The latest and greatest hybrid vehicle news http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/ en-us Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with FeedLoungeSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with NewsAlloySubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with Yourminis.comSubscribe with Attensa for OutlookSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with netomat Hub http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/hsseYyPsOmw/ Normally I'd creep into the weekend without much fuss, but a ton of vehicle reviews hit the news in the last 24 hrs, and now I'm going to hoist them onto you. You can always track down the reviews by clicking the review tag or looking for news on Reviews. Have a great weekend! The Car Connection on the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid: ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=66&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/3e75Ugtd3Fg/ A miracle has happened! We've finally caught up on the digests from when our delightful new child arrived in the bright, dry place. Check them out if you're so inclined. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=65&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/MtFYEo89i8k/ A California musician has taken to sueing Honda because his Civic hybrid isn't getting the claimed mileage. From one of many articles: But after 6,000 miles of driving, True said he averaged 32 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. So in March, True, an Ontario, Calif., professional jazz piano player, filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Riverside, Calif., in what appears to be the first legal challenge of the mileage claims of hybrid vehicles. True's frustration with the actual mileage of his hybrid vs. the advertised mileage echoes that of other owners, many of whom voice their complaints on online message boards, and reflects the findings of some independent tests, including one by Consumer Reports. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=64&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/ZKt4GSu2K5M/ I was going to avoid the topic, but then a secondary meme developed that is worthy of comment. The whole of hybrid world seems to have noticed that Al Gore's son got pulled over driving a Prius very fast with several unsavory substances in the car. Former Vice President Al Gore's son was arrested and accused of drug possession after being stopped by police here for driving 100 mph in his Toyota Prius hybrid. Al Gore III, a 24-year-old Harvard graduate, is said to be getting treatment following his arrest on suspicion of drug possession on July 4, according to media reports. He was driving south on the San Diego Freeway in a Prius when authorities stopped him. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=63&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/wWp3En29DcE/ Toyota has outdone themselves by nearly doubling their Prius sales over last year. As reported by Reuters, the January - June Prius sales are up to 94.5k in 2007 compared to 48k in 2006. This is a dramatic shift from the days when the Prius and Insight were hippy cars that didn't make sense to anyone. They used some interesting techniques to get there, but they got the hybrids to go mainstream. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=62&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/NB1vCDFPEtA/ If you're looking for hybrid car writings, you'll have to wait for the next blog post. Sorry about that. One of my random side fixations have been compact fluorescent light bulbs (previous posts here, and here). CFL's are an all-around good deal. Spent $2 a bulb (yes, they're that cheap at Home Depot and Lowes), and save $50 in electricity over the life of the bulb versus traditional light bulbs. If you're either an environmental hippy (save the electrons, man) or a tightwad with the cash, that's a phenomenal deal. I'm both, and quite pleased with it all. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=61&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/ivSmsS2pV2o/ I have to admit to being disappointed in Honda. With their decision to discontinue the Honda Accord Hybrid, I have to give up the idea that they'll attempt to fix their mistake. What mistake was that? They toyed with the performance hybrid market and apparently expected sales volumes comparable to the Civic hybrid. Poor planning. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=60&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/_1uemZ1Kvec/ Back almost two weeks ago, the vehicle and environmental blogs were a twitter with Mayor Bloomberg's announcement that New York was going hybrid with their taxies The fleet of yellow taxicabs in New York City will go entirely hybrid within five years, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday. ... Nearly 400 fuel-efficient hybrids have been tested in the city's taxi fleet over the past 18 months, with models including the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h and the Ford Escape. Under Bloomberg's plan, that number will increase to 1,000 by October 2008, then will grow by about 20 percent each year until 2012, when every yellow cab � currently numbering 13,000 � will be a hybrid. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=59&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/bmU17sRVkCA/ FedEx and UPS have recently begun adopting hybrid delivery trucks into their fleet to test technological waters (examples for FedEx and UPS). Both companies have an interest as fuel is large portion of their operating expense. Fuel efficiency improvements would go straight to the bottom line. A case study out of the Stanford Graduate School Of Business written by David Hoyt tells the more than 7 year path to develope the vehicles and get them moving packages. It's an interesting tale of a good collaboration between FedEx, Environmental Defense, and Eaton Corporation. ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=58&from=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HybridCarAndVehicleBlog/~3/ev_Kq-OrPbQ/ Dahcredyns over at Hybrid Car Blog spotted a rather juicy quote from Toyota's US General Manager in an Edmunds article The company has made a general statement that it hopes to eventually offer hybrid versions of every model it sells. But in the near-term, it makes sense to focus on high-volume market segments, said Carter. "We are covering the main segments first, the midsize sedan and midsize SUV segments," Carter said. Toyota sells more Sienna minivans than Highlander SUVs, so that looks like another strong candidate segment, especially because the two vehicles share much of their mechanical design. "Personally I think [a Sienna hybrid] would be a home run," Carter opined. "But that decision has not been made." ... (Visit to read the full entry) http://hybrid.tashcorp.net/blog/entry/?entry=57&from=rss