Hybrids

Having driven the Tesla Model S myself, I definitely think the car lives up to the hype, especially in the P85 version. It’s fast, beautifully designed, spacious, and eco-conscious. In fact, the guys at Consumer Reports called it the best car they’ve ever driven.

The BMW i8 is a stunning example of what can be done with hybrid technology. And BMW’s new sports coupe is now available for order in the United States. But if you want to be the first U.S.

In the past few months, BMW has brought to the market two new cars that are arguably the most innovative production cars of the past year: the compact, pure-electric BMW i3 and the very capable plug-in hybrid BMW i8.

The venerable Nürburgring Nordschleife is where car companies go to prove their worth on the track, with manufacturers competing to set records in each category of vehicle. So Toyota brought their latest Prius Plug-in hybrid to the 13 mile track to set a record that wasn’t about speed but was focused on efficiency.

BMW’s new ConnectedDrive system is BMW’s newest generation of in-car infotainment systems, providing apps and smartphone integration that essentially turn your car into a smartcar. BMW is showcasing ConnectedDrive’s capabilities in this latest ad for their hybrid sports car, the BMW i8 while also showing just how easy it is to own and operate the plug-in hybrid as a daily driver.

Subaru showed off their latest concept 4-door SUV at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed the “Viziv 2”, the concept is designed with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain using a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine combined with one front and two rear electric motors and all-wheel drive system.

Car companies maintain a wide variety of methods for testing out the driving characteristics of their cars. While an actual race track is probably the best way to go hands-on with a car, sometimes vehicles aren’t yet ready to be driven, or weather conditions prevent testing.

In an attempt to change minds about what it means to be a hybrid car, the skunkworks Toyota Engineering Society recently showed off this unusual concept vehicle, which combines the sporty elements of Toyota’s MR2 roadster with the eco-consciousness of the Toyota Prius.