Ad Watch: Renault Wind Roadster and Lexus CT 200h Hybrid

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different. Read more »

Toyota Recalling 106,000 Prius Hybrids Globally Over Steering Wheel Issue

The newest Toyota recall affects approximately 106,000 Prius hybrids globally built from 2001 to 2003 for a fault with the electric power steering system. The Japanese automaker said the voluntary action affects around 52,000 Prius models sold in the United States.

“If the steering wheel is repeatedly and strongly turned to the full-lock position, there is a possibility the nuts securing the pinion shaft in the steering gear box assembly may become loose,” Toyota said in a statement. The company added that if the owner leaves the condition uncorrected, over time they will gradually notice significant increased steering effort when making a left turn.

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Toyota Mulling a Larger Hybrid Minivan than the Prius V with Seating for Seven

The all-new Prius V five-seater minivan isn’t due to arrive in U.S. showrooms until this fall, yet Toyota is already looking into the development of a larger model capable of seating seven passengers as well as carrying their luggage, according to Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager. The larger Prius won’t be based on the Japanese market Prius Alpha nor the European specification Prius+, both of which pack a retractable third row of seats into the Prius V’s cargo area.

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First Photos of Honda’s Hot CR-Z Mugen, Early Tests Show better Performance than Civic Type R

Honda's sporty-looking CR-Z hybrid will finally get the performance to back its looks, as the Japanese carmaker teamed up with its tuning partner Mugen Euro to develop a high-performance version of the hybrid model. As we wrote earlier this year, the car will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but until then, you can take a look at the first official photos of the car to see if they match the sketches released by Honda two months ago.

The Japanese company says development of the CR-Z Mugen is on track, with “performance figures already looking promising”. Honda revealed that early tests with a prototype car based on a standard CR-Z and a mid-tune engine have given 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint times around that of the European market Civic Type R (6.6 seconds). Later on, Mugen increased output by another 15 percent and reduced the chassis' weight by 50 kilograms, so that overall performance is expected to be even better than the Type R's.

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Lexus CT200h Race Car to Debut at the Nurburgring

The Lexus CT200h compact hybrid will debut in racing car guise at an endurance race this weekend at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. Entered by Gazoo Racing, the same organization that races the Lexus LFA, the CT200h will compete in the Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy. Around 200 cars will line up at the start of the six hour-race. Read more »

Lexus LS 600h L Getting Prepped for the Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco

With monthly average sales of around 2,000 units this year, Lexus’ cars continue to be a scarce commodity on Europe roads and we somehow doubt that being crowned the official vehicle of His Serene Highness [very sic…] Prince Albert II of Monaco will help improve the Japanese automaker’s position in the market. Read more »

Lexus LS 600h L Getting Prepped for the Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco

With monthly average sales of around 2,000 units this year, Lexus’ cars continue to be a scarce commodity on Europe roads and we somehow doubt that being crowned the official vehicle of His Serene Highness [very sic…] Prince Albert II of Monaco will help improve the Japanese automaker’s position in the market. Read more »

Kia’s Brand New 40mpg Optima Hybrid Priced from $27,250

Kia is ready to talk pricing on its first ever hybrid vehicle in the States, the all-new Optima Hybrid, which we first saw at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. A sister model to Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid, with which is shares the same gasoline-electric powertrain, the Optima Hybrid will reach U.S. showrooms in June with a starting price of $26,500, not including a $750 destination and handling fee that lifts the cost to $27,250. By comparison, the hybrid version of the Sonata starts at $25,795, excluding destination charges. Read more »

Lexus Turns the Roosevelt Hotel into the World’s Biggest 3D Billboard

The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most iconic hotels in the United States, nay the world. Built in the 1920s, it has since featured in countless movies, television shows and music videos. So it figures that sooner or later someone would get the bright spark idea of using it as a giant billboard for their product.

Enter the world of Lexus who, with the help of some cutting-edge 3D projection mapping technology, turned the side of the Roosevelt into a Michael Bay Transformers-esque advertisement for its new CT 200h hybrid hatchback. Walls shift around and rotate; gaping holes appear and flowers, roadways and other objects all spring to life out of the eighty plus year old façade.

