Hybrid cars and not electric vehicles, are the future of mass market environmentally-responsible transportation, says Toyota Europe’s R&D boss Masato Katsumata. Obviously we would expect any Toyota representative to toe this line, as competitors like Nissan are focusing on the future of electric cars – like the Leaf EV. Speaking at a conference in Cologne,...
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Suzuki is looking to take its small car expertise to new heights (and new distances) by unveiling a new plug-in hybrid concept at the Tokyo Auto Show in just a few weeks. Based on the current Swift platform that is sold in both Japan and Europe, this PHEV uses a 658 cc gasoline engine (0.7-liters),...
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Mazda has announced plans to raise as much as $1.1 billion in capital to invest in hybrid technologies for future vehicles. The news comes roughly 8 months after the automaker laid out plans to improve the overall fuel economy of its vehicles through advancements to gasoline and diesel engines, as well as transmission improvements. Many...
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When concept cars look this road-ready, you can be sure an automaker isn’t just interested in design for design’s sake. Called the Concept PX-MiEV, Mitsubishi will unveil this hybrid crossover concept at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. The vehicle’s name combines the automakers “MiEV” nomenclature, which stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle, with a...
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Honda’s latest concept car (van) that is scheduled to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show, looks like something you might see done to an Odyssey minivan at Hot Import Nights. The reason? It has both the typical minivan sliding rear doors, as well as front “Lambo-style” doors. Honda hasn’t released much info about the van,...
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At next month’s Tokyo Auto Show, Subaru will unveil what it calls the Hybrid Tourer Concept. The idea with this concept seems to be to explore a new area of the marketplace, somewhere between the Outback and Legacy, but with a serious focus on luxury and sport – like the GT/Sportback/Hatchback models being built by...
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Honda has just announced that a revised version of its CR-Z hybrid hatchback will debut at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. Honda has already produced a concept version of this car, but the new one (shown above) is as close to production as concepts get. The design has been toned down just ever so...
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After teasing us with a cropped photo several weeks ago, Nissan has now officially unveiled the refreshed 2010 Altima Sedan, Coupe and Hybrid models with an updated interior and exterior and some new electronic toys. The car doesn’t look all that different on its own, but place it next to an ’09 model and the...
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While the official word from Lexus is that the LF-Ch concept is set to become a premium-level hybrid hatchback in the European market only, Toyota’s luxury arm is also (rather obviously) studying the possibility of bringing the car to North America. Lexus has just launched a new page on its U.S. website, with a link...
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As the shift to environmentally-friendly vehicles continues, the aftermarket has begun to recognize this emerging market and begin catering to owners. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Toyota Prius’s home turf, Japan. On his blog, Japanese tuning industry insider Ben Shaffer (owner of parts importer and tuning houses Bulletproof Automotive and Bespoke Ventures)...
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Land Rover has now officially confirmed that it will build an SUV based on the LRX Concept, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2008. The new model will debut in 2010 as a 2011 model and rumors have suggested it will arrive on June 17th, the 40th anniversary of...
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Fisker Automotive, the company that beat both General Motors and Toyota to market with a plug-in hybrid, has been awarded a $527 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop affordable plug-in hybrids. The majority of the loan will go towards building a new generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that will...
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Mercedes-Benz introduced its BlueZero E-Cell Plus concept car at the Frankfurt Auto show. The plug-in electric Hybrid can travel up to 100km (62 miles) on electric power before the gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the lithium-ion batteries, enabling an extended range of 600km (373 miles). The engine is a turbocharged 1.0-liter 3-cylinder powerplant producing...
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The second of two production-destined hybrids unveiled by BMW at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the ActiveHybrid 7 Series joins the X6 ActiveHybrid to expand the German automaker’s focus on electric-assisted engines. The ActiveHybrid 7 uses the same twin-turbocharged V8 as found in the 750i, but pairs it with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery...
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Alongside several other “Efficient Dynamics” models that were officially unveiled at today’s Frankfurt Auto Show was the X6 ActiveHybrid with no less that 480hp. Using a 400hp twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the X6 and combining it with two electric motors the X6 hybrid achieves a massive 480hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque, enabling it to...
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As Germany’s largest automaker, Volkswagen had big news at the Frankfurt Auto Show today with numerous new models that boast impressive fuel-economy. But even the BlueMotion Polo has nothing on the fuel-economy of the L1 Concept, a tiny two seater that uses just 1.38 liters of diesel per 100 km – that’s 170 mpg. And...
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Hyundai introduced a futuristic crossover concept model, the ix-Metro, at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Drawing inspiration from NASA, science fiction and pine cones (yes, pine cones), the Hyundai ix-Metro was the result of an internal design competition. Design features such as faceted surfaces and triangulating lines along the bonnet, side and rear panels are a...
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After information and photos of Mercedes’ plug-in hybrid S-Class emerged last week, Mercedes has now officially confirmed the car will debut tomorrow (September 15th) at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Better yet, Mercedes R&D boss Dr. Thomas Weber says the technology is likely to debut in production form in the next generation S-Class. “Although it will...
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Notoriously good at keeping secrets, Toyota has decided to blow its own cover and has released a smattering of details on the Auris HSD Concept that will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show tomorrow (September 15th). Designed specifically for the U.K.,the Auris HSD Concept uses the same Hybrid Synergy Drive powerplant as found in the...
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In front of a select audience, Jaguar took the wraps off its Limo-Green Concept, a hybrid version of the company’s newly-released 2010 XJ flagship. The car will appear at the Frankfurt Auto Show starting tomorrow (September 15th). Powered by a 145kw (195hp) and 295 ft-lb electric motor and a 1.2-liter gasoline engine (developed by Lotus),...
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According to a recent report in the U.K.’s AutoCar, Saab is planning a hybrid version of the upcoming 9-5. The system will use a small 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, which will be assisted by an electric motor. Sounding similar to the setup found in the Honda Insight, this will not be a two-mode hybrid and...
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After several teaser images, Lexus has finally released a full selection of exterior and interior images of the LF-Ch Concept, which will officially debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September 15th and head into production next year. Set to compete in the premium compact segment against cars like the Volvo C30, BMW 1 Series...
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Lotus’s engineering department is constantly working on new projects that will make cars not only faster, but also more efficient. The company’s latest project is the Lotus Range Extender Engine, a hybrid drivetrain that serves as an off-the-shelf solution for existing automakers looking for a hybrid engine for a mini-car. By designing this new engine...
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Ahead of its German debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week Fisker has just released the expected fuel economy numbers for the four-door Karma plug-in hybrid. The 403hp luxury sedan has been rated at an impressive 67 mpg (3.5L/100 km). While offering fuel-economy better than vehicles like the Toyota Prius, the Karma promises a...
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