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REPORT: Japan could require hybrids to emit sound
2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery Now that hybrid cars have taken the top sales spots in Japan for the last few months, that country's Transport Ministry is reportedly launching an investigation to determine if it's wise to require hybrid automobiles to emit an artificial sound when operating with the internal combustion switched off. The thinking is that hybrids may be more dangerous to the blind due to their quiet operation under electric power. According to an unnamed official, the government's 13-member panel ... Read more →
REPORT: Suzuki CEO denies talks with VW amidst tie-up rumors Jeremy Korzeniewski
Suzuki Alto Lapin - Click above for high-res image gallery Hear about those reports last week of a potential tie-up between Suzuki and Volkswagen for microcar development? Osamu Suzuki, Chief ...
REPORT: Volkswagen considering stake in Suzuki for micro-car alliance Jeremy Korzeniewski
Suzuki Alto Lapin - Click above for high-res gallery According to reports from Reuters and Manager Magazin in Germany, Volkswagen is keen to purchase a 10 percent stake in Suzuki in order to ...
REPORT: S. Korea targeting Japanese li-ion products Sebastian Blanco
Mitsubishi i MiEV - Click above for high-res image gallery The long-simmering confrontation between South Korea and Japan has affected all sorts of relationships between the two countries. While ...
Incentives: How Japan and the U.S. create different green car markets Jeremy Korzeniewski
For the last two months in Japan, hybrid vehicles from either Honda or Toyota have actually managed to outsell all other vehicles, regardless of what's powering them. Here in the States, though, ...
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New Mazda Axela (Mazda3) with start/stop now on sale in Japan 22 days ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Mazda3 - Click above for high-res image gallery The all new Mazda Axela (aka the Mazda3) went on sale in Japan today, and the automaker hopes to sell 2,000 of the "eco-sports" car a month. As expected, all new 2.0-liter front-wheel-drive 3s get stop-start technology (which Mazda calls ...
Toyota Industries will sell electric car charging stations this summer 25 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Toyota officials in the U.S. may express public skepticism over market prospects for plug-in vehicles, but that doesn't mean the company isn't working on related technology. The latest batch of plug-in hybrid Priuses will arrive late this year and Toyota showed a conceptual battery powered version ...
On your mark... Subaru starts up Stella EV production 27 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Subaru Stella EV - Click above for gallery Mitsubishi made history this past week by being the first major automaker to begin series production of an electric car, the i MiEV. Subaru didn't want its rival to get all the media love, and it immediately announced that it, too, had begun making the ...
Mitsubishi launches production of the iMiEV 29 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Mitsubishi i MiEV - click above for high-res image gallery Mitsubishi launched series production of its iMiEV electric car today at its Okayama, Japan factory. Mitsubishi is the first of the major automakers to kick off full scale production of a new EV and will be followed by most other ...
Toyota to lease 200 PHEV Priuses in Japan starting in late 2009 29 days ago on AutoblogGreen
They won't look like the second-generation Prius plug-in pictured above, but Toyota has announced the first of its non-European leasing programs for its new PHEV (see here). Starting late this year Toyota will start leasing 200 plug-capable Priuses to government and commercial fleets in Japan. A ...
REPORT: Subaru to launch diesel cars in Japan in 2011 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
The Japanese market has never been particularly fond of diesel cars, but Subaru is getting ready to try anyway. Subaru launched its first diesel boxer engine in Europe in 2008 and so far has sold over 30,000 examples. The diesel accounts for 54.1 percent of Legacy sales in Europe right now. With ...
$15,600 the sweet spot for electric cars in Japan 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Mitsubishi i-MiEV sport - Click image above for a high-res gallery It's a hard target to hit, but if full-speed electric cars were available today for 1.5 million yen (about $15,600), most average Japanese car buyers would be willing to shell out the money to get one. A new Reuters survey of 882 ...
Toyota announces world's first diesel-electric hybrid forklift 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
There are some who believe that the Holy Grail of fuel-saving technology could potentially be diesel-electric hybrids, and the idea certainly isn't without merit. After all, diesel engines are inherently more efficient than their gasoline-swilling siblings, so there's the potential for even higher ...
VIDEO: Superman loves new 2010 Toyota Prius 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Superman and the 2010 Toyota Prius - Click above to watch the video after the break Apparently, even the Man of Steel wants to save on gas by purchasing a hybrid car. According to a set of pictures snapped by Danny Choo at a shopping mall in Yokosuka, Toyota is using Superman as a spokesperson ...
Mazda delivers first Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid (Iwatani Corporation version) A little while ago we told you that Mazda had begun taking orders for its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Well, today they delivered the first one to a Japanese energy company, Iwatani Corporation. As we told you before, the Mazda ...
Nissan Japan says green car orders jumped 30 percent in May 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Following the lead of many other countries, the Japanese government recently decided to try and boost sales of green cars with a tax reduction. While the definition of a green car varies, the idea behind the tax rewrite was to promote cars that consume less fuel. In Nissan's case, it also ...
Toyota unleashes 2010 Prius Modellista aero kits 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Toyota Prius Modellista kits - Click above for an image gallery To coincide with the official launch of the 2010 Toyota Prius in its home market of Japan, the automaker has unleashed a whole slew of styling and performance upgrades through Modellista, its in-house tuning arm. There are ...
Toyota releases new EX-grade second-gen Prius in Japan 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Sometime in early 2008, about when it became clear that Honda was planning to price its then upcoming Insight hybrid very aggressively, rumors began to circulate that following the release of the redesigned third-gen Prius, Toyota might continue selling a de-contented second-generation version in ...
