Hybrids

If you drive a plug-in car or a hybrid, the chance are you’ll be familiar with the concept of regenerative braking. But although regenerative braking might be the preferred way to slow down a plug-in or hybrid car, it could mean that your car’s traditional friction brakes don’t...

Retail car buyers have to juggle a lot of factors in choosing a car, including image, family approval, and maybe-one-day-I'll-drive-across-the-country dreams. That may preclude a battery electric vehicle like a Nissan Leaf, with its 73-mile range. Commercial fleet buyers, on the other hand, look at...

While some carmakers go down the entirely electric route and others explore different branches of hybrid technology, Volkswagen is best known for its efforts with turbodiesel engines. There's only so much you can do with internal combustion however, which is why Volkswagen's Cross Coupe concept...

As gas prices across the U.S. continue an upward march towards $5 per gallon, demand for Toyota Hybrids is now the highest it has been for nearly four years. On Thursday last week, Toyota reported that sales of all Prius brand hybrids -- including the new 2012 Toyota Prius V wagon -- were up 52...

Last month, Toyota said that it had 2,100 pre-orders for the 2012 Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Now, with first sales of that car being logged this week and dozens of them delivered to dealers, we have a third viable, high-volume plug-in car available to U.S. buyers. Consumers can now buy a pure battery...

When 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters took Honda to Small Claims Court for what she said was misleading and unachievable gas mileage claims, the world looked on with interest. Not everyone thought Peters would win. But when she did -- to the tune of nearly $10,000 in damages --...

Over the past few years, Audi has become increasingly interested in developing a range of all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars under its e-tron brand name. Earlier this week, we told you that its all-electric A3 e-tron test program had officially launched in the U.S. Now the German...

Tuesday next week marks the start of the 82nd Geneva Motor Show. Physically small in size, it's nevertheless one of the biggest events on the motoring calendar and the scene of major launches every year. This year, Lexus is lending us an example of its premium hybrid off-roader, the 2012 Lexus RX...

In the world of plug-in cars, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt may get all the attention, but a new arrival will make it very much a three-car race. The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid is just now arriving at Toyota dealers in California plus a dozen or so other states. While it may look just like a...

"New Bus for London" doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "Routemaster", but the mission is the same - to improve London's busy public transport system, just like the original Routemaster did from its introduction in 1956. But while the original was revolutionary for its lightweight aluminum...

Toyota's last teaser image of the FT-Bh was, frankly, not that helpful. More a collection of geometric shapes than a car, the only clue it gave us was of a Prius-like roofline. The latest teaser images aren't much better, but at least they're evidence of an actual vehicle. Showing details from the...

The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is one of the more eagerly awaited green cars coming this year. With fuel economy projected at up to 48 mpg city, it improves considerably on the well-regarded current Ford Fusion Hybrid, which is rated by the EPA at 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, for a combined overall...

Over the past few years, Toyota has run some pretty unusual ad campaigns for its range of Prius Hybrids, from the cute Harmony TV spot through to the mildly disturbing People Person creation and the downright hilarious Cleaner Than-A-Sheep print ad. Now the Japanese automaker wants you to don...

When it comes to gas mileage figures, we're always told "your mileage may vary". It's when that mileage varies outside of reasonable expectations that people start to take issue, and that's exactly what happened when 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters was unable to match Honda's 50 mpg...

Honda has managed to raise the gas mileage ratings on all of its new 2012 Civic models, including the 2012 Civic Hybrid, which is rated at a combined 44 mpg. In a road test over several days last May, we managed to get a real-world 45.3 mpg over a route that was about two-thirds highway, one-thirds...

Let's imagine for a second that you have a family, and you need a vehicle to transport them around in. However, you're also looking to get a good mix of practicality and gas mileage, as gas prices aren't making those long vacation trips any easier. Your eye may have been caught by the 2012 Toyota...

Toyota’s all-new compact hybrid -- the 2012 Prius C -- isn’t due to go on sale for another few months, but that hasn’t stopped it from being an instant hit in its native Japan. Known as the 2012 Toyota Aqua in Japan, the gas-sipping hybrid has proved so popular that Toyota has...

The Lexus RX 450h, on sale since 2009, is set to gain a facelift this year and a sporty new trim line, to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The 2013 RX will gain some of the styling cues found on the 2013 Lexus GS range, giving the front end a sharper, more aggressive look. The...

Just ten years ago, cars like the 2002 Toyota Prius traded performance for unbelievably-high gas mileage, bringing the concept of eco-friendly gasoline electric hybrid cars to the masses. Recently however, automakers like BMW have used full hybrid technology to give high performance luxury cars...

Toyota is on a hybrid roll at the moment, fresh off the launch of both its 2012 Toyota Prius V wagon and 2012 Toyota Prius C subcompact. It's set to show even more hybrids at the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show. As well as the sleek NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept, Toyota has teased the FT-Bh, a city...