Toyota Prius AWD-e: Going light on the rear motor helps it hit 50 mpg

2019 Toyota PriusThe all-wheel drive version of the Toyota Prius introduced last week at the LA Auto Show earns an astoundingly good EPA fuel economy rating of 50 mpg combined—nearly as good as the 52 mpg earned by much of the Prius lineup (LE, XLE and Limited). But the system isn’t nearly as capable as the one you might encounter in Toyota’s…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

Lithium-ion vs. nickel-metal hydride: Toyota still likes both for its hybrids

2018 Toyota PriusToyota continues to stay the course with nickel-metal hydride battery cells for many of its hybrid vehicles, even though most other hybrid vehicles from other brands have moved on to using lithium-ion cells exclusively. According to Prius chief engineer Shoichi Kaneko, in an interview this past week at the LA Auto Show, most of Toyota’s…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

Toyota Prius AWD-e earns 50 mpg with all-weather treads

2019 Toyota PriusIf you want one of the highest-mileage non-plug-in vehicles on the market—like the Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Niro, or Honda Insight, there’s been one quite significant deal-breaker for many Snow Belt families: All-wheel drive simply isn’t a possibility. That’s due to change very soon with the 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid aims for 50 mpg—Prius tech meets frugal mainstream

2020 Toyota Corolla HybridWith the introduction of a 50-mile-per-gallon Corolla Hybrid at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Toyota is keeping true to a mission it undertook a long time ago: democratizing hybrid technology, and making it mainstream. The carmaker has long aimed to deploy its hybrid system aggressively into pretty much every product in their lineup. Suddenly within…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

2019 Mazda 3 sedan and hatch aim for an X factor—and that’s not electric

2019 Mazda 3Mazda has revealed its 2019 Mazda 3 compact car, in new-generation form, at the 2018 LA Auto Show. It’s not surprising, given the brand’s go-it-alone strategy this decade, that the new ‘3’ appears to take a different path than key global compact-car rivals in nearly every respect, ranging from design to driving traits to…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

VW updates I.D. Cargo Buzz with solar for LA Show

Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo conceptCargo vans look to be the next big opportunity for electrification, as they can save a lot of pollution with all the time and mileage the spend on the road. At the LA auto show, VW updated its I.D. Buzz cargo van concept into the ultimate delivery or contractor van, with a high-powered electrical outlet, solar power, and at least conceptually a…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

What electric car are you most excited to hear about from the LA auto show?

Rivian R1T electric pickup conceptWith the green-car oriented Los Angeles auto show ramping up into full swing today, it seemed a good day to ask our readers what models they’re most excited to hear about from the show. There are several electric cars debuting at the show, including the Rivian R1T electric pickup, which the startup company gave details about ahead of the show on…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews