General Motors is investing hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of man hours to develop the E-Flex powertrain for the upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle, so to use the technology for just a single vehicle wouldn’t be the best business decision. Luckily, GM is planning to use the E-Flex technology for two […]
Despite regular legal tussles with rivals like Tesla and the occasional production set-back due to the high-tech nature of the product, Fisker is aiming to get its Karma plug-in hybrid car to market by the end of next year. After the Karma sedan hits the streets, there are already plans for three more […]
The production Chevrolet Volt is still a few weeks away from its first official reveal but images of the car have surfaced thanks to filming on the set of the Transformers 2 movie, which it is set to appear in. The ‘Volt’ name can clearly be seen at the rear of the car […]
Update: General Motors’ product chief Bob Lutz has a revealed that test fleets for the production Chevrolet Volt would start running as early as next year and that the first customer cars could start rolling of assembly lines earlier than the proposed November 2010 release date. However, Lutz also stressed that GM is not in […]
Since the release of its official strategy outline in September last year, media sources around the world have been speculating that BMW is looking at launching a new generation of ultra-efficient city cars. Then in March this year, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed that the carmaker was planning to establish a new environmental think-tank called […]
Racing and competitive motorsports have long been some of the primary avenues of automotive research and advancement, and that tradition is set to continue with the Formula Zero kart racing league. The series’ first race took place in the Netherlands this past weekend, featuring the first international fuel-cell-powered kart race in the world.
The Formula Zero […]
This October’s Paris Motor Show is expected to be very busy for BMW as the carmaker is reported to be preparing no less than four different reveals for the upcoming show. The lineup is set to include the world debuts for the 2009 facelifted 3-series range and the recently revealed 7-series saloon, as […]
Carl-Peter Forster, head of GM Europe, has confirmed that the start of production for the next-generation Opel Astra at the carmaker’s Bochum plant in Germany has been delayed until 2011. The factory at Bochum will be responsible for the wagon version of the Astra and is now scheduled to start building the cars […]
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), known for its rivalry with Tata Motors for the Jaguar and Land Rover nameplates, or more recently for having turned down the purchase of Hummer from General Motors, has announced that it is tossing its hat into the full-size electric vehicle (EV) ring. The current dominant EV in India, the Reva […]
Lotus has designed a system to make hybrid cars produce whatever engine sound the owner might desire, and recently Eberspacher revealed a similar technology. The reasoning is that hybrids are so quiet they actually pose a danger to pedestrians - and especially the blind - who can’t hear the cars approaching. Already a concern in […]
Chrysler’s new Dodge Durango and Aspen hybrid SUVs finally began rolling off assembly lines this week at the company’s Newark plant in Delaware. The two SUVs are Chrysler’s first entries in the hybrid market and are claimed to offer a 25% improvement in mileage compared with the regular petrol versions (EPA figures are […]
French manufacturer Peugeot will be showcasing a bold new hybrid concept at the Paris Motor Show in October. Called the ‘RC…’, the car is shrouded in mystery with the full name not even being revealed to the public until the Paris Motor Show. Peugeot calls the ‘RC…’ concept a working laboratory of numerous […]
Tesla has confirmed that it’s working with several major carmakers to develop a new range of affordable all-electric vehicles that are set to go on sale early next decade, but execs have also revealed that Tesla is planning to expand its own lineup with a new sedan and possibly a SUV and coupe-like sedan.
Already confirmed […]
General Motors’ Opel division is working on two new plug-in hybrid vehicles based on the same E-Flex architecture that’s set to debut in the Chevrolet Volt, but the Chevy will also make it to Europe, although not until late 2011. The car will initially be sold as an Opel but will eventually switch […]
Earlier this year, Toyota claimed it would have a hybrid in every facet of its lineup by the decade beginning in 2020, and today a company executive confirmed that plan. Emphasizing the importance of the automobile’s environmental impact and the role hybrids can play in reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere, Toyota […]