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Fisker Considering Lighter Weight Range-Extending Engine For Next Gen Hybrids
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What’s one simple way to extend range on the next-gen Fisker gasoline-electric powered car? Cut pork from the gasoline-engine side of the equation by using a lighter-weight, three- or four-cylinder engine. According to information leaked by very knowledgeable sources, Fisker is weighing the feasibility of a dedicated range-extended engine after the current crop of Karma models…
Next-Gen Mercedes C-Class Will be a Hybrid
Mercedes is currently in the process of introducing a mid-cycle update to its C-Class range with a lineup of new engines, but the next-generation of the car will get even more dramatic changes under the hood. According to a recent report, almost all C-Class models are set to go hybrid, with Mercedes using an electrification…
Lexus CT200h Demand in Europe Looks to Match Automaker’s High Expectations
While a niche-market vehicle in North America, designed more to help rebrand the stale luxury marque than to create revenue, the CT200h is the car Lexus is counting on in Europe. At the vehicle’s launch at the Paris auto show, execs commented that they were expecting this one model to double the brand’s sales in…
Fisker Karma Production Starts, Cars to Hit Dealers Next Month
Remember the Fisker Karma? The plug-in hybrid luxury saloon from an upstart California automaker was touted as beating the Volt to market when it debuted over two years ago, a testament to the ability of small companies to get things done when giant automakers flopped their bloated carcasses into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But the Volt…
Hybrids And 4-Cylinder Cars In Demand Among Used Car Dealers
An old finance maxim states that “by the time you’ve read about it, it’s already too late”, but that hasn’t stopped used car dealers from eagerly snapping up any 4-cylinder or hybrid vehicle as gas prices continue to climb. With one dealer calling the sudden trend a “panic”, values of previously undesirable cars like the…
Lexus LF-Gh Concept to Debut at NY Auto Show
With a debut of the next-generation GS rumored for the New York Auto Show, Lexus has now confirmed as much, with the planned debut of the LF-Gh Concept in the Big Apple. The naming suggests the new luxury sedan will in fact be a hybrid, keeping true to the Lexus philosophy. And while Toyota uses…
Dealers Raising Car Prices After Japan Crisis
From the “Entirely Too Predictable” files, the ongoing crisis in Japan has spooked dealers wary of car shortages to raise their prices. Instead of the time-honored car buying traditions of haggling and deep discounts, buyers are paying sticker price on cars that may suffer from delayed shipments from Japan, such as the Toyota Prius, Yaris,…
Porsche 918 Spyder Full Details: Hybrid Sportscar to Cost $845,000
Porsche has released full details on its upcoming flagship sportscar, pricing the hybrid machine at an astronomical $845,000. Combining the original concept with Porsche’s ongoing hybrid race car technology the carbon chassis 918 will get a “high revving” V8 engine making in excess of 500-hp mated to a plug-in hybrid drive system with two electric…
More Powerful Honda CR-Z Will be a Hybrid says R&D Boss
Honda will build a more powerful version of the CR-Z sport hybrid and it will continue to be a hybrid, according to R&D boss Tomohiko Kawanabe. Previous reports had suggested a CR-Z ‘Type R’ might toss the company’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system in favor of a turbocharger, but that will not be the…
Hyundai To Offer “Green Navigation”
Hyundai is partnering with technology company NAVTEQ to offer drivers a “green” option for route guidance. The “green” choice will apparently yield a 6 percent bump in fuel economy, which should dovetail nicely with Hyundai’s new Sonata Hybrid and their Elantra, Veloster and Accent small cars, which are capable of 40 mpg on the highway….
