Porsche offers a variety of driving modes, which can be toggled between using a switch on the steering wheel. They range from purely electric, which has a range of approximately 18 miles and a 7s 0-62mph time (plus a top speed of 93mph), through to hybrid mode, and then with the V8 kicking in. The hybrid motor running the rear axel can be used on its own, or just the V8, or both together for all-wheel drive.

Keeping the electric motors running is a 7kWh liquid-cooled li-ion battery made up of 312 cells and charging in under 7hrs from a 110V (10A) socket or trimming that to under 2hrs from a 240V (30A) socket. Install Porsche’s industrial-strength Speed Charging Station, and your 918 Spyder will be rejuiced in 25 minutes.

Porsche is particularly keen to stress how usable every day the 918 Spyder can be, and so in regular Hybrid mode it switches between gas and electric motors to maximize fuel economy. Sport Hybrid sees the eco-halo drop somewhat, with both engine and electrics working continuously, but still with an eye on economic driving. Then there’s Race Hybrid, which relies primarily on the gas engine and kicks the electric motors in for short boosts, with the Porsche topping up the batteries from spare power from the V8 when it’s not being used to full capacity.

Finally, there’s Hot Lap mode, which works only in Race Hybrid mode and gushes all the available battery power out to drive the electric motors to their limits. It’s only good for a couple of laps, however.

Inside, there’s one cluster of controls for the core driving data, which are wrapped around the wheel, while the multitouch-touchscreen infotainment stack is in the middle and used to manage the climate control, comms, Burmester sound system, and lighting. Alcantara clads the seats, and other areas of the interior, and there’s less sound insulation and more exposed carbon-fiber. One option is having more of the exterior left unpainted, exposing the carbon sections.

Perhaps the biggest question remaining is how economical it actually is; unfortunately, final fuel consumption figures aren’t available yet. What we do know is that speed and efficiency don’t come cheap: the standard car will be around $845,000 in the US when deliveries begin in Q1 2014. Then, of course, it’ll have to face off challengers like Honda’s 2015 NSX.

Once the circuit board overheats, it can cause the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on on the instrument panel, which means that owners will be aware of the issue when it happens. However, if drivers ignore the warning lights (which we all do sometimes, right?), the engine could eventually stall and start a fire in the trunk.

Thankfully, though, the issue doesn’t affect the rechargable lithium-ion battery that’s a part of the cars’ electric hybrid system. If you’re curious to know whether your specific car is or will be affected, General Motors says that most of the incidents reported have happened within the first 1,000 miles of driving with the cars. No accidents or injuries were reported.

We actually took a look at Buick’s latest LaCrosse and Regal hybrid models during the New York Auto Show back in March. These new models aren’t a part of the recall, as they’re the 2014 models. The new cars come with the company’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system, which we got our hands on as well.

[via LA Times]

Erich Merkle, the U.S. sales analyst for Ford, stated that the company is doing everything it can to grow its sales in the “largest hybrid markets in the country.” Ford’s hybrid market share reached 18% in April, but it still has a long ways to go to reach Toyota’s 58% hybrid market share. However, things are looking bright for Ford, with the company’s Fusion hybrid deliveries increasing by up to 5 times this past April.

While the sales of its hybrids are rising, demand for Toyota’s hybrids is decreasing. Sales of Toyota Camry’s hybrid decreased 26%, and the sales of the Toyota Prius have dropped 21% in April and 12% this entire year. Toyota stated earlier last month that the sales of its hybrids may fall short of its targeted 250,000 sales goal this year. While that’s bad news for Toyota, it’s great news for Ford.

Ford still has a long ways to go before catching up to Toyota’s hybrid sales, but with the demand of its hybrids going up and the demand for Toyota’s hybrids going down, it feels optimistic. The 3,989 sales of the Ford Fusion surpassed the 3,257 Toyota Camry hybrids that sold this year, although the Toyota Prius surpassed both cars’ sales combined with its 19,889 vehicles sold. It may be a long while before Ford can match up to Toyota, if it ever can, but even if it doesn’t, things are looking better for its hybrid sector. For more news related to Ford, be sure to check out our Cars Hub.

[via Bloomberg]

The information on the average hybrid buyer was gleaned from financial data included on vehicle loans, which showed an average credit score of 790. Such a score is slightly higher than the average of 755 for consumers seeking a new car loan for any type of vehicle. The same data shows the average loan for a hybrid at $25,807 with a monthly payment of $461.

The study also looked at hybrid sales, which increased to 3.1-percent last year over 2011′s 2.2-percent, a rise of 40.9-percent. While the numbers look big, the tally of hybrids on the roads is still less than 2-percent. However, as the data shows, sales are slowly and steadily rising. In 2006, hybrids only accounted for 1.5-percent. Says Experian, more hybrids are bought than leased.

Experian’s Director of Automotive Credit: “Hybrid vehicle owners have long been perceived as environmentally conscience consumers. While they may have made the vehicle purchase due to caring for the environment, our research shows that hybrid owners are economically minded as well. Hybrid owners tend to have outstanding credit histories, which also has enabled them to obtain financing at lower rates than typical consumers.”

[via PR Newswire]

It’s a rather unique concept – when folded, the device looks and functions like your average everyday tablet running Windows 8. It is portable, and can be used with a stylus, for example. There are bound to be times, however, when you need to do something more hardware-intensive than a tablet can handle. Instead of switching to a laptop or desktop, the Inhon Tablet has a built in sort of Turboboost mode.

On the half of the tablet/laptop hybrid that doesn’t hold the screen, there’s said to be USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPorts, as well as a cooling fan that is exposed when the device is opened up. As such, the increased cooling is used in conjunction with a TurboBoost of the processor (overclocking?) that gives users a big jump in processing power.

Because it can no longer be used as a tablet once it is unfolded, the Inhon Tablet can be used with an optional accessory that looks very similar to a Touch Cover, functioning as both a trackpad and a keyboard. When it hits shelves, the quasi-tablet will be priced between NT $29,999 and NT $39,999, which is roughly $1000 to $1300 USD.

