Plug-in Hybrid News Articles
Toyota Ready to Enter Electric Car Race With New Battery Technology Used in Prius Prime
Toyota has found a pathway to adopt lithium-ion battery technology and join the plug-in electrified vehicle race. Toyota said that its soon-to-be-launched Prius Prime plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will use lithium-ion batteries with enough energy to transport the car about 60 kilometers (37.3 miles) on battery alone before the gasoline engine takes over. The Prius […]Lower Prices For 2014 Prius Plug-In Models
Toyota announced today that it is lowering the price of its 2014 Prius Plug-in hybrid models by over $2,000 for the base and over $4,000 for the Advanced version. The new entry level suggested price will start at at $29,990, and the company said this repositioning involves no reduction in vehicle content. As for that […]BMW i8 Coming With More Power, Longer Driving Range
A facelifted BMW i8 plug-in hybrid will arrive next year with more horsepower and additional driving range. British publication Auto Car asserts that the 2018 i8 will adopt the upgraded gasoline-electric powertrain currently being tested in a fleet of protype vehicles as well as powering two i8 safety cars used in the Formula E electric […]Consumer Reports Releases Plug-in Vehicle Survey Results, Says Volt Incident Misguided the General Public
In its 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey, Consumer Reports added a couple of questions to assess “America’s pulse” on plug-in vehicles. In particular, the magazine asked the general public questions pertaining mainly to plug-in vehicle safety. Of the surveyed group, 43 percent of respondents believe that plug-in vehicles feel are as safe as gasoline-fueled automobiles […]Reversing Track, Nissan Plans More Hybrids
For the past few years, Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan, has consistently called gas-electric hybrids “niche products” and “not a good business story.” But the popularity of hybrids, especially in Japan, is apparently pulling Nissan into the hybrid market. On Friday, a Nissan spokesman told Bloomberg News that the automaker is “studying possibilities […]Chevrolet Volt Unveiled, As GM Turns 100
The Chevrolet Volt is undoubtedly the most popular car in the world that doesn’t yet exist. From the January 2007 unveiling of the concept through last week’s “leaked” photos of the production version, it routinely draws huge traffic and passionate comments to any website. So we felt we had to comment on this morning’s official […]European Consumers See Barriers to Electric Cars
Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn believes battery-powered cars will make up 10 percent of global new car sales by 2020. Most mainstream market analysts are projecting numbers closer to 1 or 2 percent at best. But across the board, executives and observers believe that early adopters will come from very specific markets rather than broadly across […]ZAP To Offer Plug-In Conversions
ZAP, the California-based electric car maker, is teaming up with Colorado-based Hybrids Plus to offer plug-in conversion systems for the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid. Converting these vehicles to plug-in hybrids can increase fuel economy by up to three times compared to hybrids right off dealer lots. Road tests have yielded results as high […]Plugging In Your Volt: Not With Just Any Old Cord
When you imagine plugging an electric or plug-in hybrid car into the wall to recharge, what do you envision in your hand? A standard orange extension cord? Time to change that picture; production electric-drive vehicles will all use a special cord, with a plug and socket on the car end that’s unlike any you’ve seen […]