Hybrid


Rumormill: Toyota MR2 to be reborn with hybrid power

Tell us if this sounds familiar: Hybrids will kill the driver-oriented sportscar. It's the line taken by no small share of enthusiasts, and some of them are among us here at Autoblog. But the skeptics were silenced – or temporarily hushed, at least – when Honda took the wraps off of its CR-Z coup concept. After all, anything that could bring back the CRX hatchback with added oomph at no extra cost at the fuel pumps has to sound good to anyone's ears, right? But you didn't think Toyota would let Honda have the fun all to itself ... Read more →

VIDEO: Chevrolet Volt tests driver-controlled audio warning system with the blind Sam Abuelsamid

As the popularity of hybrids has grown over the last few years, advocates for the blind have been raising a red flag about noise, or -- more to the point -- the lack of it. Because electric-drive ...

Top Gear builds Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust, an ER-EV to answer the Chevy Volt Sam Abuelsamid

Many electric vehicle fans out there are constantly complaining about how long it's taking automakers to bring plug-in vehicles to market. We've had commenters on this site claim that automakers ...

REPORT: New Lexus small car may be headed for U.S. by 2012 - perhaps sooner Sam Abuelsamid

Lexus introduced its LF-Ch concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and it's believed to be a shoe-in for production for the European market. However, in a new Detroit Bureau interview ...

Spy Shots: BMW 1 Series hybrid spotted in Munich Sam Abuelsamid

At the launch of the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, officials acknowledged the automaker would be producing several additional hybrid models in the near future. Rumors have been floating around that the new ...

BMW prices the ActiveHybrid X6 starting at $89,725 8 days ago on Autoblog

For your hard-earned $89,725, you can have your pick of V8-powered BMW X6s. That substantial pile of dosh will secure you the keys to the Bavarian automaker's monster 555-horsepower X6 M or its new X6 ActiveHybrid. Unlike rival Mercedes-Benz which has opted to make its ML450 hybrid available ...

REPORT: Toyota U.S. president Lentz believes Prius could supplant Camry as brand's best seller 9 days ago on Autoblog

The Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in the US for 11 of the past 12 years, and only a total industry meltdown has managed to slow the Japanese automaker's bread-and-butter sedan. Even with that impediment, the Camry still has a comfortable lead versus its archrivals, the Honda Accord ...

Five Axis offers up Aerius body kit for 2010 Toyota Prius 10 days ago on Autoblog

If you don't win the charity auction for the Aemulus-modified Prius, but want something flashy for your 2010 model, take a look at the Aerius Prius that made its debut at SEMA this year (they're practically the same vehicle). The kit designed by Five Axis will, according to Gas 2.0, be available ...

Chevy Volt color contest finalists include EV-ergreen, environMINT and Viridian Joule [w/VIDEO] 12 days ago on Autoblog

As of this morning, Chevrolet is moving into the final stage of its Volt color naming contest. The company has picked three finalists from among the names submitted by 13,000 people over the last two weeks. Starting this morning, you can cast your vote for which of the finalists will win the ...

REPORT: Toyota Prius wagon, SUV in the works 12 days ago on Autoblog

Exactly how the Prius name might shift from defining the world's most famous hybrid to its own sub-brand – "Not!" – or moniker for other Toyota hybirds – "Yes!" – has been a source of interest for quite some time. The latest bit of speculation comes from the Yomiuri ...

Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid 4Matic not for sale, lease only 12 days ago on Autoblog

This week brings the official launch of the first European-branded vehicle equipped with the two-mode hybrid system that was co-developed between General Motors, Daimler, BMW and Chrysler. The Mercedes-Benz ML450 edges out the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid in getting to showrooms but it actually shares ...

Caveat Emptor: Columbus, Ohio dealer taking deposits on Volt 12 days ago on Autoblog

Fans of the Chevrolet Volt have been waiting patiently nearly three years now for the first extended-range electric vehicle to debut. One Columbus, Ohio area Chevrolet dealer is looking to take advantage of this eagerness by posting an auction on eBay Motors for its allocation of Volts. Jack ...