[via Engadget]

Toyota estimates that its global fleet of hybrid vehicles has resulted in a reduction of about 34,000,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Toyota also says that its fleet of hybrid vehicles have saved owners over 3,000,000,000 gallons of gasoline compared to traditional vehicles. Currently Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles make up 70% of the United States auto industry’s total hybrid sales numbers.

Hybrid models for Toyota and Lexus also account for 16% of both companies overall sales. Recent figures show that for the automotive industry as a whole hybrid sales are approximately 3% of the US car market. Currently Toyota and Lexus offer 19 hybrid models along with one plug-in hybrid in 80 countries and regions around the world.

In the United States, Toyota and Lexus offer 12 hybrid models. A few of those 12 hybrid models are actually manufactured in North America including the Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, and RX450h. Toyota currently plans to build a fourth hybrid model in North America, the Highlander Hybrid. Toyota intends to introduce 18 new hybrid automobiles between now and the end of 2015. The automaker also expects to increase its sales of hybrid vehicles to at least 1 million units per year during the same period.

[via Toyota]

The Protean technology is designed to be an integral part of the hybrid powertrain system and paired with a traditional internal combustion engine. However, the manufacturer says that the technology is also capable of providing enough power to be the only source of traction drive in a fully electric vehicle. The motors are designed to reside in the space behind the wheel and produce torque and power exactly where the driver and automobile need it.

Protean says that its new production motor provides a 25% increase in peak torque compared with previous generations of its technology. The new electric drive motors can generate 735 pound-foot of torque and 100 hp each. That is a huge amount of torque for each electric motor with such a small physical footprint designed to fit inside your typical wheel.

The motors also weighing only 68 pounds each and Protean says that the electric motors are able to improve fuel economy up to 30% in hybrid configurations depending on the battery size. The design of the electric motors allows of 85% of the available kinetic energy to be recovered during braking to recharge the battery. I would love to see an all wheel drive electric vehicle using these electric motors producing over 2800 pound-foot of torque.

[via Protean Electric]

The car features a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine that’s capable of running on hydrogen, gasoline, or a combination of the two. This is the same engine in the production Rapide S that will hit show floors in the next few weeks (without the hydrogen hybrid feature). Aston Martin is hoping that the race car will be able to run a full lap on zero emissions with only water emitted from the exhaust.

The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S uses a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks, and a proprietary engine management system to make things work, and the four hydrogen holding tanks are made from high-strength carbon fiber, which allow the tanks to hold a total of 7.7 pounds of hydrogen at over 5,000 psi. Two of the tanks are located next to the driver and the other two are in the trunk of the car.

As for the car’s speed, the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S can reach 190 mph and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just under five seconds, which is fairly impressive, especially since it won’t be burning as much gasoline as the other cars in the field. Of course, the car that burns the least fuel isn’t the one that wins the race, but it’s always great when cars don’t have to use as much fuel.

[via European Car]

Certainly, the most interesting of the new Panamera models is the Panamera S E-Hybrid. While Porsche has offered a hybrid version of this car in the past, the S E-Hybrid is the first plug-in hybrid Porsche has offered. This version has a more powerful electric motor and a better performing battery supplying more energy that can be recharged from home or public vehicle charging stations. The electric drive system in off the vehicle produces 95 hp, which is more than twice the power produced by the previous hybrid electric motor.

That new electric motor is paired with a 9.4 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is significantly larger than the previous 1.7 kWh battery used in the hybrid Panamera previously. Porsche says that the vehicle can completely recharge its battery in 2.5 hours using a 240V power source. EPA fuel economy estimates for the new plug-hybrid are unavailable at this time and the vehicle will be able to operate on electric power alone.

Porsche estimates that the electric only driving range will be about 20 miles. The other new version of the Panamera is a long wheelbase model called the Executive. The Executive models have two full-sized rear bucket seats and the car will be available in naturally aspirated and Turbo models. Both models have a wheelbase that is extended by 5.9-inches providing more rear seat comfort.

The turbo version uses a 3.0-liter twin Turbo V-6 engine which replaces the previous 4.8-liter V8. However, the new turbo engine produces an additional 20 hp and 15 pound-foot of torque compared to the old V-8. The plug-in hybrid will start at $99,000 with the standard Executive model starting at $125,600 and the executive Turbo starting at $161,100.

[via Porsche]

The gasoline-electric hybrid Pathfinder will feature both a supercharged 2.5-liter gas engine and an electric motor that, combined, offer 250 horsepower. This will bring about 5 more miles per gallon, bringing the total up to 25MPG in the city and 27MPG on the highway for a combined total of 26MPG.

This is a tad higher than the current 21MPG combined total for the all-wheel drive gasoline model. Of course, an electric hybrid brings with it some extra-battery baggage, which will be found below the third-row bench, taking up that section of space and perhaps proving inconvenient to some owners.

Nissan’s Vice President of Product Planning Pierre Loing said: “The Pathfinder Hybrid is highly affordable because it matches motor and battery size well, while minimizing the number of additional parts or modifications needed to the platform and body. It is designed as a logical bridge between conventional internal combustion engine powertrains and the wider acceptance of hybrid systems by providing enhanced efficiency with no compromises versus the standard vehicle.”

[via Wall Street Journal]

Officially the Asus Transformer Book TX300CA, the biggest thing that separates this svelte hybrid from Asus’s Transformer Pad is its innards. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-3517U CPU, the device runs Windows 8, and functions just as any other laptop – with the exception of transforming into a tablet. This is one model in the line, which will also feature an 11.6-inch and 14-inch model.

The 13.3-inch model features 4GB of RAM in addition to the Core i7, and has a 128GB SSD. When the keyboard is tossed into the mix, however, its 500GB drive is added to the SSD, bringing the total up to 628GB of storage, a large enough amount to satisfy most users. The only downside to this setup is that access to the data on the HDD won’t be available when the Transformer Book is being used as a tablet, meaning those who use it to store media, such as movies and music, will only have access to the data when the keyboard is being used.

