Green Automobiles Blog

Dr. Trent Pierce's Lexus RX 400h Hybrid exploded when he went out to the SUV at his West Memphis home this morning. While initial reports blamed the hybrid's powertrain, police now say the blast was caused by an explosive placed in the vehicle. Police initially did not suspect any foul ...    Read more

How does an American automaker help cement its status as a "green" car company? If the American automaker put to the challenge is Ford, the answer is to send its CEO after Toyota Prius defectors.The Detroit News is reporting that Ford CEO Alan Mulally called to personally thank a lawyer ...    Read more

General Motors is out to prove skeptics wrong and show the Volt really will be coming to market for the 2011 model year. GM released its comprehensive plan of action to help cities prepare for plug-in electric vehicles, including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.GM plans to begin by collaborating with communities ...    Read more

To raise awareness about new clean diesel technologies, Bosch LLC and BorgWarner Inc. have founded the Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars.The coalition was founded in an attempt to keep the United States government from making a tremendous mistake and possibly dooming the Detroit Three. With so much focus on hybrid-electric ...    Read more

While Mercedes-Benz has been selling B-Class vehicles that can run on natural gas or gasoline for several years, the first we will see of the car is at the Washington Auto Show this week.At a green-car conference before the Washington show, industry leaders said there are many alternatives to gasoline-powered ...    Read more

Last year, Ford started talking to Canadian automotive supplier Magna International Inc. about the possibility of collaborating on an electric vehicle project. Little did Ford know that Magna had already purchased a new Ford Focus and was in the process of creating an EV of their own.In September, Magna shocked ...    Read more

A fleet of Toyota Prius plug-in (PHEV) hybrid prototypes have been roaming the streets in an attempt to gather real life test data. Toyota says these PHEV test models have so far returned an average of 65 mpg. That is an increase of 15 mpg compared to the estimated 50 ...    Read more

In a press release about Volkswagen's new BlueMotion Technologies the company announced that it would be showing a Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid prototype. VW will follow up the concept with a production model. When it enters production 2010 it will be the world's first hybrid SUV to have 3.5 metric ...    Read more

While GM debuted three important production vehicles at the 2009 North American International Auto Show-the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and the 2010 Cadillac SRX-it was a concept that stole the spotlight. The Cadillac Converj 2+2 coupe had such a warm reception from the press that it may ...    Read more

In order to stay competitive in the luxury SUV market, Audi has determined it must offer a hybrid powertrain. Although the German automaker first considered putting a hybrid drive system in the larger Q7, the dollar's weak value against the euro made the business case impracticable. It has thus determined ...    Read more

Last summer, BMW unveiled the BMW M1 Homage concept, a taste of what a BMW mid-engined sports car could look like-only to follow up later with confirmation that it had no plans to produce such an Audi R8 competitor. Instead, the board member in charge of BMW's EfficientDynamics division, Klaus ...    Read more

Buyers interested in purchasing a 2010 Ford Fusion or Mercury Milan hybrid should act quickly if they want to get the best deal on Ford's redesigned mid-sized sedan: anyone buying the vehicle before March 31, 2009 is eligible for the full $3,400 federal tax credit.The tax credit is also available ...    Read more

Back in September-during that magical time when credit was available and people bought automobiles-GM announced that it would erect a new plant in Flint, Michigan to build its new 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The General made Michiganders nervous when it delayed construction of the building in December. Now, GM has dealt ...    Read more

Bentley is preparing to show its first bio-fueled production model at the Geneva Motor Show. The company has also released a mini site and is touting this car as its fastest, most powerful model yet.Bentley announced its plan to jump on the bio fuel bandwagon at the North ...    Read more

Nissan is close to finishing its own hybrid technology for its luxury brand Infiniti, says Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board chairman John Capps. Speaking with Automotive News, Capps also revealed that a new M sedan and QX SUV will pop up soon as well-but what dealers really want is another ...    Read more

First Chevrolet, then Cadillac, and now Opel. GM's Voltec technology is on the front burner, with its first application-the 2011 Chevrolet Volt-scheduled to debut in 2010. In order to show the technology's flexibility, GM surprised us with the well-received Cadillac Converj concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. ...    Read more

In an effort to save money and energy, Chrysler shut down its world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan from Christmas to New Year's Day. The company said the holiday shutdown allowed employees to spend time with family and also saved more than $230,000 on operations. Shutting down entailed some major ...    Read more

Dealers attending the NADA expo in New Orleans received a firsthand look at the pre-production ZAP Alias roadster. The company that has become known for its funky-looking three-wheeled electric city cars and trucks will deliver its first performance model in late 2009. Zap considers the Alias a roadster ...    Read more

States such as California who wish to set their own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars may soon have the authority to do so. Having taken office less than a week ago, Obama has started reversing former President George W. Bush's climate change policies.The new president could make the ...    Read more

In 2007, Mitsubishi unveiled a prototype of a sporty electric vehicle called the i MiEV Sport at the Tokyo auto show. This year the company will follow up with what appears to be the convertible version, aptly named the i MiEV Sport Air concept, at the 2009 Geneva ...    Read more

Automakers are in a tizzy to show their green side, and Seat – the Spanish subsidiary of Volkswagen – is no exception. The 2009 Seat Twin Drive Leon Prototype has the ability to run on an electric motor or a gasoline powered engine, hence the “Twin Drive” moniker.Seat’s Twin Drive ...    Read more

The 2007 Roush propane F-150 has brought interest from many people and has sold several hundred vehicles and conversion kits so far. From the interested parties, Roush heard wants of a medium duty pickup that would run on propane. For 2010, Roush has delivered with the 2010 Roush propane F-250.Roush ...    Read more

Jim Dowle, a former McLaren designer, first released details about his P1 sports car in February 2008. More details have emerged as progress has been made on the car.The P1-E sports car will be a world class supercar when it becomes available for public consumption. The car will be built ...    Read more

Hybrid sales dropped 9.9 percent in 2008 as the auto market collapsed and fuel prices dipped below $2.00 a gallon in the second half of 2008.At the 2009 Detroit auto show, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said “at $1.50 a gallon, the American public is not willing to pay for ...    Read more

Chrome is notoriously used by automakers to dress up today's cars-though usually this is limited to the exterior, with a few interior adornments. A little-known fact, however, is that chrome is used in leather treatment, and can trigger reactions in individuals allergic to the metal. That's why Volvo, in its ...    Read more