Green Driving
Japan Orders Toyota to Investigate Prius Brake Complaints
Posted: Feb. 03, 2010 10:02:40 a.m.
Toyota dealers may have been forced to stop selling eight of their most popular models, but at least they’ve got one hot seller left that no one has questioned, right? The iconic Prius was left out of the recent recall over possibly defective gas pedals. The Prius, however, may have other safety problems -- and once again, a government has had to force Toyota to take them seriously.
The New York Times reports, “The Japanese government said Wednesday that it ...
GM to Design and Build Electric Motors In-House
Posted: Jan. 27, 2010 10:01:08 a.m.
General Motors has announced that it will become the first major domestic automaker to produce electric motors in-house. Left Lane News says the Big Three automaker will invest $246 million in its U.S. electric motor facilities.
That may seem like a lot of money for a company that emerged from bankruptcy just last year, but rest assured that GM has a little help from an old friend. CNN Money says it was “selected in August by the U.S ...
Cadillac Goes Hybrid with the XTS Platinum
Posted: Jan. 13, 2010 10:01:23 a.m.
Cadillac has unveiled its replacement for the STS and DTS sedans and it’s not what you might expect from an automaker that, until recently, has stuck to its guns in only manufacturing traditional internal combustion engines. Introducing the 2012 Cadillac XTS Platinum plug-in hybrid concept…
Built on the same platform as the Buick LaCrosse, “The XTS Platinum Concept is powered by Cadillac's direct injected, 3.6 liter V6, which works in conjunction with a plug-in hybrid system to ...
Audi Introduces a Second e-Tron Electric Concept
Posted: Jan. 12, 2010 11:01:08 a.m.
Ever the show stopper, German luxury brand Audi sparked loads of interest on the first day of the Detroit Auto Show with a presentation of its new e-Tron electric concept sports car. The new e-Tron concept is a shorter and lighter iteration of the R8 electric car that debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September of 2009.
According to Jalopnik, “The e-Tron 2, Electric Boogaloo draws power from a 45 kWh lithium ion battery which is fed to a ...
Toyota Compact Hybrid Concept FT-CH Debuts in Detroit
Posted: Jan. 12, 2010 10:01:58 a.m.
Among the many concept cars to debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show is Toyota’s FT-CH -- a uniquely-styled, four-passenger compact hybrid.
According to Jalopnik: “The FT-CH is the first piece of Toyota's ‘Prius family’ marketing strategy, an approach that the Japanese firm claims its customers and dealers have been asking for. It is twenty-two inches shorter than a Prius and less than one inch narrower, and it's intended to port Toyota's hybrid philosophy into ...
Honda Disappoints Critics with New Hybrid CR-Zzzzzzzz
Posted: Jan. 12, 2010 10:01:41 a.m.
Honda kicked off its participation in the 2010 Detroit Auto Show with an official unveiling of its new production hybrid vehicle, the CR-Z.
According to the Detroit News, “The CR-Z, which was designed to evoke memories of Honda's first pocket rocket -- the widely popular CR-X of more than a decade ago -- joins the Insight and Civic as the third hybrid option in the Honda lineup.”
The CR-Z, however, is no CR-X. Weeks of leaked photos contributed to a high ...
Electric Cars Spark Interest at 2010 Detroit Auto Show
Posted: Jan. 11, 2010 10:01:49 a.m.
After a tumultuous year of poor sales, bankruptcies and the collapse of industry giants, the 2010 North American International Auto Show opens this week in Detroit. This year the buzz is all about electric cars -- hopefully a sign that things are looking up in Motor City.
The Detroit Free Press explains: “Rebuilding in Detroit starts with cars, with sheet metal and engines, leather and plastics, and some new things, too: In-car technology like you've never seen before and more ...
Electric-Powered Cadillac Converj Slated for Production
Posted: Jan. 11, 2010 10:01:31 a.m.
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz officially announced that that his company will soon begin manufacturing its second electric-powered vehicle, the Cadillac Converj. The announcement came on the eve of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Few details are known. However, the Detroit News reports that the Converj will feature “a future generation of the Voltec system that uses a small gasoline engine to recharge…lithium ion batteries to extend the range of the electric vehicle from the 40 ...
Report: Chevy Volt Could Cost Less Than Expected
Posted: Jan. 08, 2010 10:01:00 a.m.
The highly-anticipated Chevy Volt could be the car that revolutionizes the American auto industry -- or it could be too expensive for that. The midsize, four-door Volt, General Motors claims, will be capable of operating on battery power alone for up to 40 miles before a small gasoline engine kicks in to extend its range. It could give owners all of the environmental benefits and cost savings of an electric car, with none of the range limitations. But GM has invested ...
Details Leaked on 2011 Honda CR-Z
Posted: Dec. 10, 2009 11:12:29 a.m.
Honda enthusiasts who miss the small, light, high-performance coupes the brand was once known for have something to look forward to. Something green. Details on the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid have made their way into the automotive press, in the form of a leaked brochure – and the new CR-Z increasingly looks like a worthy successor to the CRXs of old.
The base model may not offer impressive performance. Autoblog reports, “The CR-Z nets a relatively uninspiring 0 to 62 mph ...
