Porsche has decided to begin taking orders for their highly-received 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid. Dealers have been given the go-ahead to begin taking orders for the limited (918 units) $845,000 car. The 918 Spyder is powered by a 500-plus horsepower V8 gas engine which gets assistance from two electric motors producing an addition 218 horsepower. 0-60 times are estimated to be near 3 seconds.

With all the power, one would expect terrible mileage; but the 918 Spyder is said to have a claimed 78 mpg consumption rating on the European cycle (which is always higher than EPA). After a full charge from a regular home outlet, the 918 Spyder will be able to go 16 miles on all electric, before requiring the gas engine. Charging time for the fully-depleted lithium-ion battery is 7 hours on 110V.

Production is expected to begin in Germany starting September of 2013.

Press Release

In order to squeeze out that last mile from a gallon of gas, Ford has come up with the SmartGauge with EcoGuide. It’s essentially a visual meter that lets drivers know when their foot is overly plumbum, coaching them to back off and slow acceleration. Ford was recently granted the two patents that makes their gauge unique from others.

The first patent, granted a few month ago, covers Ford’s unique EcoGuide and how it displays leaves and vines reacting to short-term driving style changes. The second patent, just awarded March 1st, covers the power threshold gauge which measures and displays power demand at any moment, again to help drivers keep the most efficient balance between gas and electric in both the Ford Fusion hybrid and Lincoln MKZ hybrid.

Our own Matt Burns shows the SmartGauge with EcoGuide

Press Release

We drove the 2011 Infiniti M37S a few months back; we liked the car for the most part, but couldn’t seem to get over how much gas it sucked down — even for the V6 we tested. Now, Infiniti has put a hybrid system into the M sedan, improving both power and fuel economy over the V6 in a move Infiniti considers “A challenged notion of what a hybrid should be.”

The 2012 Infiniti M hybrid is set to launch this spring with a few new innovative features for Infiniti. The M hybrid will take advantage of Infiniti’s own (surely with help from daddy Nissan) Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system which consists of a one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid system. The system allows Infiniti to make the claim that the M hybrid is the only car in America with 360 hp and 32 mpg (since european-only diesels can do this now).

Infiniti has advertising powerhouse as Apple, TBWA\Chiat\Day, to help them with the M hybrid. They will begin to run spots starting today for the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. This is Infiniti’s second year with a large brand presence at the tournament. If only the Crimson Tide were to make it in this year.

Press Release

With all the Volt excitement, we haven’t really talked a lot about what other electric offerings GM has planned. GM has a new hybrid system they think can raise fuel economy about 25% higher. It’s called eAssist and it’s somewhat a mild hybrid modifier for existing vehicles. GM already plans to offer this technology in the 2012 Buick LaCrosse and now, they’ve announced it for the Buick Regal.

eAssist is a power management system that aids a gasoline engine. Normal power comes from a 180 hp 2.4-liter Ecotec delivered through a 6-speed auto. Also, there is a 115V lithium-ion battery that powers a 15 KW motor-generator unit to provide up to 15 hp and nearly 80 lb-ft torque of assist during acceleration. Having a motor-generator also allows for recuperation during braking and the battery allows for auto start-stop of the engine at idle.

Unlike the LaCrosse, the eAssist system won’t be available on the base Regal and instead will be an option. “It’s a cost issue,” GM insiders told WardsAuto.

[via egmCartech]

Last year at the NAIAS in Detroit, Cadillac introduced the Converj concept, a vehicle based on the Chevrolet Volt. Most of it’s electronics were shared from the Volt, including GM’s new Voltec power system.  While it was definitely a cool looking car and was much talked about at the auto show, nothing came of it—most concept cars rarely make it further then the tenure of a GM CEO.

GM’s new CEO Dan Akerson, was in Detroit last Thursday where we heard him say that GM will be offering different versions of the Volt, not specifically a Chevy nor a car. Now the speculation is just what will be coming out. Andrew Farah, the Volt’s chief engineer, has recently stated he has been picked as chief engineer for GM’s next electric vehicle. Just what exactly, we don’t know.

