Tag Archives: HybridCar

With the Prius Prime, Toyota delivers nearly the perfect tech car

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The Toyota Prius made hybrids mainstream. In cities like San Francisco, you can't swing an artisanally carved reclaimed-wood stick without hitting at least one of these midsize cars rolling down the street. By sheer numbers (nearly four million sold!...

Mexico City’s new hybrid taxis have a ‘panic’ button

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While President Trump continues to claim Mexico will pay for his big, beautiful wall, our neighbors south of the border are busy spending money on making their largest city safer and less polluted. The Mayor of Mexico City, Miguel Ángel Mancer...

Fisker confirms Q&A outlining Karma woes and fixes, may establish council to talk issues in person

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Fisker Karma mountain drive

Fisker has had more than its fair share of teething troubles with the Karma, but it has to be given credit for going out of its way to listen to early adopters. The hybrid car builder has confirmed to Autoblog that a question and answer session making the rounds is the official result of town hall discussions that have both acknowledged problems and promised fixes where they're possible. The answers we've been given are a mix of sober realities and practical remedies. Drivers hoping for outright hardware upgrades to improve performance with existing Karmas will have to keep wishing; thankfully, a host of firmware fixes are on the way to improve at least the sedan's Command Center system and mirrors. PR lead Roger Ormisher even hints that there could be an in-person council that would tackle concerns more directly than the remote pep talks. We're mostly hoping for the day when Fisker stamps out the bugs and doesn't need the Q&A to put Karma owners' minds at ease.

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Fisker confirms Q&A outlining Karma woes and fixes, may establish council to talk issues in person originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling

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Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling

Most hybrid car drivers will tell you that their world is all about being gentle on the throttle, spending as much time as possible in that electric-only speed range even if it makes a family minivan look speedy. Volkswagen has just claimed a record for doing precisely the opposite: the 2013 Jetta Hybrid is reportedly the fastest production hybrid in the world, having come just shy of a verified 185.4MPH after an all-out assault on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The company did have to modify the sedan to reach the breakneck pace, tweaking the powertrain, wheels and interior to run safely on that atypical surface, but it isn't known to have bumped the 150HP output of the gas engine or the 27HP of the electric motor. We have a hunch that VW's title won't last for long, whether or not we see the claim as valid -- there are a few decidedly more performance-oriented hybrids rolling off assembly lines now and in the future. Still, until there's a more direct challenge, one of the world's more ubiquitous commuter cars is the hybrid speed leader.

Continue reading Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling

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Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker lands former GM exec and Chevy Volt guru Tony Posawatz as CEO

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New Fisker CEO Tony Posawatz

Fisker hasn't had what you'd call the best year so far, but it may have found the ticket to turning its hybrid vehicle business around. Meet Tony Posawatz, Fisker's new CEO -- and, until just weeks ago, GM's Vehicle Line Director. Despite being the second new chief executive at Fisker since Tom LaSorda arrived in February, Posawatz needs little explanation for his sudden rise to power. He's an original member of the Chevy Volt leadership structure and could very well know a thing or two about developing a hybrid car from start to finish. His influence might only be keenly felt when the Atlantic wheels its way towards driveways in 2014, but there's no doubt he's onboard to right the good ship Karma and improve Fisker's reputation in the short term. We wouldn't want to be in GM's shoes as it watches one of its EV-friendly veterans so publicly jump ship, however.

Continue reading Fisker lands former GM exec and Chevy Volt guru Tony Posawatz as CEO

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Fisker lands former GM exec and Chevy Volt guru Tony Posawatz as CEO originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall

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Ford CMax Energi pricing $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall

Ford already spilled the beans on its $25,995 C-Max Hybrid (shown in the vid just after the break), but those anxiously awaiting more surrounding the C-Max Energi can finally start saving a precise amount of pennies. The automaker's first production plug-in hybrid will go on sale this autumn for $29,995 after a federal tax credit, and according to Ford, that's "more affordable than the Prius plug-in hybrid." For those in need of a memory jar, the Energi is expected to deliver 550 miles of total range, representing a 95 mpg equivalent (MPGe) and an electric-only top speed higher than the Prius plug-in. As the Prius bashing continues, Ford is also quick to point out that its Energi will boast 60 more horsepower than Toyota's rival. Those intrigued can visit the source links to see the newly launched "build-and-price" website for the car, and those who reside in the state of California will likely qualify for an extra $1,500 in tax credits.

Continue reading Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall

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Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford’s 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall

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Ford's 2013 CMax Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, will cost you $26k when it arrives this fall

There's no question America's favorite Motor Company faces a hefty amount of competition in the eco-friendly cars department, but the outfit is hoping to lure some green humans away from its adversaries with the upcoming C-Max Energi series. Interestingly enough, but not surprisingly, Ford's touting the 2013 Energi's cheaper price tag -- when compared to something like a Toyota Prius V -- as one of the ride's features, though it's also hoping its combined 550-mile range (PHEV-20) and expected 95 MPGe are good enough reasons for you to spend a cool 26k ($25,995, to be exact) amount of cash on this plug-in hybrid. Ford says dealers are now taking your orders, and that the C-Max Energi will be ready to hit the streets in a few more months.

Update: As one of our dear readers pointed out, the $25,995 price is for the C-Max Hybrid. Meanwhile, we're still waiting to hear just how much the Energi will cost at the time of launch.

[Thanks, Lauren]

Continue reading Ford's 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall

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Ford's 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi’s e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time

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Audis ETron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time

Audi's R-18 e-Tron diesel-electric hybrid has become the first car of its kind to win the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Audi and Toyota both submitted environmentally friendly racers, but the latter's LMP1 crashed, which left the German automaker to a 1-2 finish (while a pair of non-hybrid racers placed third and fifth, respectively). Unlike battery-based hybrids, the R-18 uses a hefty turbo-diesel V6 pushing power to the back wheels, along with a flywheel to recover braking energy and drive a motor attached to the front wheels. The company has revealed that it's actually testing this far cheaper, battery-free system in a production vehicle, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to go a full day on a tank -- give or take the odd rest stop.

Continue reading Audi's e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time

Audi's e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A123 Systems’ new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

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A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

EV battery maker A123 Systems has had a rocky history as of late following a Fisker battery recall, but it may just be turning the corner with a new lithium ion advancement. Nanophosphate EXT widens the temperature range that A123's lithium iron phosphate-based batteries can withstand before losing power: an EXT battery musters 20 percent more power than before when it's as chilly as -22F and can keep over 90 percent of its original capacity after 2,000 full charges, even if it's been run in a blistering 113F heat. The longevity has its obvious advantages for anyone who lives in an extreme climate, but it could also lead to cheaper EVs and hybrids -- the less cooling a car battery needs, the lower the up-front cost and the lighter the car gets. Full production won't start until the first half of 2013, though that's ample time for companies to at least think about slotting Nanophosphate EXT battery packs into 2014 or later cars such as the Atlantic.

Continue reading A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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