The display is an IPS multi-touch with a full 1080p HD resolution. There’s a high-definition webcam on the front and a multi-touch trackpad on the keyboard dock. Connectivity includes Bluetooth and USB 3.0. In addition to the Core i7, some retailers are also showing a cheaper version featuring a Core i5 processor.

[via Liliputing]

When the screen section is removed, however, Turbo Dock automatically throttles things back, reducing power consumption so that the tablet lasts longer. In fact, the system is constantly adjusting depending on what apps are being run, meaning the full potency of the APU isn’t employed if all you’re doing is watching a video.

Temash, meanwhile, is AMD’s latest low-power processor, aimed at Windows 8 powered tablets and hybrids. Built using 28nm processes, it promises five times the graphics performance of Intel’s Atom Z2760 – as in, for instance, Acer’s Iconia W510 hybrid - and will be available in dual- and quadcore versions.

AMD will be bringing along a selection of demo units to Mobile World Congress next week, to show off exactly what the A6-1450 and other Temash SoCs are capable of. Meanwhile, the first production tablets and hybrids to use Temash and feature Turbo Dock will be launched later in 2013, though no specific brands have been confirmed at this stage.

The Helix was shown off at CES 2013 last month, where we got a hands-on look at the device, which you can check out here. The convertible laptop is a mix between tablet and laptop, with it easily switching from one to the other and back again. Not surprisingly, it runs Windows 8, and has an attractive, distinctly Lenovo design.

Inside the Helix, users will find an Intel 3rd generation Core i7 CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The IPS display is 11.6-inches offering full HD resolution at 1920 x 1080 with pen input support. One of the hybrid’s best features is its battery, which is reported to last up to 10 hours, depending on the user’s activities.

The Helix features a digitizer pen, which can be used like any other stylus on a tablet – to swipe, write, and everything in between. Depending on which model you’re looking at, it will feature either 3G connectivity, or 4G and NFC, with 4G LTE being available for North America only. We’ll be keeping an eye out for those coming details, so stay tuned.

[via Facebook]

Almost all of that gain came from Toyota with Ford reporting that Toyota’s share of the hybrid market dropped 8%. Ford also brags that its Fusion Hybrid set an all-time monthly sales record in December of 2012 with 3244 units sold. Ford is also predicting the best January ever projecting 5500 Fusion Hybrids and C-Max Hybrids will sell this month.

Ford says that much of its success in the hybrid market comes thanks to its more stylish and technology-laden Fusion Hybrid compared to the previous model of the Fusion Hybrid and other hybrids on the market including the Camera Hybrid. Ford says that almost 70% of Fusion Hybrid sales are conquest sales landing new customers for the brand.

Ford says that during Q4 2012 it sold more hybrid vehicles than any other quarter in the company’s history. Total hybrid sales during Q4 for Ford were 19,554 units. That was a 193% gain over any previous quarter on record. Ford says that its demographic data also suggests that the Fusion Hybrid is appealing to younger buyers outside the traditional hybrid vehicle buyer demographic. The average age of a Fusion Hybrid buyer is now 48.

[via Ford]

Note: the following set of vehicles and technology is in no particular order – the innovations we’re seeing this year are essentially all groundbreaking as we’re seeing the dawn of the mobile connectivity age in auto right before our eyes!

Audi A6: Google Maps, NVIDIA Tegra SoC, Bang and Olufsen audio

Back in January of this year we heard direct from Audi that they’d be teaming up with NVIDIA to bring the Tegra 3 quad-core mobile chipset to their automotive lineup. The Audi A6 took the opportunity to work with that processor and bust out a lovely touchscreen panel with 3D Google Earth views that the pilot is able to control on the fly. There’s also a touchpad where you can write commands to the vehicle one letter at a time as well as voice controls for next-generation control.

This machine works with Bang & Olufsen audio to keep your beats strong, and Audi assures the user that they’ve got plans for upgradeable entertainment and graphics modules as well. Keep an eye on our Tegra Portal to see NVIDIA continue working to bring high-powered processing to the market!

Tesla Model S: the year’s most infamous electric vehicle

The Tesla Model S has been in the news for months upon months now, gaining a spot up at the top of the “best of 2012″ lists for auto publications galore here near the end of the year. This machine is the flagship of the Tesla fleet and works with a collection of massive battery options – have at its birth the longest range of any electric vehicle on the planet.

This machine works with a beastly 17-inch capacitive touch LCD display with built-in navigation (with seven years of free updates if you pick the right package) and connection to a high-definition rear-view camera. This machine is shifting the way we work with cars here in the now, an essential cog in the machine that drives us toward an all-electric vehicle set for humanity.

Fisker Karma: a lot of bad press for a radical plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan

What we saw with the Fisker Karma this year was nothing short of a negative press nightmare with two major recalls, one starting in December of 2011 and reverberating through the press through 2012, the other logged in August of 2012. The first recall was for a battery fire risk caused by coolant leakage, the second was for a faulty cooling fan unit. Then there were several fires, one of them in May in Fort Bend County, Texas, another in August in Woodside, California. After a single vehicle model has more than a couple incidents with it such as these, the press tends to pick up even the most minor incident – the result was that this futuristic beast had a lot more “negative” visibility than it did positive in 2012.

On the other hand, Fisker hasn’t fallen to the press. They’re bringing on the Fisker Atlantic EV early in the year and a new $100 million dollar investment round in September. They’ve also got plans for a less expensive vehicle by the name of Fisker Atlantic which will be appearing no sooner than 2014.

BMW 3 Series and friends: packed tight with technological mainstays

The folks at BMW have brought on a fabulous mix of high-tech features to not just their 3 Series and X3 SUVs, but the BMW X1 Crossover [check out our full review here] as well, most notably with the iconic center control station you see in the photo below. BMW comes correct on more than one model this year with blind spot detection, heads-up displays, lane departure warnings, and both rear and side parking cameras so you’ll never miss that rambunctious pet of yours.