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Chevrolet Begins Taking Orders for Volt in Canada

General Motors is adding Canada to the list of countries that will soon get the Chevrolet Volt as starting from today, the company’s dealers in seven key regions across the country will begin accepting orders for the extended range electric vehicle, with prices starting from at CA$41,545 (equal to US$43,780 at today’s exchange rates). Read more »

VIDEO: Geely’s McCar Bundles Four Seats and a Scooter in a Mini Package

At the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Chinese automaker Geely displayed an interesting concept car called McCar, whose funny name reportedly stands for “Magic car” and “Motorcycle Car” , and has nothing to do with the famous chain of fast-food restaurants – unless you take into consideration the fact that there is a folding electric scooter sandwiched between the rear seats of the car… Read more »

Sic…Lexus Becomes Official Supplier to HSH Prince of Monaco who will use an LS Hybrid for his Wedding

For those who still believe in the institution of monarchy and the legitimacy of kings, queens and royalty in general in this day and age (…some 2,500 years after the Athenians gave birth to democracy), 2011 will be marked by the royal weddings of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, and to a lesser extent, Prince Albert II of Monaco to Miss Charlene Wittstock.

If you wondering what all this has to do with the world of automobiles, Lexus’ European division announced today that it has received the royal stamp of approval from His Serene Highness [HSH] Prince Albert II of Monaco. The latter appointed the Japanese automaker as the official supplier of luxury cars to the blue-blooded residents of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

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Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf Receive Top IIHS Safety Ratings in Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released the results of the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars, with the two EVs earning the highest safety ratings. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf were awarded the top rating of “good” for front, side, rear and rollover crash protection.

Since both cars are fitted as standard with electronic stability control systems, they also qualified as winners of Top Safety Pick, the Institute's award for state-of-the-art crash protection.

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Chevrolet Reveals 38-MPG 2013 Malibu ECO at New York Auto Show

Along with the standard version of the all-new 2013 Malibu, Chevrolet also introduced the ECO-flavored variant of its mid-size sedan at the New York Auto Show. The Malibu ECO returns a fuel consumption of 38 mpg (6.19 liters/km) on the highway and 26 mpg (9 liters/100 km) in the city, with Chevrolet boasting that it’s the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in the company's 100 year-long history.

The new version features GM’s eAssist “light electrification” technology, which is the company’s way of saying it is a micro-hybrid car. The eAssist uses a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking electric assist and start-stop functionality.

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New Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge Concept Previews Hybrid Version

Since Toyota launched the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius in 1997 (because let’s face it, Toyota was the one that made hybrids a household name), more and more automakers are following in the Japanese automaker’s footsteps. Oddly enough , Suzuki isn’t one them, at least not until now as the carmaker has expressed its intention to launch a hybrid version of the Kizashi sedan in the very near future.

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Toyota Rolls Out Online Ordering Site for Upcoming Prius Plug-In Hybrid

In preparation for the 2012 market launch of its new Prius Plug-in hybrid (PHV), Toyota's U.S. division announced the introduction of a new online order system that will kick off later this year.

Customers who are interested in the Prius Plug-in hybrid are invited to register on Toyota's website in order to have first access to the online order system when it becomes available later in the year. Appropriately, the first phase of the online order program, called Priority Registration, will launch on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

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BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën Form Joint Venture to Produce Hybrid Components

Already partners in developing 4-cylinder petrol engines, BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën have decided to set up 50-50 equity joint venture named the BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification, which will primarily focus on developing hybrid components. Sharing the cost of research and development as well as production and component purchasing, the two companies expect to achieve significant economies of scale.

The hybrid components in question include battery packs, E-machines, generators, power electronics and chargers, alongside the necessary software to operate them that will also be jointly developed. The new technologies will be used by the two automakers for their upcoming electric vehicles and could be sold to other companies as well.

The joint venture is expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2011 and it’s estimated that the first series production hybrid components will arrive in 2014.

