Report: Lotus bringing a pair of front-engine hybrids to Paris Motor Show
Filed under: Hybrid, Lotus, Paris Motor Show Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery In addition to the pair of Evoras being introduced at this year's Paris Motor Show, Lotus will also be unveiling two front-engine hybrid vehicles, in keeping with the automaker's promise to offer more gasoline/electric sports cars. Green Car Advisor reports that one of these hybrid cars will be a four-door hatchback and the other will be...
Tesla Roadster eligible for $38,000 clean energy rebate in Japan
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, Green Daily, Japan Tesla Roadster 2.5 - Click above for high-res image gallery Less than four months ago, Tesla Motors entered the Japanese market by shipping a dozen or so right-hand drive Signature Series Roadsters across the pond. The base Roadster, which starts at a rather shocking price of 12.8 million yen ($151,500 U.S. at the current exchange rate) has now been approved for the Japanese government's ...
Coda will sell electric sedan in Hawaii in late 2011
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Coda Automotive Coda Sedan - Click above for high-res image gallery Hawai'i is an appealing place to operate and drive electric vehicles (EVs) for four main reasons: range anxiety isn't a huge issue, there are a lot of eco-minded citizens there (some of whom have spending money), gasoline costs an arm and a leg compared to most of the rest of the U.S., and there is a lot of solar energy potential. Of course, this all mea...
2012 Ford Focus Electric to use liquid-cooled lithium-polymer battery
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Ford Ford Focus EV - Click above for high-res image gallery When the Ford Focus Electric debuts late in 2011, it will now have a feature in common with the Chevrolet Volt besides the LG Chem lithium polymer cells. Ford has confirmed that the Focus will use a liquid cooled battery pack with automatic thermal management just like the Chevrolet. Ford has opted for the active thermal management in order to help maximize th...
Hybrid sales drop off for August; even Prius records a 37.5% decline
Filed under: Hybrid, Ford, Toyota, Green Daily 2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery One month of dreary sales does not spell the end of the hybrid, but the numbers reported for August do hint that without a rise in gas prices, sales of hybrid cars and trucks will likely continue to suffer. As a whole, hybrid sales dropped 40.4 percent this August compared to a year ago and even the industry's volume leader, the Toyota Prius...
Automotive X-Prize: no money until cars pass dynamometer validation tests
Filed under: MPG, Automotive X-PrizeThe on-track testing portions of the Automotive X-Prize are over with, and the vast majority of teams have been eliminated from contention. However, the $10 million in prize money won't be handed out until September 16. Before those checks are signed, the remaining competitors will have to complete a drive cycle on a dynamometer at the Argonne National Labratory. The dyno results will be averaged with the on-tr...
Motive doesn't Bogart cannabis car info, passes us more details
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, North America If our post about Motive Industries hemp composite electric car had you jonesin' for more info, not to worry. We've just scored more straight dope on the green machine that we're only too happy to pass a bong along. All joking aside, the more we learn about the Kestrel, the more excited we get. The concept embodies a great many of the qualities sought after in an electric vehicle, a...
Donnie Bowles scores first win in propane-powered Roush Mustang
Filed under: Ford, Natural Gas, Racing Driver Donnie Bowles has proven that propane can be a winner. At the fourth annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals at Milan Dragway in Michigan this past weekend, Bowles began with "a perfect 0.000 reaction time" and ended with a win following a run of 10.580 seconds at 121.00 miles per hour. Hank Hill would be proud. Bowles was driving a liquid propane-powered Mustang that uses an all-aluminum 5.4-liter, V8 Fo...
Mazda's "uniquely engineered" Sky engines will offer best-in-class fuel efficiency
Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Mazda, Green Daily Mazda6 mules are out there somewhere being tested right now for a planned debut in early 2012. The vehicles feature an entirely reworked suspension, an advanced six-speed automatic transmission and a multi-purpose platform that will underpin several new Mazda models. Mazda sources say that the new 6, with its advanced platform and new range of engines, should be future-proofed for upcoming emissions an...
GM says Chevy Cruze Eco with an automatic will hit 36 mpg highway
Filed under: MPG, Chevrolet, GM, Green Daily 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco - Click above for high-res image gallery General Motors recently slapped a price tag on the ultra-efficient 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco. Starting at $18,895, the compact Cruze Eco isn't the cheapest vehicle in its class, but it will be one of the most efficient compact sedans available whether you opt for the manual or automatic transmission. The Cruze Eco, when equipped with a m...