BMW brings on adaptive cruise control, auto-high-beams, and internet integration with your center stack display – you’ll want to pick up a brand new 3 Series or X3 SUV for every single one of these features should you pick up the right package. It’s not going to come on cheap, but BMW created some of the most impressive packages the whole year long.

Ford Focus: an affordable line of forward-thinking vehicles for the whole family

The Ford Focus lineup includes several lovely little beasts pumped full of technological features, including the hatchback, the sedan, Focus ST with EcoBoost engine, C-Max station wagon / MPV coming in two iterations (hybrid and plug-in hybrid), and the fabulous Focus Electric. These vehicles each have their own fabulous feature high-marks like electric power-assist steering, iPod jacks, Bluetooth wireless connectivity to your smartphone, and parking sonar.

With Ford’s parking sonar technology ties up with electric power-assist steering to bring on automated self-parking and brings on cross-traffic alerts as well. You can upgrade your Focus in several cases with on-screen navigation, and there’s a bit of brand Ford brought forward that’ll place a smile on the faces of parents everywhere: MyKey. With MyKey, parents are able to limit how fast a Focus can stop, the on/off and volume of the vehicle’s audio system, and crash notifications via the web.

We also got a hands-on look at the AT&T-branded MyFord Mobile app for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric earlier this year that you’re going to be able to have a peek at below. This app works on iOS and Android and allows you to jump right into the guts of your vehicle without even being in the same neighborhood – hot stuff!

Nissan Altima: it’s got two display size options, sure, but it’s really all about the tires

The Nissan Altima works with either a 5 or 7-inch display ready to work with your tunes and your backup camera. This display allows you to work with Pandora radio, Google-powered local destination alerts, text messages, and more – though for some of these items you’ll need a connected smartphone. You’ve also got blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, and moving object detection too. This machine also packs a simple AUX-in port that every modern vehicle should so you can connect your MP3 player or smartphone with a simple headphone-sized audio cord right out of the box.

The most instant-win technology you’ll get on this line is Easy Fill. With the technology known as Easy Fill, you fill your tires up with air until the vehicle beeps once when you’re near the correct pressure, then again when you’re there. Extremely simple feature that we’re certain most people would love to have.

Toyota Prius: a hero for the hybrid class gets a big tech upgrade

This year the Toyota Prius blasted forth once again with the new highest-mpg on the road along with the all-new Entune music and smartphone connectivity system. The Prius line carrying Entune works with your Entune account, your compatible smartphone connecting with the official Entune app and Bluetooth (or USB) with apps galore. Bing brings you local points of interest, as does OpenTable – dinner reservations too, Pandora and iheartradio bring on the runes, and MovieTickets.com allows you to pick up tickets for the next big blockbuster from your center console.

Google uses a Prius fleet for their driverless vehicle experiments and tests.

Entune also brings on local Fuel Prices, Stocks, Sports, Traffic, and Weather information too – and of course Entune isn’t limited to the Prius, it’s hit quite a few of Toyota’s 2012 and 2013 models. The Prius line is coming forth with Bluetooth and USB jack standard from now through the foreseeable future, too, Toyota making such connections an expected feature in cars across the industry (so it is expected).

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: geofencing, smartphone connectivity, and a massive display up front

Earlier this year we had a test drive of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and had a peek at its futuristic insides. This machine brings on an 8-inch color LCD touchscreen with full navigation integration. This vehicle’s system includes Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone for music streaming as well as an iPhone app for remote start, locking, and unlocking. You’ve also got the option to “geofence” this vehicle digitally, setting physical limits for where this vehicle can drive – drive too far and the whole vehicle shuts down.

2013 Cadillac ATS: with the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) in full effect

We had a close-up peek at the CUE in our 2013 Cadillac ATS Review – it was clear basically immediately that the high-quality interior on this machine was right in step with the competition, starting with its 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and running right through to USB and SD card compatibility. Have a peek at the hands-on video with CUE and feel the excellence in informatics and entertainment – Bluetooth connectivity with up to 10 devices included as well.

This machine works with physical buttons galore as well, pushing information to another 5.7-inch display in the instrument cluster and a heads-up display as well. The audio in this machine works with Bose technology, including a noise-cancellation system to reduce road and engine noise while you’re jamming at high speed.

Kia Soul (Eclaim!): bringing the Microsoft UVO Infotainment System to the great outdoors

The Kia Soul comes in several different spec models, as many fine modern vehicles do: our Kia Soul Review from earlier this year went by the name !, or Exclaim! This machine brought on the Microsoft-powered “UVO Infotainment System.” This system works with a 7-inch touchscreen in this case, bringing on Bluetooth stereo, USB and aux-in connections for your smartphone, and voice control. You can work with Sirius XM satellite radio right out the gate, and of course there’s a back-up camera so you’ll be in-line with governmental regulations for many years to come.

Mazda CX-5: with SKYACTIV, this machine may well be the best competition future-friendly electric batteries have

This machine takes on the hybrid and all-electric competition with Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, combining “weight reduction, efficiency improvement and design rethinking”, as our Mazda CX-5 Review mentions right up front. This machine also works with three-stage heated front seats, rear-view mirror auto-dimming, and of course, a 5.8-inch LCD display. This display is touch friendly (provided you get the right package) as well as TomTom-powered GPS navigation.

Wireless connectivity with your smartphone is provided by Bluetooth and syncing allows you to access you contacts and make a call from the vehicle’s touchscreen. There’s a controller down by your parking break called the Multimedia Commander that you can use to scroll through selections on your touchscreen – or you can just use the generally OK voice command system via the dedicated activation button on the vehicle’s steering wheel.

Wrap-up

SlashGear will continue to be your source for the top technology coverage in automotive through the future with many more high-powered vehicle reviews to come in 2013. Be sure to check out our monstrous [Car Portal] to see the futuristic automobile segment from any angle you do so choose, top to bottom, and get pumped up about the connections you’re about to make!

