hybrid Archives | Page 10 of 10

Report: Honda Fit Hybrid to cost $18,600* in Japan

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Hatchback, Honda

Honda Fit Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda is finally set to launch the Fit hybrid in Japan this October and pricing is rumored to start at ¥1.59 million or about $18,600 at current exchange rates. That’s a $4,700 premium over a standard gasoline powered Fit in Japan, but $3,500 less than the Insight, which makes it the cheapest hybrid available across the Pacific.

The Insight and Fit are built on the same platform, so the five-door Fit will likely use the same 1.3-liter mild-hybrid powertrain as its sibling. When we reviewed the Insight last year we concluded that its packaging sacrifices weren’t really worth the price premium over the Fit. If the Fit hybrid were offered here, the starting price would likely be somewhere around $18,000 based on the current prices of the Fit and Insight. We checked with Honda officials and they still have no plans to offer the Fit hybrid in the United States.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Honda Fit Sport

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Honda Fit Hybrid to cost $18,600* in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Honda Fit Hybrid to cost $18,600* in Japan”

Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in August of 1997, Toyota launched its Coaster Hybrid EV minibus, the company’s first hybrid vehicle. Though the Coaster Hybrid is not a common name, it was the vehicle that started the hybrid revolution at Toyota. The Japanese automaker has now announced that cumulative sales of its hybrids have now topped the one-million mark in its home market. In addition, the company’s global hybrid sales now stand at 2.68 million and counting.

In related news, Toyota announced that the Prius topped the sales charts in Japan once again, marking the 14th consecutive month that the Prius outsold all other models in the Japanese market. While Toyota is comfortably leading the way in hybrid sales, the company is committed to bolstering its lead. Toyota plans to introduce hybrid versions of all of its existing models by 2020 and aims to sell more than one million hybrids per year before the end of the decade. Follow the jump for more info on Toyota’s continued dominance of the hybrid segment.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top

Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top”

Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S – Click above for high-res image gallery

Buried within Porsche’s recent announcement regarding its plans to test three electric Boxsters, the company openly confirmed that the launch of the Panamera S Hybrid is on track for 2011. Though perhaps not as innovative or as those racy electric vehicles, the Panamera S Hybrid still hails from Stuttgart and, therefore, is bound to be one exhilarating ride.

The upcoming Panamera will borrow the hybrid hardware found in the current Cayenne S Hybrid. That means it will sport a 329-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to a 46 hp electric motor. Like the Cayenne S Hybrid, the Panamera’s parallel hybrid setup boasts the ability to operate at low speeds under electric power alone. When the production Panamera S Hybrid takes to the streets in 2011, it will become the company’s second model to sport a hybrid powertrain, a remarkable achievement considering that few people associate Porsche with fuel efficiency. Follow the jump for more info on Porsche’s fuel-saving plans.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid

Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid”

Report: Ex-GM worker accused of stealing hybrid secrets

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Technology, GM

It seems that the lure of stealing trade secrets from a former employer has struck again, this time involving General Motors. Ex-GM employee Shanshan Du and her husband Yu Qin have reportedly been indicted by a federal grand jury for their part in an alleged conspiracy to steal hybrid vehicle information from The General.

It seems that Du waited until five days after she received a severance package from the automaker before copying thousands of documents back in January of 2005 related to hybrid technology. In May of the following year, Du and her husband are said to have shredded the documents and dumped them in a bin behind a nearby store after the grand jury began its inquiry.

Between those two dates, it is alleged that Du’s husband entered into an agreement with Chinese automaker Chery to provide hybrid technology from his company, Millennium Technology International. According to General Motors, the stolen data is worth about $40 million.

This is not the first time we’ve seen such cases. Late last year, Former Ford engineer Xiang Dong Yu was arrested and indicted on suspicion of stealing trade secrets from his former employer.

[Source: Detroit Free Press, CNN]

Report: Ex-GM worker accused of stealing hybrid secrets originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Ex-GM worker accused of stealing hybrid secrets”

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid priced equal to V6 at $35,180

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Lincoln, Luxury

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lincoln has dropped a bit of a surprise with the pricing of the 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Unlike most other hybrid vehicles, there will be no price premium compared to the cheapest conventional model. The MKZ hybrid, with its 2.5-liter four cylinder hybrid powertrain, will start at $35,180 including destination and delivery. That’s the same price as the front-wheel drive 3.5-liter V6-powered model.

For those keeping track, that puts the price at about $350 under the base Lexus HS 250h, which would seem to be its main competitor. Further, its 41 miles per gallon in the city is 6 mpg better than the Lexus – which, of course, is supposed to be the whole point of a hybrid vehicle. Add in arguably more attractive styling and the new Lincoln hybrid may well find itself with quite a following in the marketplace. Check out all the details in the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

[Source: Lincoln]

Continue reading 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid priced equal to V6 at $35,180

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid priced equal to V6 at $35,180 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid priced equal to V6 at $35,180”

Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Honda, Electric

At a news conference yesterday in Japan, Honda chief executive officer Takanobu Ito outlined the company’s future plans to roll out advanced technology vehicles. Among the highlights: Ito revealed Honda will introduce both a mid-size plug-in hybrid and an electric commuter vehicle in the U.S. and Japan by the end of 2012. As part of the company’s global push to develop more-efficient vehicles, Honda will also introduce a small diesel-powered car in Europe around the same time that its battery-powered vehicles hit our shores.

Honda will also begin testing “next-generation electric personal mobility products, including electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric scooters and electric carts” in the Kumamoto and Saitama regions in Japan before the end of 2010. The purpose of the tests is to verify “the effectiveness of next-generation personal mobility products with electromotive technologies,” i.e., plug-in vehicles and how to best use renewable energy (solar) with these vehicles. Honda will test all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the U.S. once the Japan tests are underway. U.S.-based participants include Stanford University, Google Inc. and the City of Torrance, CA. Torrance will get a plug-in hybrid electric test vehicle by the end of this year. Honda said its first hybrid to get a lithium-ion battery will be the next-generation Civic Hybrid, coming in 2011. More details are available in the press releases after the jump.

[Source: Honda, Reuters]

Continue reading Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012

Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Honda announces plans to sell plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle by 2012”

Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Technology, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

Following on the heels of our earlier report about yesterday’s scheduled hearing between Toyota and Alex Severinsky at the International Trade Commission came word that the parties have settled. Neither side has released any details about the agreement – and they probably won’t. Toyota had previously been found guilty of infringing upon Severinsky’s patent, which centers around getting power to a vehicle’s wheels with a gasoline-electric vehicle using both high- and low current.

In all likelihood, Toyota agreed to pay royalties to PAICE (Severinsky’s company) for all of the hybrids it has sold and will sell in the United States until the patent expires in 2012. This means that the threat of a ban on imports of Toyota hybrids has been lifted – at least until the next case.

In related news, Ford has also settled with PAICE over hybrid patent issues. The details are confidential, but there’s a bit more information after the jump.

[Sources: Bloomberg, PAICE]

Continue reading Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles

Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Followup: Toyota and Severinsky settle hybrid patent dispute ahead of ITC hearing; Ford also settles”