Electric and Hybrid Archives - Page 15 of 22

President Obama: '1 million electric vehicles by 2015'

It’s no secret alternative fuel cars and electric cars will infiltrate the automotive industry as last evidenced by the attention several new green car models offered by Honda to Toyota and Volkswagen to Ferrari received at the Detroit auto show. But in case there’s any doubt on the major emphasis ahead for carmakers, here’s the short, relevant text from the State of the Union address from President Barack Obama on future car technology: “At the California Institute of Technology, they’re developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they’re using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our nuclear facilities.” “With more research and incentives, we can break

Volkswagen unveils diesel/electric in Qatar, 313 mpg rating

Volkswagen is debuting a concept car at the inaugural Qatar Motor Show the manufacturer says can travel 313 miles on a gallon of diesel and emits only about 1.5 ounces of carbon dioxide per mile. The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre, two-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. It’s constructed around a carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque to reduce the weighs only 1,750 pounds. Volkswagen says the futuristic car negotiate the standard 0-60 mph test in 11.9 seconds. Speculation has Volkswagen beginning production of the XL1 in 2013. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver

Electric and Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid 2011 car review

Mercedes-Benz gives some models in its S-Class flagship line a stupefying amount of horsepower for a dignified, prestigious sedan. Such power should be left to the automaker’s smaller, sportier models. However, the $91,000 S-Class S400 gas-electric Hybrid model I tested is a sensible, reasonably fuel-efficient alternative to the gas-guzzling hot rod S-Class versions. The S-Class once stood alone as the ultimate luxury car in America, far outdoing Cadillac. Caddy hasn’t offered an S-Class rival for a long time. But now rivals include the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-Series and Porsche Panamera. All are excellent, but lack the formidable reputation of Mercedes. “After all,” Mercedes spokespersons are fond of saying, “we invented the car.” The standard 5.5-liter 382 horsepower gasoline

Electric and Hybrid

Ford touts new green fleet with snide actor Ed Begley, Jr.

Ed Begley, Jr. isn’t the first actor hired to help sell automobiles and he likely won’t be the last. But whether, it’s an actor’s voice-over in television commercials or Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong pitching the Nissan (one of his team’s sponsors) and its Leaf, no celebrity pitchman has been as opinionated as Begley, Jr. in his new collaboration with Ford. The actor is a noted environmentalist and his “green” lifestyle has been showcased often on television and in the print media. In the Ford video, which debuted in conjunction with the carmaker’s new electric offerings at the Detroit Auto Show, Begley, Jr. poked fun at several other manufacturers’ electric and hybrid offerings. The video is strong and like

Electric and Hybrid

Tesla testing five-seat Model S sedan, production in 2012

Tesla has sold about 1500 of EV Roadsters globally since its debut in 2008. It’s a small number, particularly when compared to how many Toyota sells a week around the world. But Tesla hopes its Model S will bring a practical, stylish electric sedan to more garages at about half the price of the EV Roadster. The development of the five-seater Model S has been a long and twisty road, but Tesla final has rolled out the car for testing. “The first Alpha (test car) is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and a poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very

Electric and Hybrid

Chevy Volt gets reality check, like maybe its own TV show?

Clever 30-second television ads during the Super Bowl and other major telecasts are fine, and General Motors will return next month with spots for the biggest one-day event in sport. Sponsorship of pro sports is fine, too. General Motors is back this season sponsoring the PGA Tour after ending its relationship with embattled Tiger Woods, then world’s top-ranked player, as its spokesman for Buick. But GM has bigger plans. According to Steve Tihanyi, GM’s director of sports and entertainment, the carmaker is seeking to capitalize on the increasing popularity of reality TV. According to a Reuters interview with Tihanyi at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM is in discussion with a reality TV producer about the inclusion

Electric and Hybrid

Honda says it's a gas, will offer Civic natural gas model nationwide in 2011

Some automotive industry experts believe Honda has been complacent in recent years with the Accord and Civic among the top-five best-selling cars in the United States. But while the Japanese manufacturer has rejuvenated its efforts the new Honda Civic hybrid, it’s all remained at the forefront in another “green” area — natural gas. Honda is among only a few companies that sell a natural gas-powered car in the U.S.. But Honda will soon do better than that. It’s natural gas-powered version of its new Civic sedan will soon be available in all 50 states, according to carmaker representatives at the Detroit auto show. Currently Honda sells around 1,500 natural-gas Civics each year. But they’re currently only in California, Oklahoma, New York

Electric and Hybrid

Toyota debuts two new Prius models at Detroit Auto Show

The Toyota Prius outsells all other hybrid cars combined. But Toyota knows its competitors have plenty to offer, which is why the carmaker debuted two new hybrid models at the Detroit auto show. The roomier Prius v and compact Prius c concept were introduced to complement the Prius and stable of 14 Toyota hybrid vehicles available globally. Toyota is also planning 11 more hybrid or other “green” vehicles during the next two years. Last year, sales of the Toyota Prius, first available in the U.S. in 1997, increased 36 percent last year to 140,928 units. “Prius has become to hybrids what Kleenex is to tissues and Levi’s are to jeans,” Bob Carter, Toyota brand’s U.S. chief, said at the media

Electric and Hybrid

Ford counters Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt with Focus Electric

