plug-in hybrid
Ford Evos Concept Heralds A Bold New Styling Direction: 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show
Ford‘s designs have come a long way over the last decade, with practically their entire lineup looking sharp and attractive – but the Ford Evos Concept has just managed to move the bar substantially higher. Revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Evos looks like something that would have a V12 under the…
Ford F-Series Trucks To Get Plug-In Hybrid Technology
Plug-in technology aren’t just the darling of shoe-shaped hybrids anymore. Ford’s F-Series heavy-duty trucks are getting the chance to ride the lightning, and it could mean sweeping changes in the commercial truck segment. Don’t look for this on the popular F-150 yet, however. Think bigger. The commercial F-550 Super Duty will get the first plug-in…
Fisker Planning Multi-Gear Transmission to Help Karma Deliver “Veyron Pace”
Anyone who has played around with an electric radio-control car knows that power comes instantly and as a result acceleration is pretty rapid. Expand the idea to a full-size vehicle, and the results are certainly thrilling. So far, all fully-electric vehicles have had a drawback, their single-speed gearbox, which tend to neuter the driving experience….
Chevy Volt Owners Clock 2 Million Miles, Two-Thirds on Electric Power
There have been hybrids on our streets for some time, and even a few fully electric vehicles. However, the Chevrolet Volt is the first mass produced plug in hybrid to be offered to the general public. It can either drive up to 40-miles on just electric power on a full-charge, or when this power source…
Suzuki Swift Plug-In Hybrid Might Be Coming To America
Suzuki cars might not be the strongest selling product in North America, but that might just change if and when they introduce the Swift PHEV. This Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is planned to go into production in 2013 for the Japanese market, and rumors suggest it will be on sale in North America also,…
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid Coming To U.S.
Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby announced that the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid will come to the U.S. by 2014, with one major difference. While the European market V60 will use a diesel-electric hybrid system, the United States will get a gasoline-powered variant. Jacoby said that the V60 has a target U.S. launch date of 2013 or…
Ford C-Max To Be Sold As Hybrid Only
Ford will sell its C-Max minivan as a hybrid model only, in an effort to further compete with hybrid offerings like the Toyota Prius V, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, which are all offered in 5-door bodystyles. The C-Max will come only in a 5-seater configuration, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variations offered. Ford originally…
Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid Sales To Start In July
With much of the electric car attention being drawn by the first mass-produced Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt, many have ignored the 2011 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan. Fisker dealers in Los Angeles previously claimed the first deliveries to paying customers would take place in March or April of this year. But the…
U.S Department Of Energy Testing Dodge Ram Hybrid
Chrysler is delivering 10 Ram 1500 Hybrids to the U.S Department of Energy for testing within the next week. The pickups will be delivered to Yuma, Arizona, as part of a $100 million research project. The program with the U.S Department of Energy will run through June 2014. 140 Ram 1500 pickups will be delivered…
Volkswagen To Launch Plug-In Hybrid Range In 2013
At the 32nd International Motor Symposium in Vienna, Austria, Volkswagen head honco Dr. Martin Winterkorn announced that the Volkswagen Group will launch a range of plug-in hybrids starting in 2013, calling electric vehicles the “task of the century” for the auto industry. Winterkorn didn’t specify which models would get a plug-in hybrid variant, and the move comes…
Obama’s Fuel Efficiency Push On Fleet Vehicles Could Increase Gas Use, Not Reduce it
President Barrack Obama’s initiative for government fleet vehicles to be able to run on alternative fuels like E85 ethanol, could result in higher gas consumption, rather than reducing it. That means, this project could end up doing the opposite of what it was set out to achieve. Only 1-percent of gas stations offer E85 in…
Nissan Leaf Outsells Chevrolet Volt In April
The Nissan Leaf outsold the Chevrolet Volt in April, reversing March’s sales numbers where the Volt handily outsold the Leaf. Nissan moved 573 Leaf EVs in April, while 493 Volts found a home amongst buyers. Whie the Volt has been leading in total sales with (2,029 sold, compared to 1,044 for the Leaf), if April’s…
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….
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…
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…
BMW’s Has High Hopes For New “i” Brand, Should Be In Market By 2014
A few months ago, BMW announced that it will introduce a new sub-brand, that will focus its energy on electric and hybrid vehicles, and this new division will simply be called “i.” Now comes a report that suggests BMW hopes the “i” brand will be able to sell 30,000 of its i3 electric model per-year….
Fisker To Launch Karma Derivative At Frankfurt Auto Show
Plug-in automotive upstart Fisker Automotive have had their share of delays, but the company is still working on expanding its product portfolio, even though the first customer cars have still not been delivered. While many were hoping to have taken delivery of the Karma plug-in hybrid sedan last year, delays have pushed that date to…
Geneva 2011: Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid Heralds The Return Of An Icon
While Volvo was apparently set to discontinue North American sales of all station wagons – arguably the vehicle they built their reputation on – in favor of crossovers. But that looks like it will change starting in 2012, with the launch of their V60 plug-in hybrid. Unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, the V60 Plug-In…
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid Confirmed For Geneva
Volvo fans can rejoice now that the famous station wagon variant, the V60, is back (in North America), but it couldn’t be further from the rugged, mechanically simple station wagons of the past. The V60 Plug-In uses a 215 horsepower 2.4L diesel 5-cylinder engine to drive the front wheels, with a 70 horsepower electric motor…
Volvo V60 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid Wagon: Geneva Auto Show Preview
Volvo has unveiled a plug-in diesel hybrid version of its V60 wagon ahead of the Geneva Auto Show, which promises to do for fuel spending what Atkins did for bread consumption. The diesel hybrid takes Volvo’s 2.4-liter inline-five turbodiesel, pumping out 215 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque and adds an electric motor to the…
Chevrolet Volt A Target Of Price Gouging, Dealers Demand Up To $65,000
Any time a hot new car is released, the inevitable race to squeeze every last dollar from consumers starts almost immediately, and the Chevrolet Volt is no exception. With supply extremely limited and demand strong, Chevrolet dealers seem to be taking advantage of market conditions. An investigation found that prices ranged from $46,923 in Michigan…
Obama Cuts Funding To Clean-Diesel, Fuel-Cell Vehicles
Last year, the Obama Administration heavily backed Detroit’s automakers with a big helping of government funding. The bail-out money that was partly provided to General Motors and Chrysler, was for these companies to develop and sell hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles. The end result was the hardly amazing Chevrolet Volt. However, the Obama…
IRS Tax Credits For Electric Vehicles Backfired, Fraudulent Claims Abound
An estimated 14,000 taxpayers claimed $37 million in tax credits meant for buyers of plug-in or electric vehicles, while attempting to pass of vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Camaro and “golf cart” as worthy of the credit. Among the most ignominous offenders were 88 prisoners and IRS employees who attempted to claim the credits….
Hyundai Sonata To Get Plug-In Version
A report from PlugInCars.com suggests that Hyundai‘s endless march towards global domination isn’t letting up, and the next phase of their product strategy involves both a Prius competitor and a plug-in variant of the Sonata Hybrid. According to Mike O’Brien, Hyundai’s head of product planning, the Sonata plug-in Hybrid would require little in the way…
