While the argument about whether a Hummer H2 is actually more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius has long since been debunked (even if it keeps popping up its ugly head ), it does raise a valid point. A major part of the environmental impact of transportation devices like cars and trucks comes during the manufacturing and disposal phases of their existences. Evaluating environmental impact requires total lifecycle analysis of the product, something that Toyota has done for the new 2010 Prius. The Tsutsumi plant that builds the Prius is one of five ISO14001 certified Eco-factories in the Toyota network. The factory has a 50,000m 2 solar array on its roof that generates 5,000 2,000 kW per hour of electricity, about half of the plant’s total requirements. Another 22,000m 2 of the factory is covered in a photocatalytic paint that converts NOx CO 2 to oxygen and nitrogen. A number of initiatives including zero land-fill waste, water recycling and reduced volatile organic compound use are all part of the overall effort to reduce the impact of building Priuses. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Toyota] Continue reading Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants , Solar , Toyota Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery If you’re a politician worth your own salt, you apparently have to buy a car that contains both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain is finally getting on the bandwagon and picking up his own little slice of green heaven: he’s announced on his Twitter page that he’s buying a Ford Fusion hybrid . McCain’s decision to go Blue Oval for his hybrid choice is a publicity boon for the Ford Motor Company, as the Arizona Senator’s 777,000 Twitter followers have no doubt taken note of the make and model of the war hero’s new ride. With his new Brilliant Silver Clearcoat Metallic Fusion hybrid, McCain will be able to patrol the streets of Washington while achieving a best in class 41 mpg city. Guess we have an answer to this question . Gallery: Ford Fusion hybrid [Source: LA Times Blog ] Filed under: MPG , Ford John McCain tweets plans for next automobile purchase: Ford Fusion hybrid originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery The third generation Toyota Prius is just ramping up its marketing mojo, and one place you’ll see plenty of the gold standard hybrid is at the gas pump, at least virtually. Toyota is hooking up with Gas Station TV to present “Prius Neighborhood” television program to the over 1 million unique viewers that stare at LCD TVs while they fuel up. Prius Neighborhood is the latest effort to intertwine social media with traditional communication tools. Anyone can submit grassroots and community events via the GSTV website , and select events will actually appear at the pump, sandwiched between ads for the 50 mpg hybrid. Those interested in following events on Prius Neighborhood can do so on Facebook, as well as Twitter at @GSTVevents. The site contains a calender of charity and community events searchable by zip code, and some of the events will be chosen for air on GSTV. GSTV airs in over 1,000 gas stations in the U.S., hitting 22 of the 25 top markets. Hit the jump to view the GSTV press release. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius - First Drive [Source: IT News Online ] Continue reading Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer Filed under: Green Culture , Toyota Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

There are surely lots of ways to go about comparing the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. While both machines come only in a five-door hatchback bodystyle and are available solely with a hybrid powertrain, the two vehicles differ widely when it comes to size, price, available technology and performance - whether that performance is measured as fuel efficiency, handling, top speed or acceleration. iMOTOR in the UK decided to stack the two hybrids up against one another in a number of these performance categories, and to do a little comparison on the drag strip. Not surprisingly, neither car was particularly sprightly in acceleration tests, but the Toyota’s larger gasoline engine and more powerful electric motor allowed it to cover the quarter-mile in less time than its rival from Honda. Interested in knowing how the two hybrids compare in other interesting categories? We won’t spoil it for you. Click here to read the review and watch the video from iMOTOR. [Source: iMOTOR ] Filed under: Hybrid , Honda , Toyota , UK VIDEO: Prius takes on Insight … on the drag strip? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

