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Honda appears finally to have learned how to play in the hybrid game. Simply putting a hybrid powertrain in a regular car doesn't cut it. If a carmaker wants to be taken seriously, it had better deliver a hybrid that looks like what the market has said it wants a hybrid to look like. And that, apparently, given the sales numbers, is a Toyota Prius. Hence, the all-new, Honda Insight is virtually a carbon copy of that market leader.

BMW debuted their M1 Hommage Concept at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este earlier this year to celebrate the 13^th birthday of the legendry M1.  This sleek mid-engine sports car had obvious styling cues from the original M1, with a modern touch of flare.Rumors have surfaced that BMW is now working on a production model based on the M1 Hommage, and the most exciting portion of those rumors are around the drivetrain. 

The BMW Group will be the world's first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The MINI E will be powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox nearly without a sound and entirely free of emissions. Specially engineered for automobile use, the battery technology will have a range of more than 240 kilometers, or 150 miles. The MINI E will initially be made available to select private and corporate customers as part of a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey. The possibility of offering the MINI E in Europe as well is currently being considered. The MINI E will give its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19 and 20, 2008.

The MINI E's electric drive train produces a peak torque of 220 Newton meters, delivering seamless acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 152 km/h (95 mph). Featuring a suspension system tuned to match its weight distribution, the MINI E sports the brand's hallmark agility and outstanding handling.

When Lexus debuted their LS600h, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before the "big German luxury companies", namely Mercedes Benz and BMW, would show their hand.  BMW decided that the Paris Motor Show would be the prime location to debut their offering, and they did so in the form of the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid.  Many expected BMW to use a similar setup to that found in General Motors' hybrid SUVs, but they have gone with a far less fuel efficient, yet far more powerful option.

Since the Volt concept debuted, there has been much speculation as to what, if anything, we would see from Chevrolet with the Volt as far as a production model.  At first, many were skeptical that the unique vehicle would ever see the showroom, but with rising fuel prices and a now-booming market based around alternative powered vehicles, the electric Volt isn't that unusual.  However, the sharp, sporty angles of the Volt Concept had many people excited, as the current super-efficient hybrid models like the Toyota Prius obviously paid for more attention to economy than to style.