Although it has a distinctly futuristic look, I almost get the impression that it’s a “look into the future” that we may have had a couple decades ago. The rear tires are covered up for improved aerodynamics, not unlike what we saw with the first generation Honda Insight. Other features include the gullwing doors and LED headlights. You’ll also notice that there are no side mirrors. That’s because they’ve been replaced by a camera-based system.

It is just a two-seater, so don’t expect to shuttle your kid’s soccer team around in this, but the plug-in hybrid system on the Volkswagen XL1 can go 50 kilometres on electric power alone. If you start dipping into the gas, then you’ll go about 100 kilometres for every liter of fuel. Beyond the aerodynamics, the XL1 is also feather light at 1752 pounds, which is about half of a typical American midsize sedan.

Yes, I realize the “XL1″ name is a little misleading, because this Vee-Dub isn’t exactly extra large, but this could be a very real view into the future of commuting. No word on pricing yet, but Volkswagen is saying that they’ll go into commercial production of this vehicle. Hopefully we’ll learn more when it’s shown off in Geneva next month.

[Source]

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This car has a touchscreen panel. That car has reduced emissions. This car has park assist. But do you know what they all lack? A little robot that’ll help you along your way, but that’s exactly what the BYD Qin brings to the highway.

On display at the Beijing Auto Show, the Qin is a plug-in hybrid car from Chinese automaker BYD. The car itself isn’t terribly exciting as far as sedans go, but there is a little pop-up robot on the dash that serves as a central control point. It’s almost like having R2-D2 on your X-Wing, except this one looks a little more like EVE from WALL-E and it sits on your dashboard.

By interacting with the bot via voice commands, you gain control over the wireless Internet, location services, music downloads, and even driver fatigue prevention. The bot apparently has built-in cameras to keep an eye on how you’re doing. All said, you get more of a human-like interaction with your car via this bot, rather than simply speaking into the empty space in your car. It’s not exactly novel to see more and more electronics shoved into our vehicles, but this could be among the several steps we’re taking toward having robot chaffeurs. After all, we already have self-driving cars.

[Source]

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are increasing in popularity and in variety. Even within Toyota, they have introduced some new variants to the Prius line, but what if you want something even smaller and even more efficient? That’s where the newly revealed Toyota Aqua cruises into the picture.

The Toyota Aqua, from what I can see, looks to be roughly Yaris-sized and is purpose-built for the Japanese urban commuter. This is Toyota’s smallest hybrid offering on the market and it is said to get 35.4 km per liter; that works out to about 83MPG or 2.8L/100km. That’s better than its Prius stablemate, which “only” gets 32.6 km per liter.

The good news is that Toyota isn’t keeping the Aqua to just the roads of Japan. They have plans to roll it out worldwide next year to about 50 countries around the globe. It may not be known as the Aqua when it reaches a dealership near you, though, as it is being marketed as the Prius c on the international market. The European version is based on the Yaris, but gets the same hybrid system.

Pricing for the Toyota Aqua in the Japanese domestic market is set to start at 1.69 million yen (about $22,000), though the local price in other markets will surely vary.

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The Honda CR-Z is already supposed to make hybrids fun. It may not be a sports car, but it is a sporty car. The upgraded version from Mugen, however, could be a completely different story.

I’ve seen people who have Mugen’d up their Civics and Integras with a fair bit of success, so it’ll be really interesting to see what Mugen Euro (based out of Northampton) can do with the sporty little hybrid. The CR-Z MUGEN is based on a joint partnership between the tuning folk and Honda UK.

They plan on upgrading not only the 1.5L gas engine, but also the Honda IMA electric assist system, giving the hot hatch more power and torque. Tossing in some alterations ot the exhaust and induction, they also hope to achieve improved fuel economy and reduced emissions “during some conditions.”

Not surprisingly, Mugen is doing the styling aerodynamic thing with new bumpers, spoiler, carbon fiber hood… and probably some stickers too, along with new rims, suspension, and brakes.

