Back at it again, the Ford Fusion Hybrid has won yet another award.  Add this new one to the list which includes the vehicles recent selection as Car and Driver’s 10 Best.  The newest award presented to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the 2010 Earth, Wind, & Power Award for green car of the year.

The Fusion was chosen for the award for numerous reasons.  Ford’s ability to offer a hybrid vehicle for sale nationwide at a base price of just $27,625 is one reason as is the Fusion’s gas mileage ratings of 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.  The Fusion Hybrid is also the first American hybrid able to fully move under electric power alone.  Yes, the Escape Hybrid can also move under electric power, but it losses that ability with the A/C on making it partially able to move under electric power.

As has been stated before, the Fusion Hybrid ins its share of awards not for being a hybrid, but for being an all around vehicle.  It offers sporty driving characteristics, room for five, high quality materials, good gas mileage, and does so in a familiar package that buyers like.

For Ford, few competitors exist that can challenge the Fusion Hybrid.  Competition comes from the Nissan Altima Hybrid which is only available in select states, the Toyota Camry hybrid, which lacks the fun to drive quotient of the Fusion, and possibly the Toyota Prius, which lacks mainstream appeal due to its dedicated hybrid design and lacks the performance aspect that the Fusion has.

Congrats to Ford once again for its efforts on the Ford Fusion Hybrid.

SOURCE: All Cars Electric

With nearly all gas-electric hybrid cars qualifying for the Cash for Clunkers vouchers, hybrid sales in July grew to 3.55 percent of the new car market—its largest market share ever. New car dealers sold 35,429 hybrids, with more than half of the sales coming from the Toyota Prius.

Hybrid sales jumped by 35 percent in July compared with last month and a year ago—while sales of conventional new vehicles rose 15.4 percent for the month and were down 13 percent from July 2008.

Toyota sold 19,193 Priuses, making it one of America’s best sellers in July. Prius sales rose by 47.5 percent for the month and were up 29.7 percent from July 2008.

On a unit basis, April 2008 was the biggest month for hybrid sales, when 40,198 hybrids were sold. But July 2008 represents the largest market share for hybrids, considering the reduced size of the overall vehicle market.

Other big sellers in July were the Lexus RX450, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Ford Fusion and Ford Escape Hybrid. Sales of the Ford Escape Hybrid increased by 80 percent compared to June, and more than doubled from July 2008.

Unfortunately, Honda and General Motors did not enjoy the bump in hybrid sales. While the 2010 Honda Insight rose by a mild 10.4 percent, the Honda Civic Hybrid dropped by 38.8 percent compared to last month. The combined sales of seven hybrids from General Motors increased by just 2.3 percent from June.

SOURCE: Hybrid Cars

The 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid is still one of Toyota’s best selling cars. Camry Hybrid has a starting price of $26,150 and can deliver up to 34 miles per gallon. Camry is unique with its new green technology that can deliver better than average fuel economy, according to NADA’s Fast Facts.

Toyota Camry achieves over 10 mpg above its gas-powered automobiles and has a 0 percent emission rating. The Camry hybrid comes equipped with luxury features found in Toyota’s top-of-the-line XLE model. The vehicle has proven reliability and is still a best-seller.

Fuel economy should be the main reason to buy a hybrid vehicle. Some hybrids offer up to 40 mpg, but make sure you check the specs on what you’re buying. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is reliable and the price is worth the savings in gas.

If gas prices were to go up to $3.96, which most analysts predict, you will be saving $1,746 each year on fuel. If fuel prices rise again, as they did in 2008, Toyota Camry owners will be saving more each year. There are also government tax credits, although most have expired (check with your tax planner or the IRS for additional information).

New car owners are encouraged to adopt new driving habits, which will also increase mileage for the Camry hybrid. Some of these driving techniques include coasting to red lights or stop signs, instead of immediately braking, and slowly accelerating after completing a full stop. Camry drivers should also keep the windows rolled up while driving on highways in an effort to make use of the vehicle’s aerodynamic technology.

SOURCE: News Oxy

Toyota have previewed the Toyota Camry Hybrid that will be assembled in Thailand. The Thai-assembled Camry Hybrid will be the first Camry Hybrid to be based on the Aurion-based Camry body. Currently the Camry Hybrid sold in countries such as the US are based on the JDM Camry, which to me looks more funky and sporty, somewhat like an overgrown Altis.

