Report: Toyota to halt hybrid production

Following on from yesterday's news that Toyota will recall around 436,000 hybrid models worldwide (see article), new reports suggest that the car manufacturer will halt domestic production of two of its hybrid models.
The Nikkei reports the Toyota Motor Corporation will suspend domestic production of both the Sai and Lexus HS250h Hybrids, which are to be [...]
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Officially Official: 2011 Audi A1 finally arrives

Filed under: MPG, Audi, Geneva Motor Show

2011 Audi A1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

After two concepts and an insufferable amount of teasing, the 2011 Audi A1 has officially arrived with its sights set squarely on the Mini Cooper.

Inspired by the Metroproject Quattro from 2007, the all-new A1 is a faithful recreation of its conceptual predecessor, complete with a squat stance, short overhangs and four customizable colors for the roof arches. With a profile reminiscent of a stretched and squashed TT, the A1 spans 155.5 inches long, 68.5 inches wide and 56 inches tall, with a 97.2-inch wheelbase. Ten exterior colors are available, along with front and rear LEDs and Xenon headlamps.

Audi’s focus on the interior begins and ends with customization, with available LED lighting, black, grey, beige or “wasabi” green contrasting materials, colored air vents and an optional MMI system with a 6.5-inch screen, 10-speaker, 465-watt Bose audio system, 20 gig harddrive and Bluetooth connectivity. Although backseat passengers were apparently an afterthought, the A1 boasts 9.43 cubic feet of storage space in the rear, with 32.49 cubic feet of space available when the rear seats are folded flat.

Motivation will be provided by a choice of either two gasoline or diesel powerplants, with the 1.6-liter TDIs churning out either 90 horsepower and 169 pound feet of torque or 105 ponies and 184 lb-ft of twist. The gasoline mills will be available in either 1.2- or 1.4-liter TFSI variants, with the former putting out 86 hp and 118 lb-ft of torque and the latter delivering 122 hp and 147 lb-ft through either a five- or six-speed manual. An optional seven-speed S tronic (dual clutch) transmission is available, and both gasoline engines deliver an average of 46 mpg. For the time being, the A1 is only available with front-wheel drive.

The 2,303-pound hatch will go on sale in Europe later this year after it’s official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, with prices starting at around 16,000 euro. Two trims - Attraction or Ambition - are available, with an S Line accessories package and 18-inch wheels coming at launch. All the details can be had in the press release after the jump, but still no word yet on U.S. availability.

Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Audi A1 finally arrives

Officially Official: 2011 Audi A1 finally arrives originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One for your diary: The 2010 GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive

The 2010 GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive takes place at Rockingham Motor Speedway on 12th May, and promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Now in it’s 5th year, the Arrive’n’Drive is very much the UK’s longest serving event dedicated to giving organisations the opportunity to test drive the latest low and zero emission vehicles on the [...]
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Seriously off oil: Better Place's first electric vehicle demonstration center in Israel

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Middle East, Better Place

Better Place has been signing deals to install its battery swapping and electric vehicle recharging station network around the world, for example, in Denmark, Tokyo and Canada. Not everyone is a fan of Better Place’s methods, but now people in the company’s home turf of Israel can get a closer look at what the deal is with the opening of the company’s first electric vehicle (EV) demonstration center in Israel. To make the point totally clear that plug-in vehicles are a way to get off oil, the center is built inside a refurbished oil tank (pictured above). The center includes a 1.5 kilometer (one mile) test driving track for visitors to drive an EV on. The center opens February 14th.

As part of the center’s opening, Better Place announced that it has so far signed up 92 corporate fleet owners and a new partnership with Dor Alon, one of Israel’s leading gas station operators, to install battery switch stations. There was a number included in the Better Place release that we hadn’t seen before: the company’s new partners “have agreed to convert a portion of over 45,000 internal combustion engine cars to electric vehicles from Renault when commercially available in 2011.” 45,000 conversions? Hmmm.

[Source: Better Place]

Continue reading Seriously off oil: Better Place’s first electric vehicle demonstration center in Israel

Seriously off oil: Better Place’s first electric vehicle demonstration center in Israel originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking news: More Toyota hybrid recalls expected

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the beleaguered Toyota Motor Corporation following a series of vehicle recalls, now it appears that two more of its hybrid cars will be affected.
According to reports in the Nikkei, Toyota will begin recalling both the Sai Hybrid and the Lexus HS250h Hybrid, which use the [...]
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Report: Toyota Prius braking issues may predate 2010 model; other problems reported

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Green Daily

2009 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res gallery

Could the apparent braking problems reported on the Toyota Prius - which Toyota admits was an issue on the current model prior to being resolved earlier this year - extend past the recently released 2010 model? According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the answer is a resounding… maybe.

The third generation of the popular hybrid hatchback hit the market in 2009 as a 2010 model, and some 300,000 vehicles are thought to have a software glitch that could cause the car to lose braking power for up to one full second under certain circumstances. Apparently, though, reports of braking issues have been pouring in since 2005 or even earlier. If true, over a million second-generation Prius hybrids could potentially be affected.

Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that previous electronic issues have also been reported, such as headlights that burn out too quickly and malfunctioning traction control system. As pointed out by TheDetroitBureau, “ABS, traction control, electronic stability control and various other technologies all rely, at least in part, on braking to improve the stopping, handling and stability of today’s cars, including Prius.”

Gallery: 2009 Toyota Prius

[Source: TheDetroitBureau.com]

Report: Toyota Prius braking issues may predate 2010 model; other problems reported originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California custom shop builds an electric Honda N360

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda

Back in October at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unveiled an electric vehicle concept called the EV-N. The EV-N design was inspired by the tiny N360 of the 1960s. While the EV-N may or may not provide a preview of an upcoming electric city car from Honda, a little custom car shop in Santa Rosa, CA has been working on the real thing.

Hector’s Chop Shop has been working on an electric conversion of a 1969 Honda N360. The project has gone through many changes of direction since it started. Early on, the crew working on the project had planned to remove the cylinder head and crankshaft from the little front driver. The electric motor was to be mounted on top of the block with a dummy crank in the bottom of the block. The motor was to drive the dummy crank so that the stock clutch and gearbox could be used.

That plan obviously didn’t work out and the DC motor is now being installed in the back of the body shell driving the rear wheels through a 1985 VW GTI gearbox. Check out the progress on the project at the shop’s website.

[Source: Hector's Chop Shop via Clunkbucket]

California custom shop builds an electric Honda N360 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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