Hybrids
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The name Fabrizio Giugiaro is synonymous with fast, stylish cars. The styling director at Italdesign knows how to make car fans drool. In 2006 there was the Giugiaro Mustang Concept with 500 horsepower, a glass roof and doors hinged at the bottom of the A-pillar that tipped forward when opened. At last year's Geneva Motor Show there was the Italdesign Quaranta. It was easily the most exciting application of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive yet. Paired with a 3.3 liter V6, the Quaranta achieved 268 horsepower and 212 pound feet of torque good for 0 to 62 mph in four seconds. The roof was made of...
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Cops Conserve: NYPD Buys Altima HybridsNYPD is about to roll out some Nissan Altima Hybrids for serious on-duty action. As part of a $1.1 million pilot program, the police will put 40 Altima Hybrids on the road within the next two weeks. Eighteen of the hybrids will be marked patrol cars, twenty will be unmarked and the remaining two...
Robert Scardino -
Honda's Self-Loving New Website - Words of Hybrid
The Honda Insight is one of the most attention-getting new hybrids on the auto show circuit right now and its web presence just got a boost. Words of Hybrid gives anyone with a hankering for more Honda hybrid info a new destination. The site details the storied history of Honda's gas-electric...
Robert Scardino -
Dodge Ram Hybrid In The Works
Utterly disappointing sales haven't dissuaded Chrysler from working on new hybrids. Yesterday at the Chicago Auto Show, the troubled American automaker announced that a hybrid Dodge Ram pickup is still planned. It's expected that the new pickup will use the same two-mode hybrid system previously...
Robert Scardino -
VW Plans Supercharged Hybrid Touareg
It's about time "supercharged" and "hybrid" are being used in the same sentence. Adding to an already full stable of gas and diesel engines, Volkswagen has announced that a supercharged hybrid Touareg is on the way. The new Touareg will employ a start-stop system to save gas when idle, regenerative...
Robert Scardino -
Tufts University's Regenerative Shock Absorbers
If you're dissatisfied with your hybrid's fuel economy, Tufts University has your back. Two engineering professors there have developed shock absorbers that use electromagnetic generators to convert intermittent linear motion to electrical power. In non-nerd-speak this means that energy from your...
Robert Scardino -
In November of last year, the Renault-Nissan Alliance announced a partnership with Sonoma County to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and encourage the development of charging infrastructure. According to a report in the North Bay Business Journal today, Sonoma County means business. The county wants 1,000 EVs on the road by 2010 and preparations are underway to make it happen. In May, Sonoma will find out whether they've been awarded $3 million in state and U.S. Department of Energy grants for building charging stations and converting gas-electric hybrids to plug-ins. In the...
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Ten Things the 2010 Toyota Prius Will Not Do For You
It might make your world a better place, but that smug little Prius can't pull espresso, now, can it?
Martin Padgett -
2010 Toyota Prius: Our Fearless Predictions
What's the new car all about? Here's our best guess before the world premiere.
Martin Padgett -
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The Prius's Not So Secret Gas-Mileage Secrets
Toyota's gas champ uses an unconventional four-cylinder, along with its batteries, for superior mileage.
Martin Padgett -
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Toyota's gas-electric hybrid uses clever tech to keep it sipping fuel.
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Toyota Prius: A Brief History in Time
Toyota's Prius has gone from a grand experiment to a sales charts success.
Martin Padgett -
Hertz Goes Green: Rent A Prius
Need a hybrid away from home? Rental-car company has your number.
Martin Padgett -
Reasons To Buy a Prius -- and Reasons Not To
Make sure you're buying your new hybrid for the right reason.
Martin Padgett -
Prius Becomes Star Trek Shuttle
A psychiatrist turns his hybrid into a space-age transporter.
Martin Padgett -
What's a green-car lover to do?
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Site Review: PriusChat.com
Want to talk about the Toyota hybrid? Here's a good start.
Martin Padgett -
Prius Could Win Under President McCain
Could Toyota's hybrid find a friend in the next administration?
Martin Padgett
