Nissan Expects 20,000 Pre-Orders of the Electric Leaf

Autonews is reporting Nissan expects 20,000 pre-orders for the Nissan Leaf when it goes on sale next spring.“We are confident we will have 20,000 reservations for the Leaf by the time it goes on sale,” Carlos Tavares, Nissan’s chairman for the Americas, said today.Autonews was there at a breakfast meeting in Nashville. Nissan sales and marketing headquarters are located just outside of Nashville, Tenn. The Leaf will also be built in Smyrna, Tennessee. Nissan has the production facilities there to build 150,000 units a year, along with 200,000...

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Toyota Sai, Sister to HS 250h

Toyota announced they will be building a new hybrid sedan, the Toyota Sai. The Sai will be the sister model of the Lexus HS 250h and will boast a more powerful engine than the Toyota Prius.The hybrid Sai will come witha 2.4 liter engine, like the HS 250h, but the interior and exterior will be differentiated from the HS 250h. This despite being built on the same platform and using the same drivetrain.This will be the second dedicated hybrid in the Toyota brand, and the third dedicated hybrid from Toyota and Lexus. The Sai will go on sale on October...

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Toyota Recalls Millions of Cars Due to Floor Mat

Toyota is issuing a safety recall on 3.8 million vehicles due to a possible unsecured or incompatable driver's floor mat. The floor mat may move out of position, causing the accelerator to become stuck in the full open position.Toyota recalled vehicles back in 2007 for the same problem, but the NHTSA has said they are still hearing from consumers. Models involved in the recall2007 - 2010 Camry2005 - 2010 Avalon2004 - 2009 Prius2005 - 2010 Tacoma2007...

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Worried About HOV Access in California?

If you're one of the 85,000 with solo access to the HOV lane in California, it seems you should be worried.Solo hybrid drivers may lose carpool lane privileges -- latimes.comThe stickers granting that privilege to 85,000 hybrid owners are set to expire Jan. 1, 2011. There are proposals in Sacramento to extend the deadline, but they would exclude most of the vehicles that originally qualified for the program, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic hybrid and the original Honda Insight.New Rules for Higher Gains The proposals grant solo access...

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Pros and Cons of Diesels

With the new 'clean diesels' coming in greater numbers, I thought it would be a good time to discuss diesels, and throw in a few comparisons to hybrids and see what happens.Pros of DieselsEfficiency!Fuel EconomyLower emissions (CO2)Higher Torque / More PowerEngines last a long timeThe biggest pro when it comes to diesels is the efficiency of the oil burner.  The engine is actually simpler (as long as we don't worry about the emissions, and more power can be derived from a given gallon of fuel.  That means we can get higher torque and...

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Overstock Giving Away Toyota Prius

Overstock.com is giving away a Toyota Prius as part of their 10th Anniversary celebration. From October 1st - 10th, Overstock will be giving away one prize each day to random visitors who follow the clues.Press Release follows:Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSTK) today announced its ten day "Decade O' Deals" online contest to celebrate Overstock.com 10th Anniversary, with prizes to include a 2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid as the Decade O' Deals Grand Prize Award. The contest runs October 1st through October 10th with huge prizes awarded each day.In addition...

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2010 Toyota Prius Price Change

The base price on the 2010 Prius has been increased by $400.  The price difference affects models II, III, IV and V.  Vehicle/ Model Body MSRP NEW MSRP % Number Grade Doors Style Trans Increase MSRP Increase -------- ----- ----- ----- ----- -------- ---- -------- PRIUS ----- 1223 II 5 Hatchback CVT $400 $22,400 1.8% 1225 III 5 Hatchback CVT $400 $23,400 1.7% 1227 ...

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JD Powers Predicts September Will Be Back to Normal

Which may not be a good thing, since normal right now is still down."Low inventories and reduced incentives, combined with the effects of CARS pull-ahead sales, spell tough conditions for September," said Gary Dilts, senior vice president of global automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates. "September's retail SAAR is projected to be the lowest selling rate in 2009. However, improving consumer confidence and credit conditions in the months ahead are likely to help to rebuild the retail industry."In other words,  September total light-vehicle...