Ford is also bragging that the EPA certified the plug-in hybrid for up to 92 MPGe on the highway giving it a combined rating of 100 MPGe. Ford says that those economy figures to help customers save as much as $6850 in fuel costs over five years. Ford also took the time to talk about projected sales for Q4 2012 for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Ford is predicting that it will sell over 19,000 hybrid and electric vehicles during Q4 2012 making it the best quarter for hybrids ever. Ford predicts that over half of all its hybrid vehicle sales for the year will come during Q4. There is a bit of a dark shadow over Ford and its fuel efficiency claims.

The EPA is currently reviewing both the hybrid Fusion and the C-Hybrid over questionable fuel economy claims. Independent reviewers and owners of the vehicles alleged that fuel economy is significantly different in the real world compared to the claims Ford makes on window stickers.

As sleek as they look, they demand a pretty hefty price if you want to take one home with you. Toyota didn’t get too terribly specific, but it did say that prices for cars in the Crown series range from $41,362 for the Royal on up to $63,626 for the Athlete G. That can’t exactly be considered pocket change, so those who want one are going to spend a significant amount of cash.

Of course, if you’re living in the US, you’re out of luck anyway. Despite the fact that the Royal and Athlete mark the 14th generation of the Crown series, the line isn’t offered by Toyota in the US. We suppose this is one of those instance where you’ll have to admire from afar, sadly.

In any case, rear-wheel drive cars in the 2013 Crown series come with the option of a hybrid setup that features a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine. For those who aren’t interested in hybrid technology, Toyota also offers the Crown with a 2.5 or 3.5 V6 engine. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Environmental Protection Agency will be reviewing two Ford hybrids – the Fusion and the C-Max – which have been receiving some consumer complaints of late. Here’s the issue: Ford says that both cars achieve 47 miles-per-gallon, whether that’s city, highway, or combined. When Consumer Reports tested both vehicles, its results didn’t mesh with Ford’s claims.

Consumer Reports said that the Fusion managed 35 mpg in the city, 41 MPG on the highway, and 39 MPG overall. On the other hand, the C-Max ended up with 35 MPG in a city setting, 38 for highways, and 39 overall. Those are good results for both cars, Consumer Reports said, but obviously not what Ford was touting.

For its part, Ford maintains that reports from consumers vary, with some even exceeding the quoted 47 miles-per-gallon setting. That much seems true – depending on how you drive, your mileage will indeed vary, with some coming in below a manufacturer’s claim and others managing to beat it. In the end though, it’ll all come down to what the EPA decides, so we’ll be waiting to see what the Agency has to say after it has reviewed the data.

For the 2013 year model, the vehicle gets significant updates for powertrain, styling, and new features. One of the key new features is more power from the new lithium-ion battery pack that improves the performance of the vehicle and its EPA fuel efficiency ratings. The hybrid drivetrain system in the car uses a 1.5-liter four-cylinder 16-valve single overhead cam engine with intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control. That system allows the engine to produce more power.

The power of the electric motor has been increased to 2013 from 10 kW to 15 kW thanks to a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack. The CR-Z is now able to deliver a combined peak output of 130 hp at 6000 RPMs and 140 pound-foot of torque for manual transmission versions with CVT models offering 127 pounds-foot of torque.

Despite the extra power, the EPA city/highway/combined efficiency rating is up by one mpg to 36/39/37 mpg for CVT models. Six-speed manual models have ratings of 31/38/34. The vehicle also gets a number of other changes for 2013 including a revised front fascia, 16-inch alloy wheels, a new rear diffuser, a new Plus Sport System, revised interior trim, available two-tone seats, standard Bluetooth, standard rearview camera, and lots more.

One of the most impressive features of the C-Max Energi is its driving range on a single tank of fuel and a fully charged battery. The vehicle can go 620 miles with a full tank and a topped off battery, which is 80 miles further than Toyota’s Prius plug-in. Despite the longer driving distance and impressive EPA certified economy figures, the C-Max Energi is the most affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle in America.

The car carries an MSRP of $29,995 after federal tax credits. A driving range of 620 miles with a full battery and a full tank of gas is enough to get owners from Detroit to New York City or Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a single tank of fuel. The vehicle can also drive up to 21 miles in electric mode only, which is over three times as far as the Prius plug-in can travel in electric mode alone.

The C-Max Energi has 195 net system horsepower with a fully charged battery, which is 60 more than Toyota’s plug-in hybrid. The vehicle can also travel up to 85 mph in electric mode, giving it the ability to cruise even the fastest highways. The car also has Ford’s EV+ system allowing the vehicle to stay in electric only mode for longer durations by learning frequent destinations.

Called the “A-Drive”, this new 5mm-thick disk drive comes in a 2.5-inch form factor and is able to carry a whopping 1TB of storage with 32GB of solid state memory. The A-Drive relies on a new proprietary motor and 30 design patents to lower power consumption by 70% and achieve its razor-thin form factor.

The company aims to have the drive work in tablets, where it won’t only increase storage capacity, but it could stretch battery life by up to 30%. The company also sees the new hybrid drives being put to work in laptops, ultrabooks, and various enterprise-level storage solutions. A*STAR says its hybrid drive will be cheaper than SSDs currently used in Ultrabooks, and it’s reported that the new drive could cost only $73.

However, according to Executive Director Pantelis Alexopoulos, it might take 6 to 8 months to start production after they make a deal with a manufacturing partner, which hasn’t happened quite yet and is still in the process. It would surely be nice to see these bad boys in Ultrabooks, but we really want to see them in tablets.

“Maybe our architecture has been a little bit similar for the last two generations [of Prius]” Hostetter concedes, going on to say that “one of the avenues we’re exploring right now is to evolve it, and the other is to really evolve it.” Adding to the significance of the decision is that the wedge shape is both distinctive and well associated with the Prius brand, and Toyota is loathe to dilute that appeal among existing fans in the hope of attracting new drivers.

