Car Advice | News Blog » Environment

Renault-Nissan boss believes EV evolution will be slow

Matt Brogan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:17:41 +0000

Renault-Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, says he expects the spread of electric vehicles around the world to be a gradual one, predicting internal combustion and hybrid units will continue to dominate for decades. Ghosn, speaking in New York today, said he believed all-electric vehicles would make up just 10 per cent of the sales by 2020. “[Electric cars] [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Renault-Nissan boss believes EV evolution will be slow

EV infrastructure gets a kick-start in the UK

Matt Brogan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:55:24 +0000

The British Government is ramping up its push for electric vehicle infrastructure by today offering £30 million (AUD$54.4 million) grants to prospective pioneering cities. The Plugged-In Places initiative will support the development of 3-6 electric car cities which will involve installing charging points in streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities. In total the [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

EV infrastructure gets a kick-start in the UK

Smart ForTwo US car2go program begins in Austin, Texas

Matt Brogan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:08:19 +0000

The City of Austin in Texas today started a car sharing scheme that will next year be expanded to service every one of its residents. The “car2go” project has commenced with more than 13,000 workers signing up for memberships allowing them to share 200 Smart ForTwo vehicles in and around the city. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Smart ForTwo US car2go program begins in Austin, Texas

Fiat eco:Drive honoured in UK green award ceremony

Matt Brogan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:46:46 +0000

It’s that time of the year when motoring awards come thick and fast and Fiat is the latest to join the party. Yesterday CarAdvice reported that Mazda won an award for its “i-stop” start/stop engine technology, and now Fiat has been honoured for another environmentally friendly innovation: the eco:Drive. Fiat’s eco:Drive is a standard system that uses [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Fiat eco:Drive honoured in UK green award ceremony

Prius could outsell Camry says US Toyota boss

Matt Brogan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:53:55 +0000

US President of Toyota Motor Sales, Mr Jim Lentz, has said during an interview this week that he believes the company’s Prius hybrid model could beat long-time favourite Camry sedan as the company’s best selling product in the United States. “I think long-term, Prius as a nameplate could even outsell Camry as a nameplate, into this [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Prius could outsell Camry says US Toyota boss

Beijing Auto joins China’s EV race

Matt Brogan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:25:05 +0000

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC), has shown off its first self developed electric car, joining other Chinese rivals expecting a demand for clean energy cars. BAIC is a partner of Daimler and was an unsuccessful bidder for General Motors’s Opel brand. The electric vehicle known as BE701 is able to travel a distance of 200km [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Beijing Auto joins China’s EV race

Toyota Prius hybrid family on the way

Matt Brogan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:19:28 +0000

As first reported by CarAdvice more than 12 months ago, Toyota is set to create a Prius hybrid family when it introduces a crossover or wagon model in around 12 months time, according to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. The new car could be the first high-volume vehicle to use a lithium-ion battery, which [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Toyota Prius hybrid family on the way

Volvo C30 DRIVe & Facebook launch virtual round world contest

Matt Brogan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:34:09 +0000

Volvo is launching an innovative online contest challenging people to virtually drive a Volvo C30 DRIVe around the world in 80 days, using only their Facebook friends. Volvo Cars will donate 15,000 Euros (AUD$24,000) in the winning team’s name to a carbon offset project promoted by “myclimate”. The purpose of the contest is to drive the [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Volvo C30 DRIVe & Facebook launch virtual round world contest

Toyota Camry Hybrid to save 1100 litres of fuel per year

Matt Brogan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:02:23 +0000

The upcoming Australian made Toyota Camry Hybrid will save approximately 1100 litres of fuel in a year of city driving compared to locally made six-cylinder rivals. Corporate manager of product planning, Mr Peter Evans, said Hybrid Camry’s fuel consumption and emissions would rival small and compact cars.   The fuel savings during 20,000km of city driving will [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Toyota Camry Hybrid to save 1100 litres of fuel per year

Ford’s EcoBoost engine sales exceed expectations in US

Matt Brogan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:40:24 +0000

Ford’s four-cylinder EcoBoost engine is attracting younger and more affluent buyers to the brand, according to Ford US. The 2.0-litre direct-injection turbocharged unit is currently available on the Taurus SHO and the Flex, as well as Lincoln’s MKS and MKT. The 205kW/379Nm EcoBoost will make its way into the Falcon in early 2011, and Ford Australia President [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Ford’s EcoBoost engine sales exceed expectations in US

