When hybrid vehicles were first sold, one of the perks – at least in places like California – was the privilege of driving in the carpool/diamond/HOV lane even if you were the only person in your car. Last year, owners of such vehicles were given a six-month extension on that perk, but even as hybrid [...]
Finally some positive news about Toyota! The Japanese automaker announced on Tuesday that its global cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles has crested the 3 million mark. Between 1997 and last month, 3.03 million hybrid Toyotas were sold worldwide, cementing gas-electric hybrids as a long-lasting mainstream automotive technology. The company’s very first hybrid, launched in Japan [...]
The folks at PlugInCars.com spoke with Fred Diaz, president and CEO of Chrysler’s stand-alone truck division, Ram, recently, and they were told that truckers simply aren’t interested in hybrids, and that once it has met the obligation to its government-funded program, the company will not be producing any more hybrid trucks. Here is the rest [...]
China has become more and more serious in its efforts to clean up its roads and its air over the last several months, and now, the president of one of the country’s biggest auto companies has revealed plans to have 10 million EV-ready parking spots in just over eight years. In a conference this week [...]
Automotive News is reporting today that French intelligence agencies are looking into a possible Chinese connection into possible industrial espionage with regards to the flagship electric car designs at Renault. Eric Besson, the French Industry Minister, spoke earlier this week of a case that felt much like “economic warfare,” but said that no official inquiry [...]