Japan's Toyota Motor says quake impacts output of 55,000 vehicles Posted 2007-07-23 12:12:44 tags: ToyotaBusiness(suggest tag) Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said Monday production of around 55,000 vehicles has been affected as a result of a temporary shutdown in its operations in the wake of last week's powerful earthquake. Damage from the quake caused some parts suppliers, including Riken Corp to halt output of key engine components. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Hybrid Highway Posted 2007-07-22 21:18:24 tags: AdoptionBusinessStudy(suggest tag) Rental car customers are willing to pay more green to drive "green." An
overwhelming majority of respondents from a priceline.com survey say they
want rental car companies to offer hybrid vehicles and almost half say they
would be willing to pay a premium for their "green" rental. Rental car companies have taken note of this information and are rapidly expanding their fleets to include hybrid vehicles. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
SDG&E Debuts Demonstration Project to Study Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Posted 2007-07-19 08:53:51 tags: BusinessPlug-InCommercial(suggest tag) San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today unveiled San Diego's first state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as part of a demonstration project to study the performance and potential of plug-in hybrids to improve gas mileage and reduce emissions. Plug-in hybrids recharge their batteries by plugging into a standard 110-volt outlet. Because the vehicles run in electric mode more often than standard hybrid cars, gas mileage is improved to more than twice that of today's best hybrids, up to 80 to 100 miles per gallon. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Running out of gas? Posted 2007-07-19 08:44:04 tags: EditorialBusiness(suggest tag) Susan Gillott's new car is a quiet ride. As she puts the vehicle in gear, it whirs to life like a golf cart. The noise — if you can call it that — is barely audible on city roads. It's not until Gillott gets onto the highway and has the need for speed that the new Toyota Prius revs its gas engine and acts a bit more like an automobile. This week, Gillott traded in her big blue GMC Envoy for her little silver hybrid — a smart car that runs on both electricity and gasoline — and joined the thousands of Americans who have gone green. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Lexus to boost hybrid production Posted 2007-07-18 12:15:22 tags: RumorLexusBusiness(suggest tag) Lexus will increase the number of hybrids it builds, a senior executive said today, as Toyota's luxury division hopes to increase annual sales by 100,000 or more overall. "Yes, there will be more hybrids in the Lexus lineup," said James H. Colon, vice president for sales and dealer development at a meeting of auto reporters here. Lexus currently offers three hybrids, including two sedans and an SUV. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
UQM Technologies Propulsion System to Power Hybrid Composite Bus Posted 2007-07-16 07:17:11 tags: BusinessPress ReleaseComponents(suggest tag) UQM Technologies’ newly introduced150 kW permanent magnet propulsion motor will power a fuel cell hybrid electric bus being developed with an all composite body. The vehicle is being developed by Mobile Energy Solutions, LLC, Golden, Colorado, with funding under the Federal Transit Administration’s National Fuel Cell Bus Program. The 35 foot long bus features a proprietary all composite body manufactured by Martin Marietta Composites and two 16 kW automotive fuel cells from Hydrogenics Inc. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
GM rolling out hybrid sedans Posted 2007-07-14 12:13:34 tags: BusinessGM(suggest tag) Just as one hybrid sedan is about to leave the market, two new ones are arriving. The new ones, the 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line and 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, join the growing list of gasoline-electric hybrids this fall. But the Honda Accord, which has been on the market only since 2005, will be discontinued after the 2007 model year for lack of consumer interest. Of the new GM hybrids, first to arrive was the Aura, which has just begun showing up in dealer showrooms.
This is a hybrid version of the stunning new midsize Saturn sedan that arrived in gasoline-only form last fall. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Ford and SCE to Advance Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles Posted 2007-07-13 13:23:49 tags: FordBusinessPlug-In(suggest tag) Ford Motor Co. and Southern California Edison (SCE) are combining resources to explore ways to make plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) more accessible to consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions and improve the cost-effectiveness of the nation's electricity grid. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technologies are not yet competitive due primarily to the high cost of advanced batteries. Ford and SCE will explore whether these batteries have other uses that could reduce their cost to consumers.
... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
'Everything will be hybrid,' Toyota exec says Posted 2007-07-11 10:34:16 tags: ToyotaBusiness(suggest tag) Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American chief said vehicles powered by gasoline-electric hybrid engines will dominate U.S. roads as fuel prices continue to rise. "Eventually, everything will be a hybrid," said Jim Press, president of Toyota Motor North America, in an interview today in New York. Hybrids have been driving Toyota's growth in the U.S., he said. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
GM may take loss on vehicles with Two Mode hybrid system Posted 2007-07-10 09:20:27 tags: RumorBusinessGMBlog(suggest tag) GM may have to take a loss on early runs of vehicles equipped with its upcoming Two Mode hybrid propulsion system in an effort to make the vehicles more attractive to customers. According to a recent report in Automotive News, the initial cost of the system is north of $10,000, a premium few customers will likely to be willing to pay. The Two Mode hybrid system uses a pair of small electric motors to backup the engine instead of the more common single motor setup. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Ford, Edison to test hybrids Posted 2007-07-09 09:14:25 tags: FordBusiness(suggest tag) Southern California Edison Co. and Ford Motor Co. are expected to announce a partnership today that will include a multimillion-dollar test of plug-in hybrids. Plug-ins are envisioned as the next-generation development of the current crop of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. Equipped with more powerful batteries that could be recharged overnight, plug-ins are designed to run for significant periods on electricity alone — greatly increasing their fuel economy. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
Chevy Malibu Hybrid making debut at MLB All Star Game Posted 2007-07-07 11:59:59 tags: BusinessChevy(suggest tag) It won't hit dealerships until October, but the Chevy Malibu Hybrid is now officially on display in San Francisco at the MLB All Star Game's Fan Zone, which opened to the public today. The Malibu Hybrid is basically the fraternal twin of the Saturn Aura Green Line we recently reviewed at Autoblog and AutoblogGreen. Powered by the same mild hybrid setup, the Malibu Hybrid boasts a 24/32 city/highway EPA fuel economy rating, a slight upgrade over the non-hybrid 4-cylinder. ... Read the article(report dead link) :: Permalink :: View blog reactions
