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OnStar, Google Tie Up Looking More Likely; Could See Use In Volt EV
GM and Google are reportedly working on a deal that would see the integration of Google’s Android mobile phone operating system and GM’s Onstar telematics system. Potentially scenarios being discussed involve Android phone users being able to use OnStar features outside of their car, while GM vehicle owners can use Android to keep track of…
Report: Israel Defence Forces To Evaluate Ford Escape Hybrids
The Israeli Defence Force already uses the Hummer H1 and the Toyota Hilux pickup for various duties, but now, one of the worlds most ferocious fighting forces is looking to add a frugal Ford to their lineup. Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that the IDF is looking into the Ford Escape Hybrid as a support…
Range_e Range Rover Hybrid Coming in 2013
Land Rover has announced that its first hybrid models will arrive 2013 and has unveiled the Range_e, a concept based on the Range Rover Sport, but using a hybrid diesel powertrain. Tests for the hybrid models will begin later this year with a production date set for 2013 – coinciding with a complete overhaul of…
Next Generation Nissan Z To Go Hybrid
Nissan‘s Datsun 240Z broke ground in the early 1970’s by offering bulletproof reliability and the performance of a Jaguar E-Type for a third of the cost. The next generation Z-car could be similarly important by mating a hybrid drivetrain into a serious performance car, if reports coming out of Japan are accurate. While the reports…
Honda Tries Novel Approach With CR-Z, Targeting Older Enthusiasts
Car companies are eternally focused on capturing the all important “youth-market”, some even going as far as to create “youth brands”, like Toyota and their Scion line-up. Honda appears to be taking the opposite track with the launch of their new CR-Z hybrid sports car, hoping to take advantage of the demographic that was in…
Hybrid Ferrari’s “won’t save the planet, cost us lots of money”
When you’re at the top of the automotive food chain, you are free to say what you want with impunity. Bugatti CEO Thomas Bscher’s remark “we don’t want rappers” was the reigning outrageous statement , but now, Ferrari head honco Amadeo Felisa has taken the title, laying down the law on hybrids, the “green” trend and…
Daimler CEO: China Must Adopt EVs, Gas And Diesel Cars Not Feasible For Their Market
In a shockingly forthright appraisal of the Chinese auto market, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche laid out the harsh reality for the Chinese auto market, stating that petroleum-powered vehicles are not sustainable due to the massive demand, and that electric vehicles are imperative. Speaking at an event in Beijing, Zetsche remarked “If you look at the…
Driving Green Can Improve Your Love Life Ladies, Says Survey
If you’re a woman and you’re looking to get lucky, you may want to think about driving a cleaner car to get some more dating action. Who knew that driving green was good for your love life? In the 2010 Timberland Eco-Love Survey, results showed that American men had a better opinion about women who…
Lexus HS250h Not Meeting Sales Targets
Lexus‘ HS250h hybrid sedan is having trouble meeting sales targets, due to the strength of the Prius as well as demand for the HS250h in Japan. Lexus is on track to sell about 14,000 HS250h hybrids this year, well below the projections of 20-22,000. So far just 4529 HS250h’s have been sold. In an interview…
2011 Mercedes ML-Class Grand Edition; Another Way For MB To Part You And Your Money
Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled its Grand Edition package for the ML-lineup (ML63 excluded) and as far as we can tell, it’s an appearance package with new wheels, blue tinted glass, fancy LED headlights and some other minor cosmetic upgrades. Make ours an ML350 Bluetec in white. If the outrageous ML63 AMG isn’t available, then we…
Audi, Lexus Set Big Numbers In April
Despite a still shaky economy and all sorts of doom-and-gloom rhetoric from political pundits, two major luxury brands posted excellent April numbers, with Audi up 33% and Lexus up 29%. Audi posted exceptional sales figures, with A3 sales up 144%, A6 sales up 105% and the Q5 up 60% from April 2009. Audi credits the…
Volkswagen Golf, Jetta and Passat Hybrid Models Coming, Starting in 2012
Volkswagen will produce hybrid versions of the Golf, Jetta and Passat, starting in 2012. In a press release dedicated to the launch of the new Golf blue-e-motion electric car, Volkswagen aims to put the focus on electric cars, which it sees as the future of transportation. However, while German automakers like VW are focused on…
Lexus LFA Plug-in Hybrid Spied?
