Honda Motor Co., in three years, is likely to have a finished product that showcases the strides it has made to develop a new hybrid system for larger cars. Tomohiko Kawanabe, chief operating officer of automobile R&D, said that the research stage is over and that they have entered the field of development. Set to be launched next week are Honda’s gasoline-electric cars such as the Insight and the CR-Z, which use a single electric motor. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius uses two motors.... Read More

Efficiency. Getting more from less. Since 1948, that’s what Lotus has been about. Of course, for decades, the sports car maker’s primary goal was to squeeze more performance from less car and lighter engines, but these moves generally had the side benefits of reducing fuel consumption. The refreshed 2011 Lotus Elise is no different. The sub-2,000 pound Elise has always managed to provide startling acceleration and handling with relatively low power engines. For the new year, Lotus has... Read More

This is a teaser shot of the Lexus CT 200h’s cat’s-eye taillight. From this rear-end shot, it appears to be a vehicle that puts a premium on curves and high style. If you’re in the US, expect to be dismayed since there are currently no plans to bring it there. Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister said through an e-mail that the hybrid is expected to go on sale in Europe. Lexus doesn’t have a timetable yet to launch this “a new gateway model” to Toyota’s upscale... Read More

Hyundai has decided to show off a rendering of the i-Flow concept car that it will show off early next month at the Geneva Motor Show. To our eyes, the i-Flow looks to be a logical push forward with the Korean automaker’s recent fluidic sculpture design philosophy, as seen on the new 2011 Sonata and sister-company Kia’s Ray concept, which is currently being shown off at the Chicago Auto Show. Actual details on the i-Flow are still pretty hard to come by, but Hyundai says this concept... Read More

What the heck is the Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award? First of all, the award was named after the late Dave Hermance, who was a leading hybrid vehicle proponent who worked for Toyota prior to his death in an experimental airplane accident on November 25, 2006. This is the first year that the award has been given. Now that that’s out of the way, the first annual Hermance Award went to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. According to the Committee members who vote for the award, the final two contestants... Read More

After Toyota Motor Corp.’s recalls in the US, Europe and other markets, the carmaker is now moving to recall the latest generation Prius hybrid car in Japan, according a source familiar with the matter. This report is seconded by many other news agencies which cited multiple sources. Toyota has revealed that it is in talks with safety regulators worldwide on how to fix a software defect, which results to a braking delay in certain road conditions. Last Friday, Toyota President Akio Toyoda... Read More

According to Tom Stephens, GM’s vice chairman of global product operations the Two Mode hybrid powertrain developed by the American manufacturer and used only on trucks, will soon migrate to rear-drive cars in the next-generation and the best candidate will be Cadillac. GM is already developing an engine that is 25 percent smaller and 20 percent more powerful than the motor used in today’s Two Mode hybrid full-sized trucks. “The new motor will be lighter. It will be more affordable,”... Read More

Toyota has added the brake systems of the latest Lexus hybrid vehicles to a growing list of problems with various models, the company said Friday. The company said it was checking the brakes on the Lexus vehicle model HS250h — as well as a Japanese model called the Sai — because they use the same system as that used on the 2010 Toyota Prius. Toyota has announced no recall of these vehicles, however, and said it has not received any complaints about the brakes from consumers.SponsorLooking... Read More

Toyota Motor Corp. officials may have publicly stated the causes of unintended acceleration that have led to the massive vehicle recall, but the truth could be that it has yet to identify the source of the problem, according to the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman. Earlier this week, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President James Lentz appeared on television and said that the problem was restricted to two causes: floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal and a... Read More

Volkswagen of America, Inc. today reported January 2010 sales of 18,019 total units, representing a 41.4 percent increase over January 2009. January marks Volkswagen’s seventh consecutive sales month of growth. Jetta, the top selling European nameplate in the U.S., continued to sell well and posted solid January sales results with sales of 8,893 total units. Proving that today’s consumers continue to place greater emphasis on fuel efficiency and the environment, Volkswagen’s... Read More