In September, auto sales continued their grim downward trend. Overall, the car market shrank by 27 percent relative to last year. Hybrids fared better, falling just 9 percent from September 2007 levels, but the message was clear—tight credit, reluctant consumers, and an economy plunging into recession have begun to affect all types of vehicles, hybrids included. Our earlier question if hybrids are “recession proof” is now answered.
After more than three years of rumors, Volkswagen has acknowledged its consideration to bring a subcompact car to the US market in order to compete with other small car offerings, such as the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit. Earlier this week, Stefan Jacoby, president of Volkswagen Group America told The Detroit News, “We could imagine having a car like the Polo in the United States."
As investors grappled with the the potential ramifications of a looming global economic downturn today, oil prices fell to levels not seen since late 2007. The dive was precipitated by a growing sense that in the coming months, businesses and individuals around the world will drastically cut oil use, and that a spike in demand from emerging economies is about to plateau.
Volvo loyalists have been wondering for some time now about the Swedish carmaker’s near-term plans for producing an eco-friendly offering within its lineup. The Ford subsidiary has shown several hybrid concept vehicles at various international auto shows, but there have been no formal announcements about taking any green ideas to market. Until now.
Hyundai has not yet put a hybrid car on the market—and yet the company is throwing around big numbers for its hybrid program: an SUV that gets 38 miles to the gallon; a diesel minicar that beats 60 mpg; and 500,000 annual hybrid sales by 2018.
This week’s Paris Auto Show is practically a parade of electric and hybrid cars. It's a chance to see a glimpse of the future. Check out our showcase of the 10 coolest and greenest vehicles from the Paris show.
What will your children drive 20 years or more from now? According to one analyst, many of them are likely to take the wheel of a battery electric car.
Last week, HybridCars.com took a drive through Reykjavik in one of 10 hydrogen-fueled Toyota Prius hybrids, offered as part of Hertz’s Reykjavik rental fleet. Available for around $300 a day, the hydrogen-powered Priuses make for an intriguing drive through the spectacular landscapes around Reykjavik.
The Chevrolet Aveo sedan and Aveo5 hatchback are a pair of no-frills five-seat subcompacts aimed at efficiency and affordability. Our drive time was spent with the Aveo5, which achieved 32.8 miles per gallon in mixed driving.
President Bush signed a spending bill Tuesday that includes $25 billion in low-cost government loans for the auto industry. The idea is to allow automakers to borrow money in order retool plants to build more advanced technology vehicles—including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and clean diesel cars—to boost fuel efficiency by 25 percent.
