Get info about new reports and updates
- Introduction{2 mentions}{1 mention}{1 mention}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{1 mention}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{1 mention}
- Best Hybrid Cars{2 mentions}{4 mentions}{3 mentions}{3 mentions}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{3 mentions}{1 mention}{1 mention}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{1 mention}{4 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}{2 mentions}
- Useful Links
- Our Sources
Hybrid car recalls
Find recall information at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
Recent hybrid recalls include the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2010 Lexus LS 600h and the 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid. Recalls are issued by NHTSA when it determines that a given issue is present in multiple vehicles of the same year and type that may in some way affect the performance or safety that a vehicle should provide. Automakers provide remedies to these issues at no cost. It is always a good idea to check for recalls before purchasing and while owning any vehicle.
Hybrid car links and resources
Many economy cars cost less than hybrids and achieve impressive fuel economy. See our report on economy cars for more examples and information. Other advanced technologies that may play a role in future environmentally friendly cars include hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric vehicles (EVs), clean diesel and alternative fuels like natural gas, ethanol and biodiesel. For those interested in learning more about hybrid cars and their technology, here are some good links.
Two excellent starting points are HybridCars.com and GreenCar.com.
Also, see our full reports on the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Nissan Leaf, two EV vehicles that are now available.
Several well-known automotive magazines and websites have launched sites or sections focused on green autos. Automobile magazine's Green Car Guide, CanadianDriver.com's Green Scene and AutoblogGreen.com (a spinoff site of Autoblog.com) cover the latest industry news and information, as well as carrying original editorial content and vehicle reviews. Cars.com's Kicking Tires blog and Edmunds.com's Green Car Advisor blog also cover hybrid and alt-fuel news.
In "The Tech Choice is Yours," Road & Track's engineering editor, Dennis Simanaitis, discusses the pros and cons of a variety of current and future automotive technologies, including hybrids, diesels, fuel cells and EVs.
The FuelEconomy.gov website contains Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage estimates and information on tax incentives for hybrid and diesel cars. A special section covers hybrids exclusively.
The EPA offers a green vehicle guide that helps consumers choose the most environmentally friendly vehicle available that meets their needs. Users can look up a specific vehicle or search by type or efficiency.
The best articles that compare the operating costs of driving a hybrid versus a conventional gas-powered car are from ConsumerReports.org, Edmunds.com and CarGurus.com. The ConsumerReports.org article concludes that some hybrids models are relatively good values for typical ownership lengths, while Edmunds.com and CarGurus.com conclude that hybrids don't save their owners money in most cases.
ConsumerReports.org maintains a blog on cars and alternative fuels that has some interesting information and current news, and it is available to everyone, not just subscribers.
Technology review site CNET has a useful green car buying guide, as well as an archive of its plentiful automotive reviews. Some reviews include comparative information.
About.com's alternative fuels guide links to news, reviews and articles relating to hybrid cars, technology, legislation and more. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Fans of the sales champion Toyota Prius will find loads of model-specific information at the AllAboutPrius.com blog, which has useful news and reviews as well as a photo and video gallery.