hybrid

When we got our first look at the next generation of the Honda Civic at the 2011 Detroit auto show, we were generally underwhelmed. The Civic Concept resembled the outgoing Civic so closely that it was easily overshadowed by more visually interesting reveals, such as the Hyundai Veloster. Today, with the unveiling of the production versions of what will be the 2012 Civic coupe and sedan, we're unsurprised to find that Honda's bread-and-butter model is just as visually underwhelming as when we last saw it. However, digging into the specs, we find that there are a few revisions … Read more

Early in the Toyota Prius' history, U.S. owners noticed it lacked the EV mode switch included in the Japanese market car. Thus was born the first Prius hack, restoring that button's functionality in the U.S. cars. Then, in 2004, CalCars took Prius hacking even further, adding the capability of charging up the battery pack from the grid. CalCars boasts that this hacked Prius gets 100 mpg.

That Toyota is now promising the public a plug-in Prius as a 2012 model should only beg the question of what took so long. As with most car companies, Toyota moves … Read more

Micron Technology tomorrow is set to disclose a hybrid memory technology that it claims will boost performance 20-fold over the memory chips used in PCs today.

Micron, the largest manufacturer of memory chips in the U.S., says the "Hybrid Memory Cube" can tap into the full performance potential of DRAM--or dynamic random access memory--resolving a longstanding problem referred to as the "memory wall."

Targeted initially at networking and high-performance computers, the technology will be rolled out at an investor conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

"Where DRAM is positioned in the system, you really get into … Read more

The power train in the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is significantly different from those in other hybrids. One result is class-leading highway fuel economy.

The Sonata Hybrid can go up to 75 mph propelled by its electric motor. This velocity far surpasses the top speeds in electric-vehicle mode of competitive hybrids, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid, and cuts the Sonata's fuel consumption. The EPA rates the Sonata's highway fuel economy at 40 mpg.

Better aerodynamics help boost fuel economy: Shutters behind the grille close at highway speeds and the car's underbody is … Read more

General Motors today said it will bring hybrid technology to Buick models that will improve fuel efficiency by about 25 percent using what GM calls "light electrification."

The powertrain, called eAssist, uses a lithium ion battery with high power but relatively little storage capacity. Like a traditional hybrid, the battery will help propel the car with up to 11 kilowatts of power from a stopped position and store energy from braking.

The battery also runs the electrical systems when the car is idle, allowing the gas engine to turn off, and provides a boost during cruising to avoid … Read more

At the upcoming 2011 Geneva auto show, Toyota will find a new hood under which to cram its Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) with the unveiling of a Yaris HSD concept. The automaker will also grow its Prius family of hybrids (in more ways than one) when it rolls out the larger Prius+.

In the wake of the 2011 Detroit auto show's unveiling of the compact Prius C and larger Prius V concepts, the compact Yaris HSD and larger Prius+ concepts seem like a bit of déjà vu. However, the upcoming Prius+ will seat seven passengers versus … Read more

TOKYO--Toyota soon will use lithium ion batteries in a standard hybrid vehicle for the first time, as it slowly moves from older nickel metal hydride technology.

The lithium ion batteries will debut "in the very near future" in a Japan-market hybrid, a person familiar with the matter said. He declined to name the model or give a launch date.

But Toyota is turning to lithium for the model because it will free up more interior space, he said. As an example, he cited the dilemma of wedging more bulky nickel metal hydride batteries into the center console of … Read more

They don't go up for sale until 2012, but Zipcar has managed to snag eight Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHV) for its members to rent as part of a testing program with Toyota for the prototype vehicles.

Zipcar locations in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., San Francisco, and Portland, Ore., will receive the plug-in Prius cars, which have an electric range of up to 13 miles on a full battery and can be charged from a standard 110-volt outlet in up to 3 hours. For longer distances, the plug-in Prius achieves an average of 50 mpg, according to Toyota. … Read more

DETROIT--General Motors CEO Dan Akerson is accelerating his company's push into electrified vehicles with plans to expand the Chevrolet Volt technology into a minivan within a few years and with another hike in his plan for Volt output.

Akerson told the Automotive News World Congress that he expects GM to roll out "several different variants" of the Volt, including an MPV. A plug-in hybrid version of the Cadillac SRX luxury crossover also is likely by 2012 or 2013, he said.

In several public appearances in conjunction with the Detroit auto show, Akerson espoused his view that the … Read more