Green Car News
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Speakers throughout today's Electric Drive Transportation Association conference agree: Plug-in electric cars that use little or no gasoline are coming. It's no longer an "if", it's now a "when." To help boost early adoption of cars that run mostly or entirely on grid power, the Federal government offers tax rebates of $2,500 to $7,500 to private buyers of those cars. From credit to rebate Several speakers begged the Feds to change that subsidy to an outright rebate, similar to this summer's Cash-For-Clunkers credits. Those were outright reductions in purchase cost for buyers who traded in...
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EDTA Speeds Up Electric Car TimelineIn 2009, the plug-in vehicle market gained unprecedented federal support. In addition to President Obama's proclamation of 1,000,000 plug-in cars by 2015, several newcomer companies, including Tesla, Fisker, A123, and Johnson Controls-Saft, received multimillion dollar grants and/or loans to...
Martin Padgett -
Toyota Suspends Sales on Several Models, Recall Excludes Hybrid Products
To say that Toyota has been hit hard with recalls recently is truly an understatement. The company's most recent recall and stop sale involving a possible stuck accelerator has affected an estimated 2.3 million vehicles. As Toyota stated, "There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal...
Eric Loveday -
Nissan Leaf a Hit at NAIAS, Wowed the Crowd
The Nissan Leaf made a brief stop at the North American International Auto Show before departing early and heading back out on its nationwide tour. The Leaf was on hand for the press preview days and was met by many with incredible praise. Nissan appears to have created the hype necessary to...
Eric Loveday -
Mini E Drivers Mostly Happy; Cold Weather, Service Problematic
It's always good to be suspicious when an automaker sends out a press release saying customers are "delighted" with its products. In the case of the Mini E, BMW offered data to back up the claim. At the Washington Auto Show today, BMW released early results from a study of 57 customers who leased...
John Voelcker -
Ford CEO: Fuel-Efficient Engines Pose Tough Fight for Hybrids
Ford has built hundreds of thousands of hybrids since 2004, but unlike Toyota, it hasn't staked its future on the pricey technology that mates an electric motor to a combustion engine. Ford's CEO Alan Mulally says that's because hybrids will face continuing competition from increasingly more...
John Voelcker -
There has been a considerable amount of debate recently about how clean electric vehicles really are. Some suggest that, dependent upon the source of electricity, electric vehicles may actually be dirtier overall than gasoline vehicles. Others argue that though the source of electricity does make a difference, electric vehicles are always cleaner than gasoline powered counterparts. Yet others believe that electric vehicles are inherently dirty due to old methods used worldwide to generate electricity. Renault is now looking to prove that electric vehicles can be clean with a test that...
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Williams Backs Out of KERS Hybrid Program For Formula 1, Shifts Development to Production Vehicle Applications
If you are a fan of motor sports, more specifically Formula One, then the name Williams is probably familiar as is their KERS system under development. If not here's some background. Williams is a top Formula One team. They have been working on their own KERS system to implement in Formula One...
Eric Loveday -
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GM To Build Its Own Electric Motors for Future Hybrids
General Motors will become the first U.S. automaker to design and build its own electric motors for hybrid and electric cars, the company said today. While Toyota and Honda have long made their own motors, until now GM--along with Ford--has purchased them from third-party suppliers. GM views the...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Putting its Stamp on EVs (Or Rather, its EVs on Stamps)
Customers served by the Japan Post Network's Minami Kanto office will be able to spread enthusiasm for electric vehicles with a unique set of stamps starting in February. The delivery company has partnered with Nissan to offer a new collection entitled "Nissan Electric Vehicle History." Believe it...
Robert Scardino -
Acura TSX to Become First Hybrid Offering From Company
A few days back we posted a story about Honda and their decision to bring a hybrid model to the Acura lineup of vehicles. The release of information about an Acura hybrid came directly from Honda CEO Takanobu Ito as he spoke at the NAIAS. At the time, it was unclear as to what Acura product...
Eric Loveday -
The Honda CR-Z Hybrid shown in the picture may beat the Prius in terms of performance when it comes to market later this year, but it falls well short of the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency. The Prius can return a whopping 50 mpg in everyday driving while Honda only expects the CR-Z to return mpg numbers in the mid 30s. No problem with that as the CR-Z has a sporty aim and a performance attitude that the Prius can't match. However, Honda is now talking about another hybrid which they say will be a Prius beater in mpgs. Honda tried to compete with Toyota with the introduction of the...
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Which Car Company Seeks To Achieve 1 Million Annual Hybrid Sales in 2011?
Hybrids Become Huge Focus For One Car Company
Jonathan McGrew -
Hydraulic Hybrids Gaining Traction In Several Industries
From Garbage Trucks to Sports Cars, Hydraulics Are Making Progress
Jonathan McGrew -
Toyota Aims To Produce 1 Million Hybrid Annually Beginning in 2011
One million hybrids is certainly a lofty goal for any automaker to achieve and if anyone can do it, it is Toyota. According to a report from the Nikkei Newspaper in Japan, the company plans to double its hybrid production by 2011 with an anticipated volume of 1 million units per year. As the...
Eric Loveday -
2011 BMW 335i Gets More Potent And More Expensive
BMW Brings More To the Table For 2011
Jonathan McGrew -
Yamaha Motor Plans To Introduce Electric Scooters Overseas
Back in the fall of 2009, Yamaha debuted a hybrid motorcycle, the HV-X, with production planned in the coming year. Now, Yamaha is moving into the battery electric vehicle space by introducing a scooter into Asian markets. Prototypes of the EC-03 were revealed last year, but in the press release...
Jason Hendler -
A serious contender against electric hybrid systems is the hydraulic hybrid, which stores braking energy in a hydraulic fluid instead of batteries. The energy is then returned to the wheels when the vehicle accelerates, reducing gas consumption and improving performance. Eaton Corp. has developed a hydraulic hybrid retrofit kit specifically designed for garbage trucks, which can increase fuel efficiency by 30%, while reducing brake wear and improving productivity. Per the article linked below, the Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) hybrid system will be available for installation in Mack LE...
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Toyota Exec Says ICE Engine Will Never Be Abandoned
Nobody is suggesting that plug-in vehicles will take over the world anytime in the near future, but Toyota managing officer has gone a step further by insisting that the internal combustion engine will "never" be abandoned. Koei Saga, the managing officer of Toyota told reporters at the NAIAS that...
Eric Loveday -
2013 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Price To Be Set At $22K
Mitsubishi Makes More News With the i-MiEV
Jonathan McGrew -
50 i-MiEVs To Hit the Streets Of Canada In Landmark EV Rollout
Mitsubishi Partners With Canadian Company For Real World Testing
Jonathan McGrew -
AutoPort Licenses V2G Tech From the University of Delaware.
Fresh on the heels of an announcement that AutoPort is partnering with AC Propulsion to convert vehicles for evaluation by the United States Postal Service (USPS), AutoPort is now announcing that they are first to license vehicle to grid (V2G) technology developed at the University of Delaware. ...
Jason Hendler -
Di Pietro Motor (Rotary Air Engine) As Zero Emissions Range Extender
Angelo Di Pietro is an Italian engine designer who once worked for Mercedes Benz on their Wankel Rotary engine in 1969-1970, then migrated to Australia to pursue other interests, among them, as hobbyist / inventor of the Di Pietro Rotary Air Engine. Rotary air motors aren't new, as any mechanic...
Jason Hendler
