Plug-in Prius too rationale for electrification hype OPUD: Over-promising and under-delivering the battery-powered future I find it terribly unsettling how often fans of electrification ridicule Toyota. They don’t even use lithium in their conventional hybrid cars, they claim. As if all the lithium powered mild hybrids, full hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars on the…

The larger V couldn't lift Prius sales much in January A 20 percent improvement should feel better than this One might assume that a 20 percent improvement in Toyota’s hybrid sales, led by an 8.6 percent gain in Prius sales, is a great hybrid sale’s story compared to last year. It certainly …

The world's best selling car Forget just US sales, let’s think worldwide Before the end of this decade, Toyota believes the Prius family will outsell the Camry. Whatever. Why not shoot for the moon? Within this decade, could a car like the Prius C help the family outsell the Corolla, and I mean in terms of total worldwide sales? I must admit even the idea …

V – Best new wagon and best resale value in class They weren’t tops in their class, but these hybrids still scored While only 1 hybrid car, the Lexus RX 450h, took best in class according to Kipplinger’s 2012 ratings, a few hybrid cars were picked as best new models in their class. Likewise, many hybrids achieved the best …

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…

The project, using the eco friendly Prius, has advanced to a point where on the road tests are successfully taking place (accident-free too), but there is room for debate on how feasible these cars actually are in real life.

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, …

Can the V's versatility and fuel economy reshape the crossover segment? Doe the V make any sort of sense? So a friend of mine called yesterday to ask my opinion about the new Toyota Prius V, particularly regarding battery life, an interesting bit of synchronicity since I covered this subject in a post yesterday. Ultimately, my friend — let’s call him Stan — is considering the Prius V and …

Fuel efficient camping for 4. Making the Prius even more versatile OK. Toyota Prius haters are only going to shake their heads in total disbelief when I call the Camp Inn Relax Cabin the coolest Toyota Prius accessory ever. Then again, I’m a functionality person when it comes to transportation, and a 50 mpg camper that sleeps 4 is about as…

Fuel efficient camping for 4. Making the Prius even more versatile OK. Toyota Prius haters are only going to shake their heads in total disbelief when I call the Camp Inn Relax Cabin the coolest Toyota Prius accessory ever. Then again, I’m a functionality person when it comes to transportation, and a 50 mpg camper that sleeps 4 is about as practical as it comes. That and maybe …

The 2012 hybrid sales story is all about Toyota Or was it all just about the Japanese supply disruption? If you followed the hybrid headlines in 2011, you might believe the end must be near for hybrid cars, despite recent headlines — even from a major oil company — regarding the alleged massive…

The Tru 140s eAssist hybrid Is GM taking the cost-effective hybrid approach, or refusing to admit failure? In a weird way, I believe that mild hybrid technologies, such as GM’s eAssist could make a lot of sense. As battery costs decline, eAssist — at least it seems to me — could …