Green Car News

  • 2013 Toyota Yaris

    Toyota has admitted that its Yaris small car isn't a marketing priority right now in the U.S. Instead, much of the company's efforts are going into the top-selling Corolla line--but when the firm's next-generation small car hits the streets, things could change. The next Toyota subcompact isn't yet confirmed to use the Yaris name, but we do know it'll be based on the next Mazda2, and built at Mazda's facility in Salamanca, Mexico. Wards Auto reports that Toyota is looking forward to the new small car, and some members of Toyota's U.S. dealer council have already seen photos of the new car...

  • Via Motors extended-range electric truck conversion launch, 2012 Detroit Auto Show
    Via Motors To Show More Plug-In Electric Trucks In Detroit

    Electric vehicle startups come and go, but it's harder to ignore one fronted by "father of the Chevy Volt" Bob Lutz. That startup is Via Motors, producer of electric trucks, and it's set to unveil three new full-size electric vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Diversifying from mere work...

  • Tesla Supercharger fast-charging system for electric cars
    Tesla Supercharger Network Expands Into East Coast

    The 2013 Tesla Model S comes with one feature no other electric car can match: free quick-charging at an expanding network of Supercharger stations, usable only by Tesla owners. Following its October launch between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, the network now includes a station along...

  • 2014 Mazda Mazda6
    2014 Mazda6 Sedan: 31 MPG Combined (Or So), But Not For Sale

    In olden days, new models for the following year came out in September. Now, they're all over the calendar. The latest example is the 2014 Mazda Mazda6 sedan, of which several hundred already sit in Mazda showrooms across the country. Its highly efficient 184-hp SkyActiv 2.5-liter four-cylinder...

  • 1914 Detroit Electric car, Schenectady, NY, June 2011 - original lead-acid batteries
    Could Hybrids Use Lead-Acid Batteries? Startup Says Yes

    It's quite easy to forget that cars have been using batteries for years before hybrids and electric vehicles arrived. The humble lead-acid battery, the planet's most recycled product, has been starting engines and providing power for car electrics ever since such a thing was required. Now, battery...

  • Christmas lights [Image by Flickr user Andy Peters]
    'Twas The Night Before Christmas ...

    'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Elon soon would be there. The Green Car Reporters were sat at the desk, Reading through comments and some were grotesque...

  • 2012 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ

    Starting with its rollout in the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, GM has steadily added its eAssist mild-hybrid system to an expanding roster of vehicles. Next year, it will be offered as an option on the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox and the 2014 GMC Terrain, which will be the first crossover utility vehicles to receive the system. The news was reported by GM Insider this morning, based on Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) cards issued by General Motors for 2014 models. UPDATE: GM representative Joe LaMuraglia contacted Green Car Reports to say the original report was incorrect. The VIN card located by GM...

  • Lexus Flying Luxury Cruiser - Santa's transport this Christmas
    Lexus Sleighs The Competition With Hybrid Transport For Santa

    You can't trust reindeer these days. Must be that celebrity status. With Christmas days away and Santa's lazy hoofed helpers sunning themselves in Hawaii on a last-minute travel deal, it's taken Lexus to come up with a solution for those vital Christmas deliveries. Last year, Ford provided the...

  • 'Revenge of the Electric Car' premiere: Bob Lutz arrives in a Chevy Volt
    Electric Cars Are Doing Just Fine, Says Volt Patron Bob Lutz

    Sometimes the glass is half empty, sometimes it's half full. For the future of electric cars, count Bob Lutz on the half-full side--most likely containing a very nice Scotch. Lutz is not only the former GM product development czar, but the man who pushed through the Chevrolet Volt range-extended...

  • 2012 Lexus RX 450h
    Global Lexus Hybrid Sales Pass Half-Million Mark

    Luxury automaker Lexus has hit a major milestone in hybrid sales: Half a million units. Since the company's first hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h hit the roads in 2005, over 506,000 have followed. And it's the RX hybrid which is still the best-selling line, making up over half of Lexus's total hybrid...

  • Polar Charging Post and Nissan Leaf
    Canada To Boost Electric-Car Charging Station Networks In Provinces

    Electric car availability is low in some Canadian provinces, but as that changes, some companies have already begun to set up charging networks. As with the U.S. and elsewhere around the world, electric cars are expected to be most prevalent in larger cities, such as Toronto, Montreal and...

  • Smog in Hong Kong [Image by Flickr user inkelv1122]
    Hong Kong, Choked By Smog, Bans Most Polluting Vehicles

    Choked by smog, the city of Hong Kong has finally cried "enough!" Despite setting clean air targets, the city's smog problems have been increasing every year, and authorities have finally brought in measures to ban the highest-polluting vehicles. According to Bloomberg (via Treehugger), that...

