Hybrids

It's no secret that hybrid and small car sales have been among the hardest hit in the ongoing market downturn. They've fallen at rates well beyond the total market's decline and continue to do so, dropping 45.5% in April against the same time a year ago. But total hybrid sales are up 1.4% against...

Mercedes Benz will launch its first hybrid vehicle, the new S400 Hybrid in the third quarter of the year, but the new saloon will be the first of many Mercedes hybrids as the carmaker is planning to sell petrol-electric versions of its three major model lines. Joining the S-Class hybrid will be...

Government fleets have been among the first to go green in a big way, exceeded perhaps only by some private sector firms. The latest government agency to take up the environmental banner is the New York Police Department (NYPD), which today deployed 40 Nissan Altima Hybrids in its fleet. The cars...

Hybrid drive systems are finally making solid inroads into the upper strata of the luxury sedan segment, with BMW's 7-series hybrid set to join the Mercedes-Benz S400 and Lexus LS 600hL later this year. The new 7-series hybrid was previewed as a concept at last year's Paris Motor Show, and since...

Honda has always been at the forefront of the eco-technological wave, being one of the first to the market with a mass-produced hybrid vehicle with the original Insight hatch and then breaking new ground once again with the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity. Despite this penchant for innovation, the...

As the April 30 deadline for Chrysler to restructure its business looms closer, the Treasury department has begun to prepare a bankruptcy filing for the struggling carmaker. The news highlights the severity of Chrysler's situation should it fail to enact a deal with Italian auto giant Fiat, but the...

Chrysler may be on the brink of bankruptcy but that hasn't stopped the company from trying to claw its way back into the now burgeoning electric market - with the help of the U.S. Postal Service. This week the company showed off four all-electric Chrysler Town & Country minivan concepts, which it...

Chrysler's race to turn its debts into equity took a major turn for the better today, with an offer from a group of banks and hedge funds that hold almost $7 billion in debt. The group is proposing to exchange around $2.5 billion of Chrysler's debt, but only in exchange for close to 40% of the...

When we drive interstate or internationally, we expect fuel everywhere to be fairly similar. Now, to ensure that same security is there for drivers of plug-in hybrid vehicles, a number of major carmakers and energy companies have come to an agreement on what the plug should look like for the new...

One of the biggest things holding back the mass embrace of the electric car is their supposedly short driving range compared to conventionally powered cars, as well as their relatively expensive nature considering the youth of the technology and low production volumes. To combat this, Ford claims...

While the Detroit 3 and the rest of the established automotive industry reel from the blows dealt by the poor world credit market and nosediving economy, smaller, newer companies like Chongqing Changan Auto Company (Changan Auto) are ramping up their plans for world conquest. Taking advantage of...

Nissan's electric vehicle (EV) involvement in Project Better Place programs in Denmark and Israel, plus test fleets in its home market of Japan will be joined by a new agreement with the state of Arizona. The deal will have cars hitting the streets of Phoenix late next year, and will see...

Solving the problem of storing enough energy in a dense enough package without undue cost, weight or danger is the primary hurdle facing hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) today. Toshiba has already developed a battery technology that could make significant strides toward solving that problem, and...

Although the relative silence of hybrid vehicles has made them the choice of TV gangsters for drive-by shootings, the rest of the world is less than enamored with the difficulty involved in hearing one coming - especially when trying to cross the street. Lotus' response to the problem: engineer a...

The British government is the latest body to offer subsidies for hybrid and electric cars as part of a greater effort to increase the vehicles’ popularity and help encourage motorists to purchase more environmentally-friendly vehicles. The subsidies will range from about $3,000 to $4,000 but...

Michigan may be most widely recognized as the home of the troubled Detroit 3, whose past ignorance of creating efficient cars and embracing SUVs has landed them in hot water. Now, the state wants to change this image and create a reputation as a future base for greener cars, an initiative that has...

One of the biggest criticisms of electric vehicles is the limited driving range they offer when compared with conventional diesel and petrol powered cars. However, the belief that driving an electric vehicle will leave you stranded after a couple dozen miles is starting to lose credibility, fast...

Just a few weeks ago, Mazda was adamant that diesel engines would be enough to satisfy its needs for more fuel-efficient cars - but now, in a major shift in strategy, the carmaker will be embracing hybrids and electric powertrains in the coming years. The change in heart was revealed by Mazda's CEO...

Jaguar is well underway in the development of its next-generation XJ saloon and despite the company’s financial hardship the car is still on track for a debut in the second half of next year. For the current XJ, Jaguar looked to its past for inspiration and this definitely hurt its sales...

Hummer may have been one of the most demonized vehicle brands of the decade, with both poor sales figures and a terrible environmental reputation - but now Utah’s Raser Technologies is using the iconic Hummer H2 as a base for its new electric technology, which it claims can give the Hummer a...