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Buyers of plug-in vans in the United Kingdom will receive about 20% off the cost of their payments for the green vehicle or up to $12300. This was recently announced by the ministers of Transport and Business. The program is actually an extension of the currently active Plug-in Vehicle Grant that extends help of as much as $7,700 for consumers buying a green car. The ministers also confirmed that funds are in place to support this program thru 2015.

There are 10 cars which are eligible for the grant for plug-in cars. Five of these cars are available since 2011 while the other half will be rolling out to showrooms this year. During the its first year of implementation, there were 1,052 registrations of vehicles eligible for the purchase assistance. The manufacturers of the vehicles are the one applying for the grant so there will be a lag between the registration and the application for the grant.

The purpose of the program is to help consumers purchase vehicles with ultra-low CO2 emissions which without the grant might not be affordable. The owner will also make most of the vehicle as these green vehicles have lower running cost.

The grant for plug-in vans qualify vehicles which pass certain and strict criteria with regard to emissions, safety, and performance. The application for the grant has been opened and manufacturers are encouraged to send in applications so their vans will be part of the assistance scheme. The government expects to release a list of vans which qualify for the grant in the near future.

The government of UK allocated around $614 million to push for the purchase of green cars and vans with very low emission. The funding includes around $123 million which will be used for research and vehicle development, roughly $46 million for infrastructures, and around $460 million for consumer incentives.

The UK has around 2,500 charging points installed thru efforts of the government and other private institutions. The private sector plants to put up 4,000 more charging stations around the United Kingdom by this year.

Japanese car producer Mitsubishi recently announced that they will be implementing engine technology updates to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles across the range. There is also a report circulating that the carmaker confirmed that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will be getting a diesel electric hybrid drivetrain.

The news about a greener powerplant under the hood of the Mitsubishi under the hood of the eleventh generation Evo is not really new since this have been rumored leaking from the development team.

The CEO of Mitsubishi, Osamu Masuko, though did not give out a lot of details about the development of the sporty sedan but emphasized on the aim of the company to produce more fuel efficient cars and also lowering the emission of their car models.

The move of Mitsubishi to give the Evo XI a hybrid system is a big step. This is considering that the rally inspired cars are well love by sporting fans who are most likely not big fans of hybrid technologies.

The Evo X is schedule to end its run by 2013, and the next generation Evo with the diesel-hybrid setup to come after shortly.

Experts speculate that the Evolution XI may be able to blast from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds. And that the car will be having lesser carbon dioxide emission while doing that.

The Mitsubish Evo is not really big in the market of the brand in the United States with a very small niche market for rally ready four wheel drive vehicles. So the move to make it run on diesel from gas might actually drive away som fans who power and speed who do not want the 286 horsepower of the current Evolution to drop.

Mazda is leaning on their SkyActiv technology to battle it out with hybrid and plug-in vehicles in terms of efficiency. The carmaker will equip the Mazda3 set to hit showroom in the early part of 2012 with fuel saving technologies.

Mazda will make use of the 2.0L 4-cylinder SkyActiv G gasoline engine. The direct-injected powerplant has an initial numbers of 40 miles per gallon while crusing on the highway under the hood of the Mazda3. The engine gives out 155 horsepower and has a torque of 148 lb-ft.

The next SkyActiv technology that will be utilized for the Mazda3 will come as a choice between two transmissions. Consumers will have a choice between a 6-speed automatic or manual gearbox. The automatic transmissin is call the SkyActiv-Drive which combines CVT or continuously variable transmission with DCT or dual clutch transmission. The manual gearbox is labeled as the SkyActiv MT that follows the conventional gearbox design.

The new Mazda3, with the fuel saving technologies in place, will be 30% more efficient in terms of fuel economy than its older sibling, the 2011 Mazda3. Mazda fans will only have several months more to wait for the 2012 Mazda3 to hit the showrooms in the US and of course see if Mazda will try a bit of electrification.

