The Smart ForTwo though is getting a facelift for 2013 and will be distributed by a formidable brand, Mercedes-Benz.

The new Smart ForTwo will get a new fascia for the front and its rear, and also rework on the side sills. The front gets a new treatment for its aprons under the hood, the lower grille is made wider while the badge is placed on the grille instead of the hood.

The gasoline models will have no changes on its powertrain, continuing with the 1.0L 3-cylinder engine mated with an automated manual gearbox.

The ForTwo though will get a new model with an all electric setup. The Electric Drive ForTwo will have a lithium ion battery pack from Evonik and dropping the one supplied by Tesla before. The battery pack will still be positioned under the floor with the same configuration as the older sibling.

The 2013 Smart ForTwo will get a more potent electric motor to get the rear wheels going. The power rating of the electric motor peaks at 74 horsepower with a sustained rating of 47 horses. This is a big improvement to the previous version which gives out 40HP on peak and a sustained output of 27hp.

There are no numbers yet from the EPA with regard to the range of the new Smart ForTwo but according to the company, the small ride can cover at least 145 kilometers.

Smart has not yet released the details of pricing for the new Electric Drive ForTwo but forecasters see it under $26,000. The 2013 model will be sold and also leased when it rolls out. The foreseen tag price will make the Smart ForTwo the most affordable car in the United States, a position currently held by the electric car “i” of Mitsubishi.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The use of lithium-ion batteries on the minivan also signals a shift in the company’s thinking. Toyota executives recently declared that the lithium ion technology is not ready for hybrid vehicles. The minivan’s mechanical design might just mean that they’ve changed their minds.

While consumers aren’t giddy with excitement with the production of a lithium-ion powered Prius minivan, Toyota’s move is certainly a significant mark in automotive history. The concept isn’t spanking new, but its development certainly suggests that Toyota might be heading to a different direction in the coming years. The Prius hybrid minivan is scheduled for release in 2011.

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.

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.

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.