However, there’s also the matter of aerodynamics, with the Prius being developed as much in a wind tunnel as it was on an artist’s drawing board. The fared-in windshield and other elements help cut wind resistance, with the slippery Prius boosting efficiency by cutting drag.

New research into aerodynamics could give Toyota some extra flexibility, however. According to Toyota US sales chief Jim Lentz, a car similar to the current design is “still the best aerodynamic shape” but, “based on new aerodynamic trends” it’s possible that the updated car could see “some morphing” in a new direction. The company has already previewed one such possibility with the NS4 hybrid concept (shown above and in the video below).

Toyota NS4 Concept demo video:

Under the shell there’ll be a new hybrid system, part of Toyota’s plan to refresh its Earth-friendly range considerably by 2015, with better driving dynamics promised. The new Prius – which Hostetter says won’t arrive in showrooms for “a little more than a year” – will debut a modular platform with a “whole new architecture” that will go on to form the basis of future Toyota models.

The company has also been working on improving battery technology, in partnership with BMW, to increase range, reduce bulk and weight, and generally make EVs more user-friendly.

The problem cropped up on the GM-Volt forum, where users were reporting that the Volt would randomly shut down. According to the users, the powertrain would shutdown, but the brakes and steering would continue to work. It would take several minutes of sitting before the car restarted properly.

In response, GM has issued an update for the car’s software that should solve the problem. Owners who want the update will need to head over to their local dealer, which will update the vehicle’s software. The process is said to take about an hour. Thus far, no reports of accidents caused by this issue have been reported.

The Chevy Volt is an extended-range hybrid vehicle that’s currently enjoying high sales, which jumped twice in August and September. The Volt features a lithium-ion battery and the Voltec electric drive system with a 1.4L gasoline powered range extender. The MSRP is $39,145.

[via Auto Blog]

Lincoln says that its hybrid delivers more miles per gallon than any other luxury vehicle in America. The MKZ Hybrid is a mid-size vehicle slotting into the luxury segment of the market. Lincoln also notes that its hybrid vehicle gets two mpg better fuel efficiency in the city and five mpg better efficiency on the highway than the smaller Lexus CT 200h.

Lincoln says that the hybrid version of the MKZ is available with all the same options that the non-hybrid version of the car can be fitted with. The company points out that not all hybrids are available with all features of non-hybrid versions of the car. Lincoln includes Sync with MyLincoln Touch in the standard options package.

That system has an eight-inch touchscreen, and the vehicle gets premium leather seats that are heated in the front, LED headlamps, 18-inch wheels, and Lincoln Drive Control. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid will hit dealer showrooms later this year with pricing starting at $35,925.

The base Series 5 Ultra Touch model starts at $809.99, and features a Core i3 processor (upgradable to an i5 for an extra $50), while both the i3 and i5 models have 4GB of RAM, a 1366×768 display, and a 500GB hard drive with 24 gigs of ExpressCache (high-speed SSD storage). It weighs in at 3.83 pounds, which is perhaps a tad hefty for an ultrabook. No word on battery life.

Other products included the rebranded Ativ Smart PC 500T ($749.99 with keyboard/$649.99 without keyboard) and 700T ($1,199.99), both of which are Windows 8 tablets. The 500T runs an Atom Z2760 processor, while the 700T runs a Core i5. The 500T features 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage space, while the 700T features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space.

The laptops in the line include the Series 9 Premium Ultrabooks ($1,300 for the 13 inch model, $1,400 for the 15 inch model), the Series 7 15-inch notebook ($1,100), the Series 5 13.3-inch UltraTouch ($810 for the Core i3, $860 for the Core i5), and the Series 3 Notebook, which has a price range of $450 to $900 depending on configuration. Also announced were two All-in-One PCs, the Series 7 ($1,100 for the 23.6 inch model, $1,700 for the 27 inch model), and the 21.5 inch Series 5 at $800. Most of these devices will be available when Windows 8 is released on October 26th.

The Insight went on sale in Japan in November of 1999. Honda started to sell hybrid vehicles in the United States in 1999 as well with the 2000 model year Insight being the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle sold in America. Honda says that it sold 318,000 hybrid vehicles in the US since it launched, primarily made up of Insight and the Civic Hybrid.

The hybrid sales numbers also include some Acura models, including the ILX Hybrid. Honda also sells a version of the Fit called the Jazz Hybrid around the world. The automaker will be introducing new hybrid systems for mid-sized car models using a two-motor hybrid system. Honda is also talking up a new highly efficient high-output three-motor hybrid system called the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD standing for Super Handling All Wheel Drive.

That hybrid system will be used in the new Acura NSX and RLX Sport Hybrid. Honda is well behind rival Toyota in the hybrid market. Toyota reached 1 million global cumulative hybrid sales on May 31st, 2007. In August of 2009, Toyota reached the 2 million sold mark. In May of 2012, Toyota announced that it sold 4 million hybrid vehicles cumulatively around the world with the Prius family making up 72% of that number.

The vehicle is a five-door hybrid that offers 41 mpg city, 44 mpg highway, and combined EPA fuel economy rating of 42 mpg. The 2013 Insight is offered in three different models, including the base Insight featuring a 160 W audio system, automatic climate control, power windows, and more. The Insight LX adds a USB audio interface, cruise control, RMS console, formats, security system, and steering wheel mounted audio controls.

The Insight EX adds alloy wheels, a six speaker audio system, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, Bluetooth hands-free system, automatic headlights, and leather wrapped steering wheel. The EX version also has an optional satellite navigation system and rearview camera. The powertrain for the vehicle includes a 1.3-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor.

The combined gasoline and electric power generates 98 HP at 5800 RPMs and 123 pound-foot of torque. The powertrain utilizes a continuously variable transmission to optimize torque and efficiency. For 2013, slight changes are made to the exterior the vehicle to improve aerodynamic performance. All Insight models are subject to a $790 destination charge.