Before it launched, rumors suggested the Lexus LFA supercar might be a hybrid. That of course turned out not to be the case, the high-powered and high-priced exotic instead opting for a naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V10 engine. But now several spy photos have emerged showing something that just may prove the original green supercar theories…
Next-Gen Insight Will Beat Prius in Fuel-Economy Says Honda CEO
Honda‘s newish Insight hybrid had a lot of buzz when it first launched, but in just a year it has since faded into oblivion. Sure it undercut the Prius in price, but it didn’t get near the mpgs, and wasn’t the sort of dynamic drive that people have come to expect from a Honda. We…
Cars.com Releases Greenest Cities List, Ranking Popularity of Hybrids Among Car Shoppers
Cars.com has been compiling data on users who research hybrid vehicles, and ranking America’s “greenest” metro areas according to the number of people who research hybrid cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers. No surprise that the winner was the San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland metro area, known for being a hot bed of progressive politics, organic food and…
Mugen Honda CR-Z Demo Car Spotted in the Wild
It seems like we’re going crazy with Honda‘s new CR-Z, showing off Mugen’s initial release, TEIN’s CR-Z and Spoon Sports’ rendition of the popular hybrid in Japan. There’s absolutely no denying the popularity of tuning and customizing hybrids in Japan, and the trend is slowly catching on in North America. It will be mighty interesting…
Porsche Has 900 Interested In Buying 918 Spyder, Production Could Be Close
Porsche‘s 918 Spyder hybrid supercar may be close to production after the automaker revealed it had approximately 900 people who are interested in buying it. Wolfgang Duerheimer, development chief for Porsche, said that 1,000 interested parties were needed before Porsche could green-light the eco-friendly sports car, which uses a 500 horsepower V8 and an electric…
Honda CEO “Not Satisfied” With Automaker’s Recent Performance
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito criticized the “complacent” nature of his company at the Beijing Auto Show, taking aim at poor sales figures, a lack of product direction and a need to focus on improving the company’s hybrid systems. Honda’s market share slid by 0.4 percent, with Ito citing the disappointing sales of the Insight hybrid…
Cadillac Converj Rises From The Dead at Beijing Auto Show
Cadillac‘s Converj electric car, reported to be dead, has made an appearance at his year’s Beijing Auto Show, sparking speculation that the opulent alternative fuel vehicle is still alive and kicking. The Converj, which mates the Chevrolet Volt’s electric powertrain with the features and amenities of a Cadillac, can travel about 40 miles on electric…
Report: BMW Developing Hybrid Hydrogen Technology for MINI, Future Front-Drive BMWs
BMW is developing a complex powertrain that blends fuel cell and hybrid technology, allowing a car be carbon neutral in urban traffic. The system works by having a conventional gasoline engine powering the front wheels, while a small fuel cell sends power via capacitors in the transmission tunnel to an electric motor positioned at the rear axle….
Tesla To Start Sales In Japan This May
The first electric sports car is coming to Japan this May, as Tesla sends its first batch of right-hand drive Roadsters to the other side of the Pacific. Japan will be the first Asian market for Tesla, which built 12 special edition Roadsters to mark the occasion. Featuring carbon fiber bodywork and a 0-60 time…
Report: Toyota Prius Minivan Coming in 2011 With Lithium-Ion Battery
Toyota will launch a Prius minivan next year, powered by advanced lithium-ion battery technology. News comes from Japan’s Nieeki business daily via Reuters and is the latest report indicating the direction of Toyota’s plan to expand the Prius name into a whole lineup of vehicles. The Prius van (or more likely an MPV similar to…
Honda CR-Z Commercial Debuts for Europe [with Video]
Honda has just released a new commercial that will be used to help promote the CR-Z hybrid when it goes on sale later this year. The 90 second spot was filmed in southern Spain and will reportedly be run on networks in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. As for the car itself, the CR-Z…
Honda CR-Z Tuning Keeps Growing With New Tein Suspension Products
Before Tein made their way to North America in the form of Tein USA, the green-branded suspension products were a rarity and collectibles amongst the JDM-fanatics. Oddly enough, when Tein did get established in America it seemed that the goodness of their products got diluted. Once items like their srings became readily available, the prestige…