SkyActive refers to the next gen of technologies by Mazda that may refer to their new design for the body, chassis, transmissions, and engines. These advancements give the new Mazda vehicles improvements in terms of aerodynamics, safety, and environmental performance.

Before buying that green car, make sure to get more than one car insurance quote to make sure you're not paying too much for one of those have-to-haves for drivers: auto insurance.

According to Volvo Cars, the brand new V60 Plug-in Hybrid would go into sale sometime in 2012. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is a new diesel-electric sport unit that will make its first appearance during the Geneva Auto Show in 2011. Moreover, sources say that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid would not go into sale in North America.

The car company has described the V60 Plug-in Hybrid show-car version as close to production as it could be. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is said to emit virtually lower than 50 g/km of CO2 and has a fuel efficiency of 124 mpg. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid could run for up to 30 miles using electricity alone.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid will carry a D5 2.4-liter V5 turbodiesel engine. It boasts of 215 horsepower with a partner torque rate of 325 lb-ft. The turbocharged engine is attached to an automatic 6-speed transmission that gives power to V60 Plug-in Hybrid’s front wheels.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid also carries an electric motor with 60 horsepower and a battery lithium-ion component with 12 k Wh that gives power to the car’s rear wheels using the brand’s ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) system. This hybrid system that is employed in the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has been developed jointly with Vattenfall, a Swedish energy company.

The car company is confident in its claim that by the year 2012, they would be the first to manufacture this kind of hybrid car that is, obviously, a new breed when it comes to hybrid models.

Toyota Motor Corporation launched its first ever hybrid vehicle in August 1997—the Toyota Coaster Hybrid EV.  That same year in December, they also launched what came to be known as the world’s top mass-produced hybrid car—the Toyota Prius.  Soon, TMC expanded the development and application of its hybrid system to their wide range of vehicles such as their SUVs, minivans, and rear-wheel-drive sedans to name a few.  In 2009, the third-generation of the world famous Toyota Prius rolled into the global market together with the Toyota Sai and the Lexus HS250h.

TMC is proud to announce that their famous hybrid Toyota Pris has once again been hailed as the top-selling hybrid in Japan and is in its 14^th consecutive month of outselling all other car models in the Japan.  And so it seems that TMC is the sitting on a very comfortable lead when it comes to hybrid sales.  Still, TMC is in pursuit of introducing the hybrid models of their entire line up by the year 2020.  TMC also strives to reach their goal of selling over one million hybrid vehicles annually before this decade ends.

There are 8 Toyota hybrid passenger vehicles that are available in almost 80 regions and countries all over the world. In a press release, TMC mentioned that they are planning to expand their existing line up of hybrid fleets and getting more countries and regions to opt for their hybrid models.

TMC positions itself strongly in the environmental issues that plagued the world today.  The company works toward the wide use of hybrid vehicles by setting a goal of 1 million sales per year of hybrid vehicles in 2010s and launching more hybrid vehicles in 2020s.

According to the most recent survey conducted by Ernst and Young Global Automotive Center, 60% of Chinese respondents in China states that they’re considering the possibility of purchasing a plug-in hybrid or fully-electric car. Noticeably, this is almost five times bigger than what respondents in Japan, the UK, Germany, and the US revealed.

Ernst and Young’s survey covered the globe with China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan as its respondents. For this survey, Young asked 1,000 vehicle owners about their willingness to purchase an alternative fuel vehicle within the next three years.

These surveys were done to help out Ernst and Young’s powertrain initiatives. The company plans to focus on business opportunities and issues which companies may face due to the development of eco-friendly alternative transportation solutions. The survey was also specifically designed to measure consumers’ interest and certain decision factors regarding the purchase of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

The survey also revealed important factors which displayed China’s purchasing attitude. For one, the lead factor that influences their purchase is saving money. This was followed by the car’s environmental impact (86%), the safety features (69%) and government incentives (60%). All seven countries who participated in the survey chose to buy EVs because of fuel saving opportunities.

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Bloggers all over the net have announced that the 2011 CT 200h will only be exclusive to the European market but the day after articles have been posted, Lexus threw a press release out saying that the 2011 CT 200h will hit the American shore when it is unveiled at the upcoming auto show in New York.

