It’s the latest addition to the Toyota Prius hybrid family. Toyota Prius Plug-in will be on the market from the 9th July priced at £27,895 with the Government’s electric vehicle grant. The car comes in a single equipment specification featuring technologies such as head-up display, Toyota Touch and Go Plus infotainment system with satellite navigation, voice recognition, Bluetooth, camera and LED daytime running lights and headlights. The company claims the new Prius CO2 emissions figures at just 49 g/km.

The new lithium ion battery can power the Prius Plug-in electric motor efficiently, allowing the car to travel over much greater distances with zero emissions and better performance. Once the charge is completed the car switches to Hybrid Synergy Drive automatically to extend its autonomy. The battery can be charged through a standard domestic plug or at an on-street charging point. The manufacturer supplies a 5m cable, stored in a special compartment in the boot’s floor, as standard.

The Toyota Prius Plug-in single specification also includes 15 “alloy wheels, DAB digital radio, JBL audio system with eight speakers, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control and heated front seats. Black leather upholstery, rear privacy glass, Protection Pack and Style Pack is offered as option. The bodywork comes in four colours including the new Sky Blue, Tyrol Silver, Novus Grey and White Pearl Pearlescent.

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New official videos dedicated to the Citroen DS5 HYbrid4, which represents the cutting edge of the French D-segment range: under the hood is a full-hybrid solution that combines a 4-cylinder 2.0-litre diesel engine with a permanent magnet synchronous motor located on the rear axle developing 37 hp.

The result is 200 hp of total power, an original four wheel drive system, the ability to travel 100% electric mode. Not to mention the great flexibility provided by the combination internal combustion/electric and its environmental credentials, well summarised in the data reported by the brand: 99 g/km of CO2, 3.8 l/100 km on the combined cycle.

View the full Citroen DS5 Hybrid4 gallery

Continue reading: Video: Citroen DS5 Hybrid4

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Volvo has released a new video that features the V60 Plug-In Hybrid. The Swedish car combines a 2.4-litre diesel engine with an output of 215 hp and maximum torque of 440 Nm to an electric motor capable of developing the equivalent of 70 hp and 200 Nm while emitting only 49 g/km of CO2 in combined driving cycle. There are three driving modes available: “Pure”, “Hybrid” or “Power”, the latter uses the total power given by the two engines and covers 100 km/h, from standstill, in 6.2 seconds.

The main aesthetic elements are: the colour (Electric Silver), a few glossy black details, innovative 17-inch alloy wheels and integrated exhaust tailpipes. The interior is enriched with black leather upholstery with contrasting stitching, embellished with gray-blue wood trim.

The Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid will be costing between £45,000 and £50,000, with a limited model year production of a thousand units starting in November 2012, then increasing to 4,000-6,000 pieces the following year.

Continue reading: Video: Volvo V60 Plug In-Hybrid

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The Porsche 918 Spyder is taking its first steps on the track: the Zuffenhausen cutting edge prototype has been test driven on the speed track Nardo Ring. The model, one of only three existing, is fitted with a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine with 578 hp maximum power, supplied by the RS Spyder race car. This engine is assisted by two electric motors: a 122hp one, installed in the 7-speed gearbox, and a 109 hp unit, that powers the front axle.

Overall, the maximum power is around 800 hp, while torque is 749 Nm, but it reaches 948 with overboost. Thanks to the spectacular output the Spyder 918 Series can eat up the 0-100 km/h in about 3 seconds, the 0-200 km/h in under 9 seconds with a top speed of 325 km/h. It can also travel up to 145 km/h driven by electric motors only. This hybrid supercar features a 6.8 kWh battery that allows it to travel up to 26 km on electricity alone. The recharging is done in 3 hours with a 220V charger. Porsche technicians, however, are exploring ways to reduce the recharge time to 20 minutes.

The components are not fully defined yet, but the new flagship model will have a frame made of aluminum and carbon fibre, weighing just 220kg, while the overall weight of the vehicle should be around 1680 kg. We will have to wait until the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show for its official debut.

Continue reading: Porsche 918 Spyder: test drive on the Nardo Ring

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BMW has released some official videos of the ActiveHybrid 5, the hybrid saloon based on the 5-Series. The car combines a 3.0-litre TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line engine with output of 306 hp, to an electric motor integrated in its 8-speed automatic transmission boasting an additional 55 hp and 210 Nm torque.

The electric motor alone allows the car to travel up to 4 km emission free reaching a top speed of 60 km/h, and combined to the petrol engine covers 100 km with only 6.4 litres of petrol, or even 7 if fitted with larger wheels.

The combination of the two driving systems is not only oriented to energy saving: the two motors together boost the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. Different operating modes help managing optimal gear selection, engines interaction and pedal recognition, for instance the Eco-Pro mode reduces fuel consumption and energy usage by switching to electric power only, when needed.