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Volvo Will Have Plug-in Hybrid by 2012... in Europe

Volvo has decided to introduce their own plug-in hybrid car in 2012.  Although it will take five hours to fully charge the battery pack, the average commuter (in Europe) will be able to drive fully on all electric power.  And if needed, the diesel engine set to recharge the battery will extend the range for up to 1200 km.  Volvo estimates that 75% of European drivers would be able to drive on all electric all the time.The all-electric range based on a full charge for the lithium-ion battery pack is 50 km.Volvo points out the diesel...

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HK Motors to Build Hybrid Car Plant in Bay Minette, Alabama

HK Motors (Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp. ) announced plans to build a new automotive plant in Bay Minette, Alabama.  The plant will have the capacity to build 300,000 hybrid cars a year.Governor Riley made the announcement, noting the company expect to create 5,000 hi-tech, green, high paying jobs.HK Motors will be investing $1 billion, initially, to build on the 3,000 acre industrial site.The company is still seeking investors and conducting research and development, the source said. A series of "triggers" must occur before negotiations about...

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Cash For Clunkers Top 20

I know about how statistics can lie, but it seems that numbers can mislead just as badly. The government, when it released its numbers on the Cash for Clunkers program, kept touting the top 10 vehicles being sold. Too bad they didn't emphasize they were splitting up the two-wheel or four-wheel drive models. To be fair, the lists released did have FWD on them, but it's still misleading.The choice they made to split up FWD and AWD tended to keep any trucks, as opposed to cars that don't have the options, down the list. Well, the numbers were released...

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Fisker Recieves $528 Million in DOE Loans

Fisker Automotive has been approved to receive $528 million in low-interest loans from the Dept of Energy (DOE) as part of the $25 billion dolloar loan program set up by the federal government.$169.3 million will be used to finish development and production of the plug-in hybrid sedan Karma which is due out next summer. The Karma is being sold at $87,900 a piece. The rest of the loan will be used in Project NINA. NINA is part of Fisker's plant to bring a family oriented, user friendly plug-in that will cost $47,400, or $39,900 after tax credits...

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Virginia Installs First Plug-in Station

Virginia will be setting up charging stations for plug-in hybrids in selected rest areas. The first one has already been installed at the westbound New Kent Safety Rest Area on Interstate 64. It can charge up to four vehicles at a time.At 120 Volts, it's going to take a long time for a car to recharge, but I suppose if you have half an hour, it can't hurt to plug in.  Also, use is complimentary.Virginia plans to upgrade to 240 Volts for faster charging.Funding for the installation comes from Dominion Virginia and is not coming from the state."I...

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Stimulus Funds for Diesel-Electric Hybrid Buses

Chicago and Albany will soon be getting hybrid buses, courtesy of the Stimulus package. Chicago is receiving another $3.5 million in funds to help purchase 20 diesel hybrid buses. The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) in Albany, N.Y. had already received $2 million back in May. The overall cost is expected to reach $10.6 million.The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) received and have already placed in service 58 hybrid buses. That brings their total up to 208 'articulated hybrid buses' in their fleet. $50 million (out of a total...

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Volkswagen Toureg Hybrid to Show in 2010

The Volkswagen Touareg will launch in the US next year, with the debut occuring at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January (Source: Volkswagen considers bringing an electric vehicle to the United States: AutoWeek Magazine).Which is exciting news for anyone who wants a hybrid Volkswagen. Autoweek also quotes officials promising an electric version of the E-Up!, introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show, will be appearing in Europe sometime in 2013. The US version will be larger and appear later.The E-Up! has a range of about 70-80 miles on all electric...

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Hybrid Dinghy Pusher for RV

Alrighty then. File this one under interesting but strange. A father and son (a former faculty member and researcher and UA associate professor, respectively) teamed together to develop a hybrid dinghy pusher for their RVs. It seems the cost of gasoline has been pushing them to reduce the amount of time they spend on family trips, so they set out to hybridize their RV. But hybrid engines for vehicles the size of RVs are expensive (just ask your local bus companies how expensive). So, they decided to use a hybrid SUV to push the RV uphill instead,...

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Nissan Altima and Maxima Safety Recall Notice

Nissan is recalling certain 2009 and 20101 model year Maxima and Sentra.  The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulators to crack.If the strut insulator is cracked, there is the potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting position, which could affect vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash.I'm not sure if this involves any of the hybrid Altimas but I thought you should know.Check out the info at NHT...

