April 28th, 2010

Once the hybrid auto shopper debated between the Prius and the Civic.

Today there’s a hybrid for everyone from your spitfire teenage daughter (keep her down to earth with a Civic) to your boat-pulling, SUV-loving family fisherman (dare we say Tahoe?) to the mom who’s still carting a crowd to soccer games (let the good times roll in a Highlander).

Honda Insight

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April 5th, 2010

Nissan's all-electric LEAF. Image: Nissan

From Green Right Now Reports

Consumers intrigued by Nissan’s new all-electric vehicle – the LEAF – have been waiting for the answer to the big question: Just how much will going electric cost?

The surprising answer: About $25,000 for American car buyers after federal tax credits.

Last week, Nissan said it will offer the LEAF for $32,780 in the United States. With a $7,500 federal tax credit, the net price drops to $25,280, making it very competitive with Toyota’s popular Prius hybrid.

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March 11th, 2010

By Bill Sullivan
Green Right Now

The electric car is almost here. Hybrids abound. Diesel has cleaned up its act. Even conventional internal combustion engines can be tweaked to do a bit less harm to the environment.

A brighter, cleaner future is a mantra at the auto shows this year. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and a different sort of impression emerges: Change may be coming to the automobile industry, but progress is slow — even grudging — and the message can be murky.

Chevy Volt. Photo: Green Right Now

Chevy has been hyping the much-discussed Volt, for example. The manufacturer’s new electric car – due later this year – can go up to 40 miles on a single charge before a gasoline engine kicks in to keep passengers from becoming stranded.

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January 7th, 2010

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

One reason people keep driving old-fashioned, CO2-spewing automobiles is that it’s awfully easy to find a gas station.

The LEAF on display in Phoenix (Photo: Clint Williams)

Widespread adoption of emission-free plug-in electric cars – the kind that run solely on battery power – has been hampered by a classic chicken-or-the-egg conundrum: no wants to drive an electric car until charging stations are widespread and no one wants to build a network of convenient charging stations until there are enough electric cars on the road to make it pay off.

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October 27th, 2009

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

There is no question the 2010 Toyota Prius is a comfortable compact with enviable fuel economy – we got a smidgen over 50 mpg in a week of driving.

But can you call a $30,000 hybrid an economy car?

2010 Prius

The iconic gasoline-electric hybrid favored by movie stars is all-new for this model year and the third-generation Prius offers more room, more power and more miles per gallon than its predecessors. It’s a pretty neat trick.

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September 16th, 2009

By Tom Kessler
Green Right Now

With the 2010 models hitting the showrooms, we wanted to take a look at the most anticipated and intriguing hybrids available. With the first plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles just around the corner, this will be the last year that conventional hybrids will have the “alternative” market to them selves. So let’s look at the 2010 hybrids that really stand out:

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July 10th, 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

A survey of eco-friendly vehicles released today from IntelliChoice.com shows that most 2009 hybrid and clean diesel cars, trucks and SUVs deliver a lower cost of ownership compared to standard versions of the same vehicles.

The 2009 IntelliChoice.com Hybrid and Diesel Car survey examined the value of all 2009 model year hybrids and vehicles with clean diesel engines. The company evaluated the major factors that determine a vehicle’s cost of ownership over a five year period or 70,000 miles, including fuel, maintenance and repair, retained value, insurance costs and taxes and fees.

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February 16th, 2009

By John DeFore
Green Right Now

Whatever you drive (or don’t) at home, traveling to a city with poor public transport can put you at the mercy of either taxis whose efficiency may not have been state-of-the-art since the ’80s or rental cars chosen for popularity and price instead of their MPG rating.

The rental firm Enterprise, mindful of current trends, has just announced it is adding about 5,000 hybrid autos to its rental fleet — cars customers can have set aside for them in advance either online or over the phone.

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January 12th, 2009

From Green Right Now reports

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today unveiled the 2010 edition of the Prius at the 2009 North American International Auto show in Detroit. The car, which has become synonymous with hybrid technology, will get larger even as it retains it high-mileage capability.

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September 30th, 2008

By Clint Williams

Imagine a day of running errands – grocery shopping, dropping off the dry cleaning, hauling the kids to T-ball practice – that doesn’t include a stop for gas. Now imagine a week. A month. Three months. Six months. A year. Five years.

That’s the promise of the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric car expected in dealer showrooms November 2010. Powered by a T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack, the four-passenger Volt will be able to travel 40 miles on a charge.

That’s enough range for the bulk of daily driving, GM officials say, citing a U.S. Department of Transportation survey that found 76 percent of drivers commute 40 miles or less daily.

Drive a Volt and the only reasons for stopping at a QT are Slurpees and microwave breakfast burritos.

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