Hybrids

Mercedes Benz filed a law suit against battery supplier Cobasys last week for failure to deliver batteries as required under their contract. The holdup in supply could push back production of the company's hybrid ML450 SUV (concept pictured), even though it is not due to hit the streets until late...

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has expressed his desire to see America set a goal of having at least one million plug-in electric hybrid vehicles on its roads by 2015 - an arduous goal to achieve in just seven years considering major carmakers are still years away from offering such vehicles for...

The man at the head of Mazda's design studios in Irvine, CA, Franz von Holzhausen, has left the company to lead Tesla's design unit. His first two challenges will include the 'Model S' sedan and an affordable sport compact EV, but after more than three years as the lead designer for Mazda's highly...

Small-scale Malaysian car manufacturer Proton is developing a new range of in-house engines, including a new hybrid powerplant as part of its strategy to increase its export program. Proton has traditionally relied on engines sourced from other carmakers, namely Mitsubishi, but increased demand...

Despite claims made by Audi board manager Frank Dreves as recently as May that a petrol-electric Q7 SUV hybrid was in the works, latest reports indicate the project has been shelved. The shift in demand for smaller vehicles has convinced Audi that a hybrid version of its new Q5 will be better...

A survey conducted by esure car insurance has revealed that almost three-quarters (71%) of British motorists would consider driving an electric car to help combat ‘green’ issues. The survey revealed the differing opinions between younger and older motorists, with those aged under 25 the...

Demand for the Toyota Prius in the U.S. is so high that most new models sit on dealer lots for an average of just five days, and waiting lists of or more than three months are becoming more and more common. Toyota is struggling to keep up with demand, and has started construction of several new...

General Motors has revealed that it will unveil the Volt plug-in hybrid in near-production form to employees in a special sneak preview this September. Celebrating 100 years in the car business on September 16th, GM is reportedly nearly finished with the car's basic design, and is now working on...

In March, Aptera announced it had done all the development necessary to head to production, and that all it needed was to move into acquiring the right equipment and workforce to do so. Now the company has revealed that a new infusion of $24 million in cash is moving the process along. If...

The rising cost of oil is making expensive fuel-saving technologies more and more viable as prices continue to go upwards at the pumps. Researchers at the Ohio State University and at Caltech in California have developed a method of increasing fuel efficiency by 10% using a special material that...

The world-famous Tesla Roadster - check out our recent test here - has been known for some time to have a sedan sibling in the works, codenamed 'Whitestar'. But now Tesla's chairman of the board, Elon Musk, is talking about the third car to bear the Tesla name, and it's targeting a sub-$30,000...

Billed as the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the world famous pickup truck, the HEVT (Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc.) F-150 makes significant improvements in fuel mileage while maintaining the utility of its Ford chassis. The truck is intended as an exhibition...

Prototypes of a new X6 model with a unique front bumper, featuring the aggressive styling of BMW’s M cars, were spotted testing at the Nurburging recently. Initially, these prototypes were thought to be running the same twin-turbo 4.4L V8 engine as the standard xDrive50i models but with extra...

While all eyes may be turned towards Chevrolet's upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid, other brands under the General Motors umbrella are also set to offer plug-in hybrids to help improve the carmaker’s fleet average fuel economy levels and become more competitive in a world of record high fuel...

Worries over the serviceable lifespan of battery packs have been at the forefront of many critics dislike of hybrid cars. With doom-and-gloom scenarios of pricey replacements and short service life, the pundits have posited the Prius' long-term impracticality. But an Australian taxi outfit has...

Combining the hottest power source of the moment with one of the hottest hatchbacks on backorder makes for a good chance of success. With the statistics the Micro-Vett Fiat 500 electric car presents, the chances are even better. Built by NICE, the same company that presented the all-new MyCar...

Land Rover is using this week’s London Motor Show to present its new ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) diesel-hybrid in a pair of Freelander 2 (LR2) prototypes, which have already begun conducting real world tests. The new hybrid system is being designed as a scalable and modular system that...

General Motors' roll-out of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is set to have a large impact on the United States power industry. In a bid to anticipate this impact, General Motors will likely team up with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - an institute that conducts research for several...

Toyota has confirmed that it will unveil its third-generation Prius hybrid vehicle next year, most likely at the Detroit Auto Show in January, however latest reports indicate a second dedicated hybrid model will join the Prius. This will be in addition to a dedicated hybrid model expected from...

One of the first race series to be founded on the premise of using energy-efficient, the enviroSportscars Series will team professional race drivers with celebrities in a pan-European series that spans three racing genres, including circuits, drag strips and city-center rallies. The cars themselves...