Electric Vehicles

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Tesla delivers new Model S with high hopes for luxury electric sedan

The Tesla Model S, which the controversial carmaker calls "the world's first premium electric sedan," has arrived to its initial customers with a starting price of just under $50,000 after federal tax incentives. The "affordable" sedan is about half the price of its older, svelte sibling, the two-door Roadster. With its vast array of options, the new Tesla's price can reach nearly $100,000. "It's certainly not mass market by General Motors or Toyota standards," Edmunds.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs told NPR Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne. "Tesla says they're going to make 5,000 of these this year, and then increase the production next year. So it still really is a niche vehicle." According to Tesla, the performance version of the

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Honda Fit EV, 2013: Spacious compact gets leaner with industry-best 118 mpg

Seven years after its North American debut and rapid rise to the top of the subcompact class, the Honda Fit has a new title — most fuel efficient vehicle in the United States. Reclassified in 2011 to the compact classification, the 2013 Fit EV will soon be marketed with its recently announced EPA rating of 118 MPGe. It’s the highest number ever awarded by the EPA. The 2012 gas-powered Fit has mpg averages of 27 in the city and 33 on the highway. Key Takeaways 118 MPGe sets the EPA efficiency record: The Fit EV earned the highest MPGe rating ever awarded by the EPA at its launch, surpassing the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe), Ford Focus Electric (105), and Nissan

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Toyota surpasses four million hybrid vehicles sold since 1997 debut

The Toyota Prius dominates the hybrid car segment and it's the primary reason why 16 years after its debut, the carmaker recently surpassed four million hybrid units sold. Toyota currently sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles in 80 countries and regions. This year, hybrid vehicle accounted for 15 percent of TMC’s global vehicle sales. Prius, Toyota’s first hybrid passenger car, went on sale in Japan in 1997. Hybrid technology was later introduced to the U.S. in 2000 with the arrival of the Prius. Since then, the Toyota Division of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. sold 1.5 million hybrid vehicles in the U.S., accounting for 65 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in the region. Prius, the iconic hybrid brand, comprises half

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Toyota Prius v, 2012: Roomier, supple sedan expands best-selling hybrid lineup

If you like the Toyota Prius, but want more room than the standard model offers, meet the larger, roomier new 2012 Prius v wagon. The four-door hatchback Prius v expands the Prius line. It’s longer, wider and taller than the standard Prius, although it doesn’t look as attractive. Its rear end seems to be grafted onto a standard Prius, which is no beauty contest winner, anyway. List prices for the front-wheel-drive Prius v are $26,400 for the base “Two” version, $27,165 for the mid-range “Three” version and $29,990 for the top-line “Five” which I tested. All are well-equipped. Even the Two has climate and cruise controls, AM/FM/CD stereo, back-up camera, keyless entry and power windows and mirrors. The Three’s items

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Hyundai confirms first hydrogen car Tucsan ix will debut in late 2012

Hyundai has confirmed its previously announced plans to introduce later this year its hydrogen car, the Tucsan ix, as a 2013 model and at a cost of nearly $90,000. The initial release will be 1,000 cars, with Hyundai predicting it will sell 10,000 units of the new vehicle per year by 2015. Most of the debuting hydrogen Hyundai models will be released in Europe. Most major manufacturers are planning fuel cell vehicle rollouts in limited production numbers in 2015, including Toyota, Honda, and possibly General Motors. Although the new vehicle is largely set for distribution in Europe, new Tuscan ix models that make it to the U.S., will likely be distributed in the Los Angeles where other manufacturers' fuel cell

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Volkswagen lineup, 2012: sports cars, station wagons and a Bug

By David Colman I have never experienced a press roll out like this in more than 20 years of attending Volkswagen events in the United Sates and Germany, Usually, the occasions focus on one or two new models with long, complex drive routes scheduled to foster a maximum driving experience. This year, there were multiple models available, but in a three-hour window. Here are my brief impressions from either a 15-mile or 25-mile Northern California loop that encompassed flat and hilly driving conditions in the Half Moon Bay and San Mateo areas: 2012 VW GOLF R This baby is a “little bomb.” The Golf R replaces the Golf R32, which has come and gone in several iterations during the past

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Toyota Prius v, 2012: New hybrid wagon has room and a view

Introduced in Japan in May 2011 and six months later in the United States, the 2012 Toyota Prius v joins carmaker's four-member hybrid family. The "v" in Prius v stands for versatility. It's an apt description since the Prius v is a family sized, modern-looking hybrid wagon with 50 percent more cargo area than the original Prius. The Prius v is also six inches longer, three inches taller and one inch wider than its globally popular older relative. There are 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats and 38 inches of leg room. There's also a new rounded exterior design and an extended roofline that allows the Prius to emerge from its staid previous appearance. The Weekly Driver

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Toyota Prius c, 2012: New hybrid's popularity prompts price gouging in Florida

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, who writes for the auto portal High Gear Media, has a story about price gouging for the new and vastly popular 2012 Toyota Prius C, the carmaker's subcompact hybrid. According to the report, a dealership in Coconut Creek, Fla., has taken the concept of inflated sticker prices to an extreme — about one third of the original sticker price. Gordon-Bloomfield was alerted to the situation by a reader who forwarded an image of the extreme price of a Toyota Prius c located at Al Hendrickson Toyota and bearing the words "Market Value Adjustment." Translated, that means price gouging. The 2012 Toyota Prius c, which debuted about a week about at dealers, has a sticker price of about $19,000

