One of the drivers of the high cost of fuel cells right now is the need for platinum as a catalyst material. At the current price of just shy of $1,100 per ounce, the 100g of platinum required by a 100kW fuel cell accounts for about $3,500 of the…

Lexus GS 450h – Click above for high-res image gallery
It looks like Lexus is planning to go to both extremes on the green-performance continuum. When the next-generation IS appears in a couple of years, it will likely add a hybrid powertrain option.…

The new 2010 Toyota Prius will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next January along with a Lexus badged derivative. When the third (or fourth depending on whether you count the original U.S. model as a second gen) Prius debuts it will retain the…

The team at Hybrid Technologies has struck again this time with a motorcycle converted to run on lithium ion batteries. The Stealth, as they call it, is a cruiser style and has a top speed of 50 mph. Performance is apparently comparable to a 500cc…

Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery
Montreal-based Communauto was the first car sharing company in North America and it hopes to be one of the first to offer the Nissan Leaf to its members. The car sharing service will be adding 50…

At the 2006 Geneva Motor Show Land Rover displayed a platform concept for a hybrid drive system that they called Land_e. Later this year Land Rover will unveil a drivable prototype using the system shown on the Land_e. The Land_e was a four wheel…

Don't hold your breath for an electric Scion iQ anytime soon. Toyota executives are certainly good at sticking to the company line. Toyota officials have repeatedly downplayed the potential for pure battery electric vehicles and Yoshimi Inaba is no…

With all the attention that General Motors has gotten since the introduction of the Chevy Volt concept in January at the Detroit Auto Show, they have decided that they need to actually do more work in the area. So now they're looking for up to 400…

Generally speaking, most of the feedback that modern cars provide to drivers still comes via visual warning lamps or audible alerts. But what if the driver isn't looking at those warning lamps or is hearing impaired?
Perhaps we should ask video…

BMW microNavigation – Click above for high-res image gallery
That ultra-expensive in-dash navigation system can be a huge help when finding a destination in an unfamiliar area. Unfortunately, if you're just a visitor, it might not be clear where to…