Aside from the development and production of the two environmentally-friendly lines of vehicles, the GM plant will also open up at least 2000 jobs for plenty of qualified American assembly workers. Because of the pending projects, economic experts also foresee more employment opportunities coming from service providers and domestic parts providers.

The Fisker projects are also set to contribute to reduced carbon emmicions and cleaner air. According to Secretary Chu, the release of these hybrid cars should put the production of American environmentally-friendly vehicles at the forefront of automotive design and production.

Initially, the money from the loan will be used by Fisker for qualifying engineering costs. This will be conducted in Irvine California, with the engineers designing tools and equipment and working on efficient manufacturing processes. The Karma should hit the showrooms in 2010, with the Project Nina hitting the assembly lines by late 2012.

These Fisker cars will run on electric engines which get their power from rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. Once the power is depleted, the car will then use and efficient, gas-powered engine.

Both lines of hybrid vehicles will have an all-electric tailpipe, emission free range of forty to fifty miles when they’re fully charged. The cars can be conveniently charged at home, and the production of these vehicles is set to reduce America’s dependence on oil.

The Ray embodies the direction Kia wants to take towards fluid design lines and efficiency which is the current name of the game in the automotive industry.

The concept car Ray represents the future line of Kia under its sub-brand that will be called EcoDynamics. The EcoDynamics badge will represent sporty designs, use of low emission systems, and excellent fuel efficiency.

The Kia Ray will be using a 153 hp 1.4L engine coupled with a 78 kW electric motor.

The Kia Ray makes use of recycled and lightweight components with a full glass roofing which uses solar cells to power the car’s accessories. The body of the car also use cool-glazing substances to keep the energy demand for cooling the interior low.

The aerodynamic design of the car makes use of some tricks to reduce the drag of this amazing new Kia Car. The car has a very low roofline, underbody panel to take car of the flow of air under the vehicle, and a high deck on the rear to further reduce drag. It has an excellent drag coefficient of 0.25.

The car’s headlight also slides back into a housing to give way to extra air intakes to help with the cooling of the engine. The green car also makes use of motion detectors in place of side mirrors.

Looking at the 2012 Ford Focus, one might say that it just looks like an oversized 2011 Ford Fiesta but looking at the specs of the car, you will say it can stand on its own.

The Ford Focus a similar broad shoulder look following the company’s “kinetic design”. The numbers show though that it is longer than the Fiesta and has a much lower rear.

It seems that the car maker is taking its commitment of best in class mileage. The 2012 Focus, according to insiders, can boast of an impressive fuel mileage for a compact.

The official numbers of how it consumes fuel are not yet out but experts say that the 2012 Focus has a most efficient version that can hit 30mpg on city driving and 40mpg while cruising on highway. The numbers are excellent since they are at par with the numbers of the 2011 Fiesta which is really a class smaller than the Focus.

If the numbers are precise, the 2012 Ford Focus will be 6 mpg better than the other cars of its class.

The unit in display at the Detroit Auto Show had a 2.0L direct injected which can output 155 horsepower and about 145 lb-ft of torque. An Ecoboost turbocharged version might also come out. The engine will be paired with an impressive six speed automatic transmission with dual clutch. The car maker coins the feature as a PowerShift which uses technology found in high end cars like Porsche.

Ford is also set to release Focus Electric. This will come out as a 2013 model. More Ford news at Ford Car Talk.

The GM facility that seized operation last summer used to produce the Saturn Sky, Opel GT, and the Pontiac Solstice. These models were killed this year as the company went into restructuring through bankruptcy.

Fisker comes up as one of the high-profile start up car manufacturers developing electric vehicles. The other player is Tesla.

Fisker unveiled the 2010 Karma sports sedan during the 2008 motor show in Detroit. The deliveries of these aggressive rides will start by May. The Fisker Karma will compete with the Model S of Tesla which is due for release in 2012.

With the low interest grants from the federal government, Fisker will be spending most of the funds to fuel Project Nina and come up with the infrastructure needed for its assembly.

The Project Nina is expected to be priced at the $48,000 line and it also qualifies for the tax credit since it is an electric vehicle. The production of Fisker is set to reach 100,000 units every year.

The Fisker team will still do their designs and engineering at their Pontiac, Michigan plant although their main office is in Irvine, California.

The CEO of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, tries to convince everyone that it might not be the picture of the near future. Automakers recently had a convention in Michigan to discuss the future of the industry including the upcoming technologies and vehicles.

During the briefing, the spotlight was on the hybrids from GM and also on the EV being developed by Nissan. A lot of car manufacturers hinted that they are also developing their own electric vehicles but none of them believed that EVs will dominate the market anytime soon.

The forecast of the Nissan topman suggests that EVs will get a small chunk of the global car industry with 10% of sales in a matter 10 years. Through that time period further engine technologies and possibilities will be enhanced or be developed.

Product development though of car makers is still on hybrids, diesels, and the usual gas run engines. No one denies though that EVs will get a foothold into the market. So for now, Nissan and other car makers will sell what can sell and continue to experiment and perfect their EV concepts.

The all electric vehicle will have the same name as its V8 engined brother but will have 525hp from the corner mounted electric motors instead of the 571hp of the SLS AMG standard variant. The torque of the EV will be a good 650lb-ft.

The distribution of the engines to make the electric supercar an AWD vehicle makes distribution of power more efficiently. The power is distributed by two transmission systems with one hooked to each of the axle.