As the Camry sold in Thailand and the rest of the ASEAN region are based on the Australian Toyota Aurion, it only makes sense that Toyota bases the Thai Camry Hybrid on the Aurion body. The Thai assembled Toyota Camry Hybrid features its own front grille and rear tail lamp design as well as a front bumper that looks similiar to the one found on the facelifted Toyota Camry, but with some differences in the fog lamp area.

The Australian-assembled Camry Hybrid will likely continue to be based on the JDM Camry body, as indicated by the Toyota HC-CV Hybrid Camry Concept displayed at the 2009 Melbourne Auto Show.

Toyota Motor Thailand president Mitsuhiro Sonoda says the Camry Hybrid will be priced quite closely to exiting petrol-powered Camry models in Thailand, predicting a premium of not more than 100,000 Thai baht. This is because the Camry Hybrid is subject to an excise duty of only 10% instead of 35% in Thailand.

Since a top of the line Camry 2.4 can go for over 1.7 million Thai baht (it starts from about 1.5 million for the cheaper 2.4G), the Camry Hybrid would likely be priced at about 1.8 million Thai baht. I don’t think he was referring to the 3.5Q which retails for nearly 3 million Thai Baht.

The warranty for the Toyota Camry Hybrid will also be extended to 5 years or 150,000km, which is longer than the regular 3 year warranty that you get with Toyota cars there. This is to help ease public acceptance of the relatively new technology which many fear will be expensive to maintain once the warranty period ends. Toyota has also partnered with insurance firms there to offer the same premiums as the regular models despite the Camry hybrid having more expensive parts.

I am not sure whether the Thai Camry Hybrid will share the same hybrid powertrain as the US market Camry with different styling, but under the US car’s hood is the 2.4 liter Atkinson cycle 2AZ-FXE engine producing 147 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 187Nm of torque at 4,400rpm, paired to a 30kW (40 horses) electric motor with 270Nm of torque. These two are combined and send power to the front wheels via an E-CVT transmission. The Thai Camry Hybrid should use something similiar.

SOURCE: PaulTan.org

Denny Hamlin didn’t break 110 mph Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but he still was impressed with a car whose speed pales in comparison to that of his Sprint Cup ride.

“I thought it wouldn’t take off as well as a combustion engine,” Hamlin said after about an hour making laps in a 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid that will pace the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 at the 1.5-mile oval. “The pickup was surprising; I’m amazed it takes off as good as anything.”

Acceleration was an important feature in winning approval for the vehicle, which will become the first hybrid used as a pace car for the duration of a Cup event (a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid led the field to the green flag in the 2008 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway before yielding to a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport).

From a standing start at the pit exit in Turn 1, the 187-horsepower, four-cylinder Camry (which wasn’t modified from the street model that retails for about $33,000 and gets an EPA-estimated 33 miles a gallon) had to reach 100 mph by the exit of Turn 2 to satisfy NASCAR’s standards for pacing the 600-mile event, the longest on the 36-race Cup schedule.

Ed Laukes, manager for motor sports marketing at Toyota Motor Sales USA, said the approval process took about a year and included an on-track test Toyota passed with flying colors.

Hybrids have competed in the American Le Mans Series. Laukes said Toyota has interest in eventually racing them in NASCAR.

“I know it’s a ways away, but I wouldn’t be surprised down the road sometime if there’s hybrid technology in a race,” he said.

Hamlin, whose Lowe’s appearance was timed to coincide with today’s celebration of Earth Day, plans on his next personal car being a Lexus hybrid (“it’s smooth and quiet and everything I look for in a daily driver”) but would prefer to remain behind the wheel of an internal-combustion-powered car when driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“For an everyday street car, it’s not as important, but race fans still love the sounds and noise of a combustion engine,” Hamlin said. “I’d prefer a stock car in knowing how exciting it is to hear the engine roar, but I think NASCAR drivers are embracing the green outlook of hybrids.”

Toyota, which has sold more than 1 million hybrids in the USA, is hoping NASCAR fans will embrace hybrids through its marketing of the pace car, which also will appear at Infineon Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Martinsville Speedway and in the Oct. 17 race at Lowe’s. The car used in the 600 will be given to a fan who finds a “golden can” of Coca-Cola Classic.

“There’s stodginess about hybrid technology among the public that we’re trying to erase,” Laukes said. “This is a way for us to demonstrate the hybrid used on the track is the exact same car you can buy at a showroom.”

SOURCE: USA Today