Green Car News
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Panasonic, the leading supplier of the Toyota Prius battery, is continually increasing production to meet the demands of the new Prius. The battery division, called Panasonic EV Energy Co. Ltd, hopes to increase output to nearly 1 million units with the addition of another plant in northern Japan. The plant is schedule to open next year and will cost the battery supplier nearly $320 million to build, but is essential to allow them to keep up with the unexpectedly high demand for the new generation Prius. Toyota Motor Company is Panasonic's biggest customer and they also have a controlling...
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Suzuki Planning Hybrid Kizashi For 2011According to the Japanese publication, Nikkei, Suzuki may be planning a hybrid version of their upcoming Kizashi sedan for 2011. The recently unveiled Kizashi will compete in the hotly contested midsize sedan market with the likes of the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Ford Fusion, among...
Robert Scardino -
2010 Honda Insight a Top Safety Pick By IIHS
It may be subcompact in size, but the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid just got handed a big award. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has awarded the 2010 Honda Insight EX its "Top Safety Pick" designation, which it bestows on vehicles that do the best job of protecting their occupants in front...
John Voelcker -
2010 Ford Transit Connect Small Delivery Van Selling Well
Today seems to be Ford day; this morning's e-mail included a news release on the early sales success of the 2010 Ford Transit Connect small delivery van, just while we're in the middle of writing up our four days of travel in a 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid. We first drove the 2010 Transit Connect in...
John Voelcker -
East German Trabant Revs up for Comeback as an EV
The infamous Trabi may live on as an EV
Jon Vandervelde -
GM CEO Says Unionization of Volt Battery Pack Facility in Brownstown Will Not Affect Price of Car
GM's CEO Fritz Henderson welcomes organized labor to the Volt battery pack plant in Browntown Township, despite the costs that are typically associated with employing UAW workers. GM strives to build the Volt and price it as inexpensive as possible, but Henderson believes that goal can be achieved...
Eric Loveday -
Better Place CEO Shai Agassi is looking towards Australia to become a leader in electric vehicle technology. According to Agassi, Australia could become the modern day equivalent to oil rich Middle Eastern countries if they follow his plans and quickly switch to EV production and lithium-ion battery production. The words from Agassi came at a recent lecture called the Alfred Deakin Eco-Innovation Lecture which took place in Melbourne. He proposed that Australia puts an infrastructure in place for EVs including home recharging units, work charging stations, and roadside battery swapping...
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Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid Makes Driving Debut
Luxury PHEV prototype Runs At Laguna Seca
Jon Vandervelde -
GM CEO Says Volt Technology Could Be Sold to Others in the Future
According to Fritz Henderson, CEO of GM, the company has not ruled out selling certain components and technologies from the upcoming Chevy Volt to other automakers. As he stated, there is a chance that GM could sell the lithium-ion battery packs as well as additional technologies to be used in the...
Eric Loveday -
North America's Largest Hybrid Bus Producer Daimler Receives 500 Additional Orders From City of Seattle For Diesel Electric Hybrid Buses
The air above Seattle, Washington is about to get a little bit cleaner as they have placed one of the largest orders to Daimler Buses North America for up to 500 diesel electric hybrid transit buses. The fulfillment of this order will take several years, but Daimler will supply the first 93 of the...
Eric Loveday -
2010 Insight and Prius Earn IIHS "Top Safety Pick" Award
The 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius were two of three of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's newest 2009 Top Safety Pickaward winners. According to the Institute's website, in order to qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of "good" in the...
Jennifer Knightstep -
Pre-production Chevy Volt Test Ride Video
General Motors has reached the pre-production phase of the Chevy Volt development program. At this point they have built 30 vehicles out of a total of 88 that will completed over the next several weeks. Although not entirely ready for production, these cars are for all intents and purposes about...
Lyle Dennis -
The recent funding awarded by the federal government to battery manufacturing and advanced technology vehicles that we reported on a few weeks back (read more about it here) was warmly welcomed by the top companies that were selected to receive the funding. However, not all applicants for the grants are satisfied with the selections by our government. Many of the smaller, innovative companies were overlooked in the grant selection process. Instead, the government focused on well developed, successful, large companies for most of their grant choices. According to Edmunds, most of the...
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ETV Motors Develops Microturbine Engine For Use In Plug-In Extended Range Hybrids
For decades, various automakers have had visions of a turbine powered car. The turbine, widely used in the aircrafts we see everyday are extremely powerful, very efficient, and reliable. They seem ideally suited for use in cars. Perhaps their associated costs have kept them from being...
Eric Loveday -
Cheaper Toyota Hybrid Coming To The U.S.
Yaris-Like Hybrid Will Get Better Mileage Than Prius
Jon Vandervelde -
Former President Clinton Suggests Cash For EVs
Though he's no longer in politics, former President Bill Clinton is still a busy guy. A week ago he was negotiating the release of reporters, Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea. On Monday he stopped in Las Vegas at the National Clean Energy Summit. The summit focused on ideas to promote...
Robert Scardino -
Cashing In On Clunkers: Ford Faces Focus Famine
Now that Congress has voted another $2 billion in funding for the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program, better known as "Cash for Clunkers," the program's success means carmakers are starting to face shortages of their most popular high-mileage models. The latest manufacturer to face a...
John Voelcker -
Natural Gas Hybrids Boosted By Vote to Reauthorize DOE's Natural Gas Research Program
Recently natural gas vehicles received additional funding from the federal government. The House of Representatives voted highly in favor of a bill reauthorizing the Department of Energy's natural gas automotive research program. The bill passed with a vote of 393 in favor and only 35...
Eric Loveday -
Ontario, Canada is not widely recognized or discussed when talking about advanced technology vehicles, but now they can lay claim to a title of "World's Best" in this category. Ontario recently announced an incentive program for buyers of hybrids and EVs. This program will start next July and will make Ontario proud of their new title of "World's Best Green Car Incentives." The announcement came from Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. The program will give buyers of hybrids and EVs rebates ranging from $3,570 to $8,925 in US dollars or about $4,000 to $10,000 in Canadian dollars. ...
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Honda Defends Insight's Design, Denies Prius Envy
Honda denies that insight imitates the look of the Prius
Jon Vandervelde -
World's fastest Production Hybrid to be a BMW
BMW X-6 Hybrid offers 480 HP and 20% Better Mileage
Jon Vandervelde -
Kerri Martin Joins Coda Automotive as CMO
Behind every iconic brand is a skilled marketing team led by a brilliant visionary. Think Mini, think VW. Kerri Martin is the visionary leader to iPod-ify those brands, to make them hip, interesting, desirable. Today, Coda Automotive announced that Martin, 39, will be their first Chief Marketing...
Jennifer Knightstep -
LEAF EV vs Volt MPG Showdown
In light of the recent announcement by GM on Tuesday regarding the mpg rating for the upcoming Chevy Volt, Nissan has pointed to the LEAF's mpg rating using the same EPA standards that list the Volt at 230 mpg in city driving. Nissan was quick to point out that the 2011 Nissan LEAF EV would achieve...
Eric Loveday -
2011 Chevrolet Volt: Talk About Limited Production ...
If you're one of the tens of thousands of green car fans excited about the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car, start making nice to your local Chevy dealer. Because the number of Volts built is going to be very, very low for at least its first year of production. Despite excitement over...
John Voelcker