Continue reading: BMW ActiveHybrid 5: new official videos

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The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf will be available in early 2013 in a new electric version, equipped with an EV motor powered by lithium-ion battery. The news come from Car and Driver, which also reveals that the German leaders would choose the friendlier name E-Golf instead of the initial proposed blue-e-motion, an acronym used to define a Golf prototype. The German Group will be using the benefits of the modular MQB platform and therefore requires no further testing, as the innovative platform allows using traditional or alternative engines in the same mounting position and without restriction.

Finally, as a reminder the last blue-e-motion Golf used an electric motor powered by lithium batteries, consisting of 30 modules each, mounted in the transmission tunnel, under the rear seat. It developed an output of 115 hp and 270 Nm of torque, reaching a top speed of 135 km/h, cracking the 0-100 km/h in just 11.8 seconds. Volkswagen has also calculated an increase in weight of 205 kg compared to the Golf BlueMotion.

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Lexus has presented the European premiere of the LF-LC Concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show . The prototype, unveiled for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show, is a full-hybrid sports car with a futuristic design that anticipates the look of forthcoming models of the brand.

Inside the passenger compartment the Japanese designers gave free rein to the imagination, creating very innovative lines and designing a dashboard full of technological gadgets. The LCD central screen displays several information, including an Eco Driving Indicator showing battery life and fuel efficiency.

At the Lexus Calty Design Centre of Newport Beach designers have also developed a remotely controlled touch screen system, inspired by the one seen on the F800 Style by Mercedes. Inside the two doors, small monitors are used to control rear-view mirrors, windows, seats and infotainment system.

View the full Lexus RX 450h facelift and LF-LC live in Geneva 2012 gallery

Continue reading: Lexus LF-LC: Live Video at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

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Here are some spy shots of the much anticipated BMW i8, the hybrid plug-in sportscar which is scheduled to enter the market in 2014. The pictured mule has been spotted while undergoing some cold weather test in snowy Sweden, and doesn’t seem to show any dramatic change in comparison to the concept version we had seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September.

The mildly disguised bodywork of this mule is still very reminiscent of the lines showcased by the concept, with the most notable differences being the design of both front and tail lights and the slightly different doors. This prototype sports a front end that seems to adopt the new BMW design language that started with the new 3-series, while a set of more conventional rims has replaced the futuristic 5-spoke design we had seen on the concept version. However, by the time 2014 will come, they might decide to change some of these features.

The BMW i8 should come with a 2+2 seat configuration and a plug-in hybrid powertrain with the classic engine mounted in the middle and the electric motor on the front axle. Some performance figures are also circulating: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration in less than 5 seconds and an average fuel consumption in the 3 l/100 km area.

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These new spy shots provide us with more details about the BMW i3, an electric small city-car which is expected to hit the showrooms in 2013. The model will probably share the same size of the prototype it derives from, while the passenger compartment will be able to host up to five people, driver included, and the trunk will have a capacity of about 200 litres. The large use of carbon fibre and other high-tech materials should keep its weight down to a minimum and making it more functional, as we see expect it to come with closet-like side doors and no B-pillar.

The new BMW i3 is being developed on the equally new DriveLife platform, with an aluminum frame holding both engine and battery pack, and carbon fibre used for most of its bodywork. This solution will allow the car to weigh about 1,270 kg, which is not much at all considering that the i3 will have to carry a quite heavy lithium-ion battery. At this moment it seems quite likely that the new model will end up using the same electric motor equipping the original prototype, credited with an output of 170 hp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The opportunity of having a traditional engine working as electric generator on the model has not been ruled out.

View the full BMW i3: new spy shots photo gallery

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A new photo gallery starring the recent BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has just been released by the German manufacturer. The hybrid version of the 5-Series is pushed by a 306 hp 3.o-litre TwinPower Turbo engine coupled with an electric motor delivering 55 hp and 210 Nm of torque which is integrated in its 8-speed automatic transmission, while the battery package is located underneath the boot. The combined action of these two units provide the car with a total output of 335 hp and 450 Nm of peak torque.

The model can travel up to 4 km on electric power alone, with zero emission and 60 km/h (37 mph) of top speed, but the combined action of its two engines allows it to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in just 5.7 seconds. Its Eco-Pro mode allows the model to fully exploit the electric engine while keeping the fuel consumption down to a minimum, and on motorways it can automatically switch off the petrol engine and travel on kinetic energy only with the help of the electric unit.

The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 also uses a special sat-nav that can even calculate the best route to go from point A to point B in terms of fuel consumption only. The average fuel consumption of the model is rated between 6.4 and 7 l/100 km with CO2 emissions between 149 and 163 g/km.

View the full BMW ActiveHybrid 5 photo gallery

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