Try selling an off-the-wall concept every once in a while Have major automakers colluded against out-of-the-box-thinking? Today is the first day of press days at the LA Auto Show, which is supposed to be the green auto show. Yet, there aren’t really that many buzzworthy green debuts expected. Automakers seem too big and stodgy to …

Volt hype drives Cruze sales Is the battery revolution still just too far into the future? Who killed the electric car? The 50 mpg flex fuel Chevy Cruze, or at least it would, if such an ICE-based vehicle existed, and some day soon, it will. In fact, the technologies for such vehicles …

Almost a 1/4 of all car consumers ready to buy a Prius. Good intentions, little action Almost every American — 93 percent — supports higher fuel economy requirements and 81 percent are even willing to pay a premium for a more fuel efficient vehicle according a recent Consumer Reports study. Even better, 56 percent are ready to buy…

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…

Even after a $7500 tax credit, most Americans aren't interested Calls for level playing field for clean diesel and advanced ICE engines Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, a Democratic Congressman from California whom worked under both the Clinton and Bush administrations, has joined with the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars in calls for a…

After a decade still not one legitimate Prius-contender. Is Prius success impossible for other automakers? There is only one way to describe the sales of hybrid cars after more than 10 years on the market: unimpressive. Take away Toyota and hybrid and plug-in penetration would be around 1 percent. So, why can’t other automakers replicate Toyota’s 10+ percent hybrid sale’s penetration in the US? If GM, for instance, offered a hybrid…

Wiring can be a big hidden cost of plug-in charging The ability to charge your plug-in car at home can cost thousands A number of plug-in fans were rejoicing over the fact that Toyota was going to offer a $1000 240 volt charger that included free installation, but that excitement has been squashed. Turns out that Toyota will offer free installation, assuming that all the wiring for a 240 volt charger…

Foreign oil independence? It's all about trucks? That at least 3 percent of pickup truck drivers would buy 40 mpg. That’s become one of the biggest lies in the auto industry these days, but there are many cars that actually achieve 40 mpg in the real world, such as the Toyota Prius or the Honda Insight . But what about trucks? What would it take to achieve …

A home run for GM in 2011? On track for 45,000 sales next year GM CEO Dan Akerson told CNBC this morning that the Chevy Volt was on track for a production output of 60,000 units next year — 45,000 for the US and 15,000 for non-US markets. “Everything we’ve seen is this thing has been a …

On the fence with a Leaf purchase? Rent one for a few days. Largest plug-in car fleet in California Many years ago, when the Toyota Prius was just in its second generation, many potential Prius consumers just weren’t sure what they thought about hybrids. Back in those days I often used to recommend renting a Prius, or another hybrid, for a few days to test the vehicle out. Fortunately, …

The revolution is waiting, but is lithium ready? Can lithium push hybrids beyond 3 percent? Lithium, lithium, lithium. Is it all just hype? When Toyota decided not to use lithium in the 3rd gen Hybrid Synergy Drive and the 3rd generation Toyota Prius , it was hard not to be disappointed. It’s obvious that NiMH isn’t the future of the battery vehicle, whether plugged-in or…

A new vision for the BYD dream? A plug-in promise oversold, but under-delivered When Warren Buffett took a share of BYD Automotive several years ago, not only did I believe that BYD was primed to quickly become a major player in the battery car game, but that plug-ins were going to mainstream much faster than forecast — at least in China. But those dreams didn’t …