Most rumors are pointing towards a plug-in electric Cadillac crossover based on the SRX. Similar to the research already done on the Saturn Vue, the same two-mode plug-in drivetrain will be used, according to anonymous GM sources. Also, a similar non-plugin two-mode hybrid version of the SRX is known to be undergoing testing.

This comes a time where electrification is becoming more accepted in the automakers plans for the future. Akerson is known as being a big proponent for vehicle electrification and was noted that GM is researching ways to double and triple production.

As the Volt has recently rolled off the line into showrooms, many will watch and see just how much consumers are into the whole electric thing. Our guess is that yes, now is the time. One thing is for certain; we simply cannot continue to use limited fossil fuels for energy. These steps the automakers are taking help provide a transition to renewable energy, ensuring a cleaner future.

[via GM-Volt]

For some, the end of 2012 bring upon us, well..the end. For Toyota, the end of 2012 marks the beginning of their conquest to build the largest fleet of hybrid vehicles. With six new hybrids coming, Toyota has stated that hybrids are here to stay and their benefit to us will be great. All of the hybrids will be totally new models.

Of the new hybrids, two will display the L for luxury emblem of Lexus and the other four will be Toyotas. Toyota’s spokesperson said the competition is heating up for green transports, especially since vehicles like Nissan’s Leaf and GM’s Volt are gathering a lot of attention since the introduction of the environmentally friendly electric vehicles. Toyota thinks that offering options in the market will capture the audience better than one single vehicle.

Like the Prius, some of the models will be hybrid-only while others will have the gasoline counterpart. Expect a fully electric version of the Toyota RAV4 SUV, which was developed with their new partner Tesla, to debut this November at the LA auto show.

President Obama wanted his motorcade to be as environmentally friendly as possible. To that end, he requested his presidential limo be a hybrid. That’s nice of him. Unfortunately, the Secret Service said, “Um, no. That’s not going to happen, sorry.”

The deal is that the Secret Service needs the president’s cars to be as sturdy as possible in order to keep him safe. We’re talking reinforced to such a degree that the car ends up weighing twice as much as a standard issue limo. (We can’t have the president riding around in a Land Glider, can we?) A hybrid engine, as good as they are nowadays, simply couldn’t handle all that added weight. So, regular engine it is!

President Obama did say, however, that just because his particular car wasn’t a hybrid doesn’t mean the entire Federal Government’s fleet couldn’t be:

Government purchases an awful lot of cars for all kinds of things, you know we’re — I think we’re the biggest — I’m assuming we’re the biggest car purchaser, maybe — maybe Hertz is bigger, I don’t know. But we’re big. So we are using our purchasing power to help encourage the clean car industry.

I don’t think there’s anything controversial with this story, but you never can tell these days.

Working off of the post from earlier today concerning Lotus adding artificial engine noise to hybrid cars in the name of safety, we thought we might see how a few alternatives might work instead of the boring artificial car engine sound.

The Li-ion batteries would lower the weight of the car by hundreds of pounds, improving handling and mileage. You’ve already got them in your phones, media players, and so on, but adapting them for the high-capacity, high-throughput application of powering a car is a serious endeavor — which must be why Sanyo is pledging nearly a billion dollars over the next couple years to developing the technology.

At CES it was behind lock and key, visible only through a glass cell. At Macworld, though, Casio let me have my way with the camera, and I must say I was impressed by the things it can do, while at the same time wondering why there are some things it can’t.

The camera itself is lighter than a DSLR, that being simply because it lacks the DSLRs intricate mechanics. That’s welcome to we bloggers who, at the end of the day, require the work of three Swedish Bloggirls to get our tightened necks worked out so we can sleep.

It operates much like a DSLR though, with the same sort of switches, knobs, buttons, and lens controls. The lens is static, you can’t readily swap it out as you can with most DSLRs, which is a drawback, but it’s a good lens as is, with a good wide-angle view.

SDHC is the card of choice for the camera, and the battery is said to last long enough to fill up a 4GB card easily, likely stretching all the way to an 8GB including video.

The display is big and bright, much like Yours Truly. When showing video, it refreshes nicely, with no stutter as you sometimes get with point-n-shoots.

