There were 23 vehicles that showed some improvement in the U.S. But eventually only one was worthy of being crowned the 2010 Car of the Year by Motor Trend. And the lucky car that came out of it all was the new and improved Ford Fusion. Just in case you didn’t know yet, the Ford Fusion practically has one model to suit the motorist’s taste. This includes being an entry level car, hybrid vehicle or a luxury sports car. In short, the flexibility of the Ford Fusion is what makes it perhaps an ideal vehicle to consider buying. So if you want to be safe, take it from the experts. The Ford Fusion is the car to have regardless of what you are looking for in one.

(Source) Market Wire

Tags: car of the year, flexibility, Ford, ford fusion, hybrid vehicle, luxury sports car, motor trend, source market

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With the projected demand for electric and hybrid vehicles expected to boom in the coming years, the need for lithium-ion batteries is expected to rise as well. And while many companies have come up with their various versions of lithium-ion batteries for their cars, Nissan and Ener1 have partnered to try and come up with a new generation of electrical conductive material intended to reduce cost and improve the performance of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

For sure, once electric transportation dominates the market, focus will be on the batteries for cars. We have seen a wide array of lithium-ion batteries in the market and for sure further enhancements will be coming out once they are used in the market.

Apparently, Nissan is not taking any chances. And with their affiliation with Ener1, Nissan is looking towards the future for broader options as far as batteries are concerned. It is practically imminent that lithium-ion batteries will be replacing fuel and be the next need that motorists will be cramming for.

(Source) Press

Tags: affiliation, array, Cars, conductive material, electric transportation, enhancements, hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicles, lithium, lithium ion batteries, market focus, motorists, new generation, Nissan, vehicle batteries

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The potential ownership of the 2009 Toyota Prius just got sweeter for Utah county locals as Brent Brown announces a $2,000 Customer Cash rebate and will pay the sales tax for purchases of the new Toyota hybrid vehicle. Touted to be the solution for the continuing oil price crisis, the timing of this deal couldn’t have been better.

Many people are waiting for the new 2010 Prius which will be arriving at Brent Brown Toyota soon. The supply of new cars will be limited at first but will pick up as the model year progresses.

“We have new ‘09 and several used Prius’ on the lot and 2010’s are coming soon. You can special order a 2010 Prius now and be one of the first to have the new 2010 Prius you want in time for summer,” said Brent Brown, owner of Brent Brown Toyota, a Utah dealership that sells the Toyota Prius.

Brent Brown Toyota has carried the best selling, best built hybrid for years. New ‘09 Prius’ are available now at Brent Brown Toyota. Demand for hybrids is building as the summer months approach and gas prices rise.

(Source) Press

Tags: brent brown toyota, cash rebate, gas prices rise, hybrid vehicle, hybrids, new cars, oil price crisis, toyota prius

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Much has been said about the highly anticipated plug-in hybrid vehicle PHEV and it looks like its starting stages are getting off on the right foot. Green Star Products, Inc. today announced that preliminary testing of its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has been successfully completed at the Corbin Motor Speedway in Kentucky.

This was a preliminary test for the full demonstration event scheduled during the first week of June. However, this preliminary test did produce some impressive on-road efficiency data as follows:

1. The test run was designed to simulate an intra-city driving delivery truck route at the test track.
2. The run consisted of 400 laps for a total of 100 miles.
3. The test included eight 10-minute delivery stops and a short lunch break during the 100-mile run.
4. The test vehicle was driven by 3 drivers and included 2 track test drivers and Brooks Agnew, President of Global Green Cars.

Intra-city driving delivery vehicles are the highest polluters and least energy efficient vehicles in use today on a per mile basis. For example, 85% of the huge U.S. Post Office fleet travels less than 13 miles per day yet consumes 2 to 4 gallons of gasoline per day. This is equivalent to a mileage of 3 to 6 miles per gallon. Compare this to the 100 mile test run of the GSPI plug-in hybrid which demonstrated over 100 miles per gallon at its preliminary test run.

(Source) Press

Tags: brooks agnew, delivery truck, demonstration event, efficiency data, energy efficient vehicles, green cars, hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, lunch break, mile test, miles per gallon, minute delivery, motor speedway, phev, star products, test drivers, track test, truck route, u s post office

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The PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) will be tested in public in the coming weeks, a demo that will certainly draw a lot of interested bystanders curious about the concept of plug-in hybrid electric cars. The demonstration will take place in Corbin, Kentucky, where the vehicle will be test driven and evaluated by industry representatives. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will be driven on a simulated city driving test route. The company expects to demonstrate that during an eight hour delivery day simulation this plug-in hybrid vehicle can exceed 150 miles while exhibiting an efficiency of over 75 mpg (miles per gallon).

