Plug-In Hybrids

So what's the least expensive plug-in car in the U.S.? That ought to be pretty simple to figure out, right? Just compare the base price for every electric car, add in mandatory delivery fees, and see which comes in lowest. Which is why we got confused this morning when we read Toyota's Bob Carter...

Toyota has announced pricing on two new models from its Prius family: the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In and the 2012 Toyota Prius V. And it's clarified that both trim levels of the plug-in Prius are likely to qualify for a Federal tax credit of $2,500.

Toyota has just launched the production version of its 2012 Prius Plug-In Hybrid at the Green Drive Expo held in Richmond, California. Toyota will most likely launch the production version of its 2012 Prius Plug-In Hybrid at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, to be held in mid-November. Just this...

The Chevrolet Volt is now here, on sale in most states, and ready to plug in--and to answer all your questions about what it is, how it drives, how to buy it and how to wade through all its new technology, there's only one solution. Here, you'll find High Gear Media's comprehensive coverage of the...

BMW has taken a radical departure from its traditional brand of teutonic sedans with its "i" range. The i3 is a carbon-bodied electric city car and the i8 a plug-in hybrid sports coupe, and both display wild styling and high-tech features. We were at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show to get a closer...

Bentley might be better known for its fast, powerful, luxury cars typically owned by celebrities, sports stars and business moguls -- but that doesn’t mean it can’t be environmentally responsible too. That’s the message being given by company CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer as the...

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon and five-time champ Jimmie Johnson might earn their living in gas-guzzling V8 Chevy Impalas, but on the roads it's a different story. In contrast to the champions' high-octane lifestyles, on a day off you're more likely to see them cruising around...

The 2012 Chevrolet Volt will soon be arriving at Chevrolet dealers nationwide as General Motors makes the plug-in hybrid electric car available to all fifty states before the end of this year. But on year on from the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, what are the differences between the 2011 and...

The electric auto industry -- more than the conventional auto industry -- is an extremely volatile and competitive place. And unlike the mainstream auto industry, small-scale and boutique companies like Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive actually compete for the custom of electric car buyers...

Electric car manufacturer Fisker Automotive is in the process of raising a $200 million funding round that would value the company at $2.2 billion, according to a report by Fortune. It would be the company's third funding round in six months. Fisker Automotive raised $190 million just five months...

Back in the 1990s, when it seemed like electric vehicles were gaining traction with consumers, Costco did something unusual: the big-box retailer installed charging stations at many of its California locations. Now, however, those stations are being removed, and electric car fans aren't happy...

Were it not for imminent reveals at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in mid September, you might think the automakers were getting careless with their upcoming models. First, Audi's E1 e-tron was caught on camera in the center of Berlin, being filmed in camoflage for an Audi promotional video. The E1...

You might have just one week left to register your interest in buying a 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but we still haven't yet seen a production version of Toyota's first plug-in hybrid yet. That will all change in Frankfurt in just under a month, when Toyota will unveil the official production...

The venerable Toyota Prius has been around for over a decade now, first as an awkward but fuel-efficient sedan, then a geeky hatchback and soon a platform in its own right. But while Toyota is now putting the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology from the Prius into a whole range of vehicles from tiny...

In the past year, we’ve put the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid through an extensive set of test-drives, resulting in our first drive report, winter test-drive, financial analysis and even a family vacation. With so many miles behind the wheel, our editorial team has already shared our five...

BMW revealed two new electric, hybrid, and range-extended models--the BMW i3 electric car and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid

BMW today revealed concept versions of its first-ever production electric cars: the i3 battery electric minicar and i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe. The designs and details of both cars were unveiled in a Frankfurt press conference that was broadcast globally on the Internet. That degree of...

While its sports coupes are more of a known entity, the i8 Concept shown in Frankfurt today may be the most radical coupe BMW has ever built. Its “stream flow” lines, characteristic of the new BMW ‘I’ sub-brand, include an adaptation of the BMW twin-kidney grille and...

Last week, Toyota said it expects to sell 16,000 or more 2012 Prius Plug-In Hybrid models in the U.S. next year, once the car is launched (in June or before). For all intents and purposes, it's a standard Toyota Prius hybrid with a larger battery pack that uses lithium-ion cells. The car can be...

General Motors today announced that it is ramping up sales of its plug-in hybrid electric car, the Chevy Volt, in two new states: North Carolina and South Carolina. Like other new electric cars, the Volt is only available in a few states. Before today’s announcement, it was available in New...