Hybrids

The 2012 Geneva Motor Show had plenty to draw the eye, not least the shapely promo girls on every stand--but the undisputed star of the show was Infiniti's Emerg-E hybrid concept car. Both a work of art and a work of high-tech engineering, the mid-engine sports car uses a plug-in hybrid...

For the past few years, every time an automaker has launched a new plug-in hybrid or electric car, it’s been to a fanfare of sorts. But while Nissan, General Motors and Fisker have attracted the spotlight as more and more customers step up for their new cars, Press coverage of Toyota’s...

Now in its third generation, the Honda Civic Hybrid is one of the stalwarts of the compact hybrid class, having been around in one form or another since its introduction to the U.S. in 2002. Here we're looking at the popular 2006-2011 model, as one of our Five Best Used Green Cars To Buy. While not...

Nobody envies the country that follows China in hosting the Olympic Games. With huge, spectacular and immaculately choreographed opening and closing ceremonies to compete with, London has chosen a different tack for its games: Green. That's why the London Olympic organizing committee has teamed up...

Yesterday, we introduced a five-part series taking an in-depth look into some of the best used green cars you can buy today. Ranging from the humble hatchback to a mighty sport-utility vehicle, we’ve selected five cars we think deserve your attention when shopping for your next used car...

Ever since Audi unveiled the A5 Hybrid Quattro SUV at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, we have to admit to being a little excited about seeing it reach the U.S. market. Now, Audi has given us a little more insight into the model, due to hit the U.S. some time this year as a 2013 year model...

Believe it or not, the Toyota Prius has been available in the U.S. for over a decade. Aimed at a much more mainstream market than the first two generations of Prius Hybrid, the 2012 Toyota Prius Liftback, 2012 Toyota Prius V, 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and 2012 Toyota Prius C offer the best...

There was a time when hybrid drivetrains were only used in ultra-green cars like the venerable Toyota Prius. In recent years however, even automakers like Ferrari have embraced the concept of hybrid drivetrains in an attempt to build cars that satisfy ever-tougher emissions and gas-mileage...

China's auto shows, which alternate between Beijing and Shanghai--just as Frankfurt and Paris alternate in Europe--are already significant global events with dozens of world premieres. Honda is taking its turn today, launching concepts for both a sedan and what it calls a "new-value passenger...

Remember the world's very first production plug-in hybrid? No, not the 2011 Chevy Volt. Not the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid either. Way back in late 2008, it was the Chinese BYD F3DM, with a lithium-ion battery pack and a combined parallel and series hybrid powertrain inserted into the...

Japanese automakers haven't embraced diesels in quite the same way as some other companies have done. Even in Europe, where diesels are popular, the range is limited. That's perhaps not surprising, given the unique demands in the crowded cities of the Japanese home market--making cleaner gasoline...

Over the past few decades, demand for rare earth metals, has dramatically increased. So called because they are difficult to find in large deposits and often difficult to mine, rare earth metals are used in everything from electronics devices to hybrid and electric car battery packs. Now increased...

Bridging the gap between battery electric vehicles and gasoline-electric hybrids we find cars like the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In and the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. Both are essentially hybrid vehicles, but use the technology in different ways to achieve different aims. Ultimately though, which vehicle...

Audi will reportedly export its 2013 Q5 Hybrid to the United States in the not-too-distant future.

"Ferrari hybrid" is right up there with "Porsche diesel" and "Bentley SUV" as far as oxymorons go. Even so, Porsche has been producing diesels for several years now, soon to hit the U.S, and Bentley showed an SUV concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, so maybe it isn't that unusual after all...

There's likely a huge market demand for higher-mileage minivans and wagons, but so far, the 2012 Toyota Prius V is the sole entry that gets more than 40 mpg in EPA testing. So the news that Chrysler delivered four plug-in hybrid versions of its Town & Country minivan to the city of Auburn...

A bill signed in Colorado will now allow lessees to claim any tax credits for hybrid cars and electric vehicles, rather than the lessor. Previously, the state had allowed banks or finance companies to choose whether claim the credits themselves on lease vehicles, or to pass the credits on to the...

Is noise in cars a good or a bad thing? We suspect many of our readers would classify it under the latter, and prefer to drive in the serene silence of most hybrids and electric cars. There are others who think differently though, and for them, technology is here to help. An app called XLR8...

In the automotive world, there’s a constant struggle going on between automakers keen to encourage customers to choose their green car over the competition. Just after a major auto show or car launch, automakers find it relatively easy to sell new car, especially if they have lots of new...

With stellar sales of the Chevrolet Volt last month, we haven't heard quite as much of the silly "electric cars are a sales failure" meme lately. After their first full year of sales, each of the two modern plug-in electric cars on sale during 2011 outsold the Toyota Prius hybrid in 2000, its first...