The batteries will be used in Ford’s Fusion Hybrid and the C-Max Hybrid. Ford says that the batteries it uses in these hybrid vehicles are more efficient and more powerful and will reduce Ford use of rare earth metals by up to 500,000 pounds annually. Ford says the rare earth metal Dysprosium, the rarest and most expensive used in Ford vehicles, has been reduced by about 50% in the batteries.

Not only does reducing the need for rare earth metals reduce Ford’s dependence on foreign materials; it also allows the company to make their hybrid vehicles cheaper. Ford says that by reducing the rare earth metals it needs in the battery packs the cost of its third-generation hybrid technology was reduced by 30%. That reduction in costs in battery manufacturing is one of the main factors Ford attributes the C-Max Hybrid’s $25,995 starting price too.

Before moving to lithium-ion batteries with a reduced need for rare earth metals, Ford used nickel-metal-hydride batteries in its vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are 50% lighter and 25 to 30% smaller than comparable nickel-metal-hydride batteries. That means that the vehicles the batteries are used in can be made lighter resulting in better fuel economy and longer driving range for electric vehicles. Ford has also reduced the use of rare earth metals by 50% in the magnets that are used in the hybrid systems electric machines.

It’s a tablet, and it’s a notebook. This thing does it all. Sony very briefly mentioned this new full-featured tablet at IFA 2012 and while we are digging for the skinny, check out the leak from earlier this week. The Duo 11 will come with many different options for CPU, and will be customizable to users needs and budget.

The new Duo 11 will come powered by Intel’s Core i7-3517U processor, and a few lower priced options will be available. Then they’ve managed 4GB or 8GB of RAM options complete with 128 or 256GB SSD’s for extremely impressive performance. The specifically mention the 11.6-inch display will be a full 1080p and look stunning — probably with the BRAVIA engine.

This convertible PC will have ultrabook power while remaining extremely portable, doubling as a tablet and more. The press photos reveal stylus support — which was expected — and we are hearing various accessories will be included at launch as well. Did we mention NFC, GPS, and 720p HD cameras both on the front and back of this tablet hybrid. Sony will be aiming for a late October release date but are pretty tight-lipped on pricing for now. We’ll update once they announce full details.

Ford is now bragging that it’s C-Max can drive 570 miles on a single tank of gas. By comparison, the Toyota Prius V is capable of driving only 450 miles on a single tank of fuel. That means that the C-Max driver can go an additional 120 miles before stopping to fill up with fuel compared to the Toyota.

The C-Max driver won’t be spending a lot of time at the gas station. The 570-mile driving range on a full thinking gas is enough fuel to take a driver from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back on a single tank. Hybrid vehicles are traditionally more efficient in the city because they often take advantage of start/stop technology and regenerative braking.

Ford used a number of innovations in the C-Max that allows the efficiency to continue at highway speeds where there is no start and stop driving. Not only is the C-Max Hybrid more fuel-efficient than Prius V while offering an extra 120 miles of driving per tank of fuel, it’s also cheaper. The C-Max starts at a base price of $25,995.

That’s $1300 cheaper than comparable Prius V. Other features of the C-Max Hybrid include EV mode where the vehicle can travel on battery power alone up to 62 mph. The vehicle also has 188 net horsepower making it more powerful than the Prius V. The C-Max also has more passenger space than the Toyota as well.

The circumstances surrounding the fire, which occurred in Woodside, Califonia, are still unknown. According to the Fire Department, the owner returned to his car to see it billowing smoke and called the manufacturer before dialing 911. Alas, the Woodside Fire Department couldn’t save the car, as a decent portion of the front of the vehicle was destroyed by the time firefighters were able to put the fire out.

Last year, Fisker recalled over 200 cars for a poorly-placed hose clamp that could potentially allow coolant to leak onto the battery and cause a fire. With more cars being added to that recall list in June of this year, it’s possible that this particular Karma was one of the vehicles that was recalled, but it’s unknown at the moment if that actually is the case. One Jalopnik reader was able to record a brief video of Woodside firefighters putting out the burning car, which you can see below.

Fisker has since made a statement to Jalopnik, saying that it takes safety seriously and that it still has confidence in the Karma. Fisker will be using its own “independent fire investigation representative” to get to the bottom of this fire, and will release another statement once the cause is known. Hopefully this doesn’t become a common thing for the Karma, because the car is actually a really sleek vehicle (when it isn’t bursting into flames). Stay tuned, and if you own a Karma, you might want to get in touch with Fisker to make sure that your car isn’t one of the vehicles that has been recalled.

Ford says that while traditional hybrid vehicles get most of their fuel-efficiency benefits traveling within the city, multiple innovations used inside the C-Max Hybrid allow the vehicle to get the same 47 mpg fuel efficiency rating on the Highway. One of the innovations that helps deliver the 47 mpg rating on the highway is a top speed of up to 62 mph while in EV mode.

Ford also counts its patented SmartGauge with EcoGuide as another reason why fuel efficiency of the vehicle is so good. This particular gauge has a graphic that is easy for drivers to understand. It has growing green leaves in the gauge cluster as a reward for economical driving. The car also features a special ECO Cruise mode that optimizes the powertrain for economical highway travel.

The C-Max offers impressive fuel economy and is also expected to be the cheapest hybrid utility vehicle on the market with a base price of $25,995 including destination and delivery charges. That puts the Ford hybrid vehicle at a price of $1300 lower than the Toyota Prius V. The Ford C-Max uses a traditional gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack. The car also features regenerative braking and is able to capture 95% of the braking energy that would’ve been lost to help keep the battery pack charged.

GE notes that the new electric motor has almost twice the temperature tolerance of a conventional hybrid-electric motor and doesn’t need a separate cooling system. The elimination of a separate cooling system allows the vehicle to be lighter, which directly translates into longer driving distance. The new electric motor is a prototype Interior Permanent Magnet traction motor that was developed as part of the $5.6 million US Department of Energy project to extend the range of DVDs and hybrids.

