Chevy Volt sales will spike in 2012. HOV lane access will trump non-existent fire worries Everyone that follows Chevy Volt and plug-in news closely knows that the fire concerns around the Volt’s battery pack have been blown out of proportion. I think even the politicians leading the charge in the Congressional investigation into the Volt know the Volt is safe. This is about politics and the NHTSA’s handling …

Toyota's Le Man's race hybrid car Using pop culture to sell fuel efficiency As I was web-surfing earlier today I was stopped dead in my tracks by a few images on the AutoWeek home page regarding NASCAR and Le Mans. Emblazoned upon the 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car, in big and bold letters, …

M for Master of hybrid speed Best performance hybrids for the money? Nissan has been a vocal hybrid bear for many years. Instead of choosing to build a hybrid drive, Nissan first leased Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, preferring to instead focus on pure plug-in electric cars. However, eventually…

No doubt, Fisker can design beautiful cars, but is that enough? The Aston Martin of plug-in vehicles didn’t deserve fed backed loans I still remember the first time I saw the Fisker Karma. Even though I’m not much of a car guy, I was moved. However, as I tried to interact with the arrogant stuff, some of …

A rare earth free electric motor Rare earth free Toyota hybrids could be here in 2 years I’ve been following the rare earth story now for a few years, since the resources are so valuable for the production of hybrid and plug-in cars. And it has always been clear that rare earth free hybrid cars are possible, but the real question has been the costs of rare …

The Matrix and the Millennial revolution. It’s the social experience, stupid Advanced infotainment systems. Stylish and fuel efficient compacts. Those two underlying trends will be key to the future of the auto industry, at least the portion driven by millennials and beyond, according to the latest conventional thinking. Oh …

Eco-friendly vehicles are available and ready for consumers. In time they will replace their primitive predecessors and reduce the pollution in the world. Hybrids, electric and biofuel cars are all quality examples of this.

Providing the optimum balance of power and efficiency – the car can achieve 74 miles per gallon, and boasts a maximum power rating of 200bhp – the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4, despite being the first diesel hybrid available, stands strong amongst the many eco-friendly cars that use tried-and-tested petrol hybrid technology. … Green Cars , Diesel Hybrids and electric cars are increasingly in the news, with ranges

Eco-friendly vehicles are available and ready for consumers. In time they will replace their primitive predecessors and reduce the pollution in the world. Hybrids, electric and biofuel cars are all quality examples of this.

A battery challenge for the hybrid industry Buying into lithium hybrids There’s no doubt that consumers are interested in hybrid cars, but there is a big difference between being interested and actually buying a hybrid, and years of consumer data prove that point. Obviously, cost is the biggest hybrid deal killer, but battery worries continue to …

Is it about perception or sales? Prius V extends Toyota’s battery dominance The other day I read some commentary regarding all the different cathode technologies being utilized in lithium ion batteries. This variety, it was suggested, demonstrates all the innovation now underway in the battery space, and the commentary concluded …

Prius provides real bang for the buck according to some studies. At least for some hybrid cars Americans are holding onto their cars longer, an average of 10.8 years, according to the latest data. That means old gas-guzzlers are becoming even bigger gas-guzzlers, not to mention more costly to fuel. And maybe that means hybrid cars are a better deal than many might…