According to the Nikkei report, Toyota will finally release a minivan based upon its popular Prius platform come 2011. Rumor of the vehicle has been circling the web for over a year now. If it’s true–which I kind of think it is–this new vehicle will be the first to don the Prius family nameplate.

Earlier this year, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota made it known that a Prius family was in the works during the unveiling of its FT-CH concept. The FT-CH is Yaris-sized Prius which means a hybrid minivan would easily balance out the line up. (more…)

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Snail mail is getting a big push from Congress to go electric and I’m not talking about e-mail. The United States Postal Service (USPS) wants to electrify its fleet and Zap motors might just to do the trick. This week, the California-based company announced they are engineering an all-electric truck prototype for the mail delivery service.

Full details are still unclear but U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will tour the Zap EV facility next week “to learn more about how this federal program is creating local jobs.” The truck will not be the Xebra pictured above but a “conversion of a gasoline postal truck to run on electricity.” (more…)

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Well, it’s finally happening. Ferrari is officially making a hybrid…or at least officially showcasing one.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Ferrari will display a hybrid variant of their 599 GTB Fiorano. Details on the car are still a mystery but it will likely utilize the all-wheel drive hybrid system that Ferrari patented in June of last year.

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Well, it’s finally happening. Ferrari is officially making a hybrid…or at least officially showcasing one.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Ferrari will display a hybrid variant of their 599 GTB Fiorano. Details on the car are still a mystery but it will likely utilize the all-wheel drive hybrid system that Ferrari patented in June of last year.

The battery source will be lithium-ion and it will use a version of the KERS energy recovery system. There is speculation the hybrid version will increase the model’s fuel efficiency from 9 mpg to 14. Not a huge savings.

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Source:  Ecofriend

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Come 2011, Tesla Motors plans to stop selling its famed roadster. Why? Because no one will build it.

Deep within the Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork Tesla filed ahead of its IPO was the announcement. The two-seater–and its souped up Roadster Sport sibling–will end production next year. If there is a replacement, it won’t be available until 2013…at the earliest.

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Come 2011, Tesla Motors plans to stop selling its famed roadster. Why? Because no one will build it.

Deep within the Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork Tesla filed ahead of its IPO was the announcement. The two-seater–and its souped up Roadster Sport sibling–will end production next year. If there is a replacement, it won’t be available until 2013…at the earliest.

“We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster,” the company wrote in the filing. The Roadster is currently built by Lotus.

Tesla’s Model S is one thing keeping the Roadster on the back burner. That model hits production in 2012 using the $465 million it just secured from the Department of Energy. Essentially, Tesla will have no cars to sell and therefore no revenue coming in for a full year.

Scary since the Roadster is the car that put Tesla on the map. Hopefully nothing goes wrong with the Model S.

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Source: Wired

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Efficiency enthusiast Allert Jacobs converted his brand new Honda motorbike into a streamliner capable of reaching 214 mpg.

Jacobs was already getting 114 mpg with his Honda Innova, but knew some aerodynamic mods could get him so much more. Aerodynamics hugely impact fuel consumption. In fact, a typical car burns 50-percent of its fuel just overcoming the air resistance of going 40 mph! For a typical motorbike, this is just 20 mph.

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Back in June, Tesla Motors announced a $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. That deal is now official…every tax paying American is now an investor in Tesla.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said. “We are honored that the US government selected Tesla to be among the first companies to participate in this visionary program. This loan will allow us to further accelerate the production of affordable, fuel-efficient electric vehicles.”

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Just on the heels of Apple’s Smart Home Energy Management System, Apple has gone and filed for a patent to reinvent their ubiquitous iPod line using solar cell technology.

Transparent, or semi-transparent, solar panels would partially cover the device. If one or more of the solar cells are obstructed from light, other panels on the device will kick in to ensure a constant source of power. The device also have a standard battery in times of complete darkness.

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According to AutoblogGreen, ousted Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard has confirmed he is indeed working on Volkswagen of America’s EV lineup.

The rumor was first reported back in March of 2009 by a Tesla employee who remains anonymous. Since then, Eberhard’s defamation/breach of contract suit against the company has ended. The dispute was with Tesla’s major financial backer and current CEO, Elon Musk.

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According to chief chassis engineer for Honda’s CR-Z, the much-hyped hybrid was heavily influenced by the Lotus Elise.

Terukazu Torikai said–via YouTube subtitles–that the basic concept for the CR-Z was to be fun to drive. In fact, the car was not only inspired by Lotus. The MINI Cooper and Volkswagen’s Scirocco also played a part in its design. I’m just happy we’ve moved past the original Insight (fugly).

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Porsche will not build hybrid versions of the 911 and Boxster, according to CEO Michael Macht.

While the company will make a hybrid Cayenne, they have no interest in altering their sports car lineup. Enthusiasts can now breathe a sigh of relief. The Cayenne SUV and the 4-door Panamera have been a sore subject amongst Porsche purists.

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Carscoop has photos of what seems to be a production model of the Lexus LF-Ch hatchback.

The car made its debut at last year’s Frankfurt motor show. Lexus made it clear they would build the five-door car when Andy Pfeiffenberger, vice president of Lexus Europe, said “Let me stress you are not looking at a market study. This LF-Ch concept is a clear indication of our entry plans for the compact premium segment in the near future, with the world’s first ever premium compact, full hybrid.”

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Apple has filed for two patents using powerline networking and the HomePlug standard so that users can manage the energy consumption of their home electronics.

While other companies–Google and Microsoft–are focusing on a whole-home solution, Apple’s patent focuses on the consumption by gadgets and computers. The device would make every power outlet in your home a conduit for audio, video and data. Goodbye wifi dead-spots! Any device could have access to high speed internet.

A hardware device would control the amount of power used by the various electronics within a household. Using the HomePlug Powerline Alliance’s communications protocol, devices would share data over a building’s existing wiring. Outlets and junction boxes would also have power-enabled data ports.

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Toyota Motor Corp. will double its production of hybrid vehicles to 1 million units by 2011.

Currently, Toyota is the leader in low-emission vehicles with more than 10 hybrid models in its lineup. The car maker produced 500,000 hybrid units in 2009; 8-percent of its overall production. It’s planning for 800,000 hybrids this year alone and 1.1 million come 2012.

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