Peugeot HYbrid3 Evolution revealed

Matt Brogan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:46:47 +0000

Peugeot has unveiled its latest three-wheeled concept vehicle featuring hybrid technology likely to find its way into production cars. The HYbrid3 Evolution, on display at the International Cycle and Motorbike Show in Milan, began life at last year’s Paris Motor Show and has since lost its roof to appear more bike-like. The “concept scooter”, as Peugeot calls [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Peugeot HYbrid3 Evolution revealed

Electric Vehicles will not solve environmental woes – report

Matt Brogan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:11:44 +0000

A new report by the UK’s Environmental Transport Association has dismissed the notion that a wholesale switch to electric cars would automatically reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on oil. While it admitted that there were significant potential environmental benefits in a switch to electric vehicles, these were wholly dependent on changes in the way electricity was [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Electric Vehicles will not solve environmental woes – report

Cadillac Converj timing, specs still up in the air

Matt Brogan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:57:32 +0000

Reports from the US are saying General Motors will build the plug-in Cadillac Converj, but is yet to decide on a production timeline or specific design elements. The Converj uses the same electric technology as the Chevrolet Volt, which is capable of travelling around 64 kilometres on plug-in power and is due for production late next [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Cadillac Converj timing, specs still up in the air

Citroen C-Zero EV due for UK launch late 2010

Matt Brogan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:26:10 +0000

Citroen will release its C-Zero electric vehicle (EV), a car co-developed with Mitsubishi, to the UK market from the end of 2010. Claiming zero fuel consumption, zero CO2 emissions and zero engine noise, the C-Zero is a 100 per cent electric vehicle charged overnight from any domestic power supply. Citroen claim its new city car will make [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Citroen C-Zero EV due for UK launch late 2010

BMW X6 Hybrid on the way

Matt Brogan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:01:33 +0000

I wonder if there’s a car out there that’s part beefy crossover, part luxury sedan, and part hot hatch, and on top of all this good for the environment too? That’s right, someone asked the question this time, so no jokes about the new BMW ActiveHybrid X6 being the motoring world’s oxymoronic rhetorical answer. After its debut [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

BMW X6 Hybrid on the way

Rolls-Royce Ghost Hybrid on the drawing board

Matt Brogan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:34:46 +0000

Rolls-Royce is reportedly planning a hybrid version of its all-new Ghost sedan. The hybrid Ghost, itself based on BMW’s 7 Series platform, will rely heavily on the parent company’s hybrid drivetrain for motivation. That being the case Ghost Hybrid should retain its (420kW) 6.2-litre V12 engine, albeit mated to an electric motor, and eight-speed automatic transmission. Rough [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Hybrid on the drawing board

Renault to produce zero-emissions EV in France

Matt Brogan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:06:08 +0000

Renault has today confirmed it will be manufacturing its new zero-emission electric car at the Flins plant in the Paris region. The Zoé Z.E. Concept, first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show is a preview of what the new car will look like. The Flins plant was chosen to manufacture the electric vehicle (EV) because of its [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Renault to produce zero-emissions EV in France

BMW tops the chart in global CO2 cuts

Matt Brogan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:49:01 +0000

For the second year running BMW has cut its average CO2 emissions per car by more than any other automotive manufacturer. According to an independent report published by the European Federation for Transport and Environment, the average reduction across the industry was 3.3 per cent, while BMW more than trebled that amount with 10.2 per cent. BMW’s [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

BMW tops the chart in global CO2 cuts

Toyota iQ Review

Matt Brogan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:10:17 +0000

If this is where small cars are headed, consider me a convert. Model Tested: 2009 Toyota iQ3; 1.3-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; CVT automatic; three-door hatch – $21,560* By Matt Brogan. Tokyo, Japan. This may be the shortest first steer of the smallest car I’ve yet driven, but my 20 minutes behind the wheel was enough to tell me that if [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Toyota iQ Review

Toyota first with Australian made hybrid

Matt Brogan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:35:47 +0000

Toyota Australia is set to make history in just over three months when it launches the first hybrid car to be built in this country – Hybrid Camry. A limited number of pre-production cars have already been tested on public roads and closed tracks with insiders saying the Hybrid Camry out performers the standard car in [...]

Original article from: Australian Car Advice - Australia's largest independent Auto site.

Toyota first with Australian made hybrid