http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/ HybridForums.org is a Hybrid Forum which covers all Hybrid Cars. Some of our more popular areas include forums dedicated to: Chevy Hybrid Cars, Honda Hybrid Cars, Toyota Hybrid Cars, etc. en Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:05:08 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/ http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/433-chevrolet-volt-gets-torn-apart-hydraulic-jaws.html Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:58:39 GMT

Bet the headline got your attention, didn't it? Unfortunately for you electric car haters, this doesn't have to do with wanton destruction of an electric car.

Electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt pose a significant danger to Paramedics, Fire Fighters and other emergency responders due to the significantly higher voltage (no pun intended) and hazardous materials used in the vehicle batteries. Chevrolet has taken the bold step of allowing first responders to tear up Volt prototypes with tools like the Jaws of Life to conduct mock rescues and learn how to avoid parts of the car that may pose an additional hazard to the rescue teams.

You can still watch the Volt get ripped up with rescue tools in the video at the link below, but it's really more educational than entertaining. Given that electric cars will be a bigger part of our world in the future, being able to train first responders properly will become an important issue as gasoline vehicles fade from the landscape.

More: Chevrolet Volt Gets Torn Apart By Hydraulic Jaws on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/433-chevrolet-volt-gets-torn-apart-hydraulic-jaws.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/432-honda-cr-z-compete-supergt-gt300-class.html Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:22:17 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cr_z_1-400x250.jpg An unknown builder is currently fabricating up a...

An unknown builder is currently fabricating up a mid-engine Honda CR-Z, sporting a completely custom widebody and carbon fiber doors. While it may just be a concept car for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, some rumors are hinting that this Honda CR-Z might be being built for the Japanese SuperGT racing series, competing in the GT300 class. Given how popular the CR-Z has already become in Japan, this would be a pretty cool move by Honda.

Currently Honda already competes in the GT500 class with the HSV-010 GT race car.

Obviously the CR-Z that any layman can buy is just a gas-saving, tree-hugging hybrid, but how wicked would it be to see this CR-Z actually perform on the track rather than just being a show car? We're really curious as to the powerplant that's being used as a mock up, especially as GT300 class cars make 300-hp. Stay tuned, this is one CR-Z we're staying on top of!

More: Honda CR-Z to Compete in SuperGT GT300 Class? on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/432-honda-cr-z-compete-supergt-gt300-class.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/431-toyota-prius-offered-pedestrian-alert-system-japan-video-inside.html Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:15:50 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/priusnoisemaker-400x142.jpg Toyota has just announced a pedestrian warning...

Toyota has just announced a pedestrian warning system for its Toyota Prius hybrids that will be available as a dealer installed option in Japan.

The system, which costs $148, will engage below 15 mph and change its tone based on vehicle speed. The noise is said to be a synthesized sound that's designed to emulate the whirring of an electric motor, though it sounds to us like a B-movie sound effect of an alien spacecraft. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf will also have similar systems in response to safety advocates who say that the cars are so quiet that pedestrians may not hear them approaching.

If there were a theoretical hack to change the noise to something totally different it would be tempting to ditch the gentle purr of an electric motor for something more sinister – like a velociraptor.

More: Toyota Prius To Be Offered With Pedestrian Alert System In Japan (Video Inside) on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/431-toyota-prius-offered-pedestrian-alert-system-japan-video-inside.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/430-honda-jazz-hybrid-unveiled.html Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:14:25 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/239142-3/02eurojazzhybrid.jpg Honda has unveiled their Jazz Hybrid, which is sold as the...

Honda has unveiled their Jazz Hybrid, which is sold as the Fit here in North America. We won’t be getting the Fit Hybrid in our part of the world, but it doesn’t look like we’re missing out on much.

With mileage comparable to a CR-Z, and a nearly $5,000 premium over a regular Fit, the car is hardly a value proposition. In fact, we’d wager that the only real benefit is that buying one will entitle Japanese market customers to take advantage of generous subsidies offered by the government on hybrid cars. But never say never.

The Fit Hybrid will debut at the Paris Auto Show in September.

More: Honda Jazz Hybrid Unveiled on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/430-honda-jazz-hybrid-unveiled.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/429-honda-canada-rumored-drop-insight-civic-hybrid.html Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:14:09 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/55199-4/2010-honda-insight-06.jpg Honda may drop both the Civic Hybrid and the Insight from...

Honda may drop both the Civic Hybrid and the Insight from its lineup in Canada. According to a recent report by Monvolant, the two hybrids will be eliminated from the product plan – likely in response to dismally poor sales. This would then leave the new CR-Z as the only hybrid in Honda Canada's lineup.

When the Insight launched over a year ago, Honda Canada projected sales of 10,000 units. But poor press, a high-dollar asking price and competition from the significantly more fuel efficient third-generation Toyota Prius may all be contributing factors to the fact that just 748 Insights have been sold so far this year. Worse still are Civic Hybrid sales, with just 643 units moved in 2010.