“This cooperative venture will enable us to achieve significant economies of scale in the field of electrification. It also represents an important step on the road to sustainable mobility”, said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

“With this joint venture, we are sure to develop and expand our expertise and to build a European leader in the field of automotive hybrid innovation”, noted Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën.

VW XL1 Hybrid Coupe Study: Videos and Photos from Qatar

The highlight of Volkswagen's presentation at this week's Qatar motor show is the new XL1, a futuristic looking diesel-electric plug-in hybrid study for an everyday-use coupe vehicle with a combined fuel economy of just 0.9 liters per 100 kilometers or an amazing 261 mpg US.

The extremely low fuel consumption is achieved through the use of a lightweight construction, carefully honed aerodynamics and of course, the hybrid powertrain that combines a 0.8-liter twin-cylinder diesel producing 48-horses with a 27HP electric motor. If you follow the jump, you can check out live photos as well as on the road videos of the XL1. For more details on the study, read our previous post here.

Poll: Should GM give in and call the Volt a hybrid?

Apart from the humorous articles and the plethora of eBay finds we come up with, Carscoop’s bread and butter is automotive news straight from the manufacturer. And as such, we read a lot of press releases. In all the ones I’ve read, General Motors refuses to call the Chevrolet Volt a hybrid. It’s a range extended electric vehicle.

I speculate that it might have something to do with hybrids being uncool (so sayeth GM CEO Dan Akerson) or to avoid comparisons with that other hybrid. You know, the one made by the world’s other biggest car manufacturer.

So let’s hear the cases for and against:

Yes, GM should call the Volt a hybrid and here’s why:

A hybrid, by definition, is a vehicle that has two or more powerplants. In most cases, one is an electric motor and the other is a gasoline engine. There’s no requirement that these run in tandem, or be connected to one another in any way. More than one powerplant and you have a hybrid. And let’s face it: GM isn’t trying to lure buyers away from the Nissan Leaf or the Mitsubishi iMiev; their target is and always has been the Toyota Prius. And what’s the Prius, children? “A hybrid!” In a dumbed down worldview, nobody wanted to buy a Saturn Green Line so this was Option B. The Volt looks like a hybrid, is mechanically like a hybrid and was designed to compete with hybrids. For this, the Volt is one and the same.

No, GM should call the Volt a range extended electric vehicle and here’s why:

The Prius uses its electric motor at low speeds, when idling and when overtaking. The rest of the time it’s running on its gasoline engine alone. On the other hand, the Volt engages its gasoline engine only when its electric motor has run out of juice. Like a WWII submarine limping home on its diesel engines after its batteries have run dry. So if anything, the Volt is like a Nissan Leaf with the added security of a gasoline engine making sure you don’t end up on the hard shoulder, waiting for the AAA man to come along with a very long extension cord. For this, the Volt is a range extended electric vehicle.

So where do you stand? Do you buy GM’s marketing buzz or do you side with the cynics? Cast your vote and leave us a comment.

Volvo V60 Diesel-Electric Plug-in Hybrid Returns 125 MPG, will Debut at Geneva Show

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, a near production-ready model that is said to return a very impressive 125 mpg US (1.9 lt/100 km), with CO2 emissions under 50 g/km. In order to achieve this, engineers entered a new variable into the plug-in hybrid equation: a diesel engine.

The V60’s front wheels are driven by a 2.4-liter 5-cylinder turbo diesel powerplant capable of 215HP and 440 Nm (325 lb-ft) of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. At the back, there's a 70HP electric motor that powers the rear wheels and a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

According to Volvo, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid “features the very best properties from three different car types in one sports wagon”, including an all-electric driving mode with a range of up to 32 miles (52 km).

“In order to get true car enthusiasts to think green, you have to offer them the opportunity to drive with low carbon dioxide emissions without taking away the adrenaline rush that promotes genuine driving pleasure. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid has all the traditional properties of a genuine sports wagon. What we've done is to spice it up with spearhead technology”, said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.

Jointly developed by Volvo and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is scheduled to enter series production in 2012.