Toyota tests a solar-powered Prius in Japan. The Connecticut Supreme Court will decide the future of Tesla stores. Cost estimates get real for renewable power plans. And General Motors cleans up not just its cars, but its factories and tires. Hybrids aren't just for cars and trains anymore. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

In Japan, Toyota is following the footsteps of some European startup automakers in boosting the solar range of its plug-in Prius PHV by covering the top with solar panels. The test vehicle will demonstrate how much range the most efficient production solar panels today could actually add in real-world driving.

Although Tesla has dialed back its stores, a case recently transferred to the Connecticut Supreme Court could have implications for other electric-car startups.

A new estimate pegs the cost of converting the U.S. to 100 percent renewable electric power, as proposed in the Green New Deal, at $4.5 trillion, or about 25 percent of the country's annual GDP.

General Motors plans to participate by converting its own operations to 100 percent renewable power by 2050. In the meantime, it plans to reduce the energy it uses to produce each car it makes an clean up the tires it installs on them.

Hybrids are branching out beyond cars, trains, and airplanes. The latest application is cruise ships.

Volkswagen smashed another hill-climb record with its electric ID R race car, blasting up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend in a time of 39.9 seconds.

Finally, Volkswagen and Ford look set to expand their partnership to share electric vehicle technology as well as commercial and self-driving vehicles. 

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter