Hybrids

We've known for a while that Toyota is planning an update to its blockbuster Prius hybrid, but word has just leaked out today that Lexus may be getting a Prius-based 'lifestyle' wagon. The concept is expected to be on display, alongside the new Prius, at the 2009 North American International Auto...

Just yesterday Renault hinted at its intention to build a mass-produced electric vehicle with its Z.E. concept, and now the French manufacturer has confirmed that they will launch a lower-medium sedan next year with an electric variant arriving in 2011. The new sedan will go by the name 'Fluence'...

The Paris Motor Show is rife with Peugeot concept cars today, and nearly all of them feature the new HYmotion4 all-wheel-drive hybrid diesel-electric drivetrain. Designed for both performance and efficiency, the HYmotion4 system delivers on both accounts - on paper at least. Rated at 68mpg and...

Last month Citroen revealed a few sketchy details for its new Hypnos hybrid crossover concept, and now following its debut at the Paris Motor Show the French carmaker has released the full gamut of information about the car and its high-tech powertrain. The new concept is called the Hypnos, and...

Renault has announced its intentions to build and market a mass-produced electric vehicle with the unveiling today of the Z.E. concept at the Paris Motor Show. Renault’s electric efforts thus far have consisted mainly of signed agreements with a number of different companies and countries to...

For anyone unfamiliar with Heuliez, it is a French specialty manufacturer that builds a number of niche vehicles and Body-in-White rolling chassis structures for several major carmakers. More recently Heuliez has been building folding hard-top roofs for the likes of Peugeot and General Motors, but...

Those most critical of the hybrid and electric vehicle segment often highlight the huge expense of battery replacement as a primary reason to avoid the electron-peddling powertrains. Thanks to Toyota's latest round of price drops, however, there's less to crow about on the expense front, with the...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering altering the way it determines mileage figures for hybrid vehicles, which could ultimately result in much higher mileage figures being awarded to hybrids. Currently, the EPA test cycle involves city and highway driving, as well as high speed...

Known not just for its strong automotive business, but for its engine, aviation, robotics and motorcycle arms as well, Honda entered its 60th year as a corporation this week. Honda's official existence began on September 24, 1948, when Soichiro Honda incorporated the company. Starting with a...

The 2010 Chevy Volt was just unveiled ten days ago at GM's 100th Anniversary celebrations in Detroit, but it's already beginning to tour the country. Its first stop after Detroit was GM's 2009 Collection event at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, Texas, to which MotorAuthority was invited. While...

Deliveries of Tesla’s all-electric Roadster are just starting to trickle but already the company is looking at the next range of models to fill its order books. The $100,000 Roadster was always going to be limited model, designed to promote the brand and adjust people’s perceptions of...

Lotus, though its engineering and consultancy division, has teamed up with several companies in the past year to collaborate on a number of different projects ranging from concept and electric vehicle development to performance and chassis tuning. The engineering group’s latest collaboration...

Next week’s Paris Motor Show will see the world debut for Kia’s upcoming Soul hatchback, a car that was first previewed in concept form as far back as 2006’s Detroit Auto Show. For Paris Kia will present no less than seven versions of the car, including an advanced hybrid concept...

One of the most talked about electric cars in recent times is the Lotus Elise based Tesla Roadster, a car that is quickly become more and more popular in performance circles because of its supercar performance and cutting edge technology. Well-established Porsche tuner RUF, a company that has been...

The third and final production-intent electric prototype unveiled by Chrysler today is arguably the most important of the carmaker’s future electric vehicles as it is likely to be the highest seller of the trio. Designed around the more mainstream Town & Country minivan, the prototype...

At last year's Geneva Motor Show, Pininfarina revealed its Sintesi fuel-cell vehicle, a skillful and attractive concept that showed the legendary coachbuilder was still at the cutting edge of design. This time around, the company is planning to try its hand at an electric vehicle, marrying...

General Motors' 100th anniversary celebrations were capped with what the company thinks is the crowning achievement of its first century in business, and the guiding light for the start of the second. But that's not stopping them from moving right past it to the next new thing - a family of...

In a surprise move Saab has revealed details about its upcoming Paris Motor Show concept at a media event held in Detroit this week, where the car was showed alongside the production version of the new Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan as well as more images of the Orlando concept. The Saab concept is...

An all-new $250 million facility located in the heart of Silicon Valley will host Tesla's assembly-line, R&D and headquarters as it ramps up for production of its all-electric Model S luxury sedan. The site will occupy 89 acres in San Jose, California and when fully operational, will employ about...

The long-awaited Mercedes S400 hybrid has finally been officially unveiled, and the results are somewhat surprising. While the S400 BlueHYBRID is still billed as the first series-production car to market with a purpose-built lithium-ion battery, it's not as impressive a hybrid system as may have...