Plug-In

Late in 2011, Toyota Motor Corp will launch a hybrid sub-compact and broaden its electric car line-up. The vehicle will be available for 1.5 million yen, or $15,760. Government tax breaks, subsidies on cleaner technology, and an increasing demand for gasoline-electric vehicles have promoted EVs in Japan greatly.  Toyota may have future plans to produce the new hybrid model in France as well, to cater to a European market. According to a Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, the new hybrid compact by Toyota will ... Discover More

In an excellent preview of what we can expect out of the next generation Toyota Prius, New York Times editor, Jerry Garret, takes the 2010 model out for a spin. Before getting into his personal hands-on experience with the machine, he first mentions the "iconic" status of its predecessor:  asking the almost rhetorical question of, how can something that is a) comfortably bigger, b) faster, c) possessing an upgraded battery pack, and d) more energy efficient than a vehicle that already had so ... Discover More

Toyota has announced that it will be releasing about 100 plug-in hybrids in France in a serious effort to optimize its battery technology and learn more about the infrastructure requirements of a large-scale deployment.   EDF Energy, one of the UK's largest energy companies, will monitor all operational aspects of the charging process, taking into account safety, communication between the plug and the vehicle, vehicle identification as well as energy consumption. EDF, along with its subsidiary, Electricité de Strasbourg, will also be setting ... Discover More

Although the company has not committed to a formal timeline, Piaggio Group Americas' CEO has suggested in interviews that this highway-legal scooter is expected to be on the road relatively soon. The new plug-in will be a modified version of the company's Piaggio's MP3 500. According to CEO Paul Timoni, the plug-in scooter will get up to 140 mpg, have an all-electric range of 40 miles per charge , and will be priced between $8000 and $9000.  There is also a  European ... Discover More

Speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, James Lentz, the president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., announced that Toyota would release its version of a plug-in hybrid towards the end of 2009, a year ahead of schedule. This would put its release date ahead of the Chevrolet Volt, perhaps giving it a first-entrant advantage over the American counterpart. Toyota plans on releasing only about 500 vehicles for commercial customers at the outset, with 150 of those plug-ins destined for ... Discover More