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Bremach T-Rex Truck Available As Full EV
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When it comes to electric vehicles and hybrids, often we see cute little city cars, sensible family cars, and super-expensive sports cars. Well, for something a little different, how about a macho-looking truck ready to back up its image with action. Available as an all-electric, series hybrid or CNG V8-powered model, the Bremach USA-developed T-Rex…
Chevrolet Volt Customers Getting 1,000 Miles Per Tank-Full, GM Says
The Chevrolet Volt has been reported as averaging fuel economy high enough to see 1,000 miles between trips to the gas station. “A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” said vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, Tony Posawatz, at a conference…
New York Still Trying To Foster Hybrid Taxi Fleet
After a Federal Appeals court stuck down New York City’s plans to create a hybrid taxi fleet, it appears the impetus to get it done has not yet failed. The New York State Congress is now mulling the Green Taxis Act, a bill which would permit individual municipalities to set their own taxi fleet fuel-efficiency…
BMW And Brilliance Create 5-Series Plug-In Hybrid
BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance have joined forces to create a plug-in hybrid version of the 5-Series long wheelbase sedan sold in the Chinese market. Set to be revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the 5-Series plug-in will back an unspecified displacement turbocharged engine making 215 horsepower and a 94 horsepower electric motor….
BMW May Use A Range Extender For Electric Vehicles
Has BMW, the maker of the ultimate (electric) driving machines decided to follow Chevrolet’s example? Word from Munich today is that BMW’s head of electrical components, Dr. Christian Schmidt, said it is weighing the possibility of a range-extended engine to pair to electric vehicles. For some time now BMW has said it would consider an…
Toyota Prius US Sales Top 1 Million Cars
In case you were wondering, the plural term for Prius is “Prii.” You might want to remember that, because according to Toyota, the car is multiplying fast. Its supply may be limited in parts by last month’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami, but that hasn’t stopped it from setting sales records, the most recent one being…
Chevrolet Volt, Cruze, Post Record March Sales
The initial slow start to the Chevrolet Volt rollout sped up in March with sales of more than twice the number than were sold in January and February combined. Sales of 608 Volts plus 321 in January and 281 in February now make 1,210 total. This is not a lot compared to 18,018 Cruzes sold…
Lexus LF-Gh Hybrid Concept Teased Ahead Of New York Auto Show Reveal
Lexus will debut their LF-Gh Hybrid concept at the New York Auto Show, a car that will preview the next generation Lexus GS. The teaser photos don’t show much, but the car does look like a pretty radical departure from the previous designs, which were understated to say the least. The concept is supposed to…
Zipcar To Go Public, Seeking $89 Million From IPO
On of the world’s top car sharing companies, Zipcar, is planning to make an initial public offering. It recently amended its Securities and Exchange Commission filing, and is now seeking about $89.2 million from sale of 8.3 million shares at around $14-16 each. The company has been in business since 1999 with regional service for…
Monaco’s Royal Couple To Use Lexus Hybrids For Their Wedding
Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton is not the only Royal wedding on the calendar this year, as Monaco’s Prince Albert II (53) is set to marry South African Olympic backstroke swimmer Charlene Wittstock (33) on July 2, 2011. But unlike most Royal weddings, there won’t be a fleet of Bentley‘s and Rolls Royce‘s to…
Hyundai Says 1,550 Sonata Hybrids To Be At U.S. Dealers Soon
After three months of delays due to a last-minute fix to its pedestrian warning system, 1,550 Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are due at U.S. dealers any day now. Hyundai said about 900 Sonata Hybrids are now in port, and 650 more are on their way. Supposedly a few were delivered in January, but Ward’s Auto reports…
Lotus Range Extender Engine Under Serious Consideration by Three Automakers
While Lotus is best-known for its light weight sports cars, the automaker’s engineering division is earning a reputation for green technology. One of the most recent projects to come out of Lotus Engineer is a range extender engine that works similar to the one found in the Chevy Volt. The 1.2-liter 3-cylinder powerplant makes 47-hp…
Toyota Prius In Short Supply In California
