Nissan Leaf 110 Volt Charger on 2040-parts.com

Toyota says Prius plug-in gets 65 mpg

Toyota Priuses with plug-in hybrid technology are averaging 65 mpg in combined gasoline and electric-mode testing. "That is real-world driving," said Bill Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s national alternative-fuel vehicle manager. "I ask my guys to drive them as you drive your normal Prius." By comparison, the redesigned 2010 Prius, a parallel hybrid with nickel-metal hydride batteries, will have an estimated 50 mpg rating.

Audi: Electric Turbo, e-Gas & Intelligent Hybrids

Audi are developing new technologies to make cars more efficient including synthetic fuel, electric turbos and intelligent hybrids. Necessity is the mother of invention, and increasingly stringent CO2 emissions targets imposed by governments are making car makers ever more resourceful in their quest to cut emissions. The fact that CO2 emissions are not the bad guy – that’s NOx and particulate emissions – means the environmental benefits are not a panacea for a better climate, but benefits from new technology are nonetheless real.

Honda cutting production in Swindon again – 500 jobs at risk

Honda is cutting another 500 jobs in Swindon It’s only a year since Honda announced 800 job cuts at Swindon (which eventually was 550) and now they’re about to cut a further 500 as weak demand – particularly in Europe – sees the Swindon plant producing just half the cars it could. The plan is to cut shifts from 3 to 2 a day, which will result in the loss of 340 permanent jobs and 160 temporary ones, and production will be centred on just one production line to increase efficiency and flexibility. The Swindon Plant – which builds the Civic, Civic Tourer, CR-V and Jazz (and the Civic Type-R from next year) – has been hard hit by the slump in European sales in the last five years and, despite still strong UK sales, production levels of 120,000 cars a year – just half of the Swindon capacity – are not enough to sustain the current staffing levels.