Lutz told me that, by 2025, 20 to 25 percent of new car sales will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery electric “merely because of government regulations — by 2025, American auto fleets will have to achieve 54.5 mpg.” And he added that European regulations are … Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has called for a new “road map” for green cars , and the EV…

Another plug-in from BMW. Reliance upon batteries critical to luxury maker survival? Most luxury automakers rarely cause me much excitement. Tesla pumps up my heart rate a bit, and I really like the Lexus CT 200h — if only the Prius C could have borrowed that body. Overall, however, it’s doubtful that luxury auto companies are going to be the key…

Cheaper hybrid price + gov incentives = Japanese Prius success Tax incentives and cheaper hybrid costs working in the land of the rising sun As the American press continues to sell the decline of hybrid sales in 2011, apparently unable to deduce that a massive earthquake and tsunami almost wiped out hybrid supplies coming out of Japan — the bulk of all hybrids made in …

Integrate it into the Camry now. Now that’s no science experiment By the end of this decade the Prius family could outsell Toyota’s money-maker, the Camry, according to some company statements. However, the NS4 plug-in hybrid concept suggests that maybe Toyota is having second thoughts about using…

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 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…

Eco friendly cars have emerged as an answer to the soaring fuel prices and factors that lead to global warming. Companies … This car has a plug-in hybrid platform, V12 TDI diesel engine, 6L bio diesel , and an R10 based twin-turbo. It has four …

Volt in a California carpool lane While qualifying for additional tax credits GM is adding a Low Emissions Package to all 2012 Chevy Volts sold in California that will enable the new Volt to both qualify for HOV access in California and also a $1,500 rebate under California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. Carpool lane access…

Is it a hybrid, an EV, a plug-in hybrid? Despite making battery vehicle nomenclature even more confusing The new Suzuki hybrid/EV plug-in concept is actually one of the more interesting plug-in concepts to hit the light of day in some time, but a hybrid/EV? Can’t we just call it a plug-in hybrid? Like the Chevy Volt , which GM calls a range extended EV, the…

Just not enough EV range for American consumer psychology. Americans want everything in their cars, and that challenge will be difficult for EVs to overcome The bulk of my driving for the last several years has been dominated by distances that just aren’t battery electric vehicle friendly. Thus, if I had to buy a plug-in, it would have to be some…

Plug-in hybrids: All about the Benjamins All about driving needs and tax credits As the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid heads to market and the Chevy Volt continues to ramp up production, these two plug-in hybrids will begin to face ever greater competition. But is one of these plug-in hybrids obviously better than the other? More…