BMW is making history as the official automotive partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At a recent press junket, the famed automaker revealed their low-emission Olympic fleet – a whoppinh 4000 vehicles, and amongst the army of cars is 240 electric and hybrid cars.

The company worked hard to meet the standards required by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – who required of the contract winner an average vehicle emission target of less than 120 grams of CO2 per km.

BMW’s Olympic fleet consists of: 160 1-Series ActiveE coupes, 40 Mini E hatches, 40 5-Series ActiveHybrids, 1550 320d EfficientDynamics, 700 520d Efficient Dynamics, 17 X3 xDrive 20d SUVs, 10 X5 xDrive 30d SUVs, 200 Mini Countryman Cooper Ds, 25 R1200 RT motorbikes and 400 BMW Streetcruiser bicycles.

The vehicles will be used for everything during the games, from transporting athletes, to pulling boats out of the water. BMW is hoping that the visibility of their fleet during the games will increase interest in their vehicles, whether people are buying new models, or whether they are opting for the greener choice, buying a used one at sites like motors.co.uk or out of their local paper.

LOCOG Transport Director Richard George said, “From motorcycles to electric vehicles and 4x4s, the requirements of the 2012 fleet are hugely diverse. BMW and MINI have provided a variety of different cars, ideal both for city driving and long distance, to travel to Olympic and Paralympic venues around the country.”

Tokyo based automakers, Honda Motors, want to increase sales for their new Acura, and they are taking the green road to reach their goals. The Acura is Honda’s premium brand, and their new sedan will make use of two electric motors and a V-6 gasoline engine.

The RLX, as its being called, will be the replacement of their RL sedan. The new model will go on sale early 2013, according to company representatives at the New York International Auto Show. The RLX employs a n3.5-liter gasoline engine which, in combination with the electric motors and lithium-ion battery pack, packs a 370 horsepower punch and gets about 48 kilometers to the gallon in combined city and highway driving, Honda said.

How does it stack up against the current RL model? The RLX’s fuel economy is 50% better than the current RL, which averages 20 mpg.

Sales of Acura cars in America peaked at 209,610 vehicles in 2005 but had dropped down to 123,299 last year. Honda wants the brand to sell 180,000 cars and trucks in 2012, a 46% increase in sales.

Porsche fans (and fans of more eco-friendly sports cars) are getting excited at the prospect of the new plug-in hybrid Porsche Panamera that could be available as soon as next year.

The base for the new Panamera will be the same as the 2012 Panamera S Hybrid. The plug-in hybrid will use the same 380-hp direct-injected 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 and eight-speed automatic, and a separating clutch that lets the fuel engine shut dowb while the car is in motion.

Between the transmission and engine on the new Panamera will be an electric motor that will be able to move the rear tires on full-electric for about 19 miles.

Porsche executives at the Geneva Motor Show said that they are working “for the Cayenne and Panamera to offer plug-in hybrids as soon as possible.”

The initial launch of the Nissan Leaf was only in limited markets at the end of 2010, with a slightly more expanded rollout that occurred in 2011. Finally, the Nissan Leaf is available to order all over the United States starting now. Nissan recently sent out a press release which reads:

Nissan Leaf Becomes First Electric Car Available For Order In All U.S. Markets

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Feb. 29, 2012 – Beginning tomorrow, drivers across the country will have their first opportunity to order their Nissan LEAF, as Nissan North America Inc. (NNA) expands availability for all U.S. markets, nationwide.

This new launch phase means residents of 21 new states will be able to select and order a 2012 Nissan LEAF. The LEAF, the world’s first and only electric car, now also is the only electric car ever to be available nationwide.

“More than 22,000 LEAFs are on the roads globally, having driven more than 30 million miles,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing, NNA. “There is no longer any doubt that a 100-percent electric, zero-emissions vehicle fulfills the needs and desires of drivers from around the globe. Nationwide availability of the Nissan LEAF means that now, anyone in the country can opt for a transportation solution that does not harm the environment, provides a pathway to energy independence, and doesn’t use a single drop of gas.”

