Hybrids
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Fisker has finalized its purchase of the GM factory where it will build its new plug-in hybrids.
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Honda To Launch Plug-In Hybrid Car in 2013, A Year After ToyotaIt's been a time of turmoil for Honda lately, with the company doubling down on hybrids and pulling back on its clean-diesel efforts. Now, according to a Reuters report, the company will introduce both a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric car for the 2013 model year. The electric car will be...
John Voelcker -
2011 Chevy Volt Doesn't Impress Leno; World Yawns, Ignores HimTalk-show host and comedian Jay Leno has long been known as a car fan and collector. And car companies often play nice with him to get their products onto his show. While GM worked with Leno on his EcoJet green sports car in 2006, the company is hardly a patsy. Leno told the Detroit News that the...
John Voelcker -
Remember the 2011 Chevrolet Volt's 230-MPG Claim? Forget It.Almost a year ago, General Motors launched a little marketing campaign connecting its 2011 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car to the figure "230 mpg." As we pointed out at the time, they were basing that projection on a proposed formula for fuel usage patterns that made a lot of assumptions...
John Voelcker -
Honda Doubles Down on Hybrids, Dumps Clean Diesel To Go GreenAlthough Honda designed and sold the world's second hybrid-electric car, the 1999-2006 Insight, the company hasn't done nearly as well in hybrids as its larger rival Toyota. Now the company has reinforced its earlier suggestion that it would significantly beef up its hybrid efforts by providing...
John Voelcker -
Fiat 500 To Offer Hybrid Version Of Tiny Two-Cylinder EngineThis must be Fiat 500 News Week. How else to explain the drumbeat of announcements, from its innovative TwinAir engine to a special U.S. model offered only to current Fiat owners? Today's item: The company will develop a mild hybrid version of its 500 minicar, fitted to the 0.9-liter TwinAir...
John Voelcker -
[UPDATE: Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes says the original report via Bloomberg that Tesla would develop two separate electric models for Toyota was erroneous, and may have been further confused later by the fact that Tesla had developed two prototype RAV4 vehicles.] ++++++ UPDATE: Citing Japanese sources, Bloomberg News reports that the two models in question are the RAV4 crossover and the Lexus RX midsize luxury crossover. Ricardo Reyes, of Tesla Motors, again refused to confirm any details of the cars or their schedule. He did note, however, that other reports in Japanese media had variously...
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U.S. Buyers Save Less Using EVs (But It's Not About Payback)Auto industry analysts get paid to issue reports, and most of them are vastly better at data analysis and number crunching than we'll ever be. That doesn't mean, however, that sometimes their data isn't misleading. It's important to keep context in mind, and not miss the forest for the trees...
John Voelcker -
MINI Clubman S Hybrid Prototype SpiedWe’ve already been treated to an all-electric version of the MINI in the form of the MINI E experimental vehicle, which from our initial drive we determined is far from ready for production, but a hybrid variant could be a much more viable option for the immediate future. BMW appears to have the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
California Yanks Prius Perks: No More Hybrid HOV-Lane AccessYou may remember that in California, 85,000 lucky owners of three hybrid vehicles were granted special stickers giving them access to High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes, even with only a single occupant in the car. Well, their luck runs out on December 31, the last day those stickers are valid. While...
John Voelcker -
How Do First Responders Act Around a Crashed Hybrid or EV?Once more, a reader question prompts us to share the answer with our entire green car audience. In this case, it's about how first responders should approach accidents that involve vehicles with high-voltage battery packs, whether they're conventional hybrids (e.g. Toyota Prius) or upcoming...
John Voelcker -
Nissan’s New Hybrid System Will Double Mileage Of Gasoline-Only ModelsNissan (and its Infiniti luxury division) may have been late to the table when it comes to hybrids but the Japanese automaker is boasting that its new generation of gasoline-electric vehicles will smash the competition out of the water. Nissan claims that its first vehicle fitted with its own...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan has showed us the future of the automobile with its advanced Leaf all-electric vehicle but that doesn’t mean it’s game over for the internal combustion engine. Gasoline and diesel powered cars can live on, well into the future in fact, thanks to new fuel-saving technologies that Nissan and other automakers are starting to roll out. Most of these fuel-saving technologies focus around improving engine and transmission efficiencies, and include things like hybrid drive and engine stop-start systems as well as brake-energy and heat-energy recovery devices. Nissan hopes to be one of the...
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Toyota Sells 2.5 Million Hybrids WorldwideHybrid vehicles have been alternately portrayed as the saviours of modern transportation or the last gasp of the dying oil-based economy. Either way, Toyota has capitalized on their popularity with its world-beating Prius, even managing to sell more than 2.5 million hybrids worldwide--and at a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Elantra, 2012 Focus: 40 MPG Without Hybrid FussHybrid technology's responsible for those airy fuel economy numbers from the likes of the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius, but the 40-mpg barrier's about to be broken by a pair of compact cars--without any batteries or hybrid add-ons whatsoever. Earlier this year, we showed you the 2012...
Martin Padgett -
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Cheaper Than A Prius?If you're shopping for a hybrid vehicle, time is drawing to a close to take advantage of the Federal government's hybrid tax credits. But before those credits expire at the end of 2010, there's one new hybrid you'll want to add to your shopping list: the upcoming 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. It's...
Martin Padgett -
Hyundai’s First Dedicated Hybrid Coming In 2012Now ranked as the world’s fifth-largest automaker in conjunction with its Kia subsidiary, Hyundai is making strides to build a product line that reflects its status among the world’s top manufacturers. With the world’s first hybrid vehicle powered by advanced lithium-polymer batteries and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: What Would A Toyota Prius Say About You?We already know that many Toyota Prius owners have a very special bond with their cars. It’s this connection with the Prius that many rival automakers would love to emulate but are struggling to do so. Mention the word “hybrid” and the first vehicle almost everyone will think of is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Imagine if your car could talk. What would it say about you? While for the immediate future, this is largely an impossibility, one aspiring actress based on the “West Side” has envisaged just what it could be like if cars were able to talk. Alyssa Price, the proud owner of a Toyota Prius and resident of Los Angeles, California has created a video documenting her life as seen through the ‘eyes’ of her car. Narrating over the video is Pearl, Alyssa’s Prius, who tells the story of the close relationship between a car and its owner. While at some points the video gets a little corny...
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Nissan May Sell Extended Range Vehicles Alongside Battery Electric CousinsThe 2011 Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is set to go on sale this December and order books for the car are filling up fast, with the first year’s allotment already gone. Infiniti, too, will get its own version of the Leaf as well as a new hybrid version of the M sedan, previewed by the 2012...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Three-Cylinder Lotus Range Extender Engine Headed For ProductionLotus Engineering, the British sports car companyâs automotive consultancy division, together with parts supplier Fagor Ederlan has announced today that it plans to develop its compact three-cylinder range extender engine for production. Lotus will be handling the engineering side...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Starts From $19,200, On Sale August 24The sporty hybrid coupe will hit dealerships later this summer.
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Could Hit 40 MPGThe 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been a huge sales hit for the Korean car company, outpacing the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima in recent months. The news could get better for Hyundai later this year, as the new sedan gets a greener version that could hit a class-best fuel economy target. Hyundai's...
Martin Padgett -
2011 Honda CR-Z: First DriveWhat do you get when you take some of the inspiration of Honda’s much-loved CRX two-seater from the 1980s and cross it with the also-much-loved Insight coupe from the past decade, then give it the latest version of Honda’s hybrid system? Honda says you get the 2011 Honda CR-Z...
Martin Padgett