In an unusual hybrid, British industrial designer Phil Pauley created Marine Solar Cells that harness energy from both the sun and water.
The web of energy generators capture energy off-shore, using a combination of floating photovoltaics and natural buoyancy displacement. Thanks to the reflective nature of water, the solar component’s efficiency is up to 20% greater than it would be… → Read More
If you thought Android and clamshell handsets won’t fit, think again: Sharp today introduced [JP] the so-called AQUOS PHONE THE HYBRID 007SH, a flip phone running on Android 2.3. It’s the first of its kind (at least by a major company), but that’s not all the device has to offer. → Read More
Mi-ray is Korean for ‘future.’ Does that mean the Mi-ray concept is going into production? Probably not, but clearly shows Chevy still has it in them to design cutting edge concepts that push forward the perception of people movers. The just-unveiled Mi-ray mid-electric concept was designed the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul, which is only fitting as the concept debuted at the 2011 Seoul… → Read More
Green vehicles were the focus of this weeks North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Many carmakers are finally coming out with product lines full of new electric or electric-hybrid vehicles. And by “many,” think “everyone” in some way — even Porsche. So, it comes as no surprise that, along with the new Audi A6, comes the A6 Hybrid.
The A6 Hybrid is part of Audi’s Electrification… → Read More
Given all the apparent excitement surrounding electric vehicles and the billions invested by automakers, financial firms and government incentives, you would assume there was a groundswell of consumer support for hybrid and battery electric cars underlying this momentum.
Unfortunately, according to a J.D. Power and Associates report released this morning, we may be on the electric car bandwagon… → Read More
McLaren Automotive knows how to make supercars and a recent job posting seems to indicate that the automaker is at least exploring the possibility of a hybrid model. This is in line with other leaders in the sports car industry as both Ferrari and Porsche currently have at least one hybrid variation of a sports car. Mercedes and perhaps even Toyota have electric supercars coming, which seems… → Read More
We have reported about electric bicycles multiple times in the past, but today Sanyo in Japan announced [press release in English] the “eneloop Hybrid Bicycle” whose battery riders can actively charge while pedaling on flat roads. Previous models, for example this one Sanyo released in 2008, mainly harness energy from braking when the bike goes downhill (“Loop Charge Mode”). → Read More
Raidon showed off their new HyBrid drive enclosure recently, a strange combination of an SSD drive enclosure and a SATA enclosure. It’s not an external device mind you, but rather an internal drive cage that will read and write to the SSD, and then mirror the process to the SATA drive. → Read More
Soon nearly every manufacturer and brand will have an electric vehicle in its lineup. Well, soon might be relative, but at least VW is getting into the game with an EV version of the Up! hatchback that debuted at the L.A. Auto Show last week. Plus, the next-gen Beetle will be offered in the States with an optional clean diesel engine. The greenies at the Copenhagen Climate Summit are probably… → Read More
Hybrid commercial vehicles are the answer to the environmental crisis, not passenger vehicles. Sure, your Prius is greener than, say, a Suburban, but even the large GM SUV has a lot smaller carbon footprint than full-size commercial vehicles. But slowly hybrid powertrains are being tested for commercial applications. NYC is currently testing a garbage truck that uses a 120-kilowatt electric motor… → Read More
The world’s No. 1 auto maker Toyota has announced [JP] it will exhibit a four-seat electric car at the 41th Tokyo Motor Show for the first time (the show opens October 24 and will run through November 4). It’s sized at 2,730×1,680×1,490mm. Visitors will also get to see an update of Toyota’s hybrid car Prius at the show. → Read More
Toy maker Takara Tomy’s mini vehicles are being sold everywhere in the world. Marketed as Penny Racers in the US and Choro Q in Japan, the series so far includes mini helis, trains and even small UFOs that attack Tokyo. And now the company has announced Choro Q Hybrid mini cars [JP] for the Japanese market. → Read More
I’ve said over and over again, along with a lot of other people, that hybrid technology would make the biggest environmental impact if used in delivery trucks, municipal vehicles, and mail trucks. Vehicles like these are often limited in range but are gas hogs that travel in low gears where hybrid technology can really shine. Plus, the fuel savings of even 10% can be immense when a whole fleet of… → Read More
Ready for more hybrid vehicles? Sure, why not, right? Honda is set to release two new hybrid vehicles next year: the CR-Z and Fit/Jazz. Both should come equipped with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system and further demonstrates that hybrid technology will soon be a standard option on most vehicles. There isn’t anything real exciting about either of these two new cars besides… → Read More
