Hybrids

Though it was slow to join the hybrid ranks, Ford has hit what appears to be a home run with its new Fusion Hybrid, rocketing to the top of the mid-size sedan fuel efficiency charts. Official certification by the EPA has put the car's fuel efficiency at 41mpg (5.7L/100km) city and 36mpg on the...

A cryptic press release from Toyota today revealed that a new battery-powered concept car would make its global debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Speculation as to what the concept might be has already taken hold of the motoring press, but a few hints gathered from Toyota's recent remarks could...

The higher-ups at General Motors have been dropping hints that the Cadillac brand may get its own plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the Chevrolet Volt for some time now, but now rumors are emerging that Cadillac may in fact be the first brand (other than Chevrolet) to get the Volt's technology...

Three electric concepts headed to the 2009 Detroit Auto Show have captured much of Daimler subsidiary Mercedes' press of late, and the timing of the new Daimler-Evonik hints that the technology that underpins the cars could be headed for more than just the show floor. Mercedes' S400 BlueHybrid is...

Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning to have plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in the U.S. within two years, with similar ambitions for the European market. The company took a step closer to reaching those goals by launching the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in China this...

The precipitous drop in new vehicle sales in the U.S. has hit SUVs and trucks the hardest with small cars and hybrids rapidly gaining market share. That up-tick in share isn't enough to offset the overall slump in volume, however, as even Toyota has decided to put off U.S. production of the Prius...

With all that's going on in Washington lately, the slow economy and a general apathy or even hostility toward the automotive industry, it's nice to see a technological bright spot on the horizon. While it's not a ground-breaking or earth-shattering development, General Motors' fuel cell test fleet...

General Motors and Spanish energy company Iberdrola have joined forces to determine what is needed in terms of infrastructure to implement a mass embrace of plug-in electric vehicles in the European market. The study will examine how cars will be recharged, and the effect this will have on...

Following its debut at the London Motor Show earlier this year, Britain's answer to the Tesla Roadster, the Lightning GT electric sports car, is expected to move to the next stage of development in 2009. The team behind the Lightning GT has announced that they will be producing two prototypes by...

A group of Israeli engineers have created a system that allows certain types of roads to generate electricity just by driving over them. The Israeli engineers behind the project claim that a 1km stretch of the power-generating asphalt will generate 400kW - enough power to run eight small cars. The...

Fledgling electric car company Tesla Motors has encountered financing problems recently, prompting the firm to apply for a $400 million aid package from the Department of Energy. The electric sports carmaker has now revealed that without the loans the introduction of its Model S sedan will have to...

As set out in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, basic survival must first be established before one can move on to worry about the esoteric concerns of philosophy, morality or ethics. In an odd twist of logic, however, America's car companies have been forced to premise their immediate survival on their...

With figures that equal the proposed Chevrolet Volt without the wait and with the familiarity of the highly successful Toyota Prius platform, California outfit Jungle Motors may have a winner on their hands with their plug-in hybrid conversion kit. The company has been in the business of converting...

Daimler commenced trials of a new mobility concept called the ‘car2go project’ in Ulm, Germany, on October 24 in an attempt to provide a solution for increasing traffic volume in urban areas. The company is now expanding the program to 200 cars from an initial 50, and opening the fleet...

Even as America's carmakers plead their case before the U.S. Congress today, the executive branch has rejected $16 billion in grant requests through the DOE's retooling program. The rejection came in the form of a letter to the carmakers earlier this week from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. Of the...

Tire manufacturing giant Michelin is partnering with China's CITIC Guon Mengguli Corporation (MGL) to develop a new-generation electric powertrain systems based on its Active Wheel technology. The first commercial applications of Active Wheel are expected to be in production in China early next...

Lexus already launched the 2010 RX range of SUVs at the LA Motor Show a couple of weeks ago, and now Lexus' vice-president Mark Templin has revealed that the Japanese luxury automaker will be rolling out three new models next year. Two of these are already confirmed, with both the IS convertible...

A few months back Volkswagen revealed its intentions to enter the race to build and market ultra-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicles with the unveiling of the original Golf TwinDrive. The concept car, based on the Mark V Golf, featured a twin powerplant design with an electric motor designed for city...

Test markets for electric cars are popping up all around the globe as various carmakers and start-up projects work to lay the groundwork for more widespread adoption of the next-generation propulsion systems. The latest new market to be announced by BMW is the Berlin fleet of Mini-E EVs that will...

Researching the products of competitors, even to the point of purchasing and then carefully analyzing each piece, is a common practice in the auto industry, especially so at the bleeding edges of performance and technology. Porsche's purchase of a Tesla Roadster is therefore unsurprising, except...