prius

Sparks will fly over GM, Toyota plug-ins

It's all been very gentlemanly so far. No name calling. No punches thrown.

But a fight is brewing between heavyweights Toyota and General Motors over the way the government should support plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Robert Wimmer, a Toyota research manager, told a Senate committee last week that proposed legislation "redefines plug-in electric vehicles to seemingly eliminate consumer tax credits for all but one plug-in vehicle design. Toyota believes this approach is counterproductive."

He didn't identify the Chevrolet Volt by name. But the GM hybrid would be the main beneficiary of the bill, which would provide … Read more

Robotic Prius takes itself for a spin around SF

An unusual motorcade made its way across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge early one morning last week: a silver Toyota Prius, complete with police escort and camera crew, but with no driver at the wheel.

The robotic Prius was the invention of Anthony Levandowski, 28, a computer engineer who lives in San Francisco, works in Silicon Valley, and built the so-called "Pribot" in his spare time.

"Some people like to work on hot rods, boats, or airplanes," Levandowski said afterward. "I love robots."

Pribot's real-world test started on September 7 at Pier 7, a nondescript slice of San Francisco's often-foggy waterfront, around 7:30 a.m. The autonomous vehicle drove along the Embarcadero, took a right on Harrison Street, turned onto the bridge itself, and exited at Treasure Island.

The result? Years of hard work paid off. No little old ladies were run off the road. Pribot's trek, Levandowski said, took place without incident, save the car scraping its left side as it drove up the ramp exiting the Bay Bridge. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 803: Limp-wristed robot handshakes

If a robot has a firm handshake, does that mean its creator is a stand-up guy, or just that he programmed his robot to have a firm handshake? That and other serious technology topics are examined today, and we also give our official Buzz Out Loud reviews of the new Microsoft commercial with Jerry Seinfeld. Brian Cooley joins us for Friday goodness.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 803

LHC will not destroy the universe in 5 days http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/04/lhc-will-not-destroy.html

Microsoft begins big ad push http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10033375-56.html http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/9/seinfeld-s-first-microsoft-commercial-awkward-not-funny… Read more

Honda to revive the Insight as a Prius-fighter

Honda introduced the first gas-electric hybrid for purchase with the Insight in 1999, then came Toyota's Prius and everyone forgot about Honda's little hybrid that could. We all knew that Honda was working on a larger Prius-fighting, dedicated hybrid vehicle, but Honda has denied that they'd be reviving the Insight moniker for this new vehicle. On Thursday, Honda released the first official information and images of their Prius-killer concept and it's called, you guessed it, the Insight.

The Insight Concept carries over the styling cues of Honda's fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity. It looks … Read more

81: Honda prepares to smash the Prius.

A whole new way of life for tire shops...Chrysler plays catch up in the hybrid hype game...Honda goes head on against the Prius...and we take you for a ride in the quintessential mainstream status car. Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOWNOTES

No more lead wheel weights in CA

Aston Martin DBS gets its own Jaeger watch!

Screwy Audi "iPhone App"

New Chrysler hybrid SUV's on the way

All cars hybrids by 2020?

ClarionMind

JVC El Kameleon

Prius to be American-made

Americans will soon have another feel-good reason to buy a Prius.

Prius production in the U.S. will begin in late 2010 at a plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Miss., Toyota announced Thursday.

So, aside from saving on the cost of gas through better gas mileage and raising environmental awareness, buying a Prius will soon be a product made by American workers...or at least assembled by them.

Toyota said the change is in response to consumer demand in North America.

As it's been widely reported, there's been a Prius shortage in the U.S. with … Read more

More details on Toyota's solar-powered Prius

We applaud any carmaker that harnesses the power of technology, particularly if it helps fuel economy, makes driving fun, or makes us look cool. That's why we launched the U.K. version of Car Tech.

So our ears perked up when we heard Toyota is upgrading its Prius. Not only will it feature a hybrid electric-gasoline engine and automatic self-parking (see its robot skills in action here), but it will soon get solar panels on the roof to power its air-conditioning system.

That last bit might not sound too exciting, but it has potential. Automotive air-conditioning systems are usually … Read more

Toyota plans Prius with solar panels

Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of the next generation of Prius hybrid cars, according to a report in Monday's edition of the Nikkei newspaper.

The panels, which are expected to begin appearing on the high-end version of the gasoline-electric hybrid car as early as next spring, will supply part of the 2 to 5 kilowatts needed to power the air conditioning, MarketWatch cited the Japanese business daily as reporting. Kyocera will reportedly supply the panels.

The move would make Toyota the first major automaker to incorporate a solar-power generation system into a mass-produced car.

Prius was introduced in 1997 … Read more

Wanna buy a Prius? It'll cost you

With gas over $4 per gallon, on average, across the country, there is now a carpet bagger economy on the Toyota Prius.

Many dealers will still sell a new one at MSRP, but you are likely to wait 10 to 12 weeks before seeing a car. Yes, if you act quickly you can buy a used Prius, but this is where the real price gouging occurs. Case in point, a basic 2007 Prius with no options and 29,000 miles will cost you around $27,000. If you bought a brand-new car identical to this in 2007, it would have … Read more

Green-tech news harvest: Turning CO2 to stone, health problems with Priuses?

A sampling of green-tech news.

The Ethanol Industrial Complex--Forbes.com

A snapshot of Senate hearings this week on the impact that U.S. government mandates for ethanol are having on corn prices. This article points out that even if mandates were loosened, high oil prices would keep corn ethanol demand strong.

The Clean Energy Scam--TIME

Time magazine declares biofuels a scam, listing the many problems with biofuels including deforestation in Brazil.

New Source for Biofuels Discovered--Renewable Energy World

University of Texas researchers create a microbe that can produce ethanol and other biofuels. Can a licensing deal and venture-backed start-up be … Read more