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2018 Kia Niro PHEV LX – ~240MPG Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

February 19, 2019, 3 pmMay 29, 2018, 8 am by Ben Lewis

Last year we tested the Kia Niro hybrid, and it came away as one of our favorite vehicles of the year. Here was a hybrid with the practicality of a small crossover, excellent fuel economy, and best of all, it was truly fun to drive. We’d gladly have one in our driveway – and it would make a perfect day-to-day partner to some rip-snorting, fuel guzzling, socially questionable weekend toy. Plugging into the latest and greatest While hybrids have been around for quite a while now and become extremely successful, getting people into full EV electric vehicles has been a …

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4.6s 2018 BMW i8 Roadster Is No-Brainer Ragtop

February 19, 2019, 3 pmNovember 29, 2017, 12 pm by Tom Burkart

The i8 is amazing to drive! In Sport+ this machine opens up its full 374HP and rockets forward with glee. Triple turbo thrumming behind you and popping out racy noises from the exhausts. But the i8 has a problem. It is so light because of all that carbon fiber. Which is expensive. And intrudes on the doorsill in a major way. This makes i8’s beautiful swan wing doors make sense. They are very-much needed to help get in and out. With a low roof on the coupe, this has been a barrier to the car’s wider success. This Roadster hopes …

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2017 Toyota Prius PRIME – HD Road Test Review

February 19, 2019, 3 pmApril 17, 2017, 1 pm by Tom Burkart

Our hopes about Prius Prime were through the roof. Gorgeous new looks. A battery pack 10X as large as the most thrifty standard Prius. Luxed-up cabin and 20 miles of EV range? It seemed like a winning formula on paper, and it is a winner in the flesh on the road. We spent a happy week in the Prime to see how this Super Prius compares versus young gun Hyundai Ioniq as well as full EVs like the eGolf, Focus Electric or even a pre-owned Tesla. ANd how about the upcoming Honda Clarity Plugin? There is great and less-great news to …

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2017 PRIUS PRIME – Live Photos and Tech Preview – CF Tail, 84mph eVmax

February 13, 2019, 4 pmApril 5, 2016, 10 am by Tom Burkart

Some really cool new tech and solutions all around the upcoming 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. Quick points on this advanced PHEV flagship: First dual motor/generator unit for the EV system promises much quicker acceleration. The Prius PHEV was the quickest in the group before, so this is great news! Redesigned nose and tail, with NSX-style new face up front, and carbon-fiber/LED tail that is all-new versus the new 2017 Prius and the 2017 Mirai FCEV. New cabin with giant central touchscreen, a la Tesla, and a full-length central battery placement. Four seats and almost 50/50 weight distribution with low center …

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2017 Chrysler PACIFICA Is All-New Minivan – PHEV Hybrid, Luxury and Tech to Leapfrog Sienna/Odyssey

February 13, 2019, 4 pmJanuary 11, 2016, 9 am by Tom Burkart

Welcome to the next Town & Country: the all-new Pacifica! This name-swap is quite justified when you take a peek at the seriously all-new platform, drivetrain, interior and exterior of the next-gen Chrysler minivan. The impressive details abound from every seat: the seven-seater has a stunningly advanced offering for families from July of this year when the new vans hit showrooms. What is the big deal, beyond a very swish new exterior design? Where to begin! The biggest news is the first-ever plug-in hybrid offering in the van segment. Dubbed simply the Pacifica Hybrid, the EV tech is quite sophisticated. Not …

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PARIS DEBUTS – 2016 Volkswagen Passat GTE Plug-In Hybrid To Arrive in Europe October 2015

February 17, 2019, 8 pmSeptember 29, 2014, 10 am by Tom Burkart

Okay folks, lets brace ourselves for perhaps three dozen amazing new car reveals in Paris! We will try to focus on whether the car is a concept or a production model – and detail production cars’ arrival timeframes and markets in which it will be sold! To that end, the 2015 VW Passat GTE is an all-new production car for the European markets, with first arrivals in October 2015 to showrooms. It is the first plug-in VW hybrid and will be offered as the normal sedan or the practical estate shape. The Passat GTE powertrain is very promising for the …

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5.0s, 84MPG 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 Plug-in Hybrid Joins USA S-Class Lineup

February 17, 2019, 8 pmSeptember 15, 2014, 4 pm by Tom Burkart

It has taken more than two Hybrid S-Classes to really achieve relevance and technological superiority to the other eco-limo’s on the market — but that time has now arrived. The S550 Plug-in Hybrid joins the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid as the most socially responsible way to pilot a Mercedes flagship, even during times of greenwashing and uncertainty about the world’s energy future. For the first time in an S-Class, this new Hybrid model is not a cynical niche model. It is a well-rounded and fully-engineered addition to the S-Class, with all of the high-tech electrics integrated into the S-Class …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-In Is Quietly Excellent, More Iso-Tank Than Eco-Warrior

February 17, 2019, 8 pmAugust 28, 2014, 12 pm by Tom Burkart

INTRO: Here is the scene: you are in traffic. It is a work-day and you are behind a dawdling Prius. ‘How the **** is that car going so slowly!? Oh, this guy is coasting up to red lights now!?’ Cue the inpatient passing maneuver/lane change or silent sulking while looking at the familiar Prius tail shape. Has this ever happened to you? We bet it has. The difference for sports-car drivers – or drivers who push every machine like a sports-car? Slight annoyance gives way to murderous rage after a few stoplights like this. And not just hatred for the …

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2015 Audi A3 e-tron Brings Plug-in Hybrid 1.4TFSI to Sportback Wagon

February 17, 2019, 9 pmDecember 12, 2013, 10 am by Tom Burkart

Think you know hybrids? Wait until you get a brainfull of the infographics accompanying the 2015 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron. This is a plug-in hybrid that primarily runs on gasoline via the handy 1.4-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine. Combined power is quoted at 201 horsepower, but the battery size and efficiency for the plug-in components is not yet available. What is clear is this: the e-tron configuration will come initially in the Sportback body style only. This is news versus the executive compact sedan A3/S3 twins, as well as the two-door cabrio. Full LED lighting will be a feature on the …

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