e-cars

After all the informative video thrown your way this week, you may be wondering if there's anything about the 2011 Chevy Volt that isn't more efficient than other vehicles. Sorry, but even the stereo isn't one of them. Today's video clip is about how professional audio titan Bose got involved in the making of Chevrolet's electric hybrid car set for release later this year.

In this video, Ed Peper, Chevy's North American vice president, introduces the partnership between the American auto manufacturer and Bose in the conception and creation of an energy-efficient sound system … Read more

By now I'm pretty certain that most of you are aware of the potential ecological and economical benefits of driving an electric or hybrid car that isn't reliant solely on fossil fuels. Not surprisingly, the U.S. government is getting behind the cause as well, influenced in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The ARRA is the official term for the economic stimulus package passed by Congress in early 2009 to help create jobs and promote investment in American enterprises during the current recession. And when it comes to the conception and push … Read more

In yesterday's video blog, we looked inside and out at a production version of the Chevrolet Volt electric hybrid that's set to hit the streets later this year. Car and Driver that clip in late 2009 on location in the parking lot of Dodger's Stadium; however, Chevy assembled and presented at least a few other prototypes before finally coming up with the production-ready Volt you may have seen images of. Today, we're showing you one of the other Volt prototypes that Chevy showed at the Paris Motor Show in late 2008.

Sure, the car doesn't … Read more

Seeing as I gave quite a bit of mostly positive airtime to the Toyota Prius last week, I thought it would be good to do the same for a new electric hybrid made stateside that's set to roll out later this year. And in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm referring to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The Volt marks Chevy's first serious foray into the hybrid car market, and by the looks and sounds of things, this one may make a serious automotive splash.

Today's lengthy but informative video gives us a look … Read more

I had a few ideas about how to end this week's look at the Toyota Prius. I could have continued presenting videos on the many neat features that Toyota is pioneering with the Prius. Usually on Fridays, I like to bring something a little more entertaining to the table, so I decided against that approach and came up with a video that I didn't know existed.

Most media reports praise the Prius and tend to proclaim Toyota's hybrid car flag-bearer as the most eco-friendly and economical car that money can buy. But Jeremy Clarkson, star of the … Read more

The Toyota Prius is arguably the hottest hybrid car for many reasons. Within the blog this week we've explored several of outstanding features of the Prius, and today I'm turning our attention to the astounding intelligent parking assist feature found on this groundbreaking automobile.

The intelligent parking assist feature found on the Toyota Prius isn't entirely new--the self-parking feature was found on the Lexus LS 460 as well. Along with its rear monitor, the drivers can set up a destination parking spot and then allow external sensors and electric power steering do the parking for them--hands free! … Read more

Sometimes it's handy to have an extra pair of eyes to keep you that safe when you're out driving--a copilot, if you will. Toyota apparently agrees with such a philosophy, and offers a Pre-Collision System (PCS) in the Prius brand that serves as a virtual copilot while driving this groundbreaking hybrid. And that's what today's video is all about.

The Pre-Collision System on the Toyota Prius works in conjunction with its dynamic cruise control by scanning ahead of the vehicle for other vehicles. If you punch the brakes suddenly the sensors will pick up on this … Read more

With Toyota's name all over TV and the news within the last couple of months, I figured it timely to show that not all things associated with Toyota are bad. In the specific case of the Toyota Prius, the Japanese manufacturer has honed and crafted a trendsetting, forward-thinking hybrid car that's gone from novelty to an almost universally accepted automobile. In yesterday's video we got a good sampling of the modern Prius' many notable features, but we didn't get a look at everything. And that's why I've got another clip on this very cool … Read more

Last week, Toyota released a new set of commercials in which the Asian manufacturer tries to implore car buyers to remain loyal to the brand despite its recent faulty accelerators recall. People inside and outside the auto industry are criticizing Toyota for its hard sell in the wake of such a major boo-boo; however, I guess we'll see if Toyota can pull a Tim Gunn and "make it work, make it work."

In the meantime, I think Toyota should be putting the spotlight on its arguably most recent, notable, and successful product: the Prius. I'm sure … Read more