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Toyota's plug-in hybrid gets the OK for road tests in Japan

Toyota already dominates the hybrid market with more than a million of the vehicles sold over the past decade.

Now, it has developed a new type of hybrid that plugs into a home electrical socket for a longer ride as an electric car, raising the stakes in the race to develop more energy efficient, according to USA Today.

Posted by   at 12:45 PM to Alternative fuels , Design , Environment , Fuel economy , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

GM expects 40% mileage boost on big SUV hybrids

General Motors says it now expects 40% better fuel economy in city driving from the gasoline-electric hybrid versions of its full-size SUVs than their gasoline-only counterparts, giving the hybrid Chevrolet Tahoes and GMC Yukons 19 or 20 miles a gallon in stop-and-go driving, according to USA Today.

That's up from earlier forecasts of a 25% improvement and would give the big SUVs better mileage than some mid- and full-size, gasoline-power family sedans. It also would be better than so-called crossover SUVs that are stealing sales from truck-based SUVs such as Tahoe because crossovers typically use less fuel.

Posted by   at 12:41 PM to Alternative fuels , Design , Environment , Fuel economy , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Labor talks may tiptoe around jobs bank

To many outside the auto industry, getting rid of the so-called jobs bank — a job-security program that continues to pay union workers almost their entire salaries even if there isn't work for them — seems like a no-brainer.

But as talks on new contracts open between the Detroit automakers and their biggest union, the United Auto Workers, it appears the jobs bank may not be a negotiating issue this time around, according to USA Today.

The automakers are focused on slashing health care costs, and the union has made it clear that job security is not something it will give up easily.

Posted by   at 12:39 PM to Unions | Permalink | Comments 0