All the News, Reviews, Guides and Reports on Electric Cars

In recent years, the State of California has become the unofficial capital of plug-in hybrid technology. But proposed certification standards from the California Air Resource Board (CARB) could create an obstacle for small companies selling plug-in hybrid conversion kits.

If you’re excited enough about plug-in hybrids to start shopping for one, you may need to reset your expectations. Despite all the media attention about plug-in hybrids, it’s still not yet possible for an individual consumer to buy one. In the meantime, there are a growing number of companies that will convert your plain-old hybrid into a plug-in hybrid. Check out our updated list of conversion companies.

By most accounts, Nissan missed the ball on hybrids. Today, the company has a single hybrid car available to consumers, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, but it’s only offered in eight states. But the company is looking very determined to make up for lost time. This week, Nissan gave journalists a glimpse of how its first dedicated hybrid-specific vehicle might work.

Lotus, the British performance carmaker, Lotus, has introduced a new device that makes hybrid cars louder. Since hybrid cars first hit the market, concerns have been raised about the potential risk who may not hear hybrids in a cross-walk.

The cover story of the current issue of IEEE Spectrum is a profile of Denise Gray, the GM executive in charge of making sure that the Volt’s battery packs are delivered—on time, in adequate quantities, at an acceptable cost. That could be the most critical role for the project.

Kicking off what campaign advisors have dubbed "energy week," Barack Obama today called for an "end to the age of oil in our time." He backed up his trademark optimism with the most dramatic auto technology proposals of the 2008 campaign cycle. Obama said he hopes to see 1 million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

The size, shape, and primary attributes of a 2018 model American car will bear little resemblance to today's vehicles. The most visible signs of a car revolution already in the works can be seen today in the shift from large SUVs and trucks to small cars—and the growing popularity of gas-electric hybrids. But there's something more transformative at play. By 2018, the American love affair with the car will become platonic.

Last week, former Intel CEO Andy Grove called for a massive effort to put 10 million plug-in hybrids on the roads in the next four years. His plan is simple: Harness the ingenuity of America’s entrepreneurs to convert a sizable chunk of America’s existing non-hybrid gas guzzlers to plug-in hybrids. Groves comments illustrated how an expert in one industry can reveal himself as a novice in another.

Europeans are far ahead of North Americans in eco-awareness, and it’s most evident at auto shows. This year’s London show, July 23 to August 3, is a perfect example; despite the UK’s traditional abundance of small supercar-makers and its luxury brands, the popular market seems now to be all about green cars—specifically those with low carbon emissions, or electric cars with no emissions at all.

Speaking at the Plug-in 2008 conference in San Jose, Calif., Andy Grove, former Chairman & CEO, Intel Corporation, added his voice to the chorus of government and business leaders calling for electricity-powered vehicles and the mass deployment of plug-in hybrids. HybridCars.com spoke with Jon Lauckner, who is leading General Motors' effort to launch the Chevy Volt, about what it will take to turn such a plan into reality.