Pictured above is the fender of Rolls-Royce’s forthcoming Phantom Hybrid. But wait, Rolls-Royce hasn’t said anything about a Phantom Hybrid, have they? Nope, that’s because what you see above probably isn’t a Phantom Hybrid.

Does the hybrid badge in the picture look familiar? It should, because its the same exact badge GM currently slaps on their hybrid vehicles. According to Autoblog the driver apparantly calims the car was given to a VIP by Rolls-Royce for testing.

Is that the truth? Probably not, it seems a lot more likely that the driver just felt like playing a joke on the unsuspecting public, pryed the hybrid logo (or pruchased) off an existing automobile and had it put onto their Phantom. Then again, I could be wrong, but until Rolls-Royce says anything of a hybrid, this should be viewed as nothing more than a joke.

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Just weeks after Tesla Motors announced that they have officially opened shop in Manhattan they have again come forth to announce a new store, this time in Seattle.

The shop will apparantly be situated in a warehouse at 425 Westlake Ave where visitors can take a look at Tesla’s current offerings. The Seattle store will also provide service to current Tesla owners in the area.

To celebrate the store’s opening Tesla will be holding a sneak preview event this weekend where AutoBlogGreen suggests test drives are likely to be available. The event will reportedly run from 10AM on Saturday to 5PM on Sunday so if you’re in the area be sure to stop by.

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Now here is an unforunate and ironic story — Apparantly a NY resident by the name of George Morales died in his minivan while parked under the Brookly-Queens Expressway. His death expectedly took place in the beginning of May as the man’s daughter, Jennifer Morales, reported him missing around that time.

Now, this is sad and all but the ironic part is despite housing a dead man, NYPD officers wrote him parking tickets until he was found when the car was going to be towed.

Unless this man was laying down in the back, how could an NYPD officer have not seen a dead body sitting in the drivers seat? The world may never know.

Read (Jalopnik)

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BMW Mini E

BMW recently announced that it will loan 10 Mini E electric cars to be used in New York’s Street Condition Observation Unit (SCOUT). SCOUT prowls the NYC in search of graffiti and potholes. The Mini E cars are part of 500 vehicles the automaker is bringing to the United States as part of a research-and-development test of the viability of a small electric vehicle in the U.S. Of the group, 450 Mini E’s will be leased (for about $800 per month) in the New York and Southern California markets.

The other 50 will be used for publicity programs. BMW hopes to promote the all-electric Mini and also to collect information on how to best market the small electric car and apply whatever it learns to larger and more functional cars. The Mini E’s battery pack takes up most of its back seat and trunk areas, severely limiting its usefulness, but if the cars attract attention and buyers, BMW will invest in upgrading and expanding the new technology.

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