Plug-In Hybrids
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The World Green Car of the Year award candidates were just released yesterday, and Volvo's name appeared on the list 5 times - more than any other brand. Today word has emerged of a range of new hybrid vehicles in the works, complete with rough dates for their release. Volvo's DRIVe line of concept cars, shown off at this year's Paris Motor Show, are already planned to reach production. These models, like BMW's EfficientDynamics or Mercedes' BlueEfficiency models, make use of a combination of many technologies to optimize fuel efficiency. On the list of tech tricks are: revised gear ratios...
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Volt development costing GM $750 millionAs 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...
Nelson Ireson -
Prius plug-in hybrid conversion kit promises 40mi range on electricity, 100mpg
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...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen shows off new Mark VI Golf 'TwinDrive'
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...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volt moves onto next step in development, adopts global compact platform
Even as General Motors is caught in a desperate bid to secure loans in Washington, the Detroit based manufacturer is keen to continue development of a range of plug-in hybrid vehicles, focusing primarily on the Volt. Bob Lutz recently spent some time in the latest development vehicle and felt like...
Kenneth Hall -
Fisker picks GM Ecotec engine for Karma plug-in hybrid
The Fisker plug-in hybrid saloon has officially been revealed. Click here for all the details and images. Fisker announced today that it will be using General Motors' engines in its upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid vehicle, which will have a 50-mile electric-only range before the internal combustion...
James Martinez -
Plug-in hybrid cars, like the Chevrolet Volt or the upcoming Toyota Prius plug-in, are viewed by many as the way of the future. Offering the possibility of exclusively electric transport to the bulk of drivers, but with the possibility for the extended range afforded by a reserve of combustible fuel, the plug-in hybrid powertrain has many advocates. But skeptics point to the strain such vehicles could place on the power grid. An expert for the Electric Power Research Institute, Eladio Knipping, said at this week's Automotive News Green Car Conference, "Yes, the grid can handle it," referring...
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Valmet confirmed to build Fisker Karma in Finland next year
The Fisker plug-in hybrid saloon has officially been revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Click here for all the details and images. Fisker Automotive has confirmed today that Finnish independent vehicle manufacturer Valmet will build the upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid saloon, having first...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fisker beats Tesla's accusations of design theft in arbitration
Tesla's lawsuit, filed against rival hybrid-electric carmaker Fisker in April for design theft and 'poor work', has come to an end in arbitration. Unfortunately for Tesla, which sought to stop Fisker from proceeding with its Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, Fisker has come out on top, with the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volvo's green future to be driven by hybrids, turbos
The flotilla of cars and concepts unleashed at the Paris Motor Show this week has largely been about vehicles that we'd seen coming for some time or design concepts that won't be seen for years, if at all. Seeking the middle ground, Volvo has taken the opportunity to reveal its plans for a...
Nelson Ireson -
Renault announces new Fluence sedan for 2009, electric plug-in expected by 2011
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'...
Kenneth Hall -
Chevy Volt could be first mass-produced vehicle rated at 100mpg or more
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...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
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 there, we were able to approach, photograph, and even sit in - but not touch - the all-new plug-in electric vehicle. And a plug-in it is. If you look closely at the rear-end shot of the car in the gallery below, you'll see an electrical cord going into the undercarriage. The car later left the...
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GM working on family of Volt-like cars
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...
Nelson Ireson
