Hybrid Jungle

The 2009 Prius which will debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto show is expected to get 94 mpg according to U.S. News. The new Prius will receive a 1.8L engine instead of the current 1.5L which would boost the total horsepower to 160 hp, a 50 hp increase. Read the rest of this entry »

Fisker Automotive is currently testing its Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid sedan by rolling out 5 prototypes in Southern California. This is great news as it looks like this car will be available for purchase in the near future. The hybrid vehicle is expected to retail for about $80,000 and they are planning on a Q4 2009 release date. Read the rest of this entry »

UPS recently placed an order for 200 hybrid vehicles and another 300 Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles. UPS has the largest private fleet of alternative fuel vehicles and with this purchase puts them at 2,128 low emission vehicles. Currently they have 50 hybrid delivery trucks, and the additional 200 should hit the road in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota announced Monday that they are pushing their engineers to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle using lithium-ion batteries before 2010. It appears they are looking to beat GM to the market, which plans to release the Chevy Volt in 2010. Toyota also once again confirmed that is planning to develop a new hybrid car for its Lexus division as well as another hybrid for its Toyota lineup. Both are expected to be unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Read the rest of this entry »

Later this month Toyota will be increasing the price of the Prius by 1.8%, which will change the MSRP to $21,500, an increase of $400. The increase is attributed to a stronger yen, which has gained 7% against the dollar this year, and a rise in materials costs. In addition the Camry, Solara, Avalon, Highlander, RAV4, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Land cruiser will also have an increase in their MSRP. The price of the Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, and Tacoma will not change at this time. Toyota will also be raising the MSRP on most of their Lexus and Scion lineups too. You can read the press release below: Read the rest of this entry »

E85 has been classified as an alternate fuel by the US Department of Energy to be used in your Flex Fuel Vehicle. Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) can run on normal gasoline or E85 Ethanol. E85 is the name designated for fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline and you may also hear it referred to as biofuel. It can be produced from many sources but mainly corn, potatoes, barley, and byproducts from the production of paper and food. Any one of these products can be distilled or fermented into a non-consumable alcohol called ethanol. Read the rest of this entry »

Honda has reached an agreement with British Airways to supply over 100 new Civic Hybrids to their fleet. To date, this is one of the largest hybrid fleet contracts in the UK. British Airways had asked a short list of carmakers to submit a proposal for their new fleet, taking into consideration emissions throughout the cars life cycle, from the production of the vehicle to disposal. British Airways must have liked what Honda proposed to them. Read the rest of this entry »

General Electric successfully tested a giant hybrid dump truck that would be used for open pit mining operations. GE took the concept of a conventional hybrid vehicle system and applied it on a grand scale.

The battery packs, which are sodium based, would generate 600 hp and would be able to take advantage of regenerative braking much like what you would see in a Prius. When the driver accelerates, the energy captured from the wheel motors during braking is released from the monster battery packs. These trucks operate in very harsh conditions and it will be interesting to see the durability of the hybrid systems in this type of environment. Read the rest of this entry »

By Roman Robinson

You may be surprised to find out that the United States consumes a quarter of the world’s oil supply but only carries three percent of the world’s oil reserves on its own territory. As a result, America is forced to import over 60% of the oil our country needs, relying more and more on foreign countries, particularly in the Middle East, to support our oil dependency.

Many experts are under the impression that the introduction and popularity of hybrid vehicles in the US will lessen our dependency on overseas oil. Powered jointly by gasoline and electric engines, hybrids use much less gasoline than conventional vehicles and therefore use less oil. Read the rest of this entry »

While most people prefer quiet cars, this is not the case for people that rely on the sound of the vehicles to get around safely. Hybrid and electric cars can be almost silent at lower speeds and may even be a hazard to the 1.3 million Americans who are legally blind, cyclists, runners, children and pets.

Rep. Cliff Stearns and Rep. Edolphus Towns, are sponsoring legislation that would change the way hybrids sound by utilizing a “noise emitting” device that would activate when the car is running in electric mode. Read the rest of this entry »