Earlier this month, Green Star Products along with its International Consortium partner Global Green Cars had publicly tested its full electric vehicle version at tracks in Utah and Kentucky. Global Green Cars is a U.S. and International Consortium of automobile companies and associated supply companies which includes Green Star Products as an engineering and technology provider.

President Barack Obama’s New Energy For America program calls for deployment of 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2015, and on March 19, 2009, he announced programs directing $2.4 billion to electric vehicle development.

(Source) Press

Tags: automobile companies, Barack Obama, driving test route, green cars, hybrid electric cars, hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicles, interested bystanders, new energy, star products

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With the scheduled release of the 2010 Toyota Prius this May, prices for the hybrid vehicle has been released by Toyota Motor Sales, USA. The third-generation Prius will be available in one grade with a starting MSRP of $21,000. The Prius will be offered with five levels of popular standard equipment combinations.

“The 2010 Prius delivers outstanding mileage, performance and advanced technology at a great price,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division.

Carter sees the most popular model starting at an MSRP of $22,000, equipped with a high level of standard features. “This model provides more than $2,000 added value, including the features most buyers want, at the same price as the current base model,” he said.

A new base model with a lower level of standard equipment is scheduled to be available later this year. It is designed to appeal to the most cost-conscious businesses and consumers.

(Source) Press

Tags: advanced technology, available later this year, bob carter, carter group, hybrid vehicle, mileage, third generation, Toyota, toyota motor, toyota motor sales, toyota prius

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Leave it to Hella Electronics Corporation to come up with the solution to your car needs as they try to stay in line with the responsible and conservative car owners. The shift in U.S. buying patterns has caused some vehicle manufacturers to re-think how new fuel and carbon dioxide (CO2)-saving vehicles should be marketed to technology-savvy drivers who may want a premium sound system in a smaller vehicle.

Hella believes most U.S. car buyers can have it both ways by applying energy management principles learned in Europe, where drivers are accustomed to more expensive fuel prices. Today, technologies such as automatic start-stop controls, intelligent battery sensors, electronic pedal sensors, fuel-quality and oil-quality sensors, demand-driven fuel pumps and electric vacuum pumps are available and in use to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The savings in energy use can then be applied to comfort and convenience options U.S. buyers want.

Among their line of consumer saving gadgets include:

• Automatic Start-Stop Increases Hybrid Vehicle Fuel Savings
• Intelligent Battery Sensor Saves 3.8 Grams of Carbon Dioxide Per Mile
• Hella’s Accelerator Pedal-Sensor Module Sets the Pace Globally in Fuel Efficiency
• Integrating Electronic Systems is Key to Improvements in Energy Consumption

Hella is one of the top 50 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany. Nearly 25,000 people work in 70 manufacturing facilities and production subsidiaries throughout the world, including more than 3,500 research-and-development engineers and technicians. Customers include all of the world’s leading vehicle and systems manufacturers, as well as the automotive parts aftermarket.

(Source) Press

Tags: accelerator pedal, co2 emissions, electric vacuum pumps, energy consumption, fuel consumption, fuel efficiency, fuel pumps, fuel quality, fuel savings, hybrid vehicle, premium sound system, quality sensors, vehicle manufacturers

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Subaru unveils its contribution to the fight against emissions. Subaru presents the 2009 Subaru Legacy PZEV. What does the acronym PZEV stand for? PZEV stands for Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. They offer the best rating possible for a gasoline powered vehicle and may be what many vehicles will be like in the future.

They offer the best rating possible for a gasoline powered vehicle and may be what many vehicles will be like in the future. Subaru does this by combining special engine computer programming with some additional hardware to eliminate or reduce emissions. This can be done inexpensively compared to the technology costs of a hybrid vehicle or the new low-emission diesel systems.

Customers get a vehicle that operates and feels like their existing gasoline vehicle and they don’t have to worry about finding diesel fuel stops or the cost of replacement batteries in the future.

Hybrids are green technology, but a large part of their advantage is in better fuel economy. The cost of the technology along with the complexity and space taken by the hybrid systems are real disadvantages. Subaru’s PZEV design may not have the same fuel economy as a hybrid but produces fewer emissions at a lower build cost and reduced mechanical complexity.