Ford Motor Company has unveiled the Focus Electric — the automaker’s first all-electric passenger car. The zero-CO2-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford’s popular small car is the flagship of the company’s growing fleet of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles coming to North America and Europe by 2013. The Focus Electric will launch in late 2011 and offer a mile-per-gallon equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt and competitive with other battery electric vehicles, according to Ford. A full recharge is expected to take three to four hours at home with the 240-volt charge station — half the charge time of the Nissan Leaf. Ford will be partnering with Best Buy and the Geek Squad for installation and servicing of a two-part charging

Electric and Hybrid

Lexus CT 200h 2011 car review

The new, compact CT 200h from Toyota’s upscale Lexus division shares its hybrid gas/electric powertrain with Toyota’s Prius. But the Prius feels like an appliance, while the CT 200h feels and drives like a luxury car. The 2011 front-drive, four-door CT 200h is the first Lexus hatchback and thus is more practical than the Prius. Also, compared to the Prius, the new Lexus has an ultra-rigid chassis, better suspension and a body that, while somewhat chunky, looks rather sporty, partly because of a rakish roofline and short body overhangs. However, a low front end (for aerodynamic efficiency) could be damaged in certain parking areas. The CT 200h was mainly designed for Europe’s narrow streets and tight parking spots, which means

Electric and Hybrid

Ford sets plans for start-stop feature throughout line

If they can put it in a golf cart, you’d think Ford can add it to a car — at least so it seems. But adding the so-called start-stop technology to all cars in Ford‘s line-up won’t be as easy as it sounds because when you turn off a car’s engine you also turn off critical functions like cabin heating and cooling. Ford‘s automatic engine shutoff technology (which turns of the engine at stoplights or and/or when the car is not moving) is already available on the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Escape Hybrid, and some several other Ford models in Europe. Never-the-less Ford has just announced it plans to be the first U.S. car manufacturer to add its Auto Start-Stop

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

Lexus announces price, gas mileage for new hybrid

Lexus has announced the price, gas mileage and other specs of its new 2011 CT 200h hybrid, available at dealerships in March 2011 as the manufacturer’s fifth hybrid. The CT 200h will have the luxury industry’s best at 42 mpg and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,120. The CT 200h emits approximately 60 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new car, and has EPA-estimated ratings of 43 mpg city and 40 mpg on the highway utilizing regular 87-octane gasoline. Moreover, the CT 200h can be operated in a switchable EV mode which generates zero emissions. In addition to the EV and Normal drive modes, the CT 200h offers Sport and Eco modes which can help enhance either

Electric and Hybrid

California customer gets delivery of first Nissan Leaf in U.S.

Nissan has delivered the all-electric Leaf to its first customer in the United States, marking what green car proponents hope will be a milestone in the automotive industry. Olivier Chalouhi, who paid a $99 deposit like about 20,000 other pending Leaf owners, took delivery of the Leaf in Petaluma, Ca. during a press conference at a Nissan delearship. Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner and a national spokesperson for Nissan, was given the first Leaf about two months ago in Texas. Chalouchi, a 31-year-old entrepreuner, plans to drive the Leaf, which has a range of between 60 and 120 miles, about 20 miles per day. He was the first person to place his order for the Nissan Leaf

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Nissan Leaf, 2011 review

The Nissan Leaf hatchback sedan — the first mass-produced all-electric car —drives like a regular, pleasant five-passenger economy car. However, some owners may worry they’ll run out of charge before reaching their destination. However, Nissan says 90 percent of the U.S. population, on average, drives less than 100 miles a day. It says typical consumer weekday and weekend driving patterns are mostly less than 50 miles. The ran of the Leaf with a fully charged battery is touted as 100 miles. Key Takeaways First mass-produced all-electric car: The Leaf made history as the first purpose-built, mass-market battery electric vehicle, driving like a pleasant five-passenger economy hatchback with zero tailpipe emissions. 100-mile range covers 90% of daily driving: Nissan cites data

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

Audi has plans for diesel option for entire U.S. fleet by 2015

In Europe and other parts of the globe, diesel fuel cars account for about half of all passenger automobiles sales. Of course, that’s not the case in the United States. Audi, which won the 24 Heures du Mans with its Audi R15 TDI, wants to change the U.S. trend. The German manufacturer plans to offer a diesel option of all the models it sells in the U.S. by 2015. Audi currently offers diesels in two models: the A3 TDI compact hatchback and the Q7 TDI large sport-utility vehicle. Neither model represents a large portion of its total U.S. sales, but Audi says it could sell more of the diesel variants if it could keep them in stock. Diesels represent half

Electric and Hybrid

Tesla Roadster: Fast, lean and green driving machine

As part of its Go Electric Roadster Tour, Tesla Motors showcased its Roadster in Sacramento for the first time last week about two years after the Palo Alto, California-company debuted the high-end electric sports car. According to Tesla, an estimated 1,300 Roadsters are now in circulation worldwide. They’ve have been driven almost seven million electric miles, saving more than 350,000 gallons of gas and 18,000 barrels of oil. Tesla Roadster facts and figures: * The zero-emission Roadster, hand-built from carbon fiber, accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. * The Roadster is powered by a liquid-cooled battery pack, made up of 6,831 lithium ion cells (similar to those found in laptop computers); * It delivers 295 lb-ft of torque and

Previous Next