Should the lithium revolution be bigger than plug-in cars? It IS the battery, stupid Several years ago, when Toyota announced that lithium would power the third generation Prius , I believed that hybrid cars were about to become commonplace and that the push towards plug-ins would quickly and steadily advance. By 2020 I…

eAssist ready to debut in the LaCrosse hybrid A cheap hybrid, for the luxury segment One day GM’s eAssist mild hybrid powertrain could be the base GM powertrain. For now, however, eAssist is the base powertrain of the 2012 Buick LaCrosse hybrid . While the 2011 LaCrosse started at $27,245, the new hybrid LaCrosse will start at $30,820 for its 25 percent improvement in fuel economy as…

Batteries are green Hybrids and plug-ins are greener Over the years many have suggested that battery powered cars are not really green because it takes more energy to produce such vehicles and this counters their reduced tailpipe emissions. For years, Hybridcarblog has disagreed, citing a number of studies contradicting this dirty claim. And now there is a new study to support the greenness of hybrid and plug-in vehicles. According to Ricardo, while …

If rich, why not be green if the Tesla S looks this cool? Model S: Plugged in and beautiful What’s not to love about the idea of electric cars? The quiet, yet powerful elegance of electron-powered cars is intoxicating to almost all that have ever driven such a vehicle. Unfortunately, while electric cars make uber…

Is GM preparing to move beyond the Volt? Will the Volt be “old” because it’s so common? GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson is intent on reinventing his company with a cultural revolution that embraces a lean, mean and competitive mindset. Additionally, the company is preparing to spend billions on advanced powertrains over the next few years. So, how does…

The future is coming whether we're ready or not Using Detroit to reinvent transportation, and America For almost as long as I’ve been a blogger on the auto beat, I’ve been very critical of GM. At the end of the day, it seems to me that foreign oil dependency is the greatest threat facing the US, and GM just hasn’t been a corporate leader on …

The upcoming Prius C hybrid car New compact Prius hitting the streets Affordable fuel economy. With 50 percent of Americans already cutting back on some purchases because of higher gasoline prices, cheaper and more fuel efficient cars make sense to more car buyers than ever before. Unfortunately, when it comes to the most affordable vehicles, hybrid cars just don’t make the list. However, the upcoming smaller and cheaper Toyota Prius …

One artist's take on the upcoming plug-in Prius sports coupe Fun to drive manual hybrids and plug-in hybrids on the way Probably the biggest criticism regarding many hybrid cars , especially the Toyota Prius , is that they are not very fun to drive. By 2014, Toyota plans to turn that notion upside down by launching…

Can the Leaf overcome its range? Why should you buy a Leaf? So, a new Nissan Leaf ad campaign is going to attack the Chevy Volt because it still uses some gasoline. Why? Based on the comments to a MotorTrend article regarding these ads, these new Leaf ads could be counter-productive. Moreover, is Nissan only …

Shop around. No tax credit, no Volt purchase! Some dealerships taking plug-in tax credits for themselves? Updated 15:46 – Sometimes it’s hard to buy into supply and demand economics. It’s even worse when supply and demand fundamentals favor car dealerships that have rigged the financing game to squeeze every bit of extra money out of typically unsuspecting car buyers. Thus, the fact that some Chevy Volt dealers …

Most affordable Prius and new car value Challenging the economics of hybrids and the psychology of electrification Small cars are hot, or at least a lot hotter compared to historical norms. With high rent and gas prices coupled with low housing prices and wages, the cheaper costs of small cars are beginning to make financial sense. However, while hybrid cars also resonate when gas prices are high…

Cheap gas makes US electrification plans very expensive Are tax subsidies for plug-ins too expensive? “Electric vehicles bring many benefits to society and little to their owners. It is therefore the duty of public authorities to break this chicken-and-egg situation. Governments must provide incentives to car manufacturers and consumers until mass-production makes EVs competitive,” claims Brussels-based Going Electric in a recent report. Ironically, …