Infiniti Enlists Henry Rollins For M Hybrid Commercial
Who would have thought that punk icon Henry Rollins would ever end up doing voice-overs for a luxury car? Certainly not us, but while the punk days are over, Rollins is a tremendous speaker, and we’re looking forward to his work for Infiniti as the brand prepares to launch its new M Hybrid. With 360 horsepower and…
Mugen CR-Z to Debut at Goodwood With “Type R-like Performance”
Mugen’s European division will launch a version of the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with significantly more ‘sport’. According to Mugen Euro, the car will use the same 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system, offering more horsepower and torque. Also included in the package will be…
Porsche GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 to Compete at Nurburgring 24 With More Efficient Engine
While Audi made a name for diesels in endurance racing, Porsche is paving the way for hybrids, announcing that it will once again run its GT3 R Hybrid at the Nurburgring 24 Hour Race this June. The updated car creates the same power as last year’s model, but is more efficient, meaning it will require…
BMW 5 Series ‘New Energy Vehicle’ Plug-in Hybrid to Debut at Shanghai Motor Show
BMW has announced it will reveal what it is calling the 5 Series ‘New Energy Vehicle’ at the Shanghai Motor Show next month. Based on the 5 Series long wheelbase version, sold exclusively in China, it will be a plug-in hybrid and is described by BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer as a car, “from China for…
Japanese Auto Plants To Face Parts Shortages
Japanese auto makers have been scrambling to assess the impact of the recent natural disasters on their supply chains, as North American production facilities face potential harm, as Japanese factories have begun suspending production in the face of a series of catastrophic events. Toyota has suspended overtime production at their North American facilities, while Subaru…
Spiking Gas Prices Close Gap on Hybrid Pay-Off
As gas prices continue to climb, the decision to purchase a hybrid vehicle makes more and more sense. But for some hybrids, the even $4.00 a gallon isn’t close to making that hybrid pay-off at the pump. In a recent study by CarGurus.com, taking into account the added price of a hybrid model, it was…
Federal Government To Make Hybrid Sound Emitting Devices Mandatory
The Hyundai Sonata’s production delay due to the removal of an on-off switch for its sound emitting device looks like a smart move now that the federal government is looking to not only make the devices mandatory for hybrid and electric cars, but bar automakers from allowing drivers to cancel the systems via a dash…
TrueCar.Com Announces 10 Most Fuel Efficienct Hybrids And Non-Hybrids
TrueCar.com released their rankings of the Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient vehicles in both the hybrid and non-hybrid category, an important distinction according to TrueCar, because “Hybrids offer great fuel economy but most don’t provide the value consumers are seeking.” The hybrid list is predictably topped by the Toyota Prius, followed by the Lexus CT200h…
Mitsubishi Forging Ahead With Global Car, Regional Differences Will Be Minor
Designing a single car for the entire world is a tough proposition. No matter how hard engineers strive towards a unified design, concessions must usually be made, particularly with regards to engine and gearbox choices. Other instances have called for variations in size to suit regional tastes. While the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze are…
BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Car Spied Testing [Video]
BMW is hard at work testing its upcoming i8 hybrid sports car, most recently taking the wild-looking machine out for some cold weather testing. Originally unveiled as the Efficient Dynamics Concept with a plug-in hybrid diesel powertrain, but BMW has since admitted the production version will use gasoline. What isn’t clear is if the car…
Study: Americans Don’t Know a Thing About Electric Vehicles
And they don’t know much more about hybrids, either. A study by London-based market research firm Synovate found that new vehicle buyers hardly knew that hybrids contained batteries, used gasoline, or couldn’t be plugged in. Only two-thirds of people surveyed knew that hybrids used both battery and gasoline power (hence the “hybrid” name), and only…
Honda Plug-In Hybrid Targeting 15 Miles of Emissions Free Driving
Honda is said to be targeting a 15 mile emissions free range for its upcoming plug-in hybrid. At the recent Geneva Auto Show, the Japanese auotmaker showcased a mock-up of the Plug-In Hybrid architecture, but was mum on details. What is known is that the new system is a leap-forward from the current Integrated Motor…
Toyota Prius V Begins Production, Priced At $28,600 In Japan
Toyota‘s plus-sized Prius, the Prius V, has began production, and will start at $28,600 in Japan, roughly $3,700 more than the standard Prius. Many feel that the price will be closer to $27,000 in the United States, although the American-spec Prius V will lack the third row seat. Toyota claims that this feature would not…
Toyota FT-86 Hybrid a Possibility Admits Toyota
When Toyota announced its new Global Vision last week the company’s two main product goals seemed rather divergent. First, Toyota announced it would build exciting cars. Then it reiterated a commitment to sustainable mobility – hybrids in particular. Those two seemingly incongruous goals may come together for the first time in the upcoming FT-86 Sports…
