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hybrids

Carmageddon, Hybrid Cars and Diamond Lanes

July 14, 2011 by Geoffrey Styles
with 543 views
17

The looming "Carmageddon" in Los Angeles made the front page of today's Wall St. Journal, as residents there brace for the two-plus day closure of ten miles of the famed San Diego Freeway (I-405) this weekend. The disruption is apparently required to allow for some demolition necessary for the construction of new high-occupancy vehicle (... [read more]

Five myths about electric cars

December 13, 2010 by Marc Gunther
with 1,102 views
5

Mary Ann Wright Today’s guest post comes from three co-authors. Mary Ann Wright is vice president of technology and innovation for Johnson Controls Power Solutions, the largest maker of automotive batteries, including traditional lead acid batteries as well as advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. Evan Hirsh and... [read more]

Diesel Hybrids Arrive

September 8, 2010 by Geoffrey Styles
with 1,039 views
4

Regular readers know I'm a fan of diesel cars, having test-driven some terrific models at recent car shows, as well as renting them on past trips to Europe. For drivers who travel mainly highway miles, the fuel economy benefits of dieselization can approach those of hybrids at a much lower initial cost premium. However, at least in the... [read more]

Super Bowl Diesel

February 8, 2010 by Geoffrey Styles
with 218 views
0

In addition to a pair of well-matched teams and a sufficient dose of fourth-quarter suspense concerning the outcome, yesterday's Super Bowl was the first in several years to feature an ad meriting comment in an energy blog. The subject of the ad was the new Audi A3 TDI clean diesel car, which was recently named "Green Car of the Year"... [read more]

Toyota to double global production of hybrid vehicles by 2012

January 19, 2010 by Ee Mien Low
with 147 views
0

channelnewsasia.com : Toyota plans to double its global production of hybrid vehicles in about two years, positioning such fuel-sipping cars as a core profit earner. The automaker recently notified parts suppliers that it intends to roll out about 800,000 hybrids domestically in 2010, with the figure to be raised to around 900,000 in... [read more]

Hybrid cars in Atlantic Canada

August 1, 2009 by MichaelSmith1
with 147 views
0

By CLARE MELLOR Chroncile Herald Since the third generation Toyota Prius was launched eight weeks ago, 70 drivers in Atlantic Canada have purchased the new hybrid vehicles. Those sales numbers are considered strong given the size of the market, but Stephen Beatty, managing director of Toyota Canada Inc., predicts that hybrids will be... [read more]

Are hybrids actually worse for the environment?

July 29, 2009 by MichaelSmith1
with 191 views
0

By Kevin Harrison We have overcome many problems in our automotive history, usually by conjuring up sensible solutions. Too many people dying in car accidents? Simple, invent seat belts and airbags. Not enough room to haul all your stuff? Turning the trunk into a hatch or wagon should do the trick. Sick of your kids asking ‘are we... [read more]

2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid, 2010 Honda Fit/Jazz hybrid models confirmed

July 23, 2009 by Ee Mien Low
with 125 views
0

greencarcongress.com -> hondanews.info : Honda announced plans to begin sales in Japan of the CR-Z sporty hybrid model in February 2010 and Fit Hybrid before the end of 2010. By combining these two models with the currently available Insight and Civic Hybrid, Honda will further enhance its lineup of compact hybrid models, which... [read more]

Toyota Prius and Honda Insight – Spot the difference?

July 14, 2009 by Tom Raftery
with 124 views
0

 I went to Jerez today to collect the a Honda Insight which Honda offered to me to try out. They are letting me have it for a week. Jerez is about 100km away. I drove there in our Prius and drove back in the Insight. A couple of differences struck me straightaway – First off, the dashboard of the Prius is far clearer – the... [read more]

CAFE Convergence

May 20, 2009 by Geoffrey Styles
with 90 views
0

I would be badly remiss if I didn't comment on yesterday's announcement by President Obama of a comprehensive framework for vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. While I'm not sure I'd go quite as far as one Congressman, who compared it to solving the "energy and economic policy equivalent of a Rubik's Cube", this... [read more]

Hybrids are soooo 20th century

May 4, 2009 by Lou Grinzo
with 98 views
3

One of the things I stress whenever I in casual conversations or presentations is that motor vehicles are right on the cusp of a period of whiplash-inducing change. As you can imagine, I strongly agree with an article posted the other day by Newsweek, Why Traditional Hybrid Cars Are Becoming Obsolete: To most of us, Toyota’s snazzy... [read more]

Paying $300 for Oil

April 17, 2009 by Geoffrey Styles
with 54 views
0

Predicting the future price of oil has always been something of a sucker bet. Although the fundamentals of the moment are relatively transparent, they are subject to interpretation, and future fundamentals--and thus prices--are affected by diverse and daunting uncertainties. I've seen oil-price forecasts ranging from $20 to $200 per... [read more]

Smarter Stimulus

January 30, 2009 by Geoffrey Styles
with 80 views
0

As the US Senate debates its version of the $819 billion economic stimulus bill passed by the House on Wednesday, I hope they will give consideration to a smarter alternative to sweeping income tax cuts, the stimulative effect of which seems questionable. An op-ed in yesterday's Washington Post by economist Martin Feldstein offers a... [read more]

Counterintuitive economics result of the day

June 16, 2008 by Daniel Hall
with 97 views
0

Payback For Many Hybrids Grows As Gas Costs Rise: Higher demand has stiffened sales prices for hybrids and other cars and crossover SUVs with decent fuel economy while dealers and manufacturers are discounting less-efficient conventional gasoline models to try to move them off the lots. That boosts the difference between the retail... [read more]

Grumpy’s News Flashes V

March 8, 2008 by Eddy De Clercq
with 123 views
0

Eskom, the South-African national energy supplier, blocks any new building projects larger than a family home for at least half a year. There is a chronic energy crisis since the beginning of last year, caused by ever growing cities like Johannesburg, resulting in enormous power cuts. South Africa will be the host country for the world... [read more]