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Prius Family

Rumored for years, it looks like Toyota is finally moving ahead with creating a family of vehicles under the name 'Prius'. Toyota is looking to create a sub-brand name out of the popularity the Prius has had so far.Toyota President Akio Toyoda, at a Las Vegas meeting, told top dealers in the US to expect a new family of cars to sell, but not a new brand name (like Scion).  This was confirmed by Irv Miller,  Group Vice President.The Prius name is "an industry leader and has got such great brand recognition," said Peter DeLongChamps, a...

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Fisker Plug-in Hybrid Wake Up Call For GM

Earth2tech caught an investor who let the cat out of the bag on Fiskers future plans.  It seems they want a plug-in hybrid in production by 2012.  The kicker is, they want to price it at $39,000.That's very significant.  The Chevy Volt is supposed to go on sale at around $40,000 a pop.  GM will also have the Volt out 2 years sooner than the Fisker model will appear.  And it looks like none of the other major automakers will have their own plug-in on the road sooner than GM will.Which, I'm sure, makes GM very happy. ...

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Hybrid Ferrari

The hybrid Ferrari may not be due out for another 4 years, but Ferrari promises it will be what you would expect. In other words, the Ferrari Hybrid will most likely mate an electric motor to a V12. (Source: First Ferrari hybrid will be a V12 - Autocar.co.uk)Why the wait? Ferrari says they are waiting for the battery technology to improve.In the meantime, expect start-stop in the California next March.Photo from flickr by tonylanciabe...

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Tesla Raises Another $85 Million in Funding

Tesla received another $82.5 million in funding from Daimler, Fjord Capital Partners, Aabar and other undisclosed investors. That brings the total investment to $783.5 million.The most recent round of funding will go to accelerating the new retail locations in Monaco, Washington DC, South Florida and Toronto.Source: Tesla Puts Another $82.5 Million In The TankTechcrunch notes that "Tesla has been on a roll recently" what with the recent fund raising, the government loans and another $50 million in equity that set their value at half a billi...

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Car Pool Lane Priviliges Extended in California

For those worried about the hybrid car pool lane sunsetting on September 30 in California, there may be good news.Source: Roadshow: Hybrids can use carpool lanes until Jan. 1, 2011 - Inside Bay AreaI have carpool stickers for a Prius and was told by a DMV technician that the expiration date for using these stickers will be Sept. 30 because of a new federal law. After this time, hybrid owners would not be allowed to travel in carpool lanes. Is this true?John FritchA: No, but I've been getting bombarded with worries like this and here's why: Sept....

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Is This Misleading or What?

It's stories and quotes like this that prove the point that some have been making about switching from mpg to gallons per mile (gpm).  Consumer ReportsThe Honda Insight hybrid showed the largest drop in fuel economy—over 15 mpg going from 55 to 75 mph...Vehicles with lower fuel efficiency had the smallest drop. The V8-powered Mercury Mountaineer has a fuel economy of 23.8 mpg at 55 mph and that drops to 21.2 mpg at 65 and 17.8 at 75 mph..That is just so misleading.  In gallons per mile, the Insight drops from 1.93 gallons per 100 miles...

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If Toyota Refuses to go Lithium-Ion

If Toyota refuses to go to lithium-ion battery packs, what will that mean for the battery industry?  The biggest hybrid car maker by far, Toyota makes up 3/4 of the hybrid market.  The Prius alone accounts for one out of every two hybrids sold.And if Toyota is not sold on lithium-ion because of either price or durability, that's going to be hard on bringing the price of lithium-ion battery packs down.At least, at first.  Other car makers are making the switch as they move to E-REV or plug-in hybrid technology.  And the Prius...

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The 133 Most Fuel Efficient Cars for 2010

Once again, it's time to list the most fuel efficient cars, trucks (if there were any), SUVs, station wagons, sedans, hatchbacks, coupes, etc...  In the past, I've created lists for the most fuel efficient cars for 2009,  2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005. As with those previous lists, I rank the vehicles based on their combined miles per gallon (45% highway and 55% city).Not surprisingly, the top four spots are taken by hybrids, but diesel engines are filling quite a bit of the top rankings.  Oil burners have better gas mileage (mpg),...

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