Posted January 27th, 2012 by Janice
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota recently released is pricing scheme for the 2012 Prius hybrid which received a subtle facelift. The new Prius will heat showrooms in Britain by March 2012. The hybrid car will be offered in three different trims with sticker prices starting at £21,350 thru £24,620.
The new Prius hybrid was unveiled during the Frankfurt auto show last September with some improvements implemented for is exterior and interior.
On the outside, the Prius gets a new design for its bumper which receives new daytime lights, headlamps with new LED configuration, new graphics for the tail lamp, and new options for the alloy rim.
Inside, the front seats gets a new design, new upholstery, and the surfaces get a softer-touch treatment. The car manufacturer also installed better equipment like a new touch screen Toyota Control system which comes standards on all trim levels.
The designers and engineers also aim for better ride comfort and steering by making improvements to the suspension system and the car’s steering column.
The hybrid setup of the Prius remains unchanged with the 1.8L Atkinson petrol engine working with an electric motor. This setup has a combined fuel mileage of 72.4 mpg for UK standards and a carbon dioxide emission of 89 grams per kilometer.
Tags: 2012 Prius Hybrid, Frankfurt Auto Show, Toyota, Toyota Prius
Posted October 25th, 2011 by Janice
Details about the future plans of General Motors might have spilled out over the internet recently. The page is a suppliers list for the 2012 model of the Buick Verano. As the compact sedan is being rolled out a major refresh is expected by 2015 and this might actually be a hybrid version of the Buick Verano.
The page that broke out into the open is used to monitor relationship with suppliers across the automotive business. The product run is expected from 2015 to 2020, and experts are assuming that the new powerplant will be the replacement for the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that is mated with a mild hybrid setup called eAssist which is used for the 2012 Buick Regal and Buick LaCrosse. It will also be under the hood of the Malibu Eco under the Chevrolet brand.
All car manufacturers today are being required by laws in different countries to improve their fuel mileage ratings. In the United States, carmakers are required thru 2025 to improve the numbers, and by that time fleet of companies should average 54.5 miles per gallon.
The eAssist hybrid technology is a light electrification which is simple and does not require radical modification of the design of the vehicle.
We will update you as soon as information with regard to the hybrid Buick Verano come up.
Tags: Buick, Buick Verano, General Motors, GM
Posted August 19th, 2011 by Randell
When the Audi A6 was unveiled in November 2010, the German automaker was hush-hush about the hybrid version that was available in the North America. Even today, Audi AG has issued no word about the rumors surrounding the availability of the A6 hybrid version.
And yet there are now rumors about the A6 Hybrid confirmation by inside sources from Audi. According to recent source reports, the A6 Hybrid will have an initial tag price of about $55,000 and will be available in the US market sometime next year. Experts assume that the US hybrid variant will be the same as the hybrid version that will be released in the European market 2012 with the combination of the 2.0-liter V4 TFSI gasoline engine (with 211 horsepower and 258.15 lb-ft of torque) and the electric engine with its 33kW output power and 155.63 lb-ft of torque. Combined output is at 245 horsepower and 354.03 lb-ft mounted to an 8-speed tiptronic gearbox in a front wheel drive platform.
The electric engine gets is power from a lithium-ion battery. This weighs around 80.91 lb. The lithium-ion battery is enclosed under the luggage compartment that has been built to be collision resistant. According to the carmaker, the electric car has a luggage capacity of about 13.24 cu. ft. This figure is lesser compared to the non-hybrid model whose luggage capacity is about 18.7 cu.ft.
The hybrid version of this car accelerates at the speed of 62 mph in 7.3 seconds with top speed of 238 km/h. Moreover, sources say that the A6 Hybrid can run up to 100 km/h in pure electric power.
A lot of people don't know this, but even though hybrid cars are still a little more expensive, this hardly ever reflects in the car insurance comparison. Because of the profile
of buyers, you can actually get great deals. Check it out on carinsurancequotes.com!
Tags: Audi A6, Audi A6 hybrid, Audi green cars, Audi hybrid, green cars
Posted December 10th, 2010 by Randell
BMW, the biggest luxury car manufacturer, is looking for new employees to help with their electric vehicle and hybrid development programs as regulations call for greener vehicles.
The carmaker is looking to add around 1,300 people to their workforce by the end of this year and another 1,300 by 2011. BMW is looking to beef up their expert pool for EVs, hybrid power plants, and engines that have lower CO2 emissions.
The workforce of BMW was actually downsized back in 2009 when the car manufacturer bought out contracts and offered early retirement in order to improve profitability. This move chopped down their manpower to around 96,000 from 107,000 back in 2007. BMW is currently busy developing a hybrid sports car due by 2013 and an electric vehicle.
Aside from green technology experts, BMW is also looking for sales and purchasing specialists. The producer of BMW, Rolls-Royce, and Mini is hoping to improve their sales by 10% or 1.4 million units by next year. A more ambitious move is to deliver around 2 million cars to consumers by 2020.
