Hybrids
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Now that the 2010 Toyota Prius is available at most Toyota dealers, at least for test drives, we're waiting for its half-brother--the 2010 Lexus HS250h--to appear at Lexus stores around Labor Day. We've wondered for awhile what kind of sales Lexus expected, and now Automotive News reports that the sales goal is about 25,000 units for its first full year. For perspective, that's roughly 14 percent of the sales goal of 180,000 Priuses over the same period. In 2008, Lexus sold 260,000 cars and light trucks, or 12 percent of Toyota's sales of 2.2 million vehicles. Netting out light trucks, the...
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Jaguar Extended Range Hybrid Two-Seater In The Making
Jaguar has been undergoing a transformation. They've changed parent companies, they've produced new, attractive designs targeted to younger buyers, and they've improved vehicle quality. And like most other carmakers, they're positioning themselves to go green (or at least improve their corporate...
Robert Scardino -
Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle On The Cool Factor
Very few people in the world have months of experience behind the wheel of both a Toyota Prius and the new 2010 Honda Insight. Our 16-year-old Silicon Valley correspondent Kyle is one of those few people, and we asked him to sum up the pros and cons of the two cars. His impressions roughly map to...
John Voelcker -
Daimler Trucks Gives Diesel-Electric Hybrid To Forgotten Harvest Charity
With all of the accusations of libel and slander going on these days in the EV world, a story about charitable giving to a community in need is refreshing. So prepare to be refreshed. Daimler Trucks North America has donated one of its Class 7 Freightliner, diesel-electric hybrid box trucks to...
Robert Scardino -
2011 Jaguar XJ To Be Latest Luxury Hybrid?
A gas-electric version of Jaguar's big sedan is in the works--and owes something to the Chevrolet Volt.
Martin Padgett -
GM Pulls The Plug On Malibu, Vue Hybrids
Chevy's midsize Malibu sedan has enjoyed widespread praise among automotive media, but one version of the vehicle is conspicuously absent from GM's plans for 2010. The Malibu Hybrid will no longer be available next year, as GM continues to whittle away at its product lineup. The Hybrid achieved an...
Robert Scardino -
Kyle, our high-school correspondent, spends a lot of time driving himself among classes, sports events, and the other commitments in a heavily scheduled teenager's life. And often it's not just him in the car. Remember the old days of riding around with your friends? Kyle does his share of carpool duty for friends, so accommodation for people and stuff is an important part of any car for him. How does the interior space for people and stuff compare? The Prius has a noticeable amount of extra room compared to the Insight. I haven't needed all the extra room yet, but the Prius is a relatively...
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Hybrid Ferrari To Launch At LA Auto Show In December?
It's obviously green supercar day here at GreenCarReports. No sooner had we written about Lamborghini's green vehicle plans than more info popped up on our previous story about the plans for Ferrari hybrids as well. Editor Eddie Alterman from Car and Driver writes that a concept could debut at the...
John Voelcker -
Anxious Lamborghini To Follow Ferrari, Launch Hybrid Supercar
First Ferrari frightened purists everywhere with news that it's designing hybrid electric systems for future Ferraris. Now competitor and fellow supercar maker Lamborghini is joining the purity parade. Rather than the patent drawings that sparked the Ferrari kerfuffle, Lambo issued a text-heavy...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle Drives Each One
Yesterday we introduced Kyle, our Silicon Valley teenage reviewer who's only ever driven hybrid cars. He's now been using a 2010 Honda Insight for two months after driving the family's Toyota Prius for six. Our first piece yesterday covered Kyle's overall impressions; over the next few days, we'll...
John Voelcker -
VIDEO: GM Plugs Electric Cars in New Reinvention Commercial
After months of avoiding bankruptcy like the plague, a new advertisement from General Motors tells us it's not so bad after all. The "Reinvention" commercial (see the video below) pairs nationalistic imagery with a message of a company determined to sell better, more relevant cars. "There was a...