http://www.hulu.com/myspace/http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehulu%2Ecom%2Fwatch%2F53236/embed/NyvlaHJGUU6SIbsrwnKUrw Remember that episode of The Office when Andy uses his Prius as a stealth ramming device and lodges Dwight into some bushes? Japan, the land of everything mystical and wonderful, must have seen that episode too and has some issues with the quiet demeanor of hybrids. They are the best selling… → Read More
I was wrong, way wrong. I stated that a team of drivers, including hypermiller Wayne Gerdes and NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, could not drive a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid over 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas. But the team ticked over the 1,000 mark with a 1/3 tank of gas left and proceed to drive an extra 445.7 miles. In all, the drive was 47 hours of continuous driving done by an entire team of… → Read More
I say no, but that’s just me. What do I know, I just spent 10 days driving 3,200 miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. But I’m not hyper-miller Wayne Gerdes or NASCAR driver Carl Edwards who are about to attempt this feat by spending 43 continues hours driving the hybrid a 1,000 miles. Ford states that the car will need to average 57 mpg to achieve the goal, which I guess is possible even though I… → Read More
Note: This is the auto that Ford gave to us to drive across country. In all we drove more than 3,200 miles from Dearborn, MI to San Francisco, CA. It was one heck of a test drive and we gave away some sweet road trip gear along the way. Missed those? Final contest here and here. The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the latest to join a growing crop of hybrids that doesn’t look like a traditional… → Read More
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (yes, it does really exist) has released a top ten list of the most fuel-efficient cars sold last year in Nippon. The result: Toyota’s Prius (pictured) is No. 1 in the standard and small-sized vehicle category whereas the Daihatsu Mira tops the light vehicle segment (vehicles with automatic transmissions only). → Read More
God bless the Internet. The Opel Ampera was suppose to make a Geneva Motor Show debut but the Volt’s cousin has been completed exposed early. Judging by the pics too, it seems that American car buyers are getting the short end too cause this Opel, well, she’s a looker. More pics after the jump. → Read More
Top Gear is out to show the world that you don’t need a brand new hybrid car with a $25k price tag to be eco friendly. Their goal: Build a car that can get 70 mpg for only $7,000 and can hit 60 MPH in under 7 seconds. It’s called…The Sipster. → Read More
After a quick breathalyzer test at 11:30 am, we were granted access for a spin in Ford’s upcoming escape. Overall, we came away impressed with the drive but curious about the plug-in’s price will be set at for the 2012 model year. Will it be higher than the seemingly inferior Chevy Volt? Ford’s being tight lipped ’bout it probably while it surveys the every-increasing plug-in market. After driving… → Read More
Honda recently unveiled the second generation Honda Insight and we spend sometime with the Prius-look alike. The interior has a futuristic look that you know was done on a budget thanks to the cheap plastic. The dash cluster is not only fun, but functional, with the tach center located and the speedo housed alone above the main instruments. The radio and HVAC controls continues the plastic and… → Read More
Hybrid and plug-in vehicles have been plagued by poor battery performance in the past. The next-gen rides simply do not offer that much MPG improvement because of the lackluster batteries, but LG Chem and STMicroeclectronics are working on something new. By harnessing a more powerful and efficient battery management chip, they hope to improve lithium-ion batteries enough to deliver 1600V… → Read More
Plug-in electric vehicles might, one day, be a big hit but the Poulsen Hybrid kit will allow compact car owners a piece of the action early. The upgrade works by incorporating two electric motors on each of the drive shaft-equipped wheels in a moon rover-type fashion. (FWD or RWD compatible) These motors do not drive the wheels entirely but rather provides an extra gas saving boost while… → Read More
Honda has developed an ecological drive assist system [JP], which will be used in a new Insight hybrid model that is scheduled for release next spring in Japan. The system is based on three different functions: → Read More
Let’s say that Congress refuses to give some of that bailout money to Detroit—does that effectively kill off electric cars like the Chevy Volt? That depends on who you’re talking to. → Read More
The Chevy Volt, Detroit’s answer to the Toyota Prius, just became a lot more advantageous, tax-wise. That is, of course, provided you can afford the $40,000 price in the first place. Tucked in that bailout package that Congress passed last week is a $4,000 tax credit for cars that have a 4 kWh (or greater) battery. Right now, the only car that meets that is the Volt. Such tax credits top out… → Read More
Spy shot of Honda’s new hybrid car (unconfirmed) Honda yesterday announced they hope to sell 100,000 units in North America of a new hybrid car slated for release on April 22, 2009 (Earth Day). The five-door, five-passenger vehicle lower is planned to not only be cheaper than the current Civic hybrid model (base price in the US: $22,600) but also to outperform Toyota’s hybrid market… → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
