Hybrids and green

Mitsubishi Evos, performance-modified versions of the Lancer model, became legendary on the offroad rally circuit for their exceptional handling. Now Mitsubishi takes the Evo designation into the future with the first i-Miev Evolution, a performance version of its pod-like i-Miev electric city car.

Mitsubishi built the i-Miev Evo for the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a race featuring 156 turns over 12.42 miles with a 4,700 foot ascent. The company says it started with a stock i-Miev, but the specs show heavy modification. Along with a completely new, carbon fiber body, the i-Miev Evo gets three 80 kilowatt … Read more

The hydrogen highway is still unrealized, but when it comes, Mercedes-Benz is planning a lineup of fuel cell vehicles to ride it.

The auto manufacturer plans to release two new hydrogen vehicles in the next few years, according to an Automotive News article. Mercedes-Benz currently leases an F-Cell hydrogen-fueled vehicle based on the compact B-Class model in a handful of states. The F-Cell has a 240-mile driving range, emits only water vapor when driven, and can be leased for $849 per month.

To date, the company has leased approximately 35 F-Cells in Southern California where the lion's share of hydrogen fueling stations are being built, … Read more

If you're in the market for a luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, start saving up the $50,000 to $60,000 you'll need to buy the Fisker Atlantic sedan. And you'll have plenty of time -- don't expect to see the car in the showrooms for another couple of years.

Details of Fisker's second plug-in hybrid were leaked to InsideEvs.com. The Fisker Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, is the startup's follow-up to its $100,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sports car. The Atlantic is a smaller, more affordable luxury coupe that will be equipped … Read more

An air-powered car may not be a pipe dream after all. Tata Motors announced last week that it is beginning phase two of development to bring this technology to market.

Lightweight cars powered only by air have made the rounds on the auto show circuit for the past two years. But since 2007, the Indian automotive manufacturer has been working with Motor Development International, which is pioneering this technology, to make this highly conceptual propulsion system a reality.

Tata has successfully demonstrated the compressed air engine concept in two of its vehicles, and will enter phase two of the partnership … Read more

Rather than sending Volt battery covers to the landfill, General Motors is sending them into the wild. The company is repurposing the scrapped parts as habitat for Michigan wildlife.

The old Volt battery covers came from prototype vehicles, were damaged in assembly, or were used during training exercises. The company's quality requirements mandate that they can't be used in cars, and due to the type of plastic used to mold the cover, can't be recycled.

However, John Bradburn, manager of waste-reduction efforts for GM, is an avid outdoorsman and found a second life for these parts as … Read more

Tesla announced a goal of 300 miles for the range of its Model S electric sedan early in its development. As the company came closer to production, it said that only the top-trim Model S, with an 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack, would achieve the 300-mile figure. Less expensive versions of the car, with 60- and 40-kilowatt-hour batteries, would hit 230 miles and 160 miles, respectively.

Today, in a somewhat technical and involved blog post from Tesla founder Elon Musk and CTO JB Straubel, the company revealed that the 85-kilowatt-hour Model S only achieved a range of 265 miles.

The post initially … Read more

Regardless of the actual mileage Heather Peters achieved with her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, the automaker did not misstate its fuel economy estimates, ruled a California judge today. Based on that decision, Honda won its appeal to overturn a $9,867 award granted to Peters in small-claims court.

The 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid is advertised to achieve up to 50 mpg in the city. However, due to faulty batteries many drivers argue that the vehicle gets closer to 30 mpg. Peters opted out of a class-action lawsuit against Honda that granted dissatisfied customers up to $200 in cash compensation -- … Read more

By driving electric cars, BMW ActiveE drivers have already kicked the gasoline habit. But now the auto manufacturer is giving them a little help in the effort to quit fossil fuels for good. BMW has partnered with Real Goods Solar to offer EV customers discounted residential solar panel systems so they can charge up using only the sun.

Real Goods Solar will install solar panels at homes of ActiveE drivers at a 35 percent discount. The Colorado-based company operates offices in California and Connecticut, and offers several purchase plans, including the typical upfront system purchase, a zero-down 20-year lease of … Read more

Fisker Automotive received worrying news last week when a Karma sedan burned in a house fire in Texas. The cause is still being investigated, according to the company.

The fire started shortly after a new Karma owner parked the car in a garage, according to a report in Autoweek. A fire investigator told Autoweek that the Karma, which was not plugged in, was the origin of the fire, but the cause was not known.

Fisker released a statement saying that the electric car's battery pack was intact and "does not appear to be a contributing factor in this … Read more