When Toyota first introduced the ground-breaking Prius to the market, people were impressed, but many consumers were put off by the car’s high price tag. Even though the company claimed that the extra cost would pay for itself within several years of saved fuel cost, that initial price tag was just too daunting to the average family.

Toyota believes that they’ve addressed this concern with their latest Prius- the V Five. The latest iteration is basically similar to the original, boasting a similar powertrain but housed in a more hatchback body style.

A huge bonus in the design of the new Prius is how much roomier it is. More leg room, more head room, and a lot more cargo area(over 34 cubic feet) in the back. Toyota says that this model is the most roomy of all hybrids – and those numbers agree.

And then of course, there’s the price. The factory model of the Prius V Five is $27,000 – which is a significant drop for this brand. Naturally, once you start adding on all the luxury additions like sun roofs and the ultimate stereo system, you’re going to see that price tag shoot up pretty quickly, but if your motive is a car that is better for the environment, then this might be the affordable choice.

Toyota has always prided itself on being a car company that made affordable vehicles that surpassed all safety and emissions standards. They are now bringing the new Yaris Hybrid to the world, and they are presenting it at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The new Yaris Hybrid is surprisingly gutsy for what is typical when one thinks of a hybrid car (and when one thinks of a Yaris.) It’ll get its juice from Toyota’s HSD powertrain that combines the 1.5 liter fuel engine with an electric motor and battery.

Toyota also made some major body changes on the new Yaris Hybrid, with a huge focus on a more aerodynamic exterior, which actually will seriously cut down on fuel usage.

The new Yaris is roomy, too. Something we always appreciated in the compact Yaris, was how much room there seemed to be in the interior. The Yaris Hybrid will feature the same amount of passenger space and the same 286-litre in the boot as the gas and diesel models.

No word yet on the exact price, but Toyota always makes sure that their fleet is affordable for the average car buyer. Plus, because of the safety features, insurers that offer Budget car insurance are usually able to provide owners with extremely competitive rates if they are buying a new vehicle with Toyota safety standards.

Only a month after being named the 2012 North American car of the year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Hyundai Elantra has won the 2012 Canadian Car of the Year award.

Steve Kelleher, Hyundai Auto Canada president, said the win was a “vindication for all the effort Hyundai designers and engineers invested into the project.”

The Elantra gets great gas millage with 4.9L / 100km highway (40 MPG) and 6.9L / 100km (29 MPG) in the city. Running a 1.8L four-cylinder engine that produces 148 horsepower.

This is the second time that Hyundai has won both awards in the same year back to back in the past four years. The Genesis luxury sedan earned both titles in 2009.

Mercedes-Benz engineers have no boundaries when it comes to improving the safety of their passengers, and why should there be. No feature can be too small when it comes ones safety, especially those loved ones riding in the back seat.

That is why Mercedes has developed, and is preparing for production of, the first active seat belt buckle. The buckle has a motor built in which allows the buckle to extend and retract to ensure the best fit around the passengers waist.

Ing Rodolfo Schoneburg, head of safety at Mercedes-Benz Cars said this function, up until now, has only been available on front seat belts

“We aim to offer a high standard of safety not only in all model series, but also in all seats,” Schoneburg said.

“The active seatbelt buckle unlocks the full potential of the on-board restraint systems.”

Testing the new active buckles proved to be more of a challenge then regular crash tests because with the regular crash test dummies engineers were not able to accurately measure what the impacts would be on a real human. Mercedes opted to use virtual human models instead.

Dr. Hakan Ipek, expert for virtual human models at Mercedes-Benz said: “All the crucial biological features of humans – joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones – can only be simulated in very rough terms with dummies.

“Some seated positions, such as when a rear passenger is dozing and the belt does not pass over the pelvis in the correct manner, simply cannot be recreated with a dummy,” he adds.

The Active Seat Belt Buckle Explained

Once the door is opened the belt buckle illuminates and extends 70 millimeters from the base. After the tongue of the belt is inserted, the buckle retracts 40mm to tighten and reduce any extra slack. This ensures that the belt is correctly fitted around the passengers waist and pelvis area.

Mercedes says there are many benefits with the new active belt buckle like increased percentage of people who actually use their seat belt. Illumination makes it easier for kids to buckle up, especially in the dark.

The active seat belt is now apart of the Pre-Safe preventive safety system Mercedes employs which means that when the vehicle senses a collision is seconds away, the new active seat belt retracts an additional 40 mm, creating 80mm total. This positions and prepares the passenger’s body for the crash.

Last but not least, after an accident and the vehicle has come to a rest, the belt buckle extends once again and the buckle is illuminated when a door is opened to help emergency first responders at the accident.

Wednesday night Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk debuted the much anticipated prototype of their Model X SUV. As with all Telsa’s events, they rolled out the new seven passenger fully electric vehicle in style at a red carpet event.

The specs on the car are what one would expect from Tesla, with performance in the forefront. The new Model X is all-wheel-drive and will go from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 4.4 seconds, fast than the Porsche 911. The range is the same as their Model S sedan, offering the 60 kWh battery with 230 mile range or the 85 kWh battery with a 300 mile range.

Unlike the Model S however, there is a new feature, folding “falcon-wing” doors. At first glance it seems all too gimmicky, but Tesla claims the new doors offer ease of movement in and out of the vehicle even in the narrowest of parking spots.

There is loads of headroom and a large rear space. Windows have been cut out in the ceiling and the back seats fold completely flat to allow for storage of large items. No problem fitting your surfboards, ski gear, large pets or a killer sound system if you were so inclined.

Musk explained to the crowd during his 10-minute presentation that their goal was to achieve more usable space than the average Minivan or SUV saying, “minivans and SUVs have been trying for years to overcome these problems.”

Tesla is hoping that with their event Thursday night, which showcased a high-end buffet, open bar and a few b-list celebrities, that they will be able to generate some more orders and start turning a profit, which they have yet to do.

Tesla starts taking reservations on Friday at noon but the Model X won’t hit the showrooms until 2014, with production scheduled to begin in late 2013.

With the Model S sedan expected in the showrooms by this July one can only hope Musk’s statement of, “we want to show that electric cars are in fact better than gasoline cars,” rings true. We don’t want another EV-1 situation.

President Barack Obama, seen above at the Washington Auto Show Tuesday, hailed the triumphant rebound of the U.S. auto industry. Obama sat inside a 2013 Ford C-Max Energi, which won this year’s Green Car Vision Award, among some gas guzzling trucks, SUVs and muscle cars made by General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

“The U.S. auto industry is back,” Obama stated to reports, adding that it’s was worth remembering that there were some leaders “willing to let this industry die.” Clearly taking a shot at Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney. Even though Obama didn’t make a statement with Romney’s name, it was quite clear when he told reporters that “it’s good to remember the fact that there were some folks who were willing to let this industry die. Because of folks coming together we are now in a place where we can compete with any car company in the world.”

A spokeswoman for Romney, Andrea Saul, stated that Romney was “thrilled” to see the success of General Motors company but that it was “unfortunate that the government first attempted a bailout, which was precisely as unsuccessful as he predicted, cost taxpayers billions, and left the government improperly entangled in the private sector.”

Since the 2009 bailout GM officially regained its spot as the planet’s top-selling auto manufacturer in 2011. Let’s not forget that the U.S. taxpayers still own about one-third of General Motors equity after shelling out nearly $50-billion US to GM and more than $12-billion to Chrysler. Obama stands behind his decision saying “the fact that GM is back, number one, I think shows the kind of turnaround that’s possible when it comes to American manufacturing.”