(Source) Canadian Driver

Tags: acronym, computer programming, diesel fuel, diesel systems, engine computer, fuel economy, gasoline, Green Technology, hybrid systems, hybrid vehicle, hybrids, mechanical complexity, pzev, replacement batteries, Subaru, subaru legacy, technology costs, zero emissions vehicle

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At a time when hybrids and fuel efficient cars are increasing in demand, leave it to Kia Motors to come up with a vehicle to satisfy those areas. Kia Motors Corp. yesterday unveiled the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the Forte and its eco-friendly sub-brand Eco Dynamics.

Eco Dynamics is a sub-brand that represents ecology and economics and the company’s aim of developing environmentally friendly automotive technologies, the logo for which will be used on hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles to be launched in the future.

The hybrid Forte is equipped with a 1.6-liter LPG engine and an electric motor to support the internal combustion engine during acceleration and when the vehicle is started.

The LPI hybrid Forte is the world’s first hybrid vehicle to be fitted with a lithium-ion polymer battery, which is lighter and smaller but has higher output than nickel-metal hydride batteries. The company also altered the exterior and interior design of the hybrid Forte to set it apart from the normal version of the vehicle. The company said that it plans to develop a distinct tune that will be played when the hybrid Forte is started to further differentiate the car from conventional vehicles and use the tune in advertising campaigns.

The hybrid Forte will also be shown at the Seoul Motor Show that opens on April 2.

(Source) Korea Herald

Tags: acceleration, advertising campaigns, automotive technologies, conventional vehicles, hybrid vehicle, hybrid version, hybrids, hydrogen powered vehicles, internal combustion engine, kia motors corp, korea herald, liquefied petroleum gas, lithium, lithium ion polymer, lithium ion polymer battery, nickel metal hydride batteries, plug in hybrid, Seoul

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If you are in the market for a great but cost-friendly hybrid car, chances are you should check out the new Honda Insight. The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale March 24 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(TM)) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC(R) gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon(2). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

“The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers.”

(Source) Press

Tags: american honda motor, american honda motor co, gasoline engine, highway fuel economy, honda insight, hybrid car, hybrid technology, hybrid vehicle, kilowatt, new era

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Colorado is the place to be come this April as the first prototype hybrid vehicle by Lightning Hybrids is set to be unveiled. Lightning Hybrids today announced that it will unveil the prototype of its hybrid vehicle that is being designed and manufactured in Loveland at the Denver Auto Show April 1 to 5, 2009. In addition the unique hybrid drivetrain will be displayed for the first time as well.

The staff at Lightning Hybrids is working night and day to finish the car, called the LH4, in time for the show. “We knew when we decided in January to be at the Denver Auto Show that some of the finishing touches on the car would not be completed, but we will definitely have a car there and are excited for the first public viewing of our vehicle and technologies,” said Dan Johnson, Lightning Hybrids CEO.

The car, a four-seat sports sedan, will average 100 miles to the gallon (biodiesel) and will be able to go 0 to 60 in under six seconds. It has a unique clamshell door that opens upward to allow for superior aerodynamics. In addition to an innovative hydraulic biodiesel hybrid drivetrain, the Lightning Hybrids car has other futuristic innovations like using cameras and screens in place of rearview external mirrors to reduce drag and increase safety. The car will also be available in a three-door four-seat car, and the drivetrain is available in a retrofit kit suitable for fleets as well.

(Source) PR USA

Tags: aerodynamics, biodiesel, denver auto show, fleets, hybrid vehicle, hybrids, Prototype, rearview

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During these times, sales people will always throw in a monkey wrench just to close a deal. And the magic word today is Best Value referring to affordability and consumption. While you are bound to get a lot of that along the way, be advised that there is only one that truly fits these needs. And that car is the Honda Civic, branded as the Best Value car by Edmunds.com.

“Anyone truly concerned about their household expenses should ask some questions about any methodology that finds a premium hybrid vehicle to be an excellent value, especially when gas prices are so low,” warns Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl. “It makes sense that value is top of mind for many car buyers; for consumers seeking the absolute best new car value, the 2009 Honda Civic is the best choice, not the Prius.”

Edmunds.com, whose extensive data department has been projecting comprehensive five-year vehicle ownership costs since 2002, has determined that the Prius Touring actually ranks 41st in terms of ownership costs. The industry-leading Honda Civic will cost $8,042 less than the Prius over five years of ownership.

(Source) Press

Tags: car value, gas prices, Honda, honda civic, hybrid vehicle, new car, Prius, vehicle ownership

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