Buick Regal likely to be launch platform for next GM hybrid system 14 days ago on Autoblog

Last night, General Motors publicly unveiled the 2011 Buick Regal that goes on sale in North America in the first half of next year. The Regal will be Buick's new mid-sized sedan entry and is essentially just a re-grilled version of the Opel Insignia that went on sale in Europe last year. The ...

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit 15 days ago on Autoblog

January's North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) is expected to host the debut of Volkswagen's all-new third-generation Touareg SUV (the facelifted "second-gen" arrived in the States as a 2008 model). While details are few, rumor has it that VW will introduce its new Touareg ...

First Drive: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid is technologically impressive... but to what end? 17 days ago on Autoblog

BMW's pitch on how great the X6 ActiveHybrid is goes like this: it's the world's most powerful hybrid vehicle, fuel consumption is reduced about 20 percent compared to a similar vehicle without a hybrid drivetrain, and no matter what speed you're going, the incredibly complicated powertrain is ...

Lutz: High-performance Chevy Volt SS a "possibility" 18 days ago on Autoblog

Electric cars are for those who would rather drive slow, boring commuters that don't consume fossil fuels and therefore don't spew pollutants from their tailpipes. Gas-powered cars – and especially those wearing time-honored badges like SS, R/T or GT – are for those who prefer ...

BREAKING: Detroit News says GM will build Cadillac Converj 19 days ago on Autoblog

After much hemming and hawing, General Motors will reportedly build a version of the Cadillac Converj, the gorgeous but awkwardly named extended-range coupe concept first shown at last year's Detroit Auto Show. According to The Detroit News, the Converj will probably take a few years to reach ...

NHTSA study indicates hybrids have higher pedestrian crash rates 20 days ago on Autoblog

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that hybrid vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists under certain scenarios. According to state-level accident data, 77 of 8,387 hybrid vehicles (that's .9 percent) were ...

Quieter Spirit: Rolls reportedly planning hybrid Ghost for 15% better economy 21 days ago on Autoblog

If you've been pondering getting on the list for a Rolls-Royce Ghost but you're hesitant because of the negative environmental impact (and social standing) of the big, beautiful boat's V12 engine, we've got good news for you. British site Autocar is reporting that a hybrid version of the Ghost is ...

SEMA 2009: Meet the world's most desirable Lexus RX450h by Branew 22 days ago on Autoblog

Let me be blunt: I don't like luxury crossovers. At all. It's a niche with no appeal to me whatsoever. Not a car, not a truck – just a fat sedan jacked up on stilts to woo trophy wives with fancy badges and reassure soccer mammas that their children are "safe." And the Lexus RX gets the ...

SEMA 2009: Progressive Automotive X-Prize Contenders 23 days ago on Autoblog

For those of you who follow our sister site AutoblogGreen regularly, you're very familiar with the Automotive X-Prize, the $10m challenge to produce viable and super fuel-efficient vehicles. For us polar ice cap haters, we generally think of the competitors in this kind of thing as a bunch of ...

Ferrari reportedly confirms all-wheel drive hybrid system 25 days ago on Autoblog

It's long been suspected that Ferrari was hard at work developing a hybrid powertrain for its line of supercars and grand touring machines, especially since a series of patents were unearthed proving that the Italian automaker had at least sketched plans for such a system. Still, Ferrari had ...

Toyota plans to trim trucks, focus on hybrids, improve quality 25 days ago on Autoblog

Stick with what you know. That seems to be Toyota's new mantra going forward, as the Japanese automaker has reportedly diverted its attention away from large trucks like the largely unsuccessful and slow-selling Tundra pickup and back on hybrid vehicles – possibly all wearing the Prius ...

GM awarded DOE money to research Shape Memory Alloy heat engines 26 days ago on Autoblog

General Motors has been awarded $2.7 million by the Department of Energy to create a working prototype engine using Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). The idea is for the prototype to use SMA tech to capture heat energy from engine exhaust gasses via an electric generator and transfer that energy to ...

REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big 29 days ago on Autoblog

Were you born somewhere between 1976 and the early 1990s? Are you the child of a so-called Baby Boomer? If so, you, like me, are a member of Generation Y. So, what does that mean? Well, nothing really, but it's a convenient way to classify a large chunk of the American population... and we ...

REPORT: Toyota develops its own flower for cleaner air at Prius plant 29 days ago on Autoblog

Automakers make cars and trucks, no surprises there. Some even make other interesting things, like Honda, which also builds motorcycles, lawn mowers, jets, robots and solar cells. But until now, we haven't heard of any car company that develops its own species of flowers. Thankfully, Toyota has ...

REPORT: Two-mode hybrid joint development disbanded; Ram hybrid coming in 2010 1 month ago on Autoblog

According to The Detroit News, the big joint development program formed several years ago between General Motors, Daimler, Chrysler and BMW to develop a two-mode hybrid system for light duty vehicles is over. With all four automakers now having launched versions of the gas-electric system, the ...

Has VP Joe Biden leaked Fisker's product plan? 1 month ago on Autoblog

Regardless of what side of the political fence you find yourself on, it's hard to dispute that vice president Joe Biden has a reputation for saying more than he should. That's not always a good thing when you're privy to some of the most important secrets of what is arguably the most powerful nation ...

Stealing Current: LoJack goes no-power for hybrids 1 month ago on Autoblog

LoJack systems draw their power from your car or your motorcycle's (or laptop's) battery to send their signal. With a traditional vehicle, this generally isn't a problem as the draw is small and as long as the a car gets driven regularly, there's plenty of juice on tap. Hybrids are another ...

Officially Official: Fisker buys GM's Wilmington Delaware plant 1 month ago on Autoblog

In Wilmington, Delaware this morning, Governor Jack Markell was joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Henrik Fisker (seen at right) for the official announcement about the purchase of General Motors' closed plant there. Fisker will re-tool the plant to build a new, more affordable plug-in hybrid ...

VIDEO: New Toyota Prius ad channels Vishnu to explain hybrid tech 1 month ago on Autoblog

What do you want from me... I've only got two hands?! Wouldn't we all be a bit more productive if we were blessed with another set of upper appendages, complete with opposable thumbs? Toyota apparently thinks so, and the Japanese automotive giant is using the point to prove that two drivetrains ...

REPORT: Honda plans a return to larger hybrids 1 month ago on Autoblog

To put it mildly, sales of the Honda Accord Hybrid never quite set the world on fire. Regardless, Japan's second largest automaker is reportedly hard at work developing its proprietary Integrated Motor Assist hybrid platform so that it can once again be used to power larger vehicles like the ...

Mugen reportedly considering tuning Honda CR-Z 1 month ago on Autoblog

While the idea of a performance-tuned hybrid may have seemed nonsensical only a couple of years ago, as the earth-friendly vehicles become more mainstream, the sub-segment will undoubtedly grow to attract a fair share of our attention. Case in point: reports from overseas indicate that Mugen is ...

Posawatz: Volt range-extended mileage to be "better than any conventional car." But what about hybrids? 1 month ago on Autoblog

So, plenty of time has passed since General Motors first made the announcement that its Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle would score 230 miles per gallon on the yet-to-be-completed EPA testing procedure for such vehicles. Still, plenty of questions remain, such as How many miles per ...

Tokyo 2009: Toyota Prius claims Japan Car of the Year title 1 month ago on Autoblog

For the past 30 years, Japan has declared a car of the year, an award given to newly released or redesigned vehicles released from November 1st of the previous year to October 1st of the current year. More than 60 jurors composed of Japanese journalists receive an allocation of votes, and the ...

REPORT: Nissan's Ghosn rules out hybrid-only models like Toyota Prius, Honda Insight 1 month ago on Autoblog

Quick, think of a hybrid automobile. Got it? Are you thinking of the Toyota Prius? Pretty much everyone instantly recognizes the well-known profile of the Prius, and it's by far the most popular fuel miser on the market. A good bit of Toyota's success with the Prius has been attributed to its ...

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Autoblog Podcast #154: Gobbling up the News

Chris, Sam, and Dan kick out a podcast just in time for the long holiday drive.

 
 

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