VIDEO: Better Place battery swapper demonstrated 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Project Better Place battery swap - Click above for a hi-res image gallery One minute, 13 seconds. That's how long it took for the whiz-bang battery switcher engineered by Better Place to remove a battery from the undercarriage of its Nissan demonstration SUV and replace it with another. That's ...
Toyota cranking up Prius production to meet early demand in Japan 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Toyota Prius - click above for a high-res gallery Apparently, the Honda Insight isn't the only new hybrid stimulating strong early demand in Japan. Toyota is responding to over 40,000 orders received in the first three weeks of April for the 2010 Prius by increasing production rates. Toyota ...
eBay find of the day: right-hand drive RAV4 EV 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
How's this for self-promotion? AutoblogGreen reader Anthony B. sent us this tip about an all-electric Toyota RAV4 EV that's up for sale on eBay - and why not? It's his car. This 1999 RAV4 is a bit different than the other ones we've mentioned before because it's in Japan. Oh, and it's right-hand ...
Subaru begins testing final-spec Stella electric vehicle in Japan 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Subaru Stella EV - Click above for gallery Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company and maker of Subaru automobiles, is ready to begin testing prototype versions of the Stella electric vehicle in Japan. The EV is based on the production version of the gas-powered Stella, which is a small kei-sized ...
Yamaha tests golf cart powered with cow dung 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
What can you do with cow dung? We can think of at least one green car option: transform it into biomethane and use the gas to power a golf cart. This is what the engineers at Yamaha in Katori, in Chiba Prefecture. Osaka Gas Co. provided the methane at a low cost. It was then stored in a special tank ...
Japan considering $3,000 incentives for hybrid and EV buyers 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Just as they have in most other countries, car sales in Japan have gone in the dumpster. Now, the Japanese government is considering new incentives to at least stimulate sales of greener cars. The new program would provide cash back ranging from $1,000-3,000 depending what is purchased. Buyers of ...
Toyota nearly matches price of Honda Insight with new 2010 Prius in Japan 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius The hybrid pricing wars in Japan appear to be heating up very rapidly. According to a report on AutoWeek, Toyota is planning to nearly match the price of Honda's latest Insight with its brand new 2010 Prius, setting a base price of ...
New Japanese tax breaks prompt Nissan to add ECO series 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
click above for a high res gallery of the Nissan Cube New tax breaks for vehicles that exceed the 2010 Japanese fuel efficiency standards by a significant amount have prompted Nissan to create a range of ECO series models. Exceeding the standards by at least 15 percent gets the buyer a 50 ...
Scarpina electric scooter shown off in Japan 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
A company called Auto EV Japan is planning to release a new electric scooter this May in Japan. A number of different versions of the Scarpina will be offered, including models with both 2 and 3 wheels. It appears as if the three-wheeled units use a suspension design very similar to the one that ...
Toyota Prius price lowered in Japan to match Honda Insight 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
2009 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res gallery We knew that Toyota was planning to keep the current Prius around for a little while longer to properly do battle with the new Honda Insight, which costs a few thousand dollars (or a few million yen) less. We assumed that Toyota would at ...
Enter the Rumormill: cheaper Prius on the way? 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius The success that Honda has had with its new Insight has surely caught the attention of Toyota, its chief rival in the hybrid vehicle games. In its home market of Japan, Honda sold 18,000 Insight hybrids in its first month on sale. This ...
VIDEO: i MiEVs flog Mitsubishi's Drive@earth message 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Mitsubishi has wasted no time putting their two newest variations on the i MiEV theme to work. Both the global prototype and the Sport Air electric cars which debuted last week at the Geneva Motor Show can now lay claim to celluloidal stardom as they each get their own short video with the ...
Geneva 2009: Infiniti Essence packs powerful, eco-friendly presence 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Infiniti Essence Concept One of the hands-down sexiest cars at this years edition of the Geneva Motor Show was touting some green credentials beneath its curvaceous metal skin. The Infiniti Essence concept, meant to signify the, well, essence of all that ...
Toyota will sell second-gen Priuses alongside 2010 models in Japan, not in U.S. 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius We've finally gotten some official confirmation from Toyota about the sell-two-Prius-models-at-once strategy we've heard so much about. During a recent media event where we drove the next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius (sorry, we can't say much ...
Nissan tests the hydrogen-powered FCV in extreme weather 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Those of you living in cold places might be concerned, with reason, about the performance of certain vehicles in winter. Nissan announced that the X-Trail FCV is currently being tested in facilities near Hokkaido, Japan. Tests started last year and now it was time for tests in cold weather. The ...
Japanese market to get Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid in October 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click the S400 for a high res gallery Aside from the United States, the biggest market for hybrid vehicles so far has been Japan. As a result, the Japanese won't have to wait too long to get their hands on the first series production Mercedes-Benz hybrid. The S400 BlueHybrid launches in Europe ...
Honda Insight handily outselling projections in Japan 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Honda Insight So far, all indications are that Honda has got a hit on its corporate hands in the form of its new Insight hybrid hatchback. The automaker had been hoping to get 5,000 orders per month in its home market of Japan for the new Insight, but ...
Electric Subaru Stella poised to leap over ankle-high sales target 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
To paraphrase Pamela Anderson (I believe that's a first for ABG), "It's great being a plug-in Stella - with such low sales expectations it's easy to impress." So, extremely impressed we are that the kei-sized city electric is poised to clobber its underwhelming sales target of 100 units set for it ...