It seems BMW is not the only one gearing for future competition as Daimler AG and Volkswagen are also hiring more people. Daimler AG signed around 400 more employees in the past few months in Germany specifically in Rastatt where they produce their compact units. Mercedes plans to get additional 2,500 employees to help with their production in Hungary. Volkswagen meanwhile may generate 50,000 jobs across their market regions globally through 2015.
Tags: BMW, BMW electric vehicles, BMW green cars, BMW hybrid, BMW news, car news
Posted June 7th, 2010 by Randell
Fiat’s Panda Natural Power vehicle topped the test of the German Automobilclub (ADAC) subjecting 241 cars to a fuel budge of 30 Euros and seeing who can go the farthest. The Fiat can boast covering 724 kilometers or 450 miles.
ADAC tested vehicles that range from small vehicles that can only seat two individuals through sporting supercars.
The Natural Power makes use of a dual fuel setup which relies on methane and gasoline. The designers of the car were able to install two tanks for the storage of methane under the floor of the car. The total capacity of the under chassis installation is around 12 kg of methane. Using the floorpan allowed the designers to keep the space of the interior for the passengers and any luggage they will bring.
The gas tank can carry 30 liters of fuel and can serve as backup when driving through areas where methane refilling stations are not very common.
The 8V 1.2L Bipower engine of the vehicle can bring it to 140 kilometers per hour or 87 miles per hour while running on methane or bring it up a little to 148 km/h or 92 mph when gasoline is used.
The CO2 emission of the Panda is at 113 g/km when using natural gas.
Tags: ADAC, Fiat Panda, Fiat Panda Natural Gas, Fiat Panda Natural Power, German Automobilclub, most economical car
Posted April 29th, 2010 by Janice
Toyota Prius Minivan
Nikkei newspaper in Japan recently reported that Toyota will indeed be producing a hybrid minivan wearing the Prius badge. This e-vehicle is set to carry the first lithium-ion battery pack that was produced in-house by Toyota. Secondly, the electric vehicle will be a seven-seater which means that it will also be the first family-oriented electronic vehicle in the market. The price tag also reveals a friendly 20 thousand dollar range.
With these factors established, Toyota might just possibly pioneer an entirely new breed of hybrid vehicles out there. After all, people have been looking for ways to transport 5 to 7 people more efficiently for some time now. The new Prius minivan might just be the answer.
The Prius badge on the minivan also confirms reports that family-oriented vehicles are being built around the nameplate. Producing a Prius vehicle that’s not “standard Prius” is a huge leap for Toyota. There are also reports that more Prius variations should be anticipated.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: hybrid cars, Minivan, Toyota, Toyota Prius
Posted March 29th, 2010 by Heather
Who says all hybrids have to be boring?
Well, no one really. At least, no one quite dares to say that anymore.
There was a time, of course, when most if not all hybrid models were a little bit bland, if not downright ugly.
As we continue looking for alternative ways to get around, however, and as more and more automakers jump onto the hybrid train, we are seeing a lot of luxury.
For instance, expected this season, BMW will be releasing the ActiveHybrid 7, a luxury sedan which can see five people.
Keep your eyes out, folks — but beware, the MSRP is likely to be over a hundred grand.
Tags: BMW, hybrid
Posted March 28th, 2010 by Heather
Lovers of going green and of luxury will certainly be happy to hear about this.
It is estimated that, at some point in 2010, Mercedes Benz will be coming out with the ML450 Hybrid.
It will be a five seater SUV, but in the midsize category.
However, it has to be said that there seems to be a lot of issues with this particular vehicle. Although a hybrid, there have been problems with getting available batteries for it.
Never a good thing, you know?
Still, it is hoped that Mercedes will have the problems ironed out by the time the SUV hits full distribution. So all hope is not lost — provided you can afford something around the area of $55k.
Tags: hybrid, Mercedes
Posted March 20th, 2010 by Heather
Choosing a hybrid is something that is very, very difficult. I mean, there are so many choices out there, it can be extremely hard to choose not just the right hybrid but the one that you absolutely want to have. You want to make sure that the car not only fits within your lifestyle, but you also want something affordable.
That is what we are going to explore in the next couple blogs, how to find the right hybrid that not only fits with your style but also is affordable for you. Face it, cars are expensive and if you are one of those people that are constantly trying to find an affordable car, you want to make sure that you are doing your research.
Researching the automakers as well as the cars themselves is a fantastic idea, that way you know what you might be getting yourself into.
Tags: cars, choosing a hybrid car, hybrid, hybrid cars, new cars
Posted March 19th, 2010 by Heather
Ah the rumors. The rumor mill has hit me and I can tell you for sure that the brand new 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid and the S generation in general is going to go all hybrid … which is something that I love! Mercedes-Benz is one of those automakers that is certainly trying to ensure that they stay with the green and that is the reason for the switch.
Personally, I think that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid is certainly a good choice for anyone that is looking for a luxury car that is not trying to cut corners but that are definitely trying to ensure that the car is helping the environment as well.
In the next blog though, we are going to explore how you can make a difference and go about changing on over to a hybrid car!
Tags: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, cars, hybrid, hybrid cars, new cars