It’s just a one-off project, but there’s nothing stopping you from pimping your own ride to face off against Toretto.

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Last month, the new BMW i-Series made its official debut on paper, but all we got were some concept sketches. Now, we get to see a (camouflaged) BMW i8 in action, rolling around on a snowy track.

Instead of just a few spy photos, we’ve managed to find three spy videos. The BMW i8, which you may have previously known as Vision EfficientDynamics, appears to be a two-door super coupe that will likely compete against the likes of an Audi R8 and other similar vehicles.

We’re told to expect 62MPG while still being able to do 0 to 62mph in 4.8 seconds. It’s kind of hard to tell what kind of performance this thing can really offer until they spin it around Nurburgring or, at the very least, the Top Gear Test Track with the tame racing driver. Under the hood is an 161-horsepower 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbo DIESEL engine (will probably be switched to gasoline when it hits production) a hybrid synchronous motor on the front axle (80HP) and full electric motor on the rear axle (51HP), giving a combined 292HP total output.

From what I hear, though, this kind of Bavarian green performance isn’t going to come cheap: expect the price tag to start in the $240k range whenever this is ready to hit dealerships.

[BimmerPost]

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You know that Toyota Prius+ unveiled earlier this month? It’s only the beginning. Toyota is pledging to launch no fewer than ten new electric vehicles (which may or may not include hybrids) by 2015.

The flood gates are already opening. We’ve already been introduced to the iQ-based EV and the Yaris HSD, but these guys are getting joined by all sorts of other electrified peoplemovers like the taller Prius V and the “funkier” Prius C.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they carry the now iconic Prius moniker throughout the line of ten more electrics. After all, they’ve only done V, C, and + so far. They’ve got 24 more letters to go, not to mention the possibilities of using the entire array of mathematical symbols. The upcoming vehicles will include full EVs, as well as cars of the fuel cell variety.

[Toyota]

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If Jeremy Clarkson despises the Toyota Prius with a passion, he may be enlisting an angry mob with pitchforks and flaming torches for the newly revealed Toyota Prius+. It takes everything about the hybrid car and makes it even less appealing to diehard enthusiasts.

This expansion on the Prius family is the first full hybrid in Europe to seat seven people. The styling is almost reminiscent of a Mazda5, you could say, so it might have to be five rather fit (or small) people. The other tidbit is that it’s the first non-plug-in hybrid from Toyota to use a lithium-ion battery pack.

In addition to the extra seats, Toyota has also put in an integrated panoramic sunroof, but it’s fixed in place. It would have been so much nicer if it was retractable… but then again, it would be so much better if it wasn’t a Prius either.

There’s no mention of North American availability, but Toyota is expecting to launch the Prius+ in Europe starting in the first half of next year. Expect a deplorable Top Gear review to follow shortly thereafter… if the Soccer Mom-inspired vehicle eventually makes its way across the line.

[via Toyota UK]

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Are you one of those high-rolling environmentalists who decided to pre-order a shiny new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid? Well, you’re about to get hit with a double-whack of bad news. First, the car’s base price just got higher. Second, you still can’t have one.

The kindly gents at Fisker have decided to increase the base price on the Karma plug-in hybrid to a cool $95,900. Compare that to the original $80,000 MSRP we saw two years ago, prior to the additional $7,000 increase that followed shortly thereafter. In addition to that $95,900 base price, you’re still on the hook for the usual taxes, as well as a $950 destination fee.

The good news, if you can even call it that, is that the Fisker Karma qualifies for $7,500 in federal tax incentives. That said, people who pre-ordered the car two years ago probably already knew about these incentives.

There’s still no definite ship date, so you’ll still have sit idly by to wait for the car with the solar roof panel. That, or you can go out and try to get yourself a Tesla Roadster… or maybe just a Volt. The latter option is cheaper by a fair margin, but it’s just not as sexy.

[AutoBlog Green]

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