Although U.S. consumers are not known to choose hatchbacks over sedans, Lexus is counting on fuel efficiency of their hybrid and its sporty handling to win over consumers to the side of the Lexus CT 200h. The 200h will only have the 2010 Mini Cooper and the A3 from Audi as its competitions.

The 2011 CT 200h will use a new platform that has a MacPherson struts in front and a trailing arm and double wishbone on the rear. This is just one aspect to fulfill their commitment to provide a sporty ride experience combined with superior handling for the CT 200h.

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Ford Europe is stepping on the pedal to push for the development of their e-mobility solutions by participating in the cologne-mobil Project that was jump started in Germany.

The project will first focus on providing commercial vehicles running on pure electricity. Ford’s participation in the project will allow a small fleet of Ford Transits to be converted by Smith Electric to run on electric engines.

The converted trucks will do a test phase in Germany. Seven of the Ford Transits will be running routes for delivery services. Two units will be serving as a shuttle service. Another Transit will be use by Cologne as a public transport service.

Ford will do the technical maintenance of the vehicles which will primarily run on the city streets. During the period of the project, the proponents will be taking down notes to see how customers find their experience of running a commercial EV.

A local energy company will also participate in the project to look into the charging infrastructure which will be very vital in the future. They will dig deep to find the requirements so they can provide technical solutions to the possible problems and demands of customers.

The City of Cologne has been studying the possibility of injecting e-mobility solutions and see its effects on the quality of air, noise level, and safety in the city streets. This is great news for those who live here. With many new ways to get around, it’s a good method of improving the transport infrastructure of any particular location. Whether you work for RAC car insurance or you’re often found taking the bus – even if you’re someone who has mobility difficulties, seeing somewhere like Cologne implement solutions for transport problems is heartening. It improves not only the transport, but the quality of life in Cologne as a whole.

The University of Duisburg-Essen provides the manpower to help with the scientific needs and knowledge base for the project.

Here’s the press release from Ford & Smith Electric:

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Before buying that green car, make sure to get more than one car insurance quote to make sure you're not paying too much for one of those have-to-haves for drivers: auto insurance.

Mercedes Benz confidently claims that the future of their hybrid technology is represented by the Vision S500 PHEV recently displayed at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The S500 PHEV is another step towards the goal of Mercedes Benz to achieve their goal of mobility with zero emissions. The car relies on a V6 gas engine that works in combination with a 44kW electric motor which can output 60 horsepower. The system depends on lithium ion batteries that can store as much as 10kWh of energy.

The hybrid set up works well with the overall configuration of the vehicle. The Vision S500 can go from 0 to 100 km/h in a matter of 5.5 seconds. Despite the power and the speed, the S500 can still give you an excellent fuel mileage of 73.5 mpg. The 74 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer add to the other great numbers the car gives consumers.

The Vision S500 PHEV may take a while before we see it rolling out of the Mercedes Benz dealerships. The car manufacturer though promises the public that their engineers are crunching the numbers to make the car fit for long distance and everyday driving. The features are very ideal and the top executives of Benz see the car joining the S- Class releases of the near future.

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Car manufacturers are worried of how they can meet the 35.5 mpg fuel mileage set as the new CAFE standards that will take in effect by 2016 in the United States.

The Obama government has cleared a path to take so the goals will be achieved to meet the deadline. The plan will require carmakers to improve the fuel economy of their fleet by as much as 5% every year, just like what is being done in several states and in California. The stricter government requirements on fuel mileage standardize the rule from the east coast to the west coast.

The target for the 2012 to 2015 models was not yet clear for the auto makers until the suggested framework came out. The 5% increase with the 2011 models translates to 27.3 mpg on average according to the EPA and the Transportation Department.

The levels of improvement for the production cars of 2012 to 2016 will be leveled up from 33.6mpg to approximately 38 mpg. Light trucks are expected to have fuel mileage figures jump to 28.33 from 25.0 mpg.

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