The Toyota Prius, beloved of eco-conscious of buyers in California, is in short supply in the Sunshine State, as high gas prices and production disruptions due to Japan’s natural disasters have caused dealers to either run low on supply or be completely out of stock. Dealers, who report as little as a 14-day supply of the…
U.S. Goverment Looking To Re-Align Highway Fund Taxes To Include Plug-In Cars
Federal legislators have begun examining ways to tax highway users based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as a way to bring up shortfalls to the Highway Trust Fund. A concern is that as fuel-efficient hybrids and plug-in cars increase, fuel tax generated revenues will do little for the already insufficient funding base. In a Congressional…
Kia Optima Hybrid May Be Delayed
With the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid delayed due to a change to the pedestrian warning system, the Kia Optima Hybrid will face similar delays, with units expected to arrive at dealers sometime in the summer, a full 5 months later than planned. The Optima Hybrid, being mechanically identical to the Sonata Hybrid, must also undergo the…
GM Developing A Buick Version Of Chevy Volt
Word was leaked yesterday about a Buick version of the Chevrolet Volt being developed by GM. The vehicle would be a more luxurious version of the already fairly upscale Volt, according to a report by Bloomberg. This would make a fourth nameplate to carry a very similar platform. Already in Germany, Opel is showing its…
Chevrolet Miray Concept: An AWD Hybrid Roadster With Plenty of Sex Appeal
With a strong focus on hybrids as a method for improving fuel economy, GM’s Korean division has just revealed a stunning new hybrid sportscar concept at the Seoul Motor Show. Named the Chevrolet Miray concept, this roadster uses electrification to added power and fun, using a hybrid all-wheel drive drivetrain, with two electric motors attached…
Green Car Parade to Cruise Through Washington DC During Earth Week
In the midst of Earth Week next month, a motorcade of battery-powered, hybrid, and fuel-cell vehicles will drive through Washington D.C. to showcase alternatives to oil dependence. Earth Week is scheduled from Friday, April 15 through Friday, April 22. The parade of cars and trucks will take place on Tuesday, April 19, and be part…
Obama Commits To ‘Green-Only’ Government Auto Fleet by 2015
An expected announcement today by President Barack Obama will outline the federal government’s commitment to buy only advanced technology vehicles by 2015. Only hybrids, plug-in electrics, and flex-fuel vehicles will be allowed into its present fleet of 600,000 vehicles. The government has already doubled its number of hybrids in keeping with existing mandates. Full-size SUVs…
Production Resumes For Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 250h, CT 200h
With possibly just enough parts available to build two-thirds of its popular Prius hybrid, on Tuesday Toyota resumed production of that car, plus the Lexus HS250h, and CT 200h hybrids. The assembly lines had been shut down following the Mar. 11 Japan earthquake, and resulting tsunami that is still causing trouble for the industry. A…
Lexus to Showcase Supercharged CT200h at New York Auto Show
As a part of a strategy to grow its presence with a younger demographic, Lexus will continue to showcase wildly modified versions of its CT200h hybrid hatchback, debuting the latest tuner creation at the New York Auto Show. Build by the team at Fox Marketing, the car promises a widebody kit and some sort of…
MINI Cooper S Hybrid With All-Wheel Drive Spied
A MINI Cooper S fitted with an experimental hybrid all-wheel drive system was spotted testing in winter climates, a surprise move for BMW, which has given no indication it was developing such a car. Sharp-eyed readers will not the electric motor mounted between the rear wheels, as well as the “hybrid” stickers mounted on the…
Chevrolet Volt Battery Plant Resumes Production
A Japanese factory that makes batteries for the Chevrolet Volt is back online today after being temporarily shut down since the March 11th earthquake. Hitachi Automotive operates the three plants, one of which produces batteries for the Volt. GM has apparently ordered 100,000 battery packs for the Volt. The other two produce various vehicle components,…
Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Makes Up Over a Fifth of MKZ Sales
The Lincoln brand might have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to competing in the luxury segment, but perhaps they’re on to something with hybrids. According to some recent figures released by the Ford luxury arm, a total of 394 MKZ Hybrids were sold in February, over a fifth (22 percent…
