Hybrids and green

2013 Lexus GS 450h review: Green lightning

It may not be quite as green as the Tesla Model S, but I was gratified to see the range-o-meter showing over 500 miles as I cruised the Lexus GS 450h up and down California freeways. And I was surprised how well it got down and dirty on some curvy mountain roads.

The GS 450h manages to show how technology can make a car get decent fuel economy while also turning in great driving performance. It's no track-day car, but Lexus' new focus on handling lets it eat up the turns. Thank you, adaptive-suspension technology.

Lexus' hybrid system remains … Read more

BMW and Toyota to build fuel cell system, sports car together

First diesels and batteries, then fuel cells, and now a sports car architecture. BMW and Toyota announced today that they've signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to partner together to develop a range of fuel-efficient technologies, and a sports car.

This MOU builds upon one the two companies struck in December with BMW agreeing to provide Toyota with its 1.6- and 2-liter diesel engines to sell in European vehicles starting 2014, and Toyota helping BMW develop a next generation lithium-ion battery.

Under the new, closer partnership, BMW and Toyota will work together in four areas: powertrain electrification, lightweight … Read more

Audi scores fastest electric lap on the Nurburgring

Celebrating both its win at Le Mans with a diesel-electric hybrid race car, and the upcoming production release of the R8 e-tron electric vehicle, Audi set a lap record on the Nurburgring for a production electric car. The Audi R8 e-tron ran the 12.92-mile lap in 8 minutes, 9.099 seconds.

Previously, Toyota set a lap record of 7 minutes, 47.79 seconds for an electric car on the Nurburgring, but its EV P001 is not a production car. Both the Audi and Toyota laps fall behind the 7-minute, 11.57-second record set by a Gumpert Apollo Sport for … Read more

BMW and GM part ways on fuel cell research

Heightening speculation that BMW and Toyota are about to announce an expanded partnership involving fuel cell technology, the German automaker confirmed today that it is no longer talking with General Motors about a similar research arrangement, reported a Bloomberg article.

On Friday, BMW and Toyota will hold a press conference announcing the details of a closer working relationship. Last December the two companies penned an agreement that gave Toyota access to BMW's small diesel engines to sell in its European line up of vehicles, and in return, Toyota would help BMW play catch up in the hybrid market by … Read more

BMW and Toyota co-developing fuel cells

Toyota and BMW are expected to announce this week a closer working relationship that expands upon the one they struck last year.

In December 2011, the two companies announced that they'll be collaborating on fuel-efficient and alternative power-train vehicles, with BMW supplying small diesels to Toyota to power its cars sold in Europe. In return, the Japanese car manufacturer would help BMW with the development of next-generation lithium ion batteries.

However, the working relationship won't end there. BMW and Toyota also plan to pool resources on fuel cell technology, according to unconfirmed reports first published in the Nikkei … Read more

Capability to charge EVs lacking in homes, apartments

High price and limited driving range are just two of the obstacles keeping car buyers from making the switch to plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles en masse. But there could be another problem to contend with: the inability for prospective buyers to charge the cars at home.

Using findings from a 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that only 49 percent of households with at least one car have access to parking within 20 feet of an electrical outlet. Residents of freestanding homes make up the majority of survey responders who say they … Read more

Tesla Model S first drive: Quiet satisfaction

FREMONT, Calif.--Lined up before me were 10 examples of the Model S, newly off the production line, the result of years of investment and development. This silent herd awaited a group of journalists eager to finally get their hands on the wheel and foot on the accelerator. We were here to see if Tesla had fulfilled its promise of building an electric car that could compete with those from likes of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

Certainly from the exterior, the car looked desirable. Although it's billed as a sedan, a hatch sat between the Model S' big rear … Read more

Tesla to begin Model S deliveries this Friday

Friday, June 22, is a big day for Tesla, and possibly a landmark for the automotive industry as well. It marks the first deliveries of the all-electric Tesla Model S to customers.

With a range of more than 250 miles for the top-end models, the Model S comes out as the most practical electric car yet. Given its range and luxury sedan packaging, it is likely to become a daily driver for its owners, who will also benefit from the fact that the car costs about a tenth to run as a gasoline-engine car.

Tesla will hold an event at … Read more

Nvidia touts its place in the Tesla Model S

Ahead of the first customer deliveries of the Tesla Model S electric car on Friday, Nvidia issued a press release detailing the use of its Tegra Visual Computing Module (VCM) in the car's dashboard. The use of the Tegra processor to not only run the graphics on the car's 17-inch LCD, but also power the 3D digital instrument cluster accentuates the cutting-edge technology embodied in the Model S.

The Model S will use two of the Nvidia VCMs, one for the infotainment system and one for the instrument cluster. The former includes all the processing needed to generate … Read more