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Volvo Planning Plug-In Diesel Hybrid for 2012
In 2007 Volvo partnered with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to examine ways to work together and now the duo has agreed to develop a plug-in diesel hybrid for production by 2012. This summer Volvo will unveil three initial test vehicles based on the V70 wagon. “We are investing in an industrial joint venture to series-produce…
Volkswagen and Chinese Automaker BYD to Explore Electric Vehicle Partnership
Volkswagen and Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) have signed a “memorandum of understanding” announcing that the two car manufacturers will seek ways to work together to bring electric vehicles and hybrids to market. Volkswagen recently announced its TwinDrive diesel-electric hybrid system and we recently reported on a rumor that the German automaker will bring…
Subaru May Bring Hybrid to Market by 2012
Just days after President Obama proposed new legislation that would see fleet fuel-economy standards rise considerably in the U.S., Subaru has said it will explore the possibility of bringing a hybrid to market in order to reduce its fleet average. Ikuo Mori, the CEO of Subaru’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries told a group of…
Toyota Already has 75,000 Orders For Third-Gen Prius
The new 2010 Toyota Prius isn’t about to let the Honda Insight take over in the hybrid segment and strong initial sales show the Toyota model will be another big success for Japan’s largest automaker. Japanese business magazine Nikkei is reporting that Toyota has already accepted 75,000 orders for the new Prius. This news comes…
New Fisker Karma Video Shows It’s a Performance Car Too
It’s the Fisker Karma like you’ve never seen it before. This video (no doubt leaked on YouTube to keep up the marketing buzz surrounding the luxury hybrid) shows the Karma sliding through pylons and screeching its tires. Until now all we’ve ever seen are carefully crafted beauty shots and auto show snaps. With just over…
Honda Insight Tops April Sales in Japan
The month of April marked an important milestone for both Honda Motor Co. and hybrid cars. Last month the new Insight achieved the status of being Japan’s most popular vehicle with more units sold than any other model – marking the first time a hybrid has ever been the monthly sales leader. In April, 10,481…
Audi Readying RS3 and A3 Hybrid
With the new A3 due out in 2011 rumors of performance and hybrid versions of the car have already emerged. In the performance category Audi is expected to release an RS3, which will be powered by the same turbocharged five-cylinder currently found in the TT-RS. Output won’t be quite as significant, but expect lots of…
Lexus Building A3/1 Series Rival for European Market
With the entry-level premium marketing continuing to grow in Europe, Lexus is planning to get in on the action by bringing a vehicle to market that will complete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. The new vehicle will slot in under the IS250 and will be a hybrid. This may sound a lot…
Ford Fusion Hybrid Sets World Record, Driving 1,445 Miles On One Tank of Gas
On Saturday, April 25th at 8:15 a.m., Ford set out to show just how fuel-efficient its new Fusion Hybrid sedan really is. With drivers including NASCAR racer Carl Edwards, as well as CleanMPG.com founder Wayne Gerdes and several FoMoCo engineers, the team drove the 2010 Fusion Hybrid non-stop until it ran out of gas. Ford called this…
Buick Business MPV Concept Unveiled at Shanghai Auto Show
It’s a well-known fact that the Buick is a dominant force (and growing) in the Chinese marketplace, so it’s no surprise that the traditionally traditional brand used the Shanghai Auto Show to debut an important new concept. The real surprise is that this crossover is anything but traditional. The Buick Business MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle)…
Toyota Expected to Slash U.S. Prius Price to $21,000 to Compete With Insight
Toyota is expected to release pricing for the new 2010 Prius tomorrow and the cost of ownership will be 21,000. This is $1,000 less than the current model. Bloomberg is reporting the drop and citing an unnamed source. This news comes several weeks after Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported Toyota made a similar move in it’s…
Mercedes Launches ML450 Hybrid
One of the few surprises at the New York Auto Show was the launch of a new hybrid model by Mercedes-Benz. Based on the ML-Class SUV, this hybrid version was designed and built specifically for the U.S. and Canadian markets. The Mercedes Blue Efficiency hybrid system is comprised of an electric motor, gasoline motor and…
Yukon Denali Hybrid: Another GMC Set to Debut in N.Y.
