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Opel Ampera Breaks 7,000 Order Mark, Nearly Sold Out Until Years End
Chevrolet Volt sales in America haven’t been what GM had hoped with the American automaker even stopping production to let inventory numbers subside a bit. But it appears that GM executives can let out a sigh of relief, as the European counterpart, the Opel Ampera, has broken the 7,000 order mark and is nearly sold…
Chevrolet Volt Subsidized Heavily by Colorado Government
It’s a Colorado thing, so you probably wouldn’t understand but four-wheel drives and Subarus seems to sell better than most cars in that state. Subaru aside, another car is trying to woo buyers with a lot of help by the State government: the Chevrolet Volt. While other states are discouraging people from buying cars like the Nissan Leaf, Colorado…
Fisker Nina Teased Ahead of New York Reveal
Fisker has had a tumultuous year so far, especially when news broke that their Nina project was put on hold due to a lack of funds. But the American electric automaker is pushing to prove all its skeptics wrong, announcing a press conference ahead of the New York Auto Show intended to give a look…
Lexus Eco Challenge Grand Prize Winners Announced
Toyota supports environmental consciousness by holding the annual Lexus Eco Challenge competition, encouraging middle and high school students to practice eco-friendliness in creative ways. Since the program’s inception, $4 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to middle and high school students for their distinguished projects. “Through this program, more than 25,000 participants have demonstrated…
Paper-Based Supercapacitor Could Improve Hybrid/EV Performance
Rajesh Rajamani, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, along with colleague Shan Hu and fellow professor Xun Yu from the University of North Texas, were able to create this new superconductor using a polymer based electrolyte and nanotube coated cotton paper for electrodes.
Toyota Prius C Sold by Dealer at Crazy Markup
Charge as much as you can, when you can — that seems to be the mentality at Al Hendrickson Toyota of Coconut Creek, Fla. where the sought-after Toyota Prius C is marked up by a whopping $7,000. A Twitter user with the handle Miami4me2c posted a picture showing the dealership’s “Market Value Adjustment” which brings the car,…
Toyota Prius GT300 Race Car Catches Fire During Testing – Video
The Toyota Prius GT300 race car debuted at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, looking ready to compete in the 2012 Super GT season. But things didn’t go as planned when the team took to testing its race car out at Okayama Circuit prior to the season opener. We’re sure all the Toyota haters out there…
Lithium-ion Batteries to Cost 30% Less By 2017
Despite the fuel efficiency benefits of a hybrid vehicle, the average cost premium of purchasing a hybrid over a conventional internal combustion vehicle is still approximately $2,000. In order to begin seeing the cost benefits of fuel frugality, an ownership period may be as long as 6 years before money saved at the tank can…
Lexus Releases Video Teaser Of New Models Including LS Flagship
The slow unveiling of the all-new Lexus LS luxury sedan has unofficially commenced when the sharp eyes of Lexus Enthusiast discovered a flash of an image of the concept within a Lexus RX crossover promo video featuring chief engineer Takayuki Katsuda. When Katsuda started to elaborate on the new and unique “spindle-grill” corporate face of…
Opel Ampera To Participate In 2012 Rally Monte Carlo
Six Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the identical twin to the American Chevrolet Volt, will make an inaugural appearance at this year’s International Rally Monte Carlo. Entering the Monte Carlo Rally for Alternative Energy Vehicles, the six Amperas will race against 150 other green cars in a series of stages starting March 22 from…
Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype Looks Like a Skunkworks Supercar
Porsche has every intention of changing how the world perceives supercars when the 918 Spyder finally hits the market in 2013. The German automaker shocked the world when it debuted its concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, where the vehicle garnered enough attention to get the green light within months. The 918 Spyder will…
Toyota Struggles To Boost Prius C Capacity as Demand Grows
Introduced for the Japanese market last December, the Toyota Prius C had only hit U.S. showrooms on March 12. In only its first three days in the U.S. market, the Prius C sold 1,201 units, eclipsing the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf’s complete February sales performance of 1,023 and 478 units respectively. However, demand for the…
Porsche Panamera Plug-in Hybrid to Launch in 2014
With the Panamera Hybrid already on sale, Porsche is planning its next step in the electrification of its lineup with a plug-in hybrid version of the performance luxury sedan set to arrive in 2014. No powertrain details are yet available, with the current Panamera S Hybrid making 380 hp from a combination of an electric…
Prius c Sales Top 1,000 Units in First Three Days
Toyota is the brand to beat when it comes to hybrid vehicles, and the recently launched Prius c subcompact helps reinforce that trend. According to Toyota, the Prius c, which launched on March 12, has sold 1,201 in its first three days on the market, making it one of the company’s fastest selling vehicles. In…
Pininfarina Cambiano Concept May Become Reality
Along the same vein as the Fisker Karma, the plug-in hybrid Pininfarina Cambiano concept may receive the “go-ahead” for low-volume production. According to Pininfarina CEO Sergio Angori, “We are evaluating the potential for companies and private buyers interested in a high-performance, low-emission luxury model such as the Cambiano.” The Pininfarina Cambiano concept was first unveiled at…
Toyota Prius c Commercial Features The Game of Life
Board games aren’t popular like they used to be, thanks to the wealth of electronic entertainment available today. Still, many of us probably remember the Game of Life which is probably what Toyota is banking on with their new ad campaign for the Prius c. Targeted towards first-time car buyers, Toyota leveraged its partnership with…
Former Fisker Employee Says Karma Pushed to Market Prematurely
UPDATE: The Fisker employee in question was revealed to be a Fisker retailer employee and not someone who would have inside knowledge of the company. Fisker addressed the claim, saying the information divulged by that individual is untrue. The former employee now works with EV maker Coda. The Fisker Karma suffered a struggle-ridden launch, including a fire risk recall and…
Porsche 911 Hybrid a Possibility
People often say, “The more things change, the more things stay the same.” However, in the case of the Porsche 911, it would be fair to say the proverb in reverse, “the more things stay the same, the more they change.” While Porsche had stuck with a rear engine layout for its flagship sports car,…
Ford to Increase Fuel Ecomomy 20-Percent by 2020
American automaker Ford has committed to increasing the fuel economy of its U.S. model lineup 20-percent by the year 2020. The Blue Oval is hoping to achieve this through electric vehicles, hybrids, and improvements to gasoline-powered vehicles. The recently released Ford Focus EV is rated at 105-MPGe, making it the country’s most efficient five-passenger vehicle….
Honda NSX Makes its European Debut: 2012 Geneva Motor Show
While America got to enjoy the global premiere of the new Acura NSX at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the rest of the world will know it as the Honda NSX and the concept just made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Honda NSX Concept is essentially the same vehicle we saw…
Audi Introduces R18 e-tron Quattro in Video
If there’s an age old adage in motorsports, then it has got to be “racing improves the breed.” This idea is particularly close to Audi‘s heart, as the German automaker has participated in decades of racing and development for its Quattro all-wheel-drive technology. This year, Audi will field a pair of R18 e-tron Quattro cars which…
Toyota Prius, Honda Fit Top Japan’s Best Selling Car List
For the ninth month in a row, the top-selling car in Japan is the Toyota Prius, helping hybrids make up more than 20-percent of all auto sales in Japan. In February, Toyota sold 35,875 Prius hybrids, while the Honda Fit came in second place with 24,973 units sold. That’s quite the gap, especially considering third…
Volkswagen Cross Coupe TDI is Efficient and Powerful: 2012 Geneva Auto Show
The world’s most fuel efficient SUV, the Volkswagen Cross Coupe TDI, just debuted at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. For the first time, an automaker combined an electric hybrid drivetrain with a diesel engine, opening the door to two of the most effective and mass-produced fuel technologies working as one. As a result, Volkswagen claims…
Infiniti Emerg-E Video – First Look: 2012 Geneva Motor Show
Infiniti is preparing to build a flagship performance car – or at least they’re thinking about it. Unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Infiniti Emerg-E is our first look at just what that halo model might be. Powered by twin-electric motors with a 3-cylinder range extender gasoline engine, Infiniti is promising some impressive…
