Detroit: Mercedes-Benz says E-Class hybrid makes cool cars greener

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrid , Sedan , Mercedes-Benz , Luxury In between debuting the Smart for-us and SL on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show today, Mercedes-Benz thought it right to bring out two brown cars that are actually green: diesel and gasoline flavors of the E-Class hybrid. In fact, the E300 diesel hybrid is so efficient that Mercedes calls it the “world’s most economical luxury-class model.” Unsurprisingly, the diesel will launch in Europe while the gas-powered E400 hybrid will arrive first in America and will later come to Japan, China and other countries. Pricing for the E-Class hybrids has not yet been announced, but Mercedes says the “extra cost involved here is only moderate.” As we learned during the slow-burning teaser month of December, the diesel-fueled BlueTec hybrid is expected to get 56 miles per gallon (on the European scale, so around 45 mpg in the U.S.) and the gas-electric E400 Hybrid will get 27 mpg (U.S.). The numbers for the E300 are based on the sedan (saloon) versions; it will also be available in estate (station wagon) form.

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Detroit: Mercedes-Benz says E-Class hybrid makes cool cars greener

Report: Toyota, BMW may build green cars together

Filed under: Hybrid , BMW , Toyota , Diesel Toyota and BMW have reportedly begun discussions on swapping their signature green technologies. The Japanese automaker would open up its hybrid tech to BMW, while the Germans would provide diesel engines for Toyotas. This is a little different than the recent memorandum of understanding signed between Ford and Toyota , since that partnership – if it comes to fruition – would see both companies jointly developing a hybrid system for trucks. The BMW and Toyota talks are about swapping tech to save money on “core technologies.” BMW’s gain would be in the U.S., where hybrids are still much more in vogue than in Europe, while Toyota’s interest is in shoring up its diesel position in Europe, where hybrids aren’t yet the thing and the company posted a loss through the first half of the year.

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Report: Toyota, BMW may build green cars together

Official: 2013 Chevy Mailbu Eco will start at $25,995* and offer 38 highway mpg

Filed under: Hybrid , Sedan , Chevrolet Who will want to buy a brand-new, nicely equipped 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco for $25,995? If you peruse General Motors’ press release, then you may think it’s people who are cross-shopping a Volkswagen Passat TDI or a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid , a Toyota Camry Hybrid or a Ford Fusion Hybrid . These are the vehicles that GM helpfully points out cost more than the new Malibu, and the green competition is completely intentional. The Eco trim level, coming in the first quarter of 2012, will be the first 2013 Malibu released and gets 26 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway (GM estimates).

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Official: 2013 Chevy Mailbu Eco will start at $25,995* and offer 38 highway mpg

Los Angeles: 2012 Green Car of the Year is the Honda Civic Natural Gas

Filed under: LA Auto Show , Sedan , Honda The 2012 Green Car of the Year award was snagged from the electric and diesel jaws of its competitors by the Honda Civic Natural Gas. In a year full of standard gasoline powertrain alternatives, the Civic beat out the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i , Toyota Prius V and the Volkswagen Passat TDI. Green Car Journal hands out the award and its rules state that the GCOTY needs to have a “quantifiable environmental achievement,” market significance and “newness.” Any car that has these clearly defined features and is available for sale by January 1, 2012 can be a nominee, and the list of finalists is whittled down by GCJ editors and selected industry and environmental experts. Over the last four years, the GCOTY was won by a hybrid (the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid in 2008), diesels (the Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2009 and the Audi A3 TDI in 2010) and a plug-in hybrid (the Chevrolet Volt in 2011).

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Los Angeles: 2012 Green Car of the Year is the Honda Civic Natural Gas

Official: Chevy Volt ready for California HOV access, extra $1,500 in rebates

Filed under: Hybrid , Government/Legal , Hatchback , Chevrolet , Electric The Chevy Volt may be able to travel about 40 miles without emitting a gram of CO2, but the car isn’t clean enough to qualify for High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane access in California. Make that wasn’t clean enough. Today, GM announced that California dealers are now taking orders for an “Enhanced, Advanced Technology – Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (enhAT-PZEV) version of the Volt.

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Official: Chevy Volt ready for California HOV access, extra $1,500 in rebates

Official: Bugatti brings three special Veyron Grand Sports to Dubai

Filed under: Convertible , Performance , Bugatti , Misc. Auto Shows , Middle East , Luxury Production of the original Bugatti Veyron may have drawn to a close, but that doesn’t mean the end of the Veyron altogether. Of the 150 examples of the Grand Sport earmarked for production, only 45 of them have been accounted for. That leaves another – carry the two, divide by the square-root of pi – 105 examples still available for order

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Official: Bugatti brings three special Veyron Grand Sports to Dubai