Prius

Toyota to build electric town car, plug-in hybrids

Toyota Motor Sales announced an expanded commitment to electric vehicles on Saturday, disclosing plans to manufacture an all-electric city car by 2012 and a wider fleet of gas-electric hybrids.

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Toyota showed off a concept car called the FT-EV, a battery-powered four-seat compact car. Although it's concept car, Toyota said it will release an "urban commuter" electric car in 2012.

Based on an existing car sold in Japan called the iQ, the FT-EV runs entirely on batteries and has a range of about 50 miles. Like many all-electric … Read more

99: The Car Tech guys have a beer with you

Hyundai protects buyers who lose their jobs; December's another disaster for car sales; "solar Prius" may be a crock; and sit down for a beer with Wayne, Antuan, and Brian.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• Ford Park Assist: See it in action.

• CNET's Tech Car of the Year announcement is imminent

• Solar Prius? Really?

• Is Chrysler aiming to become America's BMW?

• Car Tech Preview from the Consumer Electronics Show

Think yourself fat to save the planet

Gas may well be cheaper, but for how long? The markets shoot up, so does the demand for oil and suddenly you're filling your tank through your nose again.

In my daily quest to rid the world of its ills and leave only the smiles of stupefied faces, I believe I have found the solution to this crushing dilemma. It lies in two very recent scientific happenings.

Firstly, there was the mind-altering research performed at the Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada. Dr. Angelo Tremblay's team of intrepid psychosomatists found that it is entirely likely that thinking can make you fat.… Read more

Yet more rumors of a solar Prius

Toyota is developing a solar-powered Prius, the Nikkei newspaper has reported yet again.

It was interesting when we heard about this in July.

But it seems to us that someone over at Toyota has now been fake-leaking/hinting news about a solar-powered Prius in one form or another for at least the last year.

This wonder-car-in-the-making has gone from being a Toyota Prius that uses solar roof panels from Kyocera to power its air conditioning unit, to "a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy" to quote one recent Associated Press article.

You may find it … Read more

Electric vehicles, present and future (photos)

The drive toward electric vehicles is gaining momentum as people realize the undeniable benefits to the economy, the environment, and foreign relations. CNET green reporter Martin LaMonica attended the Electric Drive Transportation Association Conference & Exposition, and got a chance to look at a number of working or concept electric vehicles all in one place. These aren't far-flung ideas that will never leave the drawing board, but real vehicles either undergoing testing or already on the roads. Among the vehicles on display were the Chevy Volt, the Think City, and a plug-in Prius.

See photos of electric vehicles on display at the Exposition. … Read more

Photos: Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles

We were recently given the opportunity to kick the tires of a wide variety of hybrid electric and alternative fuel vehicles.

There were a few clean diesels, including a CR-V with a 2.2-liter four cylinder that we should see reach production in a diesel variant of the 2010 Acura TSX. Ford brought out its hydrogen fuel cell, Focus, and a pair of hybrids, one of which was a plug-in model.

According to Ed Kjaer, a representative from Southern California Edison, plugging in electric hybrid vehicles on an overnight cycle is better for the electric grid, because it evens out … Read more

2010 Toyota Prius leaked, confirmed

The 2010 Toyota Prius is scheduled to be revealed at the 2008 LA Auto Show, but there's just one small problem. We've already seen it!

Images of the new Prius leaked all over the Web earlier this week and, on Thursday, Toyota confirmed that the leaked images were--in fact--authentic.

Taking a look at the next-gen Prius, we can see that the nose gets a fairly aggressive update. I'm not a fan of the boomerang headlamps trend, but apparently we'll be seeing a lot more of it in the coming years. The new Prius' lower grill and … Read more

89: New Prius unveiled--by accident?

Chrysler on the block again? New Prius unveiled by accident, cell phone technology blocks calls while you drive, and a run in the Challenger SRT8! Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• New Prius photos revealed

• Chrysler to be sold, broken up?

• DriveAssist kills your phone while you are driving

• New adapter makes latest iPods and iPhones work in your car

• New window tint film friendly to wireless devices

Video: New Honda Insight Concept

Honda has revived the Insight moniker to create a Prius-fighting hybrid that says to Toyota, "Anything you can do, I can do cheaper.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show.