Volt Testing 40 Mile Range

GM says testing of the pre-production Chevy Volt is going well. The Volt batteries are averaging about 40 miles of all electric driving, but of course, your mileage will vary. After the initial all electric range, drivers can expect very high fuel efficiency from the small gas motor.In the call this morning Andrew Farah, Volt Chief Engineer, had some interesting things to say.Farah did explain that consumers will experience about a 20% variability in electric range depending on four variables in the following order of importance:“Driving aggressiveness...

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UCS Praises, Condemns New Hybrids

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) have both praised and condemned two of the latest hybrid offerings. The UCS auto engineers feel the BMW ActiveHybrid X6, a 'muscle hybrid', squanders its hybrid drivetrain by boosting power.At the same time, the Mercedes-Benz S400 is seen as partially successful. It lowers cost, but uses a 'relatively weak' hybrid drivetrain along with a downsized conventional gasoline engine, to increase fuel efficiency.The...

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Ford Will Build Batteries in Michigan

Ford is continuing to expand on their ability to build hybrid and electric cars. In January, Ford announced they would be building and assembling hybrid battery packs in the state of Michigan, but hadn't said where. Ford has just sent a letter to the Rawsonville plant (Source: freep.com | Detroit Free Press) letting them know they are in line for the assembly.Ford has taken a cautious route to building up their hybrid and electric car line-up. Despite being the first to develop and sell a modern-day hybrid SUV (Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner...

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Honda CR-Z May Add More Power

Honda CR-Z HybridMaybe it's because the CR-Z has been so popular in Japan (it hasn't even launched yet), but rumors are out there Honda is working on a revamped, more powerful CR-Z Hybrid.Motortrend is reporting the next generation hybrid sports coupe may come with a "2.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine attached to Honda's well-known IMA hybrid system, which would lift this coupe's engine capacity by one full liter over the CR-Z."Honda could add...

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Hybrid Car Brands

Just who is making hybrid cars these days and what brands are considering making hybrid cars in the future?Major Hybrid Car BrandsHybrid cars are currently being built and sold by General Motors, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Nissan. General Motors builds hybrid cars under several divisions including Saturn, Chevrolet, and GMC.  Ford has the Mercury and Ford divisions.  Toyota sells hybrids under the brand name of Lexus .  While Honda and Nissan just sell hybrids under their own name plates.ToyotaUnder the Toyota brand name, there are...

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Prius is Top Seller in Japan for 11 Months Straight

The Japan Automobile Dealers Association noted the Prius was once again the top selling car in Japan. Helped by government incentives, the Prius has been and will continue to be the top selling car for months. Toyota sold 35,546 units in March. That's 11 months in a row the Prius has held the top spot, which was briefly held by the Honda Insight before the third generation Prius came to market.Sales have quadrupled in Japan this year. Toyota has sold over a quarter of a million units so far (277,4...

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First Drive: 2010 Audi TTS Coupe

Finally, Speed Matches Style By Nate Martinez In the decade or so it's been on the market, the Audi TT has become world renowned for its avant garde style, but it's never ranked high as a true sports car. That perception changed recently thanks in large part to quattro GmbH -- the performance division responsible...

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2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid MSRP

Porsche CayenneThe price has been set on the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid. At $67,700, the Cayenne Hybrid is not going to be the most expensive hybrid on the road, but it certainly puts it in the upper reaches.It also puts it in the mid-range of the Porsche Cayenne line-up. The Cayenne base price is $46,700, the Cayenne S is $63,700, while the Turbo comes in at a paltry $104,800. The all wheel drive Hybrid SUV comes with a 3-liter V-6 eight speed...

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

2011 Hyundai Sonata HybridHyundai introduced the 2011 Sonata Hybrid at the New York Auto Show and, as they've been very quick to point out, in a lot of ways, their hybrid is better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, or the Lexus HS250h. In a field that is starting to feel a little bit crowded, the Sonata Hybrid is going to need to stand out. With Toyota, especially, Hyundai has to overcome the decade of experience...

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