The supercar term does not only apply to it being a futuristic all electric vehicle. The SLS AMG also boasts of excellent driving performance. The car can zoom like its combustion engine counterpart and can blast from 0 to 100km/hr in a flat 4 seconds which is just 0.2 second off the V8 record.

The electric SLS AMG though needs to deal with some weight issues for the housing of the 48kWh 400V battery pack. Looking at the schematics of the V8 model, the battery will be placed on the area of the transmission tunnel for the electric car. The engine will also house other electronic components.

The body of the Gullwing will also be modified since the electric motor can be placed a bit lower so the center of gravity of the vehicle can be improved.

Mercedes Benz did not give a clear timeline for the development or the release of the all electric SLS AMG. It might be a few years before this supercar hits the road.

Being the coolest car worldwide, you will find that Tesla roadster’s speed is incredible at around 20 km an hour. With a speed as high like this anyone’s heart will surely skip a beat. Its ability to gain a speed of 60 mph in around 3.7 seconds will completely sway you off your feet. Tesla’s addition to the market, Roadster, is considered to be the best in electric sports car series. The body style of roadster is a 2 door with a fuel capacity of 53 kWh.

And the design of the car in some specific areas was formed in assistance with Lotus Cars. The designers of Tesla constructed the panel of the body by putting in use composites of carbon fiber to diminish its weight to minimum. This choice of the company makes this electric sports car take its position among the cars which are not really expensive.

If you are making a booking for renting a Tesla roadster in Las Vegas through the Internet, then it is best recommended to go through the terms as well conditions cautiously prior to verifying your registration. However, if it is over the telephonic conversation you are making your registration then know about all the restrictions from your agent. Ensure that you properly recognize the reservation’s conditions. To take preventions in case there in case the car breakdowns, ensure that the car rental company has coverage anywhere you go in Las Vegas.

So if you require wheels on your next visit to make your journey a refreshing change from the previous ones then renting a Tesla Roadster will be an ideal alternative. Get set and pack your bags to have a wonderful time in Las Vegas by rolling down the streets in Tesla Roadster and giving shape to your most coveted dreams.

A new report reveals that a hybrid LaCrosse is also in the works and may come soon. GM executives confirmed that there will be indeed a hybrid but they did not verify the exact time line of the project.

GM is working on coming up with hybrid technologies and the public may expect more detailed announcements from the marketing arm of Buick as the release date comes closer.

The announcement of the production of the hybrid LaCrosse comes after GM turns off its lights on the Malibu hybrid starting with the 2010 model.

The LaCrosse hybrid may be produced using a technology derived from the BAS+ hybrid system from the Malibu. The two hybrids will be sharing similar body parts and will be built in the same GM facility.

The Malibu was killed due to low sales performance. All eyes will be on the hybrid LaCrosse and how it can up the figures.

General Motors (Buick’s owner) is planning to make 14 hybrid vehicle models by 2012 and most likely the new variant of the Buick LaCrosse will be one of them.

The car manufacturer continues to look into alternative propulsion for their midsize units but is not on the stage of revealing any details about them.

Two Toyota Prius units were converted as hybrid cars running on a Hymotion L5 Plug-in Conversion Module designed by A123Systems. The module nestles nanophosphate Li-ion batteries which saves up on up to 100mpg of fuel consumption.

The hybrid Prius units can be electrically assisted for an average of 30 to 40 miles. These hybrid cars can be recharged for a short five hours through any 110V electric outlet.

The Hymotion L5 Plug-in Conversion Module by A123Systems cuts down the greenhouse gas of these hybrid Prius units by at least 50% compared to conventional Prius units. This is approximately 80% less compared to regular sedans. Further experiments and data collection will be done by the Department of Energy National Laboratories in Idaho.

The hybrid electric bucket trucks configured by International Durastar, on the other hand, showed up to 60% of fuel savings because of the module. These trucks can also run totally without diesel consumption, and solely depending on electric power. The two units have been assigned to Dominion Virginia offices in the north.

The power company uses 1.7 million gallons of soy-based biofuel on 783 trucks. The higher cost of biofuel, Dominion said, is offset by the vehicles’ fuel efficiency and minimized maintenance requirements for the engines.

Dominion Virginia Power generates up to 27,000 megawatts of power annually. It serves retail power consumers in 12 states.

Tazzari Zero NEV is a vehicle that is revved up with a lithium ion battery. It is capable of giving out an amazing driving range of 88 miles (141 km) with just one charge. Zero NEV is also created to reach a magnanimous speed of 56 miles per hour or 90 km/hr, but according to Tazzari, they will limit the speed up to 25-45 miles per hour (40-72 km/hr). This is due to the reason that some states bear limitations on speed in their jurisdiction on a vehicle like Zero NEV.

The lithium ion batteries bear an estimated longevity of around 50,000 miles or 80,000 km. It can be recharged for 9 hours from a socket of 110 volts, 6.5 hours with a 220-volt socket or in just 50 minutes (that is 80% full charged) with Super-fast battery charger.

With just a look, Zero NEV is a micro-car. It is wrapped up with aluminum, and is furnished with a detachable sunroof. This Tazzari has in its bits and pieces every technology enhancements that you will find. It is housed with heating and air conditioning, 15 inches standard colored wheels, stereo radio with CD player and MP3, functional disc brakes, leather seats and steering wheel and fog lamps.