Green Car News

If you keep track of the American car market, you’ll know that the four-door Toyota Prius is a seriously popular car there, since its launch a decade ago. Being a hybrid, it runs on a petrol engine which shuts off to use electric power as much as possible, and it generates this electric power simply from energy released during braking. Honda also had its own hybrid car a decade ago, called the Insight, which was cancelled by 2006 since it was a two-door hatchback and wasn’t as popular. Now Honda has revived the Insight nameplate for their latest hybrid,

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While it was all but ignored at the 2007 Dubai Motor Show, the Chevrolet Volt has been doing rounds of international auto shows in concept form, and is set for release in 2010. As brash as the deadline is, the Volt is a game-changing car, designed to run purely on electricity from on-board lithium-ion batteries for up to 64 km, enough for commuting to work, while charging the batteries overnight every day. Also, with the use of a small petrol engine driving a generator to resupply the batteries, the Volt’s range is potentially increased to 580 km on the highway.

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Honda is displaying the OSM concept sports car at the ongoing British Auto Show. OSM stands for “Open Study Model,” and it is supposed to be an idea for a low-emissions roadster.

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I figured I should go over Dubai’s heavily-hyped hybrid taxis a bit more, considering the general media is happy just reprinting press releases. Operated by the much-loved Road & Transport Authority (RTA), the cars — five Chevy Malibu Hybrids and five Chevy Tahoes Hybrids — are beginning their one-year trial to see if they survive the Middle Eastern heat and whether they actually save any fuel in this publicity stunt.

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At the Dubai Motor Show, General Motors showcased their production 2-Mode full hybrid version of their full-size Chevrolet Tahoe. To clarify, a hybrid vehicle runs on petrol, but uses the movement of the vehicle to store electrical energy for use to run the vehicle when the additional power of petrol isn’t necessary, thereby saving fuel. Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and GM have agreed to use 5 of these special Tahoes, as well as 5 Chevy Malibu hybrids in a trial run. Some 40 taxis drivers and 15 technicians will also be trained to handle these vehicles.

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Details have emerged regarding Ferrari’s new eco-friendly concept vehicle, the FXX Mille Chile. Ferrari has decided to develop new technologies in order to comply with future regulations and an early fruit of that labour is this wood-built non-working concept.

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