Plugs and Cars

JULY 12, 2007

The Detroit News Autos Insider column today is reporting on Congressional efforts to promote plug-in hybrids and the backlash from the automakers. Neither CARB incentives nor the efforts of Plug-in Partners have moved the auto makers to produce plug-in hybrids, so conversion efforts are moving along.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Congress Plug Auto 100

Plugs and Cars

MAY 19, 2007

Simply put, as the first sentence of the article states, [W]hen consumers understand what plug-in hybrids are, they want them. Tags: ethanol plug-in hybrid flex-fuel. All that's needed, the survey discovered, is a dollop of education. But when they were told what such a car could do, that figure nearly tripled, to 64 percent.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Industrial 100

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 4, 2007

GM today announced two contracts to "design and test lithium-ion batteries" for use in the Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid announced last month at the LA Auto Show. Johnson Controls/SAFT, the huge battery company at which President Bush first publicly announced his support for plug-in hybrids, received one contract.

VUE 100

VUE Saturn Plug-in Nickel Metal Hydride 100

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 20, 2007

In the wake of the Chevy Volt presentation by GM, my "plug-in hybrid" google alert has filled my inbox with reports from other automakers about their PHEV projects. You can't keep such a good idea as plug-in hybrids down, but it can be delayed. The buzz about the Volt has generated automaker PR reactions. One big corporate "ME TOO!"

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Lithium Ion 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 11, 2007

Editor & Publisher reports the NY Times has taken delivery of a long-awaited plug-in hybrid Sprinter Van from Daimler/Chrysler. Tags: sprinter David Pogue plug-in hybrid chrysler epri. It will perform everyday duties. I hope David Pogue gets down there to check it out. I hope David Pogue gets down there to check it out.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in EPRI Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 25, 2007

UQM Technologies announced today it will supply plug-in hybrid systems as well as all-electric drive systems for Phoenix Motors' sport utility trucks. Tags: plug-in hybrid phoenix motor cars uqm technologies.

Phoenix 100

Phoenix Plug-in Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

NOVEMBER 24, 2007

Hatz, in short: Hybrids are bogus - "a very expensive way to save a small amount of fuel." But because Americans have fallen for the idea, the politically expedient thing for VW to do is make some hybrids. Hybrids' PR payoff is bigger than their environmental benefit. But politically we have to do a certain amount of hybrids.

CO2 100

CO2 Hydrogen Hybrid Diesel 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 17, 2007

The long awaited report assessing the environmental impact of plug-in hybrids undertaken by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council will see the light of day on Thursday morning in Washington DC. Tags: plug-in partners plug-in hybrid chevy volt.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in EPRI Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 9, 2007

Barbara Boxer attended a Silicon Valley Alternative Energy Summit today and PG&E was there with its plug-in hybrid Prius. Tags: pge plug-in prius vehicle to grid plug-in hybrid v2g barbara boxer. Green Wombat reports on the Vehicle to Grid (V2G) capability demonstrated by PG&E. I hope Sen. Boxer had an epiphany.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Prius 100

Plugs and Cars

MARCH 23, 2007

took an image beating when it backed away from a pledge to put 250,000 hybrids on the road by 2010. Arguably, the Prius hybrid halo has enabled Toyota's more recent play for the American's profitable big SUV and truck market. Tags: GM electric car plug-in hybrid chevy volt fuel cell. Last year, Ford Motor Co.

Volt 100

Volt GM Plug-in Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 25, 2007

From today's NY Times Toyota to Test Plug-In Hybrid, Rivaling G.M. It want CARB to authorize aftermarket conversions of hybrids with its Lithium batteries. Tags: a123systems Plug-in Hybrids toyota.