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Toyota Prius c, 2012: At less than $20,000 and 53 mpg, it's all the rage

The 2012 Toyota Prius c was destined to attract a lot of attention. And less than a week into its debut, that’s certainly been the case for the smallest car in the Toyota lineup and the most fuel efficient non-plug-in hybrid in the United States. A starting price of less than $20,000 and the dethroning of its older sibling, the original Toyota Prius, as the country’s most efficient fuel-sipping car hasn’t hurt, either. Add it all up and the Prius c, which debuted at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show as a concept car, is EPA rated at 53 mpg in city driving and 46 mpg in highway driving. Combined, the Prius c is rated at 50 mpg, the same as

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Toyota Prius c, 2012: superior mpg, value price equals strong sales debut

The 2012 Toyota Prius c, the new five-door, sub-compact hatchback and the smallest in the carmaker's lineup of hybrids, debuted impressively in its first week on the market. In its first three days of sales since its March 12 debut, 1,021 Toyota Prius c models sold in the United States, According to Toyota, that number eclipses the sales totals for the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf in February. "A number of factors drive the auto market, and fuel prices is one of them,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. “With 53 miles-per-gallon in the city and priced under $19,000, the timing for Prius c couldn’t be better." During the first half of

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Infiniti M Hybrid, 2012: World’s fastest full hybrid combines performance, economy

According to Infiniti, the 2012 M Hybrid luxury sedan features the performance of a V8 engine with the fuel economy of a 4-cylinder. If this sounds too good to be true, consider the numbers: Infiniti claims 0 to 60 in well under six seconds, and up to 32 mpg. Could the M Hybrid be the automotive equivalent of having your cake and eating it, too? The M Hybrid, or M35h, utilizes Infiniti’s new Direct Response Hybrid system, the first hybrid system developed fully in-house by Nissan/Infiniti. The system combines a 302 hp 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 7-speed automatic transmission, and a 50 kW electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery. Total output is a notable 360 hp engine with

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Chevy Volt's love-hate relationship: Image issues remain for car of the year

A few days after its production temporarily stopped because of low sales, the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid has been named the 2012 European Car of the Year at the Geneva Auto Show. It shares the award with Opel Ampera, its European sibling. The Volt won North American Car of the Year in 2011 among several other accolades. But the Volt has also been a controversial newcomer to the green car market. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigated the vehicle after several odd batteries fires. And although the NHTSA reported the Volt wasn’t defective, sales have not improved. General Motors says it has received about 7,000 orders for the Ampera in Europe already and expected to sell more than

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2012 Toyota Prius C gets vast praise as economic hybrid with surprising performance

The Toyota Prius C, the fourth model in the Prius family, is the shortest, narrowest, lightest and thus most fuel efficient of the hugely successful carmaker's hybrid lineup. The gasoline engine in the Prius has been reduced from 1.8 liters of displacement in the original Prius to 1.5 liters, and its dual electric motors are also smaller. Combined, there's only 99 horsepower in the Prius C, while the original Prius has 135 horsepower. The C in the Prius C, according to Toyota, translates to "city," and it's being promoted as a new urban option with superior economy. It makes a lot of sense as fuel prices continue to rise and lower purchase prices in cars continue to attract more buyers.

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Toyota Prius C, 2012: Lightweight city hatchback expands hybrid line

Toyota is expanding its hot Prius hybrid car line with a new, smaller urban-based model. The sporty 2012 Toyota Prius C (for “city”) gas/electric four-door hatchback is aimed at young urban couples. It’s expected to be the “gateway” car to larger, costlier members of the Prius family. The compact Prius C could have been partially inspired by the late British genius car designer Colin Chapman, who won international race championships by making his Lotus cars as light as possible. So it is with the Prius C, based on the Toyota Yaris platform. Automakers are happy to chop just 50 pounds from a car for better fuel efficiency and handling. But the 2,496-pound Prius C weighs about 550 pounds less than

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Justin Bieber gets 2012 Fisker Karma as surprise 18th birthday gift on Ellen DeGeneres Show

Justin Bieber has joined an expanding list of celebrities who own Fisker Karma cars. The pop singer was presented with one of the exclusive $100,000 plug-in hybrids for his 18th birthday March 1 as a surprise gift on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "You work really really hard," his manager, Scooter Braun, said during the presentation. "I always yell at you, 'Don't get anything flashy!' You know, we're not about that. Be humble, be humble. And I kind of broke my own rule." Bieber looked shocked when he walked toward the vehicle. "That's for me?! That's crazy!" Actor Leonardo DiCaprio received the first Fisker Karma made. Former vice-president Al Gore and former Secretary of State Colin Powell also own the unique

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Fisker Karma, 2012: 'The Most Interesting Car in the World?' (video)

Dan Neil, author of the automotive column Rumble Seat in The Wall Street Journal, is now also part of the publication's new video channel on YouTube call "Off Duty." Like the publication's print section of the same name, the new video component features lifestyle videos about music, fashion, and cars. Neil's first contribution is a test drive of the 2012 Fisker Karma — the $100,000, four-seat plug-in hybrid. Built in Finland, the Fisker Karma is partly-funded by U.S. taxpayers. Neil, who won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, describes the vehicle in glowing terms. But he also includes his usual share of criticism. In one passage of his print review, Neil writes: "Meet the world's most interesting car. Every square

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