Filed under: Hybrid , Chevrolet , Ford , Nissan , Toyota , USA With 4 of the worlds top brands now boasting mid-size sedan hybrids in their line ups, the chaps over at Car and Driver decided it was time to rustle them all together and see how they stack up. If you’ve been torn over whether to buy a hybrid in the shape of a Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima or Chevy Malibu, this is the comparo that can save you days of visiting dealerships and conducting your own set of test drives. To save you even more time, we break down their observations into a handful of bit-sized chunks, from worst to first. The Chevrolet Malibu hybrid was the “mild hybrid” of the bunch. While its appearance has been praised by some , its engineering earned few accolades from the C&D crew. They found the start/stop system rudely abrupt and the electric assist seemed to surge off and on with a mind of its own while under way. It not only came last in mileage (19.8 mpg city! Dude!), it also came last in acceleration. The can of tire inflation product in lieu of an actual spare only adds insult to injury. Let’s hope GM puts more effort into the Volt. A lot more. Hit the jump to see how the others contestants fared. Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid [Source: Car and Driver ] Continue reading Car and Driver hosts hybrid hoedown, hearts Ford Fusion heaps Car and Driver hosts hybrid hoedown, hearts Ford Fusion heaps originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Ethanol , Flex-Fuel , Cadillac , Detroit Auto Show click above for more a high-res gallery of the 2010 Cadillac SRX Next week at the Detroit Auto Show Cadillac will be taking the wraps off an all-new version of the SRX crossover. The SRX is getting smaller and moving to a new platform that is mix of the Epsilon II car platform and the Theta CUV. For 2010, the SRX will have two engines available, a 300 hp turbocharged 2.8L V6 based on the Saab Turbo-x engine and a new 3.0L direct injected V6. Both engines are part of GM’s high-feature V6 family along with the 3.6L that’s used in a wide variety of GM vehicles. Contrary to some reports , the 3.0L SRX will not be a flex-fuel vehicle when it launches this summer. The spec sheet that was published by GM lists the engine as E85 capable. However, this is an error based on copy data over from the standard specs for the engine. GM Powertrain spokesman Tom Read confirmed to ABG that the engine has probably been engineered to be compatible with E85 with items such as high flow fuel injectors and corrosion resistant fuel lines. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed that the SRX will run only at gasoline at launch and there are no current planst to make it flex-fuel capable. The only flex-fuel Cadillac currently available is the Escalade. For the full details on the SRX, head on over to Autoblog . Gallery: 2010 Cadillac SRX [Source: GM, Domestic Fuel ] Continue reading Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Ethanol , Lotus For the engineering crew at Lotus, building transportation devices that are not sports cars is nothing new. Back in the early 90s they put their knowledge of lightweight materials and aerodynamics together to create a race bicycle that tore up the velodrome at the Olympics, not to mention wild soap box racers. The latest project is a three ski snow speeder that will be used in an Antarctic expedition next November to raise awareness of climate change. The Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is powered by a two cylinder BMW bike engine converted to E85 operation and turning a propeller that pushes the vehicle across the ice and snow at up to 84 mph. The CIV will be used to scout for crevasses in the ice. When the voids are found the GPS coordinates will be sent back to the rest of the team to warn them before anyone falls in. [Source: Wired ] Bond would kill for this Lotus-developed biofueled Antarctic speeder originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Emerging Technologies , EV/Plug-in , Green Daily click above and scroll down to watch the video When he’s not taunting Tesla , Dale Vince is pretty focused on building his wind-powered car. The Zero Carbonista project ( previous post ) is moving along and the fourth (of six) video about the project is new ready for your viewing pleasure. The front of the car is taking shape and now it needs a name. On the shortlist are: The Zero, The Storm and The Nemesis. I think the Zero Storm would be a good compromise, and I think it’ll sound good with a British accent. In the video, the biggest problem the team is facing seems to be figuring out the fingerprint entry and startup system. What’s more exciting is the torque potential the designers and engineers discuss towards the end of the video. Check it out after the jump and see what the (indirectly) wind-powered Exige is up to these days. [Source: Zero Carbonista via Treehugger ] Continue reading Dale Vince’s wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis Dale Vince’s wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Solar , Honda , Green Daily , Pacific Region Click above to enlarge If you are going to bill yourselves as the World’s Greenest Automaker, as Honda does from time to time, you’d better be willing to back it up. Luckily, Honda always seems to be looking for a way to do just that. Whether it’s by offering the best overall fuel economy in the United States or powering billboards with solar power, Honda is often a step ahead. Wait, hold on… powering billboards with solar power? Yep, in the land of Oz at least, Honda has partnered up with APN Outdoor to create Australia’s first eco-friendly outdoor advertisements. The solar panels provide power when possible and a backup electrical connection that gets its power from a green feed is there to pick up the slack. This may be a small thing, but we’ll take it. We should also mention that Honda has invested in solar technology itself, with its Soltec subsidiary opening for business in 2006 and now selling panels for residential or commercial use. [Source: Honda] Continue reading Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments