Cars and Motors

Since introducing the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system on the Prius, Toyota has been promising to expand the technology to other platforms. The first vehicle in the sights for the next generation HSD powerplant is the upcoming Auris.

Coming after the innovative yet outrageous Prius Hearse, the Prius Limo stretches the concept of hybrid efficiency to new heights... or should we say, lengths.

In what seems to be an obvious design decision, Lexon has created a mini LED flashlight that clips on a keychain and... wait for it... looks like a key!

For the past few weeks or so BMW has been teasing a new hybrid concept sports car dubbed the Vision EfficientDynamics. Now, BMW has finally unveiled the concept and offered the public some highly desired information regarding the new hybrid sports coupe.

Solar energy has been at the top of many people's list when it comes to renewable energy sources. While some companies have designed vehicles to run on solar energy, others are still focusing on the lack of a power grid able to handle a significant load increase. A new concept funded by the Department of Energy may be able to offer a solution to this problem.

Even the most die-hard fans of hydrogen powered vehicles have a hard time finding a solution to the problem of storage for their fuel. Currently, it requires a high pressure tank and a maze of fittings and lines to ensure the proper delivery in the proper amount at the proper time. However, the Department of Energy (DOE) has just challenged the general public to find a new way to store hydrogen and offered a six digit prize to anyone who can meet this goal.

Earlier this year, Mercedes Benz released information regarding their development of a new Fuel Cell vehicle called the F-Cell. Since then, they have been refining the project and now believe it is ready for small scale production.

Recently, General Motors held a press conference to introduce some of the vehicles thy plan on debuting by the 2012 model year.  While there were several all electric vehicles and hybrids throughout the presentation, the upcoming concepts that got the most attention were a pair of vehicles listed as “Bare Necessities.”

Since first being introduced, the Volkswagen Polo has been one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Years of diesel development and improvements to powertrain design have improved the overall efficiency ever more. Now, VW is offering a BlueMotion version of the Polo and promising even more miles for every gallon.

Not too long ago, news broke that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) would begin conducting tests to see how safe occupants were in a collision that led to a roll-over. Since then, they have been working their way through each vehicle segment, and posting the results about which car, truck or minivan provided the most protection. In a recent set of tests conducted on the small car segment, the number one choice came as a surprise to more than a few.

Ben Franklins for Freezers? Dollars for Dishwashers? Coin for Central Air? or Cash for Appliances? Whatever you'd like to call it, after the overwhelming success of the "Cash for Clunkers" program, the next government incentive to save consumers money will debut as early as this fall. However on this go around, you will receive rebates for the purchase of new Energy Star-qualified home appliances.

Since first being introduced, the Smart ForTwo has become a big hit with commuters and pretty much anyone looking for a high efficiency vehicle.  Now, an all electric version of the already popular ForTwo is being prepared for production by the end of the year.

It's no secret that BMW has been working feverishly on improving the fuel economy of their 5 and 7 series vehicles. Their latest additional to the eco-friendly goodie bag comes in the form of a small electric motor linked to the 8-speed automatic transmission of the 7-Series.

German auto makers have been pushing vehicles in the premium compact segment over the past few years, with the most recent being the introduction of the BMW 1-Series. This also happens to be one of the fastest growing segments in the industry right now, which explains the recent release of a Lexus Hybrid Concept that would look to challenge the 1-Series and others in the same class.

This year's Frankfurt Motor Show is looking more and more like a stage for hybrid introductions. Among the many automakers that are planning on unveiling new eco-friendly concepts, Peugeot has come forward with a new kind of hybrid drive system aimed at keeping complexity to a bare minimum.

MAPTOR is a pico projector meets map. Project a map onto nearly any surface and get instant location and direction information to keep you traveling on the right path.

Avoid the need to rekey your entire life, and keep your car and house keys safe with this innovative, inexpensive keychain device.

About a year ago, General Motors introduced their 6T40 6-speed automatic transmission.  It was built for small and mid-sized car market and promised to boost fuel economy by 5%.  Since then the engineers at GM have been working on ways to improve upon the already solid gearbox, the results of which have yielded another 5% boost in overall economy.

Our four stroke engines have been around for a very long time and while many small changes have been made to them over those many years, the basic principal of operation has remained the same. Now, a new engine design that uses an additional stroke may be taking over the number 1 position when it comes to small powerplants.

Earlier this month, GM released information that the upcoming Chevy Volt would be able to see as high as 230 miles per gallon of fuel.  Ever more impressive is that the EPA is backing this claim…for now anyway.  But the real question is: How did we reach this number to begin with?