Plug-In Hybrids

Porsche is going hybrid—with plug-in hybrid versions of all its major models, eventually. And yes, that means not just the upcoming 918 Spyder and the 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, but also upcoming versions of the Cayenne, and even the 'sacred' mid- or rear-engine sports cars—the...

We learned yesterday that Porsche had revised the specs for its 918 Spyder, which brought the car’s performance into line with that of its rivals in the hybrid supercar market, the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. The sports car manufacturer has now formally announced full details for the...

Earlier today, we brought you details about an exclusive drive event organized by Porsche for its upcoming 918 Spyder. At the event, a few select media were given the chance to make a couple of hot laps in the plug-in hybrid supercar and one of the members present was Chris Harris of Drive. As a...

Not wanting to be outdone by rivals Ferrari and McLaren, Porsche recently allowed a few select media some time behind the wheel of a production-spec 918 Spyder and announced some revised specs for the upcoming supercar. The big news is that the car’s total output (from the engine and electric...

Rumors of a plug-in Buick hybrid have been making the rounds for a while now--but this Riviera concept brings it to life. Conceptually. While the look of the Riviera is orders of magnitude too wild for a production Buick, the Riviera name is orders of magnitude too mild. To borrow a catchphrase...

Making its debut at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show in China this month is the 2014 Porsche Panamera, which represents the first major update to the sporty sedan since its original debut, also in Shanghai, four years ago. On initial glance, it doesn’t look like much has changed, as the 2014...

Volkswagen’s streamlined XL1 diesel-electric plug-in hybrid vehicle has made its debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will soon be drafting along highways, burning nothing but the fumes of an oily rag. Okay, that may not be entirely accurate, but the XL1 is officially the most...

Strip away the 2014 Cadillac ELR’s sculpted coupe body, and underneath beats a heart very similar to the one in the Chevrolet Volt sedan. You would think, then, that launching a comparable car would be a simple task, with engineers able to breeze through already-completed tests, such as cold...

Earlier this week, we reported that Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang had received approval from the U.S. government to purchase the non-military business of bankrupt lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems. That’s good news for luxury plug-in hybrid automaker Fisker, as A123 Systems was the...

As struggling plug-in hybrid automaker Fisker broadens its search for investors or partners, it’s hired Huron Consulting Group to manage its day to day operations and cash flow. Bloomberg says that Huron Consulting’s Hugh Sawyer has been put in place as a chief administrative officer...

Since we’re the glass-is-half-empty sort, we’ll give you the bad news up front: you won’t be able to buy a 2014 Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid coupe until sometime next year, although we’re sure your local Cadillac dealer would be happy to take your deposit now. We don’t...

When it comes to range-extended electric vehicles, the concept of delivering fuel economy up to 100 miles per gallon equivalent isn’t all that foreign; after all, the 2013 Chevrolet Volt delivers 98 MPGe. What the Volt and other range-extended electric vehicles fail to deliver is 800-plus...

Porsche’s latest video gives us a rare behind-the-scenes look at the development of one of its concept cars, in this case the Panamera Sport Turismo that turned out to be a surprise star of the 2012 Paris Auto Show. The video details the concept car’s gestation from initial drawings to...

We know Volkswagen will be launching a production version of its 235-mpg XL1 concept car. In fact, we’ve already seen prototypes of the car testing around Europe and expect a debut sometime next year. Audi also wants a car capable of returning more than 200 miles to the gallon, but instead of...

Sometime in the near future Porsche will be introducing a mid-cycle update to its Cayenne, with the updated SUV most likely being introduced for the 2015 model year. The update will include the typical retouches to the bumpers and lights, as well as some technical changes, the most significant of...

While mainstream cars downsize to four and even three-cylinder engines, there will always be demand for large and luxurious cars like the Mercedes-Benz S Class. Buyers have no issues accepting a four-cylinder C Class, but it’s unlikely that the same can be said about the flagship S Class...

One of the more overlooked concepts at this week’s 2012 Paris Auto Show, the Concept Active Tourer from BMW, is perhaps one of the most groundbreaking, at least for the German automaker. It previews BMW’s first front-wheel drive model, the rumored 1-Series Gran Turismo, and only a few...

Toyota was the first major automaker to commit to electrified vehicles, announcing as far back as 2007 that it will have a hybrid version of each of its models by the year 2020. Next to make the promise of a full hybrid lineup, believe it or not, was Porsche, though the sports car manufacturer...

Following yesterday’s announcement from Porsche of a 7:14 Nürburgring lap time for its upcoming 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid supercar, we now have the first details on the car’s powertrain specs and even a couple of glimpses of its interior. Alleged brochure scans for the Porsche 918...

Following a successful trial of A1 e-tron prototypes on the streets of Munich, Germany, Audi is now moving onto the next stage of its electrified vehicle research with the announcement today of a new trial using an updated version of the A1 e-tron. The latest version does away with the previous...