General Motors will be putting the focus on its GMC brand at the New York Auto Show, with the launch of the Yukon Denali Hybrid – as well as the new 2010 Terrain. Using GM’s two-mode hybrid system the “green” Yukon Denali boasts city fuel-economy that has been improved by more than 50 percent. Unfortunately…
New Prius Takes On Insight With $20,000 Starting Price
Toyota is taking Honda’s Insight threat seriously… very seriously. In fact, the world’s largest automaker will price the new (third-generation) Prius directly in competition with the Honda’s Insight in the Japanese market. Set to go on sale on May 18th, the new Prius will cost just $20,750 (2.05 million yen). The number isn’t official from…
Infiniti Essence Concept Shelved
We’re sorry to report that Infiniti’s breathtakingly beautiful Essence Concept will not see production, this according to a company spokesman. The Essence Concept was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and took everyone by surprise as rumors had circled that the vehicle was to be yet another crossover. With a true grand touring look…
Honda Insight “Let It Shine” Commercial: Video
Honda is hoping to recreate some of the success of it’s Accord commercial a few years back with a new innovative commercial to introduce the world to its new Insight Hybrid. Called “Let it Shine” the ad runs to the tune of “This Little Light of Mine” by Berend Dubbe and is directed by Erik…
Fisker Announces North American Dealer Network
Fisker Automotive is a company that continues to prove doubters wrong. Not only did it beat the world’s largest automakers to developing a plug-in hybrid, but now it has secured a dealer network throughout the United States. Fisker recently announced that it has arranged for 32 retailers to sell its vehicles, starting with the Karma…
Kia Forte LPI Hybrid Coming to Seoul Auto Show
Ahead of it’s official unveiling at the Seoul Auto Show, Kia has dropped the curtain on its first ever hybrid, the Forte LPI hybrid. Based on the upcoming Forte compact sedan, the hybrid model makes use of a 1.6-liter engine that runs on liquid petroleum (more commonly known as propane). The Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI)…
Infiniti Hybird Coming to Market in 2010
After watching from the shadows for years as Toyota dominated the hybrid market, Nissan is finally preparing to launch it’s own ground-up hybrid vehicle; except it won’t be a Nissan, it will be an Infiniti. According to a report in Japan’s Nikkei, which cites no sources, the hybrid will be based on Infiniti’s mid-level luxury…
Mercedes to Build Hybrid Research Center in Detroit Area
Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC Hybrid Concept The state of Michigan is getting a boost from the auto industry in an unexpected source – Germany. Mercedes-Benz has just announced that it will build a new hybrid research and development facility in Ann Arbour, just outside Detroit. “The project will generate a $9.9 million investment and create 454 total…
Toyota to Revive MR2 as Hybrid Model
Photos: Beyond-Form.com Toyota is planning to bring back the MR2 – this according to AutoExpress. Toyota VP Masatami Takimoto told staff at the U.K. magazine that, “We are aware of the fondness with which the MR2 is held in the UK and Europe, and are developing a small hybrid sportscar.” “We have set a tough…
Toyota to Launch Competitor to Honda’s Insight
According to Japan’s daily Nikkei daily business paper, Toyota will not sit back and watch Honda succeed with its Insight. Nor will Toyota let Honda hold on to the claim of selling the most affordable hybrid in the U.S. for long. A yet-unnamed sub-compact model from Toyota is scheduled to go into production and be…
Land Rover Secures $38 Million Grant from UK Government to Build LRX
Land Rover is now poised to bring a new entry-level crossover model to market thanks to a grant from the British government. The U.K. government has confirmed a £27 million ($37.9 million) cash infusion towards a vehicle that would be based on the Land Rover LRX Concept. The LRX was first displayed at the North…
Honda to Sell Insight for Less Than $20,000
Honda has just announced that the starting price for a new 2010 Insight hybrid will be $19,800 – making it the lowest-priced hybrid for sale in the U.S. The Insight is set to go on sale March 24th. The $19,800 price is for the LX model, which includes front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock…
