Green Cars Archive

Consumer Reports 2009 reliability survey results

Ford has secured its position as the only Detroit automaker with world-class reliability. About 90% of Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln products were found to have average or better reliability, according to Consumer Reports’ 2009 Annual Car Reliability Survey. The results were announced today at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. Continue reading »

Ford Fusion Hybrid sales going strong

Ford Motor Company’s hybrid vehicle sales have risen 73% this year in sharp contrast to a 14% decline in hybrid sales across the industry. The fuel economy and durability of hybrid versions of Ford Fusion and Escape, Mercury Milan and Mariner also are winning over large numbers of conquest customers, many of whom are previous import owners. Through September, Ford has sold 26,016 hybrid vehicles, up 73% versus the same period in 2008, according to figures from Autodata Inc. Continue reading »

2010 Toyota Prius body kit by Tommy Kaira

Without tuning anything on the powertrain of the 2010 Toyota Prius, Japanese tuning firm Tommi Kaira has unveiled its dressed-up version of the third-generation iconic hybrid. Continue reading »

Audi A3 1.6 TDI gets 78 mpg in efficiency challenge

On its very first outing under real-life traffic conditions, the Audi A3 1.6 TDI is already turning in impressive consumption figures. The other models of the Audi range also shone on the first three days of the “Efficiency Challenge A to B”, which covers 2,613 miles from A on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands to Bée in northern Italy. Continue reading »

iStream is Gordon Murray’s new project

Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 supercar, is busy working on an ultra-compact city car. His company’s T.25 City Car is not only designed around a central driving position but an MPV package offering 6 internal layouts within the same vehicle, each layout being easily achieved within 30 seconds. Continue reading »

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics diesel hybrid concept

The BMW Vision concept car is the latest in a string of “EfficientDynamics” ideas by the German automaker. Conceived as a 2+2-seater with plug-in full-hybrid technology, this concept car combines the performance of a BMW M vehicle with a standard of fuel efficiency and emission management that exceeds even the current levels achieved by the latest small cars. This result is made possible by the combination of BMW ActiveHybrid components with an economical combustion engine and good aerodynamic qualities. Continue reading »

Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL production hydrogen car

Mercedes-Benz is launching its first series-produced fuel cell car on the road: the new B-Class F-CELL. The environmentally friendly electric car has better a performance similar to than a 2.0L petrol car and is fully suited for everyday driving. The zero-emission drive system consumes the equivalent of 86.6 mpg in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). Production of the B-Class F-CELL will commence in late 2009 with a small lot. The first of around 200 vehicles will be delivered to customers in Europe and the USA at the beginning of next year. Continue reading »

Peugeot RCZ to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Two years after displaying the 308 RCZ concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Peugeot will present the production Peugeot RCZ coupé at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Also debuting alongside the RCZ are the RCZ hybrid concept, the 3008 hybrid concept, the all-new 5008 minivan, and low-emission versions of existing models, namely the 207 ‘99g’, 107 ‘106g’, 308 ‘120g’, 407 ‘129g’ and 3008 ‘130g.’ Continue reading »

2010 Kia Venga to debut in Europe

Kia’s spacious new compact crossover-hatchback contender, named Venga, goes on sale across Europe later this year and in the UK early in 2010. Continue reading »

Cash for Clunkers allows reservation of out-of-stock models

Car buyers wanting to use the cash-for-clunkers program but can’t find the vehicles they want due to stock shortages will be able to reserve models under a change in the program, as announced by the Obama administration today. Continue reading »

Honda Insight and Toyota Prius IIHS crash tests

The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have crash-tested the new Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight, and both have earned the group’s coveted “Top Safety Pick” award. That means each of the vehicles managed to score the agency’s highest rating of good in front, side, and rear tests and are equipped with electronic stability control, standard on the Prius and optional on the Insight. Continue reading »

2010 BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid debuts

BMW has debuted the production hybrid version of the BMW 7-Series. To be shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September, the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, as well as the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6, will go on sale in early 2010. Continue reading »

230 mpg for 2011 Chevrolet Volt

General Motors chief Fritz Henderson has announced that the “230″ marketing campaign floating around for the past week is related to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Continue reading »

Saturn Vue becomes Buick plug-in hybrid crossover

The mid-size Vue crossover will become a Buick in 2011, and a plug-in hybrid will be part of the program. The Two-mode hybrid system that was originally scheduled to launch in the Vue last November will be installed in the Buick-badged version along with an 8 kWh lithium ion battery pack. The pack will use the same LG Chem cells going into the Volt and, as originally planned, the PHEV will be paired with the direct injected 3.6L V6. Continue reading at ModernOffroader.com »

Toyota Highlander fuel-cell hybrid gets 431-mile range

Toyota has announced the results of a recent collaborative fuel cell hybrid vehicle range and fuel economy field evaluation. The Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv) achieved an estimated range of 431 miles on a single full tank of compressed hydrogen gas, and an average fuel economy of 68.3 miles/kg (approximate mpg equivalent) during a day-long trip down the southern California coast. Continue reading at ModernOffroader.com »

The history of Nissan EV development

“His other concern was the batteries themselves. Thorne had selected the new lithium-ion batteries from Nissan, which were extremely efficient on a weight basis.” This quote could easily be from a government official at a pitch for a future fleet of zero emission vehicles. In reality, the source is a scene from Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel – and later blockbuster movie – Jurassic Park. Nearly two decades later, Nissan is still an industry leader in lithium-ion battery development. However, the real story of Nissan’s history of Electric Vehicles starts much earlier, though not quite in the Jurassic era, in 1947. Continue reading »

Beware of “Cash For Clunkers” scams

As of July 31, the initial $1 billion allocated to the “cash for clunkers” program had been nearly depleted and the House passed a bill to provide an additional $2 billion to the program. In the meantime, the program remains in limbo with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency that administers the program, unable to confirm or deny if the program is currently operating. However, White House spokesmen have assured consumers that the program continues to run and can still be used. Continue reading »

Nissan LEAF electric car slated for 2010 sales

Nissan has unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 100 miles to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. Continue reading »

Nissan Versa EV forms basis for future tech

Nissan has previewed its electric vehicle platform on a Versa-based prototype to demonstrate the superior driving pleasure of a pure zero-emission vehicle. It also showcased a sophisticated EV-IT system developed to support electric driving 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Continue reading »

Audi R8 5.2 Quattro V10 U.S. prices released

Audi today announced that the U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the highly anticipated 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro V10 sports car will start at $146,000, with shipments to authorized Audi R8 dealerships across the country beginning this week. Continue reading »

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