What’s really exciting, though, is the fast shutter speed. The camera’s not aimed at casual users, the rest of the Exilim line is fine for that. Nor is it aimed at professionals, or even prosumers; DSLRs are a must for them. The EX-F1 is aimed at niche markets, such as scientists who want to watch a chemical reaction in super-slow-motion, or sports coaches who want to be able to examine exactly where things went wrong, or power stalkers who need to know the exact moment Britney broke down last.

For these people, the EX-F1 bridges a gap that’s left them in the gully of indecision, and it should make many people — but by no means all — very happy when it hits later this year.

If you haven’t heard of Aptera yet, you’ll probably be hearing a whole lot about the company in the coming months. It’s got two models of automobiles coming out next year. One is just about ready — named the Aptera Typ-1 e — which is all-electric and gets 120 miles per charge. The Typ-1 h is a gasoline/electric hybrid that’ll be available in 2009 and is apparently capable of getting 300 miles to the gallon.

Both will cost less than $30,000. That’s a nice price to be able to either rarely or never have to put gas in the thing. Popular Mechanics just took the Typ-1 e for a spin. Click the link below to watch the video.

Aptera Electric Typ-1 e – Video Test Drive – First Look Details and Slideshow – 300 MPG [Popular Mechanics]

We don’t link much to DailyKos here. We try to keep away from politics, lest we finally piss off everyone, but this is something worth sharing. There is a man with an eighth-grade education who has developed a way to mod cars for biodiesel in a way that doubles their horsepower and doubles the gas mileage. It makes them faster and more powerful, using off-the-shelf parts. Detroit says it’s impossible to increase fuel economy without sacrificing horsepower. Jonathan Goodwin says that’s total crap.

In the video above, we see a 1965 Impala Goodwin had modified blowing away a Lambo in a straightaway. It runs clean. This is what we want.

I think the H3 and other large SUVs are horrible, as are the people who drive them. I’m not Greenpeace hippy, but I like to consider myself environmentally responsible. Thus my car is an efficient Kia Spectra. But the nerd part of my lusts after a big, get-the-hell-out-of-my-way tank of a car. If this man has a way to rectify my internal strife, he’s welcome to.

No word yet on if Goodwin will be marketing his skills in any way besides custom work, but he’s now working on a Hummer hybrid with a jet engine. That is so cool. This man is a hero.

Doing what Detroit says is impossible [DailyKos]

On display were six Toyota Prius and Ford Escape vehicles that were modified to run partly on electricity from the power grid. The addition allows vehicles to travel about 75 miles on a single gallon of gas — which is roughly double the distance that current hybrids travel on a gallon.

That’s not really the interesting part though, as similar chargeable cars have existed in the past. The real point of note is that the vehicles can give energy back to the grid. Although the technology is still in the early stages of development, the idea is that the electric company will be able to store power in car batteries during off-peak hours. Then when grid loads increase during the day, the company can draw energy from the cars. Sure it only amounts to a slight amount from one car, but if there were hordes of them, it could equal something more practical.

Another cool bit is that Google has placed the cars in carports equipped with solar cells that contribute heavily to the charging of the cars. I find this to be probably the coolest part of it all. Solar cells charging cars holds a very appealing sort of self-sufficiency to the dirty hippie apparently hiding inside me.

Google and Utility to Test Hybrids That Sell Back Power [NY Times]

The Aptera concept car’s three-wheeled, egg shaped design makes for an incredibly efficient vehicle, purporedly achieving 330mpg. It seats two people, weighs 850 pounds and utilizes a super-efficient hybrid diesel engine. A clear downside of the Aptera, however, is the complete lack of cargo space, a factor that will surely prevent many consumers from becoming early adopters.

Nevertheless, even in light of its oppressively nerdy design and its absence of cargo room the Aptera marks a step in the right direction. As more vehicles of this nature are developed and produced, they will inevitably expand in size, decrease in nerdiness and, in time, eliminate gas guzzling vehicles from the road altogether. Accelerated Composites, the vehicles manufacturer, has vowed to make make this incredible egg available for under $20,000 within the next two years.

Aptera Concept Car [SciFiTech]