Nickel Metal Hydride 100

Nickel Metal Hydride Plug-in Conversion NiMH 100

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 9, 2007

In Stockholm and LA it was just the BioPower 100, a 100% ethanol fueled hybrid. Now that the Volt has premiered in Detroit to huzzahs and widespread press, this Saab , yet another GM concept hybrid, has been unveiled, again. Tags: ethanol e85 saab GM plug-in hybrid chevy volt Lithium hybrid. Don't hold your breath.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Volt 100

Plugs and Cars

FEBRUARY 5, 2007

Bush proposes $81 million, which includes $17 million for plug-in hybrid battery grants. Plug-in hybrids and electric cars built with the best possible, most economic, available-now technology. Plug-in hybrids and electric cars built with the best possible, most economic, available-now technology. We need cars.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Hydrogen 100

Plugs and Cars

NOVEMBER 29, 2006

1 auto maker is accelerating its efforts to meet the challenge by being the first to offer a plug-in hybrid and by expanding its production of biofuel vehicles. Tags: GM plug-in hybrid Saturn. (GM) Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Wednesday that the U.S. needs to reduce dependence on foreign energy and insisted the No.

Saturn 100

Saturn Hummer Plug-in GM 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 19, 2007

UCS advocates relentlessly for cleaner gasoline vehicles and dismisses plug-ins of all sorts, the Sierra Club strikes deals with Ford to promote a few thousand gasoline-dependent hybrids in exchange for advertising dollars, and the NRDC jumped on the biofuels bandwagon just as the cost of corn ethanol became impossible to ignore.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in EPRI Plug Sierra 100

Plugs and Cars

NOVEMBER 28, 2006

Ford about-face on hybrids a slap in the face to Big Enviro While consumers may be awakening to the need for plug-in cars and government conferences on the subject multiply, the automakers continue to send very mixed signals. At the same time, rumors swirl around GM and plug-in hybrids. Ford has now done an abrupt about face.

Ford 100

Ford Hybrid Sierra San Jose 100

Plugs and Cars

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

Fuel-saving gasoline-electric hybrid cars don't save as much fuel as thought, according to new government fuel-economy ratings available to the public for the first time. The Ford Escape hybrid, which uses a gasoline-electric drive system similar to Toyota's, goes down about 12 percent. Tags: mpg toyota prius plug-in hybrid.

Prius 100

Prius 2008 Plug-in Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 14, 2007

Toyota comes in for a smackdown by Lawrence Ulrich ( Conspicuous Consumption With Green Illusions ) on it's high class hybrids. Writing about the $121,000 Lexus LS 600h L: "th[is] hybrid may have set a new standard for automotive hyperbole. Though they do recognize commercialization is at least decades away. Just because they say so.

LS 600H 100

LS 600H Hydrogen Nickel Metal Hydride Green 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 16, 2007

Plug-in hybrids. From a new interview in Fortune and his new upcoming book, " Where Have all the Leaders Gone ?": What can the auto industry do? I think they're virtually here now." Full Interview here : I don't think I could have said it better myself. I think we are going to be hearing lots on Lee and his book.

Plugin 100

Plugin Hybrid Detroit Auto Industry 100

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 6, 2007

With an Auto Show overview article dated tomorrow, Sunday, Jan 7, the New York Times becomes the first publication to name the much-anticipated GM plug-in hybrid vehicle. says the Volt, a plug-in hybrid, could deliver the equivalent of 150 miles a gallon.

Volt 100

Volt Chevrolet Plug-in Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

FEBRUARY 26, 2007

PhysOrg.com reports on Xcel Energy 's study (with the Dept of Energy NREL lab) on the potential effect of plug-in hybrids on the electrical grid and emissions. Xcel Energy announced the results of a six-month study related to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and how an increase in their popularity may affect Colorado.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Grid Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

The Detroit News reports that an all-electric pickup and a plug-in hybrid will pay a visit to the White House today. A123 Systems , a much larger company which is providing batteries to GM for possible use in the Vue and Volt, will be showing off a plug-in hybrid powered by its Lithium batteries.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in VUE Phoenix Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

NOVEMBER 30, 2006

Lots of ink on GM's plug-in hybrid announcement. With headlines like "GM Promises Plug-in Hybrid," Waggoner's statement in LA moves plug-in cars back into the public discussion of petroleum alternatives. George Bush, oilman, seems to understand the commonsense benefits of plug-in hybrids. Irony abounds.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in GM Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

