Tag Archives: hybrids

Ford Taking Orders for 2012 Focus Electric at $39,995

Posted on 3 November 2011 by Ken Zino

No lease is available, so a typical payment to buy – with $4,000 down for 48 months – is almost $800 per month at Ford’s 7% interest rate. The gasoline Focus starts at just over $17,000. This means that the sales volume of the EV will likely be limited to a few enthusiasts. And Focus Electric also faces tough competition from the Nissan Leaf, which can be leased for about $400 a month. Continue reading →

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2012 Honda Insight Hybrid Ups Fuel Economy at Under $20,000

Posted on 18 October 2011 by Ken Zino

Honda’s latest attempt to catch Toyota Prius, the undisputed hybrid sales leader, results in an updated 2012 Insight hybrid with revised exterior and interior styling, as well as an improved EPA fuel economy rating of 1 mpg. The new Insight’s city/highway/combined EPA fuel economy rating of 41/44/42 mpg, is up from 40/43/41 on the outgoing Insight hybrid model.

More significant is the price as Insights are just now arriving in dealerships. Honda continues to offer the highest EPA fuel economy rating of any new vehicle currently available with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting under $20,000, which is really $19,120 for the base Insight delivered, plus state and local taxes. Continue reading →

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General Motors and LG to Jointly Develop Electric Vehicles

Posted on 25 August 2011 by Ken Zino

The high cost of developing new technologies to meet increasingly stringent CO2 and fuel economy regulations prompted the deal. Earlier this week Ford Motor and Toyota announced a collaboration on new hybrid trucks. Continue reading →

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Ovonic Battery Company Extends NiMH License with GS Yuasa

Posted on 15 August 2011 by Ken Zino

Last month Energy Conversion Devices announced that it is trying to sell its Ovonic Battery subsidiary. OBC’s principal activities are licensing its battery technologies (including nickel-metal-hydride – NiMH – once used on the ill-fated GM EV1), participating in joint development programs to support battery applications, and manufacturing mixed-metal hydroxide cathode materials for sale to its licensees for use in battery production. OBC invented the NiMH rechargeable battery technology that is used globally in most hybrid-electric vehicles, and in many consumer and commercial rechargeable batteries. However, Lithium Ion technology is now preferred by virtually all automakers in new development programs. It is also heavily subsidized by taxpayers through various government grants. Continue reading →

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Motor City Mice Chuckle over Possible F-Series EcoBoost Fuel Economy Shortfalls. GM Pushing Expensive Eco Options, too

Posted on 5 August 2011 by Ken Zino

Owners might not be as amused as we mice, given this elaborate gaming of the EPA system by Ford – especially if owners get similar results after paying at least another $1750 compared to the base V6, or $750 more than the V8 option. And virtually all automakers are gaming the system to obtain ratings that buyers may never experience. Continue reading →

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Ford Kills U.S. Gas C-Max Van. Smaller Hybrids Now Due in 2012

Posted on 9 June 2011 by Ken Zino

The C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid will be followed by another next-generation hybrid in 2012, presumably an updated hybrid version of the Ford Fusion, which in its gasoline form remains the best selling car at the Number Two U.S. automaker. Continue reading →

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Priority Registration Coming for 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Earth Day Launch for New Ordering Web Site

Posted on 19 April 2011 by Ken Zino

The Prius plug-in hybrid will be Toyota’s first application of lithium ion batteries. Current Prius models have successfully used nickel metal hydride batteries since the Prius was introduced in Japan in 1997 as the world’s first mass produced hybrid. Continue reading →

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Toyota Sells One-Millionth Prius Hybrid in the U.S.

Posted on 6 April 2011 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. today announced the one-millionth sale of the Toyota Prius in the United States. Prius was the world’s first mass-produced hybrid gas-electric vehicle, and in its third generation is unquestionably the most successful hybrid, which continues to give Toyota a reputation as an environmentally friendly hybrid. Continue reading →

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BMW, Peugeot Citroën to Invest €100 Million in Hybrid JV

Posted on 2 March 2011 by Ken Zino

Component parts will be used in various BMW and PSA vehicles starting in 2014. Toyota, of course, is the global leader in hybrid technology that was once dismissed by European automakers as not promising. The JV will focus on battery packs, generators, power electronics, chargers, and software for hybrid systems. Continue reading →

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UK Businesses Balk at Killing of Plug-in Hybrid, EV Subsidies

Posted on 10 February 2011 by Ken Zino

This issue pits fiscal conservatives against environmentalists, with special interest or pressure groups angling for advantage. The British drama will likely be replayed in the U.S. this year for the same reasons. Nuances of policy debates are likely lost on taxpayers who fear for their financial futures, and politicians who pander to short term fears. Continue reading →

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Chevrolet Volt Hybrid Available Nationwide By End of 2011

Posted on 27 January 2011 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet said today that it is moving up the national rollout of the Volt hybrid to the end of this year instead of 2011. The latest development for the increasingly popular four-seat car comes closely after General Motors decided to increase Volt production for at least the second time in four months. Continue reading →

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Ultracapacitors to Challenge Batteries in Stop/Start Vehicles?

Posted on 25 January 2011 by Ken Zino

Pike Research that claims worldwide sales of ultracapacitors will grow tenfold from $28 million in 2011 to $284 million by 2016, with cumulative revenue of $901 million during that period. Continue reading →

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Ford to Expand Start-Stop Systems in U.S. by 2012

Posted on 29 December 2010 by Ken Zino

A Start-Stop system will be available for Ford’s North American cars and sport utility vehicles and crossovers starting in 2012, the maker said in a release, claiming improved city driving fuel economy between 4% and 10%. Continue reading →

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Honda Cuts Price of 2011 Insight Hybrid

Posted on 30 November 2010 by Ken Zino

The 2011 Honda Insight is officially on sale today with a less expensive base model that starts at $18,950. It’s the latest attempt by Honda to counter Toyota’s ongoing success with the Prius hybrid, which at more than 115,000 sales … Continue reading →

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EPA to Stigmatize Gas Guzzlers with a D Grade?

Posted on 1 November 2010 by Ken Zino

EPA and DOT are proposing the most radical changes to the fuel economy labels of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms since the regulation began more than 30 years ago. “New technologies such as battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are entering the American market in greater numbers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We need to provide consumers with labels that include fuel economy and environmental information so that buyers can make better informed decisions when purchasing new vehicles.”

EPA and DOT are actually proposing two new label designs for comment during a rule making period that will be subject to intense behind the scenes lobbying by automakers in pay to play Washington.  At stake is the stigma of a bad label on the side of a vehicle. Continue reading →

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