Jetta hybrid to use Prius-crunching horsepower Gasoline powered fuel efficient fun? Will there ever be a hybrid that outsells the Toyota Prius, or at least sells as well? If you believe long term automotive forecasts, then you have to believe that someday an automaker will challenge Prius sales. Volkswagen’s new Jetta hybrid will be VW’s response to the Prius, and while the new VW hybrid probably won’t challenge the hybrid…

2013 Ford Fusion hybrid Or is it still about PR and halo products? Great new looks? Check. Luxurious interior? Check. The latest and greatest technology? Check. Outstanding fuel economy? Check. Check. Cost-effective price? To be determined. Without question, the new 2013 Ford Fusion is ready to take on the likes of the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, and adding a plug-in hybrid …

The Leaf is a great car, but can it really change the world? Can the world wait for electrification? I was never much of a car guy growing up. It wasn’t until the first hybrid cars hit the street that autos started catching my attention, especially since code was such a big part of their powertrain, and coming from the software industry…

Killing the American dream one drop of foreign oil at a time. What does America stand for anymore? America. The grand experiment of the Founding Fathers. Democracy. Freedom. Equality. Has it worked? Does driving a gas guzzler that requires massive military protection and intervention of foreign oil supplies, puppet governments, and causes massive pollution prove that America succeeded? That Americans have the freedom to be as careless and irresponsible as we want? …

Even greater protection on the way. No need to depower the Volt after a crash? Following a severe crash in a Chevy Volt today, GM sends a team to depower the Volt involved in the crash to prevent the possibility of a fire days or even weeks after the crash, much like a gasoline car is emptied of gasoline after a severe …

The Chevy Volt is bigger than Obama Time to take a little hype out of the plug-in movement — good and bad Did plug-ins fail in 2011? Is 2012 a make or break year for plug-ins? Should automakers pull the plug on plug-ins if they don’t sell in 2012? Is a Volt failure …

Good old American hypocrisy “No blood for oil” all over again Around the time of the 9/11 attacks I worked in Pasadena, California. And near my office on South Lake St. protesters showed up every Friday afternoon to protest the build up to Iraq. “No blood for oil” was the rallying cry. At first, I was quite …

The original Chevy Volt concept debut Should have been a more conventional hybrid? InsideLine is calling the Chevy Volt one of the two top sale’s flops of 2011, but is that a fair assessment? For years now I’ve panned the Volt as a ridiculous excuse not to build a real …

A Mitsubishi pickup truck concept. Can it keep on trucking to America? The importance of the light duty truck segment in America simply cannot be underestimated. It accounts for 50+ percent of all vehicle sales, and a significantly higher percentage of Big 3 profits. Unfortunately, most attempts at more fuel efficient pickup trucks and…

The Spyder plug-in hybrid The future is inevitable For years now Audi has been a vocal hater of hybrid and electric vehicles, claiming that diesel vehicles offer similar benefits at a cheaper price. But, heading into the future, even hybrid hater Audi seems to realize that hybrid and plug-in powertrains are inevitable. Consequently, Audi plans to spend billions …

Surf: Riding the wave to plug-in sales success? 5,000 sales instead of 15,000? I don’t fit in Beverly Hills. I’m an east side kid, and we’re a little bit more real on this side of LA. But that doesn’t mean the West side is bad. In fact, I lived on the West side many years ago and loved it. Of course, I lived on…

What do you mean it doesn't average 40 mpg? Time for more truth in advertising? Have you seen the 4 x 40 Hyundai rap video? It’s actually kind of amusing, except for the fact the ad is a complete lie. But who cares about the truth these days? Not politicians, nor government agencies such as the FTC. Obviously not automakers. And apparently not consumers either. Maybe America just prefers fantasy …