New Cars

THe new 2009 Jetta TDI from VW will have a turbodiesel engine, will meet th etoghest US emissions standards and will get 60 MPG.

Toyota swallowed about half the cost of the Prius during its first few years on the market, but today it actually turns a profit. Will GM do the same for the Chevrolet Volt?

 

Body panels from a synthetic resin made up of 85 percent post-consumer waste, soy-based seat foam, and “reconstituted” oak veneer used trim. More updates from Detroit in this new car review.

It’s a prototype hybrid car that gets 150MPG, and goes 40 miles on electricity alone, drawing its power from a combination of lithium-ion batteries and ultracapacitors. The ultracapacitors provide a burst of energy to the engine, when needed. They are then recharged by the lithium-ion batteries. This avoids the problem of emptying the batteries too fast, which can cause them to heat up, and possibly catch on fire.

Read what GM Chairman, Rick Wagoner, thinks about the role of ethanol in the bridging the imposing canyon separating today’s petroleum needs with tomorrow’s hydrogen-powered electric hybrid promises.

Good news to those that can afford it. Porsche promises the Panemare to be offered in a hybrid flavor when it finally bows in 2009, with a 30-percent boost in fuel economy.