Transportation
Can the Chevy Volt top the Nissan Leaf in August sales?
The king of plug-in sales Without nationwide offerings, plug-in sales still much ado about nothing Despite a significant decline in sales last month, the Nissan Leaf still topped the Chevy Volt in July, 931 to 125. Of course, Volt sales were limited due to retooling the Volt assembly line for greater production, which has now [...]
Continue reading...Toyota doubles its July hybrid sales, led by Prius
3 August 2011 – 12:02 am PST
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Prius pushes Toyota's hybrid sales forward in July. Hybrid sales still down 32 percent compared to last year If there was one vehicle hit particularly hard by the Japanese earthquake/tsunami disaster, it was the Toyota Prius. In the last month, however, the situation has improved significantly, although Prius supplies are still not yet back to [...]
Continue reading...Chinese embrace of plug-ins will result in massive CO2 pollution
3 August 2011 – 12:01 am PST
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Dirty coal means plug-ins are an environmental problem. Plug-ins and dirty coal just don’t make sense China cannot reinvent the engine; however, China can be a leader in electrification since hybrid and plug-in vehicles are still in the dawn of their development. As China’s automarket is expected to grow massively in coming years, trying to [...]
Continue reading...CAFE + Fat America = Gas guzzlers will rule anew
3 August 2011 – 12:00 am PST
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Will hybrids become the base powertrain of larger sedans? Will large Americans have to buy hybrid sedans or pickups? Back in May I came across the article, Are Americans Too Big To Drive Small? Then, I found the article comical, but not particularly compelling. However, now that new CAFE regulations are primed to increase passenger [...]
Continue reading...CAFE: The first step to autonomous cars, but not necessarily electrification
2 August 2011 – 11:59 pm PST
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Self-driving Prius competing in DARPA challenge The he said, she said of new CAFE rules Lots of interesting news out there regarding the new CAFE rules. However, if one thing is clear, it’s that what the impact of these new CAFE rules will be is almost anyone’s best guess. Nevertheless, the most noteworthy idea I’ve [...]
Continue reading...Deals on a Toyota Prius? Yes
2 August 2011 – 11:58 pm PST
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More Prius incentives on the horizon? Toyota hybrid supplies continue to grow July should be a big month for Toyota sales according to the latest sale’s data from AutoObserver. While Toyota’s earthquake woes aren’t fully behind them, Toyota has nevertheless recovered remarkably fast. But how has this recovery affected Toyota’s hybrid sales, particularly the Toyota [...]
Continue reading...Everything a hybrid or plug-in by 2025?
2 August 2011 – 11:57 pm PST
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Is the future battery-powered powertrains, or just compact cars? Why does 54.4 mpg mean something more like 37 mpg? At the most recent LA Auto Show, Hyundia North American CEO John Krafcik essentially mocked the hype around plug-in vehicles at the show while debuting the Hyundai Elantra — the kind of car Krafcik claimed was [...]
Continue reading...Super-sized hybrid pickup trucks are nice, but…
2 August 2011 – 11:57 pm PST
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Better as a hybrid? Wake me when the Ford F150 hybrid is launched Ford sells about 50,000 F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks every year, many used for legitimate commercial purposes. Therefore, the fact that Ford is partnering with Azure to develop a hybrid powertrain, including a plug-in version, as an option for buyers is, well, [...]
Continue reading...$4.50 gas, better range and cheaper costs needed to mainstream plug-ins
2 August 2011 – 11:56 pm PST
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An upcoming Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid The plug-in world according to Harvard In Will Electric Cars Transform the U.S. Vehicle Market?, Harvard finds that mainstream consumers will not embrace plug-in vehicles until they match conventional vehicle range, fueling convenience and cost. While it could take 10 – 20 years to improve batteries enough to entice mainstream [...]
Continue reading...Toyota most green brand in the world
2 August 2011 – 11:55 pm PST
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Interbrand claims Toyota's green image is justified Toyota doesn’t lead with just words, but also actions A new study by Interbrand finds that Toyota is the best global green brand in the world, not just based on consumer perceptions, but also Toyota’s real world green actions, such “the companies’ operations, their supply chains, transportation systems, [...]
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3 August 2011 – 12:02 am PST
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