MARCH 2, 2007

is working on developing a plug-in hybrid vehicle and is open to joining with other automakers in battery development. Tags: jim press electric car plug-in hybrid toyota. Reuters reports on an interview with Toyota North American President Jim Press that Toyota Motor Corp. Prove me wrong, Jim.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Toyota Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 7, 2007

Tags: Ford electric car plug-in hybrid southern california edison.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Ford Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

MARCH 1, 2007

Tags: CalCars Frank Gaffney Plug-in Hybrids Felix Kramer.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Hybrid New York 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 27, 2007

Tags: a123 hymotion plug-in hybrid.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Convert Plug Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

APRIL 24, 2011

THE FIRST-EVER prius plug-in hybrid," it says. Surely there's a market for their plug-in hybrid. And GM has extended the electric range expectation for a plug-in hybrid before Toyota's even in the game. I find it rather funny and rather sad. Ask Felix Kramer of CalCars. It's not even Toyota's first plug-in prius.

Prius 220

Prius Plug-in Plug EV1 220

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 4, 2010

Mercedes-Benz's S-Class sedan will offer a plug-in hybrid version when it hits the showrooms, reportedly in 2012, according to Autocar.co.uk. However Mercedes' intention is to roll out plug-in hybrid versions of all its models eventually. Tags: thomas weber plug-in hybrid mercedes-benz.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Mercedes 2012 Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

JUNE 1, 2009

The web is filled with news of Volvo's partnership with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to bring a plug-in hybrid to market in 2012. Big news: it's a diesel plug-in hybrid. Tags: volvo vattenfall plug-in hybrid. Left Lane Jalopnik Wall St Journal (subscription required.).

Volvo 100

Volvo 2012 PHEV Plug-in 100

Plugs and Cars

MARCH 5, 2009

Mitsubishi plans to show a concept plug-in hybrid at the Tokyo Auto Show. Larger and more upmarket than the all-electric iMiev scheduled to be sold in Japan shortly, there no information yet on what flavor hybrid Mitsubishi will employ. Tags: phev mitsubishi plug-in hybrid. Production is at least three years away.

Mitsubishi 100

Mitsubishi PHEV Concept Plug-in 100

Plugs and Cars

JUNE 7, 2009

Full story "Future of 'green' cars begins with the hybrid" in Japan's leading newspaper, The Asahi Shimbun. Tags: toyota hybrid battery electric car. "That is the case even today.".a a battery pack's ability to hold a charge and its durability vary by temperature and driving conditions, the automaker points out.

Toyota 100

Toyota Japan Green Cars Hybrid 100

Plugs and Cars

DECEMBER 9, 2008

Next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we will discuss in detail Ford’s accelerated vehicle electrification plan, which includes bringing a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles to market by 2012. Tags: Ford plug-in hybrid battery electric car.

Ford 100

Ford Detroit Plug-in Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 5, 2007

Despite the Prius ads pushing an anti-plug-in message, many are waiting for a hybrid that can plug in to cleaner, cheaper domestic electricity. Daily Economy Fuel Tip surveys why people don 't buy hybrids now. Daily Economy Fuel Tip surveys why people don 't buy hybrids now. Tags: CalCars plug-in prius plug-in hybrid.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Plug Prius Cleaner 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 19, 2007

Green Car Congress reports Toyota to Obtain Permission for Public Road Test for Plug-in Prius in Japan.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Toyota Plug Prius 100

Plugs and Cars

OCTOBER 24, 2007

Hybrid or All-Electric? Toyota and GM are continuing down their differing hybrid paths. Honda, the quintessential internal combustion company, is lobbing criticism at hybrids, a market Toyota exploited better than Honda. White suggests Honda is lining up with Nissan, seeing a future not in hybrids but rather electric cars.

Honda 100

Honda Nissan Toyota GM 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 20, 2009

Despite having produced the RAV4 EV - the most useful, robust, and long-lived electric car - Toyota wants to milk its non-grid connected hybrid technology as long as possible before moving on to the next big thing. Toyota has a go-slow policy on plug-in electrics. Toyota should stop whining and delaying.

Plug-in 100

Plug-in Toyota Plug Volt 100