The prototype traction motor operates at a peak power level of 55kW and exceeds state of the art motors in the same class in several areas. The motor has nearly twice the power density offering better acceleration compared to similar motors and is 3 to 5% more efficient. The motor also achieves the required torque using lower DC bus voltage as low as 200 V versus 650 V and other motors. The GE electric motor is designed to be cool with normal engine coolant in a hybrid vehicle rather than needing its own dedicated cooling system.

“This is a significant accomplishment. We at GE are pushing the boundaries to build more robust, yet more efficient motors for hybrid and fully electric platforms,” said Ayman El-Refaie, Electrical Engineer, in GE Global Research’s Electrical Machines Lab. “We have built a motor that is substantially more powerful than what’s commercially available now, all while improving efficiency by up to 5%.”

It’s on the large side at 11.6-inches, but features an LED backlit 1366×768 display and a Core i3 or i5 Ivy Bridge processor. 4GB of RAM comes as standard with the tablet, and you can configure the hard drive up to a 256GB SSD. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU, and there’s USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports as well as HDMI output and an SD card slot. Once you dock the tablet into the keyboard, you get an extra 4-cell battery as well as an Ethernet jack and VGA output.

The LifeBook T902, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch 1600×900 display with Gorilla Glass. Inside is an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and up to 16GB of RAM. The default hard drive is a 320GB offering, although you can configure up to a 256GB SSD. The laptop includes two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, VGA, Ethernet, an SD card slot, and the option for 3G or 4G connectivity depending on the market. A 1080p webcam can also be configured, with battery rated for around 7 hours and 40 minutes.

The Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 should both be available sometime in the third quarter, with the Q702 starting from $1,099 and the T902 at $1,899. Both will be running Windows 7 when they ship, but can be upgraded to Windows 8 without any issues.

If you walk up to the car with your hands full, all have to do if the key is in your pocket is gently kick under the rear bumper, and the lift gate will open automatically. That will make it easier to load the vehicle when your hands are full. The base price of the vehicle is $25,995, and it will be available this fall. The vehicle uses a new two-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine.

The engine is coupled with a lithium-ion battery pack that gets recharged when the gasoline engine is in operation. The car also uses regenerative braking system that is able to capture 95% of the brake energy it would’ve been lost otherwise. Ford also packs the vehicle with technology, including the MyFord Touch system as well as the next-generation SmartGuage with EcoGuide.

Hints of any new Ferrari is enough to get automotive fans pulses racing. Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo said, “At the end of the year, we’ll also be unveiling the new Enzo, a limited series model and our first ever hybrid car.” It’s no surprise the price considering a hybrid; many sports carmakers are doing the same.

Considering Ferrari is a brand consumed with performance, I don’t expect a Ferrari hybrid being a fuel sipping green beast. I would imagine Ferrari’s hybrid would be more along the lines of a sports car with a KERS system to offer an electrically powered boost at the press of a button. That said Ferrari’s FF four-door is doing pretty well, so we may be seeing a hybrid version of the car with a more traditional system. Only time will tell.

[via Autoblog Green]

That “Atlantic EVer powertrain” as Fisker has dubbed the system is tuned for economy and high torque, and should help the Atlantic achieve “highly competitive performance for a car in its class.” As standard it will be rear-wheel drive, but an all-wheel drive version is an option too. Plug-in recharging is also supported.

Fisker Atlantic design overview:

As for the design, Fisker describes the glass-sectioned roof as a “ridged ‘spider’ structure” and claims that, despite the mixture of materials, it surpasses all current and future rollover safety and crash-test requirements worldwide. Rear headroom is also said to benefit from the design, while the relatively long wheelbase keeps rear-seat legroom spacious and the trunk capacious. The rear door handles are blended into the C-Pillars, a style tweak we’ve seen before that helps a four-door look like a coupe at first glance.

Overall dimensions are supposedly similar to an Audi A5, and Fisker says it expects the Atlantic will “win the brand many new customers who may not have considered an EVer powered vehicle like this before.” Part of that is down to price; the Karma – the launch of which has been punctuated by faults in the battery packs and more – comes in at in excess of $100,000.

The Fisker Atlantic still doesn’t have a specific release date – all Fisker will say is that it’s on its way to showrooms in the “near future” – but the company is accepting $5,000 pre-order down payments (fully refundable) for those that want to join the queue now.

The Atlantic, as we previously mentioned, is a smaller and cheaper version of the Karma. We still don’t have official specs for the new vehicle, but previous rumors point to a BMW sourced four-cylinder engine. At this point, we can only speculate on what sort of hybrid powertrain the vehicle will have.

It would be a safe bet that the powertrain is going to be similar to that of the Karma. Fisker’s battery supplier is A123, and it has had some issues with batteries of late with a major recall announced for the Karma last month. That recall was to replace the battery packs in the Karma that were failing leaving the some vehicles unable to drive.

[via Motoward]

The Fisker Nina is set to be revealed officially next week in New York, but for now we’ll have to peek at leaked shots of the left back and front left corner. The car is said to be powered by BMW four-cylinder engine not unlike what we’ve seen in the top of the line BMW 3 series already revealed for the market at large. This vehicle is a four-door sedan, though you wouldn’t know it from the ultra wild swooshes and banks around the doors and bumpers.

The back door has its handle cleverly hidden between the window and the C-pillar, while the wheels have massively flashy looking shiny silver and flat-red details throughout. Low profile tires make this vehicle a next generation Fisker Karma replacement that’s set to rock.

Update: Autoblog has asked us to take the images down, but there’s not long to go until the real thing is revealed – just one week, in fact!

[via AutoBlog]

The name of the car has hybrid in it, so the thing would have an electric motor or motors in there somewhere along with battery packs. I would assume that all the details on the concept would be coming at the Detroit show kicking off January 9.

The car isn’t going to be all about fuel economy either. Lexus does say that the hybrid drive will be for performance and fuel efficiency. Several sports cars are using hybrid systems today to supplement the combustion engine for greater performance. Electric motors provide lots of torque for their size.