enchanced and the cloth seats have a new material. And, all four windows now have...
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Update: Hybrid Jaguar XE Roadster And Other Green Technologies For Jaguar, Land RoverWith rumors swirling about various Jaguar hybrids in the works, we contacted Media Communications Officer, Mia Bae, to help us make sense of it all. The information gleaned from several emails doesn't confirm or deny previous reports that an extended range hybrid Jaguar XE Roadster is being...
Robert Scardino -
2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid At Dealers Late Next YearHell is freezing over pretty frequently these days, it seems. Porsche, once the pinnacle of piston-engined power, will launch its first hybrid late next year. The 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid sport-utility will get gas mileage of at least 26 miles per gallon (less than 9 litres per 100 km)...
John Voelcker -
VIDEO: Hot Hybrid Racing Action - Prius vs. InsightHybrids aren't known for blistering performance, but that didn't stop one UK automotive publication from putting two of the most popular fuel misers on the drag strip. In a recent comparison of the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight, iMotor performed the standing quarter mile in both cars. Needless...
Robert Scardino -
2010 Lexus HS250h Goal: One-Seventh The Sales of 2010 Toyota PriusNow that the 2010 Toyota Prius is available at most Toyota dealers, at least for test drives, we're waiting for its half-brother--the 2010 Lexus HS250h--to appear at Lexus stores around Labor Day. We've wondered for awhile what kind of sales Lexus expected, and now Automotive News reports that the...
John Voelcker -
Jaguar Extended Range Hybrid Two-Seater In The MakingJaguar has been undergoing a transformation. They've changed parent companies, they've produced new, attractive designs targeted to younger buyers, and they've improved vehicle quality. And like most other carmakers, they're positioning themselves to go green (or at least improve their corporate...
Robert Scardino -
Very few people in the world have months of experience behind the wheel of both a Toyota Prius and the new 2010 Honda Insight. Our 16-year-old Silicon Valley correspondent Kyle is one of those few people, and we asked him to sum up the pros and cons of the two cars. His impressions roughly map to those of professional reviewers, but they come from the specific needs of a busy teenager who needs to get himself around, haul people and their gear, while spending as little as possible at the pump. Here goes. What would you want someone who's comparison-shopping to know, and how would you sum up...
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Daimler Trucks Gives Diesel-Electric Hybrid To Forgotten Harvest CharityWith all of the accusations of libel and slander going on these days in the EV world, a story about charitable giving to a community in need is refreshing. So prepare to be refreshed. Daimler Trucks North America has donated one of its Class 7 Freightliner, diesel-electric hybrid box trucks to...
Robert Scardino -
2011 Jaguar XJ To Be Latest Luxury Hybrid?A gas-electric version of Jaguar's big sedan is in the works--and owes something to the Chevrolet Volt.
Martin Padgett -
GM Pulls The Plug On Malibu, Vue HybridsChevy's midsize Malibu sedan has enjoyed widespread praise among automotive media, but one version of the vehicle is conspicuously absent from GM's plans for 2010. The Malibu Hybrid will no longer be available next year, as GM continues to whittle away at its product lineup. The Hybrid achieved an...
Robert Scardino -
Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle Considers Interior SpaceKyle, our high-school correspondent, spends a lot of time driving himself among classes, sports events, and the other commitments in a heavily scheduled teenager's life. And often it's not just him in the car. Remember the old days of riding around with your friends? Kyle does his share of carpool...
John Voelcker -
Hybrid Ferrari To Launch At LA Auto Show In December?It's obviously green supercar day here at GreenCarReports. No sooner had we written about Lamborghini's green vehicle plans than more info popped up on our previous story about the plans for Ferrari hybrids as well. Editor Eddie Alterman from Car and Driver writes that a concept could debut at the...
John Voelcker -
First Ferrari frightened purists everywhere with news that it's designing hybrid electric systems for future Ferraris. Now competitor and fellow supercar maker Lamborghini is joining the purity parade. Rather than the patent drawings that sparked the Ferrari kerfuffle, Lambo issued a text-heavy press release stating its intention to: - cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its cars 35 percent by 2015 - cut CO2 emissions from its factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese by 30 percent next year Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas emitted in automobile exhaust--and in the case of Lamborghinis, in...
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Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle Drives Each OneYesterday we introduced Kyle, our Silicon Valley teenage reviewer who's only ever driven hybrid cars. He's now been using a 2010 Honda Insight for two months after driving the family's Toyota Prius for six. Our first piece yesterday covered Kyle's overall impressions; over the next few days, we'll...
John Voelcker -
VIDEO: GM Plugs Electric Cars in New Reinvention CommercialAfter months of avoiding bankruptcy like the plague, a new advertisement from General Motors tells us it's not so bad after all. The "Reinvention" commercial (see the video below) pairs nationalistic imagery with a message of a company determined to sell better, more relevant cars. "There was a...
Robert Scardino -
Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle's Unique Comparison TestIt's one of the most hotly debated matchups in the auto world these days: How does the Toyota Prius compare to the new 2010 Honda Insight? Lots of car sites have compared the Insight to the 2010 Toyota Prius, including us. We've also turned to an expert for help. Our latest correspondent, Kyle, is...
John Voelcker -
GM Expands Battery Lab, US Gears Up To Make Lithium CellsGeneral Motors has enlarged and expanded the battery laboratory at its Warren, Michigan, technical center. The new lab, the company said today, is the largest and most advanced such site in North America. The lab was first shown to the public last summer as the site where packs for the 2011...
John Voelcker -
Texas Governor Perry's Prius Problem: How Many Hay Bales?Texas is pickup country, as a visit will confirm. It's one reason Toyota builds its full-size Tundra pickup truck there. But Texas governor Rick Perry overstepped last year when he sneered at the ability of the Toyota Prius hybrid to hold hay. Austin American-Statesman humor columnist John Kelso...
John Voelcker -
The battle between the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight continues to rage in Japan, where the 2010 Prius became the best-selling car for the month of May. It wrested the crown away from the 2010 Insight, which had become the first hybrid ever to lead the list when it took the top spot for April. Toyota aggressively cut prices in Japan for the 2010 Prius, which was helped by a government incentives program encouraging the purchase of low-emission vehicles. As a result, the company said it had logged 80,000 orders for the 2010 Toyota Prius by the time the car went on sale May 18...
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May's Most Popular Posts: 2010 Toyota Prius Reference Guide Rocks, AgainReaders are eager for all kinds of information on the new 2010 Toyota Prius, though a Prius-Jetta TDI comparison sneaks into 5th place
John Voelcker -
Stupid Prius Videos (With Billy Ray Cyrus Bonus!)From Miley Cyrus parking in a handicapped slot to geeky multi-culti Prius rap, we give you grim Prius idiocy on the way to the weekend
John Voelcker -
Business Week on 2010 Toyota Prius: We Like It. We Really Like It!Reviewer lauds fuel economy, peppy driving, and spacious interior, even if it drives
John Voelcker -
Rumormill: Electric R8 Coming to Frankfurt?Any worthwhile discussion of today's best supercars mentions the Audi R8. It's a car that looks like it was sent to Earth from an alternate, more advanced (but clearly benevolent) dimension. The interior is as luxurious as they come. Not to mention the performance, which rivals that of Ferraris...
Robert Scardino -
US Supplies of 2010 Toyota Prius Limited By Japanese Demand?Supplies of the eagerly await 2010 Toyota Prius could be affected by unexpectedly high demand in the Japanese domestic market
John Voelcker