With such low Honda hybrid sales you'd expect the Prius to be conquesting a lot of buyers, but that doesn't appear to be the case with just 2,272 third-gen Prius models sold in Canada so far this year. While there are no hard facts surrounding why Canadians are turning away from hybrids, possible factors include the higher price of the cars in Canada, the lack of large urbanized cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal stand out as exceptions) and the colder climate often means hybrids don't perform up to their lofty MPG targets.

More: Honda Canada Rumored to Drop Insight, Civic Hybrid on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/429-honda-canada-rumored-drop-insight-civic-hybrid.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/428-third-gen-toyota-prius-included-gran-turismo-5-a.html Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:10:45 GMT

Some of us real passionate gamers don't think Gran Turismo 5 will make it to our grubby little hands anytime soon. But there's always reason to hope that the company's continuous delay in releasing the game is well worth the wait. This is probably not one of those highlights that makes us thankful that they delayed the release of the game, but it shows just how thorough GT5 will be.

The second generation Prius was available in Gran Turismo 4, so this isn't exactly huge on the 'wow' factor, but it's nice to know that they're shoving in every new vehicle they possibly can to keep the game up-to-date when it's finally released. And given just how successful the third-gen Toyota Prius is in Japan, it's no surprise that Gran Turismo 5 will be featuring it.

It probably won't be one of those awesomely popular cars to race, but for 3rd generation Prius owners, it's pretty cool. We do find it thoroughly entertaining that it looks like a Nissan Versa is dusting it on the very scenic track.

More: Third-Gen Toyota Prius Included in Gran Turismo 5 on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/428-third-gen-toyota-prius-included-gran-turismo-5-a.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/427-hybrid-insurance-costs-likely-rise-report.html Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:54:20 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/006_2010_Prius-400x266.jpg While good for the environment, hybrid vehicles...

While good for the environment, hybrid vehicles will not save you money with fewer trips to the gas pump not equal to the increased sticker price. And yet, even as hybrids continue to improve and close the gap on this discrepancy, a new report suggests that additional factors, namely, insurance rates, will drive up the cost-to-own criteria.

An article in the latest issue of Industry Trends Report indicates that the changing owner base of hybrids will drive up insurance costs. No, hybrids haven't suddenly caught on with 18-year-old males, rather, the average hybrid buyer is no longer the early-adopter as hybrids continue to become more mainstream.

The report indicates that for those early adopters, "while their politics may have been liberal, their driving habits were conservative." Deemed low-risk, insurance companies were eager to offer discounted rates to early hybrid owners.

Now, however, trends are changing with hybrid buyers now living in more urban settings with long commutes, two factors that have lead to, "higher claim frequencies." An additional factor is that hybrid collision repair costs are, on average, $182 more than on a conventional gasoline vehicle, while labor repair was also more expensive – likely a result of buyers taking their cars directly to the dealer.

Combining these factors and insurance companies aren't likely to wait too long before hybrids like the Toyota Prius become a little more expensive to own, and a little less attractive to buy.

More: Hybrid Insurance Costs Likely to Rise: Report on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/427-hybrid-insurance-costs-likely-rise-report.html http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/426-honda-fit-hybrid-debut-paris-auto-show.html Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:41:13 GMT Image: http://www.autoguide.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/23463-4/09_Fit_Sport_057.jpg Honda will launch the Fit Hybrid at the Paris Auto Show this...

Honda will launch the Fit Hybrid at the Paris Auto Show this Fall, expanding the Japanese automaker's hybrid lineup down-market. The new model will be the first hybrid sub-compact model offered and is possible because of Honda's low-cost Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid setup.

While no official details have been released the car is expected to use Honda's 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine combined with a 9.7 kW electric motor for roughly 97-hp and 90 ft-lbs of torque. While no rocket-ship, it is expected to offer impressive fuel economy. Currently the Fit gets a rating of 28/35-mpg (city/highway) and the Fit Hybrid is touted to get a more economical rating than the Insight, which is currently ranked at 40/43-mpg.

And it won't just be the engine that is helping reduce emissions and increase fuel economy as the hybrid Fit is also destined to get a new aerodynamic body kit, brake energy regeneration and a start-stop system. It's also likely to get Honda's "Econ" mode button, which limits throttle response to ensure a more efficient drive. Both a manual transmission and CVT will be offered in Europe where the car will be badged as the Jazz Hybrid, although it's not yet clear if Honda intends to sell this new model in the U.S.

More: Honda Fit Hybrid to Debut at Paris Auto Show on AutoGuide.com ]]> AutoGuide.com http://www.hybridforums.org/forums/2-hybrid-news-hybrid-forum-news/426-honda-fit-hybrid-debut-paris-auto-show.html