If you have been following our video reviews, you know we have already featured the
Toyota Highlander. But this is the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and it’s full of enough technology to make it worth its own review. This is Toyota’s second generation of both the Highlander model and the available hybrid engine. Along with the Prius and the Camry Hybrid, this makes up Toyota’s gas-electric group. The new Highlander Hybrid is powered by a 3.3-liter double overhead hybrid engine, which produces 209 horsepower. This advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive System has the fuel economy of up to 27 MPG city, and 25 MPG highway. It comes standard with four-wheel drive, equipped with intelligence drive. Just like the gasoline powered Highlander, the hybrid is available with the choice of a Base or Limited trim. The price for the 2008 Highlander Hybrid starts at $33,700.
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The North American Solar Car Challenge, sponsored by SolarWorld AG and Toyota, is a 2400 mile race stretching from Plano, Texas to Calgary, Canada. Each car must be solely solar powered, no fossil fuel engines allowed. The University of Michigan took the checkered flag ahead of 14 other teams, even after receiving a 20 minute speeding penalty. "When we go downhill and when the wind hits you from the tail, it accelerates your car and we did not brake fast enough," explained Jeff Ferman, Michigan team leader.
Twenty-five teams in the race left Plano, Texas on July 13 and the race concluded with 15 teams at the University of Calgary on July 22. Over 10,000 spectators lined the roads to watch these sleek, aerodynamic cars glide by.
Michigan’s solar car averaged 45 mph, leading the entire race. The car crossed the finish line over 9hrs ahead of the closest competitor (Principia College). This marks The University of Michigan’s fifth win in nine races.
It’s coming…BMW just don’t know exactly when, where or how. BMW wants to sell electric versions of the Mini to the U.S. next summer, but it seems Mini may be having a little trouble getting its hands on enough of its own cars to make it work. Even the original plan to sell 500 Minis in California is not officially in place. Furthermore, there is no official notice of how far the cars can go on a charge or if they will be sold or leased to customers.
BMW has a problem on its hands that most U.S. automakers would kill for—it doesn’t have enough cars. Demand is up for the little autos due to their gas-frugal nature. In fact, Mini USA’s Vice President Jim McDowell sees sales possibly slipping because it can’t meet current customer demand. So once that happens, BMW may finally be able to pluck a few Minis off the lot and charge ‘em up.
Now diesel owners can reap the same tax benefits as hybrid owners. The IRS approved the TDI Jettas, both the sedan and wagon, for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle income tax credit of $1300. "The $1,300 tax credit provides an even greater value to the upcoming Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Our clean diesel vehicles offer consumers the fuel efficiency that they’re looking for while providing power, utility, performance, safety and excellent value."
The TDI Jettas are EPA rated at 29/40 mpg city/highway, but according to VW the real world results are 38/44. The new diesel Jettas will be available in August or early September.
We take an exclusive look at Mercedes new BlueTEC Diesel.
Diesel has been a dirty word in the U.S. for numerous years. Unfortunately for many people, the fuel brings to mind images of black smoke oozing from tailpipes or large trucks with a thirst for power. But times are changing. For decades diesel has been the building block for fuel economy technology, and now it has also shifted into leading the way to cleaner emissions. One prime example of this is the new Mercedes BlueTEC engine, and it has given the TopSpeed Team access to preview the new diesel.
Most diesel fans know that Mercedes has been offering a
low-sulfur enging called BlueTEC since 2006 in the E-Class, but Mercedes has a new innovation for the engine called AdBlue. This additive to the exhaust reduces part of the harmful gasses into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. For more information on the science behind AdBlue, watch the official video below.
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The engine will be available in U.S. this fall on ML, GL, and R-Class SUVs. Each car will receive similar V-6 engines, each making 210 bhp and 398 lb.ft. of torque. An example of performance is the GL 320 BlueTEC achieves an estimated 23 mpg (highway), which Mercedes claims is a benefit of approximately 20 to 40 percent over a comparable gasoline engine.
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Shelby Supercars is promising to next year unveil a SSC Aero Ev, a fully electric version of their Aero model. Powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor, the Ultimate Aero EV will have true supercar performance. Additionally, SSC is exploring the potential of a twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration. This car should break all electric car speed records.
In Shelby’s press release they stated, "The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging." Years? Really? They have left many people scratching there heads with that statement.
"I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says SSC boss Jerod Shelby, clearly not a man given to understatement. Whatever Shelby have planed, they know it is going to be big. While these cars are not going to be in everyones garage it might make enough of a splash to make engineers start looking at batteries rather than cylinders.
Shelby Supercars are set to unveil the first prototype in February 2009, with production cars appearing at the end of next year.
Volvo will enter the WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) with an ethanol powered Volvo C30 racer.
The car, which is in its first year on track, races in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) as the only ethanol E85 powered car in that series. In STCC, the car has so far secured three out of seven pole positions and has lead close to half of all laps driven.
The car will be operated by Volvo official motorsport partner Polestar Racing AB, who is also both developing and running the same car in STCC. Volvo will race with Ethanol E85 in the tank and will not be eligible to race for points.
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In an age where manufactures are using hybrid or diesel technology to achieve high fuel mileage, Renault has refined the Twingo’s four-cylinder gasoline engine to get about 47 miles to the gallon. The name for this version of the car is long, Twingo 1.2 LEV 16V 75 eco, but it also describes the whole engine – 1.2-liter low emission vehicle with 16 valves making 75 horsepower.
This exact car has already been on sale in France, but the new version has 20% longer gear ratios, which allows for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions.
The car will begin to be sold in France later this month starting at €9,950 (about $17,600). It will also be marketed in Spain, Germany, Holland and Belgium, beginning in September. Renault does not sell to the U.S., and the last time we had a gas-only car here that could beat this Twingo was the Honda CRX HF and the Geo Metro XFi, both of which have not been sold here in over 15 years.
At General Motors, “going green” may be as much of a catch phrase for helping the environment as it means saving precious cash. For instance, earlier this month it announced plans to lease 2,000,000 square feet of rooftop space at a plant in Zaragoza, Spain, to a company that installs solar panels. “From a GM perspective, we get revenue for leasing the roof and adding solar to a rooftop instead of taking up valuable land,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM’s Green Initiative Manager, during a web conference on renewable energy today.
The result should generate twelve megawatts of power, which should be enough to run 4,575 Spanish households. This idea is not new to GM. Two facilities in the U.S. have already implemented similar projects, but their size is much smaller than the one at the Zaragoza plant. “As big as this facility is, I don’t see many roof top projects of this size being completed around the world,” Threlkeld added.
Do you believe now when we are telling you that the future auto industry is all about electric cars? No?! You need one more proof? We’ll gave it to you: SSC announced today that the unveiling of the tery and secrecy, SSC has announced plans to unveil the next historical milestone – the Ultimate Aero EV (Electric Vehicle), "the first 100% Green Supercar to achieve speeds never before seen." First prototype will debut in February 2009.
The Ultimate Aero EV will deliver a pollution-free, engineering marvel with an exotic Supercar exterior. The drive train under development will not require a charge for six years and will power two 500 horsepower electric motors producing 1000 horsepower and providing supercar performance.
And as you already guess, SSC plans next to break the record for the fastest electric car in the world.
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