Hybrids

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and the U.S. Department of Energy have awarded Celgard, LLC. with a contract to improve lithium-ion battery separator technology. Battery separators are electronic insulating layers that prevent batteries from overheating, which improves their...

Hybrid vehicle sales fell 50% last month compared to November of 2007 even though fewer hybrid models were available last year. Analysts blame the hybrid price premium, low gas prices and tighter credit markets. This November, 16,536 hybrids were sold.  In October 21,979 rolled off dealership...

Think taking the bus is eco-friendly? You're right, but it's certainly not because traditional diesel buses are fuel efficient. The average bus carries 40 people or more, which takes 40 CO2 spewing cars off the streets. Unfortunately the bus only gets three miles per diesel gallon, with its...

Sam's Club has expanded their repertoire beyond seven pound cans of Nacho cheese to electric super cars; and why not? It might be the only store where you can get a vending machine and fifteen dozen eggs in one stop. There's just one problem with the electric super car bit: it doesn't exist yet...

According to yesterday's Washington Post, all those Priuses Toyota has been selling aren't making them much money. Rumor has it that those touted hybrid SUVs General Motors has been parading aren't turning profits either. What about the Chevy Volt? In June, GM Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz, said that the...

Fisker announced Friday that they've chosen GM's turbocharged 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder Ecotec engine to extend the range of their plug-in hybrid performance sedan. The Fisker Karma has an electric-only range of 50 miles. After that, the Ecotec will kick in to generate more electricity. This is the...

Plug-in hybrid batteries may last longer than you own your car. Southern California Edison (SCE) said Tuesday that they've continuously tested a Johnson Control-Saft lithium-ion battery subpack for the equivalent of 180,000 miles with minimal degradation; and the test is still ongoing. You could...

Ford has just announced pricing on its 2010 Fusion Hybrid which is expected to go on sale in 2009. The vehicle uses a 155 hp 2.5 L engine running on the Atkinson Cycle and married to a parallel electric motor capable of propelling the car at speeds up to 47 mph. It also features a SmartGuage unique...

Hyundai Sonata Remember that South Korean automaker with a reputation for producing the cheapest econoboxes ever? These were the people who brought us the deplorable "Excel" in the early 90s . That was Hyundai then. This is Hyundai now. This is the company that channeled the Lexus RX with the...

With the introduction of two new hybrids at the LA Auto Show, Ford has doubled their number of gas-electric hybrid models. And with the 2010 Fusion hybrid, Ford hopes to appeal to a young, city-living consumer. Available at Ford dealerships late next year (with a yet-to-be-announced price tag), the...

The Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Friday that Toyota will postpone US production of the Prius. Toyota has not confirmed the report, but has asserted that all future products are being reviewed. The Prius is currently made exclusively in Japan and the 2010 model goes on display at the Detroit...

Reporters at Automobile.com had the chance to test drive the Mercedes Benz S400 BlueHybrid. This luxury car will be the first mass marketed vehicle to use lithium-ion batteries. The vehicle is actually set up as a mild hybrid, which means it will stop the gas engine when not moving, will recapture...

The first official pics of the new Prius leak out.

Toyota has just opened the curtains on a new dedicated website for its upcoming 3rd generation Prius. The successor to the very popular car which has sold over 12 million units worldwide is expected to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, although pictures have been leaked. It is...

It's a car. It's a bike. It's...what is it? It's called the VentureOne. With fuel economy approaching 100 miles per gallon and six second 0-60 performance, it could revolutionize how we think about driving. This past weekend at the Opportunity Green Conference at UCLA, Venture Vehicles, Inc. COO...

Toyota's gas champ uses an unconventional four-cylinder, along with its batteries, for superior mileage.

Can you be in the 50-mpg club?

Toyota's gas-electric hybrid uses clever tech to keep it sipping fuel.

Toyota's Prius has gone from a grand experiment to a sales charts success.

Need a hybrid away from home? Rental-car company has your number.