Robert Scardino -
Toyota Prius vs 2010 Honda Insight: Kyle's Unique Comparison Test
It's one of the most hotly debated matchups in the auto world these days: How does the Toyota Prius compare to the new 2010 Honda Insight? Lots of car sites have compared the Insight to the 2010 Toyota Prius, including us. We've also turned to an expert for help. Our latest correspondent, Kyle, is...
John Voelcker -
General Motors has enlarged and expanded the battery laboratory at its Warren, Michigan, technical center. The new lab, the company said today, is the largest and most advanced such site in North America. The lab was first shown to the public last summer as the site where packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt expanded-range electric vehicle were tested. Now, GM has quadrupled its size to 33,000 square feet. More than 1,000 engineers will research, design, and test battery systems for hybrids and electric vehicles. Those systems include the packs that hold arrays of cells, the cooling and safety...
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Texas Governor Perry's Prius Problem: How Many Hay Bales?
Texas is pickup country, as a visit will confirm. It's one reason Toyota builds its full-size Tundra pickup truck there. But Texas governor Rick Perry overstepped last year when he sneered at the ability of the Toyota Prius hybrid to hold hay. Austin American-Statesman humor columnist John Kelso...
John Voelcker -
2010 Toyota Prius Takes Best-Selling Title In Japan
The battle between the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight continues to rage in Japan, where the 2010 Prius became the best-selling car for the month of May. It wrested the crown away from the 2010 Insight, which had become the first hybrid ever to lead the list when it took the top spot...
John Voelcker -
May's Most Popular Posts: 2010 Toyota Prius Reference Guide Rocks, Again
Readers are eager for all kinds of information on the new 2010 Toyota Prius, though a Prius-Jetta TDI comparison sneaks into 5th place
John Voelcker -
Stupid Prius Videos (With Billy Ray Cyrus Bonus!)
From Miley Cyrus parking in a handicapped slot to geeky multi-culti Prius rap, we give you grim Prius idiocy on the way to the weekend
John Voelcker -
Business Week on 2010 Toyota Prius: We Like It. We Really Like It!
Reviewer lauds fuel economy, peppy driving, and spacious interior, even if it drives
John Voelcker -
Any worthwhile discussion of today's best supercars mentions the Audi R8. It's a car that looks like it was sent to Earth from an alternate, more advanced (but clearly benevolent) dimension. The interior is as luxurious as they come. Not to mention the performance, which rivals that of Ferraris priced five times higher. News related to upcoming R8 models makes headlines. Lately the conversation has focused on the convertible version of the Bavarian beast known as the Spyder, which is slated for 2011 production. The Spyder is expected to appear at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September...
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US Supplies of 2010 Toyota Prius Limited By Japanese Demand?
Supplies of the eagerly await 2010 Toyota Prius could be affected by unexpectedly high demand in the Japanese domestic market
John Voelcker -
One-Millionth SYNC Vehicle: CEO Alan Mulally Delivers Steve Ballmer’s Milestone Ford Fusion Hybrid
SYNC and the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Cross a Milestone
Jonathan McGrew -
NADAguides.com Calls Fusion Hybrid 'Hidden Gem'
Vehicle valuation company, NADA Appraisal Guides, published a list of five 'hidden gems of the auto industry' today. The Buick Enclave, Pontiac G5, Volkswagen CC, Lincoln MKS, and our favorite, Ford Fusion Hybrid rounded out the list. NADA describes the Fusion Hybrid as 'easy on the planet, easy on...
Robert Scardino -
Spied: Dodge Ram Hybrid
The Hybrid HEMI is on the prowl again. The folks at Leftlane News got some new pictures of what will become Dodge's only hybrid model: the Ram pickup truck. This comes after Chrysler pulled the plug on hybrid versions of the full-size Aspen and Durango SUVs a short time ago. The Hybrid Ram uses...
Robert Scardino -
Driving the 2010 Lexus HS250h--The Fancier Sibling of the 2010 Toyota Prius
It's fancier, heavier, quicker, and a bit less fuel-efficient, but the 2010 Lexus HS250h shares a lot under the skin with the 2010 Toyota Prius
John Voelcker