What you see above is Suzuki’s 2010 Swift, a plug-in hybrid concept that is set to make it’s official debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. This little vehicle features a 660 cc engine to charge its on board lithium ion batteries situated between the 2 front seats.

Those lithium ion batters in question will be used to power the car’s 54 kW motor which will then give the car front wheel drive.

That’s all we have now regarding the 2010 Suzuki Swift plug-in hybrid concept, check back as the Tokyo Motor Show grows closer.

via autoblog

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It seems that the government isn’t done lending out money just yet as it was recently announced that they have lent half a billion dollars to Fisker Automotive for work on their forthcoming plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Fisker reportedly has two plug-in hybrids in the works; a $90,000 one entitled the Karma (pictured above) and the much more reasonably priced Nina at $40,000. There’s no telling when the Karma is set to hit the road but with this new round of goverment funding Fisker hopes to have the Nina in the hands of consumers by 2012.

Even better, Fisker hopes that with the introduction of the Nina will come up to 5,000 new jobs, something this country desperately needs.

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We’ve been hearing of Toyota manufactured plug-in hybrids for some time now but have yet to have any official word of them being ready for production. Luckily, Toyota is gearing up to debut a modernized version of the Prius at the Frankfurt Motor Show that does in fact let you charge the car by plugging it in.

Other details were also released today that state the car is getting updated to allow the car to go from a dead stop up to 62mph on electricity alone for a maximum range of 12.5 miles. This will make for an even more environmentally friendly car as the most gas is used when you are first accelerating.

That’s all we have for now but we’ll keep you posted as more details arrive.

via autoblog

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GM has today detailed their intentions to produce a plug-in hybrid version of their Buick Crossover which will make its debut sometime in 2011. Included above is a teaser image of said car.

Under the hood, the hybrid Crossover will feature a 4 cylinder 2.4-liter Ecotec engine with direct injection but that’s about the extent of details we have regarding the car’s motor. In terms of fuel efficiency GM says that the car will have double the fuel economy of similarly sized SUVs.

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What are automakers to do when their plates get so full that they can’t find the time to develop things such as rapid EV charging? Well, leave it to the college folk, of course.

It seems that MIT students are currently develop a rapid recharging EV prototype that will effectively rememdy the 3-12 hour recharge times all-electric vehicles on the market currently have.

There’s not much in terms of how fast they plan on recharging their prototype 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, but they plan on having a working prototype by 2010.

via KickingTires

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The entire world is moving towards a greener community, most importantly on the auto side of things. To help things along a bit Ontario will soon announce that they will be giving tax incentives of up to $10,000 for those who purchase a plug-in vehicle.

Don’t get too excited as these reports aren’t confirmed but a program like the abovementioned is sure to be instated soon. In comparison, the US currently offers up to $7,500 worth of incentives for those who purchase a plug-in vehicle in the States.

Let’s hope that all of this will help the auto community move towards more energy efficient cars. Perhaps one day we will even be able to phase out our dependence on oil.

Read (CTV)

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The future is here, well, almost — It seems that Vancouver, British Columbia officials have decided that it will be beneficial if all new parking lots in the city are graced with car charging ports.

Not only will it be made mandatory for these ports to appear in new parking facilities for apartments or other housing complexes but they will be added to government owned parking lots currently standing today.

While this is a great idea and a push towards a more greener society, is it really necessary right now? I mean, are there really that many plug-in electrics on the road that could utilize these?

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

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Sure, Volvo is set to release a plug-in hybrid by 2012 but Toyota is far ahead of them. With their industry leading Prius being the go-to car when you’re looking for a hybrid the next step would be to manufacture one that could be recharged with a standard outlet.

And, that’s just what Toyota has done announcing that they will be bringing lithum-powered plug-in Prius’ to the states later this year.

The bad news? There will be only 150 made available for lease so chances are you probably won’t be able to get your hands on one. Bummer.

Read (HybridCarBlog)

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Swedish automaker Volvo has announced that it will be releasing a new plug-in hybrid vehicle by 2012 as the latest step under its ‘DRIVe Towards Zero ’ eco-campaign. This announcement also signals the organization of a joint-venture with Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall to help assist with the development of the carmaker’s first production plug-in hybrid and future all-electric models.

Volvo also stated that it will have three new V70 plug-in hybrids testing on public roads in Europe by the middle of the year. It is worth noting that Volvo’s design will not be using the familiar petrol-electricity combination, but instead will utilize diesel fuel to give its cars even better efficiency over future rivals like the upcoming Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and Chevrolet Volt. No other details about Volvo’s design, including its expected fuel-economy, have been disclosed yet.

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Fisker Automotive is less than a year away from debuting its new Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan, definitely one of the more exciting looking cars on the auto show circuit. Fisker plans to have its Karma on the roads by November and a sizzling convertible version by 2011. Fisker is already looking ahead to develop a third version of the Karma, as well as a new low cost model.

Fisker has succeeded in getting investors to pump another $85 million into its operations, with the funds to be used for the development and manufacture of the Karma, as well as new models. Fisker is also seeking an undisclosed loan amount from the Department of Energy (DOE), to use for the low-cost model as well as the refurbishing an existing U.S. factory to build the cars.

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Raser Technologies has recently announced that their plug-in hybrid powertrain designed for pick up trucks has its first customer.

Pacific Gas and Electric will be the first to test out the powertrain system in 2 new vehicles that they have recently purchased. Don’t take it to heart, but these new hybrid pickup trucks are being touted as having a gas mileage rating of over 100mpg. We’ll have to see that to believe it.

These exciting new trucks are apparently set to be showcased at the SAE World Congress which starts April 20th.

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Mazda has recently expressed their interest in following the marketing and making a shift towards a more green campaign.

They won’t be completely green right off the bat as up until 2015 Mazda will make a huge effort to increase the gas efficiency of their current lineup. However, when 2015 does roll around that’s when the real fun begins.

Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi was quoted as saying the company will, in fact, begin producing both hybrid and plug-in electrics in 2015. You have 6 years to get this right, Mazda, you better make it count!

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

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Jaguar has recently made it known that they are prepping to release their own plug-in electric powered vehicle to keep up with the competition from other automakers.

The car will apparently be a modified version if the Jaguar XJ sedan and is expected to be in showrooms by 2011. The electric XJ is said to share some similarities with GM’s Volt in the sense that it will be electric powered but there will be a gas alternative when the electricity runs low.

Jaguar is said to be working with Lotus Engineering and Caparo to develop the car’s powertrain.

Read (Autopia)

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Hyundai is thinking hybrid thoughts and the car maker has unveiled a new plug-in hybrid concept, the BLUE-WILL, which will make its first public appearance at the Seoul Motor Show next week. The BLUE-WILL will get you a direct-injected 1.6-liter gas engine, a CVT transmission and a 100kw electric motor. The car will offer you more eco-friendly features like headlamp bezels made from recycled plastic bottles or it will use plastics developed from plant extracts. The BLUE-WILL is just a concept car and we have much to find out. Will it be a hit in the near future?

via Engadget

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