  • 2013 Nissan Leaf (Japanese trim)

    If you want a Nissan Leaf then getting one before the start of January could net you a hefty cashback offer right now. Some Nissan dealers are advertising a $9,775 cashback offer direct from Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp (NMAC), Nissan's car finance arm. The offer has been running since the start of December, and ends on January 2, 2013. Details on the offer through the dealer websites are limited, but the offer appears to apply solely to lease customers. The cashback deal should clear Nissan's current stock of Leaf models, before the updated 2013 car is revealed at January's Detroit Auto...

  • GM and PSA Peugeot Citroen alliance
    GM And PSA To Collaborate On Future European Small Car Designs

    General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen have penned an agreement to merge their future European small car development program, as well as focusing efforts on building a fuel-efficient, high performance small-displacement gasoline engine. The brands have abandoned plans to jointly develop a midsize...

  • Tesla Model S
    Tesla Reveals European Pricing For Model S Electric Sedan

    Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has announced European pricing for the Model S, set to go on sale there next year. Speaking on the Tesla Blog, Tesla vice president George Blankenship revealed that the company is using a transparent approach to European pricing, making no more profit per car than it does...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
    Fusion, Altima Get IIHS Top Safety Pick 'Plus'; Prius V, Camry Fall Short

    Ford and Nissan are celebrating the results of the latest round of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash testing--but rival Toyota won't be quite so joyful. The 2013 Ford Fusion and 2013 Nissan Altima have earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, a new level above the previous Top Safety...

  • 2014 Nissan GT-R (Japanese spec)
    Hybrid Rumors Persist For Next Nissan GT-R Sports Car

    Once the perserve of the Japanese domestic market and the occasional videogame, the Nissan GT-R has subsequently become a performance icon. In its current iteration, it produces 545-horsepower from a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6. 60 mph arrives in around three seconds and de-restricted it'll do...

  • Delphi wireless charging system for EVs
    Wireless Electric Car Charging: Steady Growth Through 2020

    Wireless charging is nothing new--but it could be the next widely-used technology in the world of electric cars. That's according to Pike Research, which suggests wireless charging sales will surpass 280,000 by 2020. The group cites the partnerships of several electric vehicle manufacturers with...

  • Toyota's Everyday Drive website highlights the advantages of the Prius Plug-In

    While purchasing a hybrid vehicle is a relatively easy decision these days, the purchase of a plug-in hybrid can be significantly more difficult to justify, thanks to its greater expense. In terms of the Toyota Prius, a 2013 Prius Two with no options can be configured with a sticker price as low as $24,995, including destination charge. The least expensive Prius Plug-In, meanwhile, would sticker at $32,760, also with the destination charge factored in. While the Prius Plug-In comes as well-equipped as a Prius Three, we’re more interested in comparing the least-expensive variant of each...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model
    Sales Of Hybrids & Electric Cars Surge 73% In 2012

    Eco-minded shoppers have seen environmental issues take up more space in the news, and they've known that it was simply a matter of time before those concerns began affecting the sorts of vehicles we drive. Now, mainstream consumers are beginning to see the light. The change hasn't come overnight...

  • Vauxhall Ampera range-extended electric car
    Don't Like Your Vauxhall Ampera (Chevy Volt)? Simply Give It Back!

    With the holiday season in full swing, many will no doubt experience the small disappointment of receiving a gift they neither like, need, or want. It's a mere inconvenience and probably won't distract from the season's high points, but it's a different story if you've gone out to buy something...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012
    Ford Hybrid Sales Go Gangbusters Despite Mileage Concerns

    Ford may yet have to account for discrepancies between real-world mileage and EPA ratings on its hybrids, but any issues certainly aren't harming its sales. The company reports that the C-Max hybrid has become the fastest-selling hybrid ever, with 8,030 units sold in its first two months on sale...

  • Hiriko folding electric city car
    Hiriko Folding Electric Car Now Set For Production

    One of the most novel electric vehicles we've seen in recent years is the Hiriko. The Hiriko is designed for inner city car sharing schemes, initially in Europe but also touted for some U.S. cities. And it has a party piece: The Smart-sized electric vehicle can effectively fold in half to fit tiny...

  • 2012 Mitsubishi i
    Mitsubishi: "We Can Compete On Price With Electric Cars"

    Mitsubishi's sole electric vehicle, the 'i' city car, isn't a vehicle to suit all tastes. The odd styling, limited range and high price will put off many, but don't discount Mitsubishi just yet--as their electric range is set to grow over the next few years. The company remains committed to the...

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