When Consumer Reports tested out the Hymotion L5 plug-in Toyota Prius conversion earlier this year , they weren’t overwhelmed with the results. Sure, the mileage they observed was boosted to about 67 mpg over the first 35 miles of the drive, but that didn’t match the claims of 100 mpg (or more) that Hymotion and A123 Systems make about their product. To be fair to Hymotion, their qualifies mileage talk about their plug-in Prius MPG “that can achieve up to 100 mpg for 30-40 miles” this way: Hymotion PHEV fuel economy is based on independent testing performed at Argonne National Labs and Idaho National Labs. Actual mileage will vary based on each individual’s driving style, route, traffic, climate conditions, terrain and other factors . Unfortunately for Hymotion, there are new results of tests done at the Idaho National Laboratory now available and they might make the company a little less eager to promote the work done by INL. The lab drove two groups of Prius test vehicles (one 40-car fleet and another 75-car fleet) from early 2008 until March 2009 for almost 500,000 miles and found that the average fuel economy tallied 46 and 49 mpg, respectively. As you might expect, driving style and the battery mode (charge sustaining vs. charge depeleting) had a big impact on the figures. You can view the result data in these PDFs: 1 , 2 . Sounds like PHEV proponents could take former Tesla marketing boss Darryl Siry’s advice to electric vehicle manufacturers to heart. [Source: Idaho National Laboratory, Greg Blencoe ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , MPG , Green Daily REPORT: 115 Plug-in Priuses fail to crack 50 mpg average in year-long test originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Honda Insight - Click above for a high-res image gallery We had to wait years for someone to give us a hybrid-only alternative to the Toyota Prius, but Honda finally did it with the Honda Insight . Initial interest in the under $20,000 40+ mpg vehicle was high in Japan , but that is not necessarily translating into sales in the U.S. Honda was initially hoping for 90,000 sales in North America in its first year, but it looks like the Japanese automaker may not hit its sales goal. American Honda Vice President John Mendel reportedly told Bloomberg that the company isn’t going to hit 90,000, but the company “will be just fine” with 50,000 to 60,000 sales. Honda expects global sales of the Insight to hit 200,000 units, and hopes for about half of that volume to come from North America. The revised sales forecast comes as Honda is keeping more Insights in Japan due to brisk demand and unfavorable exchange rates in the U.S. Low gas prices are also likely to be hurting sales of Honda’s new hybrid, though the price of petrol has been steadily heading north over the past few weeks. The recession is also hurting Insight sales, as U.S. sales have been historically poor so far in 2009. Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight [Source: Reuters ] Filed under: Hybrid , Honda Honda likely to miss U.S. sales targets for Insight? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery Auto sales are down - that’s not exactly a surprise to anyone anymore. But Toyota has revived a little something from last summer called a wait list - for people who are interested in buying a new 2010 Prius . According to a story in The New York Times, Toyota is running its Prius production plants in Japan 24 hours a day and offering overtime to workers - even bringing in workers from other areas of the country - to meet demand for the hybrid car. Panasonic EV Energy, the Prius’ battery supplier, is also working constantly to keep churning out packs for the model. This is the effect of those higher-than-expected sales numbers . The NYT says that the waiting list is “several months” long in Japan. While impressive considering the marketplace, Toyota is still warning that 2009 will not be a profitable year for the company. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: The New York Times ] Filed under: Hybrid , Toyota One More Time: There’s a Toyota Prius wait list? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery We’ve been following the development of Toyota’s plant in Tupelo, Mississippi with interest since the automaker first broke ground at the site in 2006, mostly because this is the location where the Highlander Hybrid SUV or Prius hybrid hatchback were supposed to be built here in the United States. With the global economic downturn in full swing, Toyota has been hit just as hard as any other automaker, leading to major changes to the Japanese company’s plans in Tupelo. Speaking to Automotive News , Steve St. Angelo, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. said: We’re very committed to that plant. But we’re looking at our whole portfolio and asking which products it makes sense to build or not build in North America . In other words, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that the new 2010 Prius will be built in the U.S. any time soon. Construction of the plant was halted after the exterior shell was completed back in December of 2008 and work won’t begin again until Toyota has a solid plan in place on how best to utilize the facility. For what it’s worth, Toyota officials tell our friends at Prius Chat that there’s no truth to rumors that the plant’s workers have been relocated and that the Prius will indeed be the first vehicle to roll down the assembly line in Tupelo. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Filed under: Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , Toyota , USA Toyota will build a car at Mississippi plant, but maybe not the Prius originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

According to The Detroit News , the House and Senate came to terms late last night on a $1 billion ‘cash for clunkers’ initiative. Part of a larger $106 billion wartime spending bill, the program is not yet law, as the finalized bill must be passed by Congress (it is expected to be voted on next week) and signed into law by President Obama. Under the terms of the compromise, vouchers worth up to $4,500 would be distributed to those who turn in old vehicles. The program’s $1B backing figures to be well short of the $4B it is estimated to cost, meaning that the funding is expected to run out after September 30, the end of the fiscal year. As the theory goes, getting the program approved was the first big step - the DetNews says that key supporters believe that additional funding could be agreed upon subsequently. As you may recall, the House approved the measure earlier this week , but there were reports of some significant troubles in the Senate where funding and mileage requirements were concerned. In the end, the same mileage figures were reportedly agreed upon, meaning vehicles that return 18 mpg or less in combined city/highway are eligible to turn in their vehicle for a cash voucher. If the new car replacement achieves at least 4 mpg better, a $3,500 voucher would be awarded, and if the new car achieved at least 10 mpg more, the credit would be $4,500. Trucks figure to be a bit different, however, with replacement vehicles needing to net at least 18 mpg, with figures at least 2 mpg better than the soon-to-be-scrapped turn-in. In order to receive the full $4,500 voucher, however, truck buyers’ new vehicle would have to improve their fuel economy figures by at least 5 mpg. [Source: The Detroit News | Image: Theo Heimann/Getty]] Filed under: MPG , Legislation and Policy , USA BREAKING: House, Senate reach terms on ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program - but only with $1B in funding originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Thanks to a beefed up bit of software, Priuses converted to plug-in drive by Plug In Conversions Corp. (PICC) have gotten quite a bit better. They can now go up to 70 mph using nothing but their batteries and get 170 mpge. The software manages to get around Toyota’s built-in top speed limitation of 34 miles per hour in EV mode, as PICC president Kim Adelman told us when we spoke to him at EVS23 . All of this goodness doesn’t come cheap: the software upgrade will cost customers anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500 on top of the $12,500 conversion; at least there will be a free trial version available at some point. The software goest on sale later this month. In PICC’s announcment of the upgrade (which you can read after the jump), there was no explanation of how Argonne National Laboratory tested the car recently and calculated the 170 mpge number, but, previously, PICC’s best and most expensive packs could get around 25 miles of EV-only range . Gallery: Plug In Conversions Corp. PHEV Prius [Source: PICC] Photos courtesy of Plug In Conversions Corp . Continue reading PICC plug-in Prius can now go 70 mph on battery power Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Green Culture , Hybrid , Toyota , Green Daily PICC plug-in Prius can now go 70 mph on battery power originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments