2012 Mazda rx 9 Design
Ever since 2005, the IRS has been giving a tax credit to individual taxpayers who drive cars which use alternative fuel sources. There was at one time just a clean fuel burning deduction available to green minded taxpayers, but this only applied to gas-electric hybrid vehicles. In 2005, however, this was replaced by the current legislation, the Energy Policy Act.
By the terms of this 2005 law, the tax credit is taken directly from the total amount of tax which the taxpayer would otherwise owe. This reduces or can even eliminate the tax which the individual in question must pay. If you are 
unsure whether or not your particular “green” vehicle qualifies for this credit, you can ask your car manufacturer or your local dealership.
If you have bought a hybrid vehicle after January 1 2006, then your vehicle (and you, happily!) qualify for this tax credit. This tax credit will also apply to your vehicle if you have begun to use your car after this date.
A hybrid vehicle is, by the definition given in this law a vehicle having drive trains which are powered by a rechargeable battery of some sort in addition to an internal combustion engine. Most hybrid vehicles which are available on the market currently do in fact qualify for this credit.
The credit provided for in the Energy Policy Act applies only to those who have purchased a new vehicle that meets these criteria. If this vehicle is leased rather than purchased outright by a consumer, it is the leasing company instead of the end user may claim this tax credit. Read the rest of this entry »
Toyota Prius 2012 Design
Back in the waning years of the previous millennium, the Toyota Prius was born, becoming the first Toyota hybrid. Since then, of course, many other Toyota and Lexus hybrids have hit the roads, as have many from nearly every other automaker. But it’s the Prius—thanks to distinct (if unsexy) styling and industry-leading fuel economy—that remains the unofficial gree
nmobile for Toyota and the world.
Naturally, then, the Prius is set to become the first Toyota to make the next big leap in fuel efficiency for 2012 by going plug-in with the new Prius PHV, or “plug-in hybrid vehicle.” And since 2012 is a long way off—in our impatient minds, at least—we jumped at the chance to drive one of the 150 powder-blue preproduction Prius PHVs bound for the U.S. in 2010. All are part of Toyota’s Prius PHV pilot program that places these vehicles with various utilities and government agencies to gather data on vehicle performance.
So how exactly does it differ? Other than silver paint on the mirrors, door handles, and tailgate, the blue-and-white “PLUG-IN HYBRID” lower door decals, and a cutout in the left front fender that houses the plug, there are no visible distinctions between the regular Prius and the PHV. Ditto the interior, where a few PHV-specific info displays and a slightly raised cargo floor for the PHV’s larger battery pack represent the only notable changes.
The Prius PHV doesn’t differ much from the regular Prius from a dynamic standpoint, either. No surprise, really. The Prius PHV is essentially just a Prius whose nickel-metal hydride battery pack has been swapped for a far pricier, far heavier, and far more potent lithium-ion pack. (How potent is unclear, as Toyota won’t tell us how much it improves on the regular car’s 1.3-kWh capacity.) The new batteries can be fully charged in three hours from a simple household 110-volt outlet or an hour and a half from a 220-volt plug. The battery swap allows for more miles on electricity alone and a commensurate boost in real-world fuel economy. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Fiat 500c Design
Fiat just can’t wait for spring. We wouldn’t want to wait either if we were behind the wheel of Fiat’s latest 500 variant: the 500c convertible. Fiat chose this week’s New York auto show to debut the 500c for America.
The cute-as-a-button design from the hard-top 500 is carried over, swapping out the roof panel for an electrically folding soft top. The new roof is not a traditional convertible, though — the A-, B-, and C-pillars re
main intact along with the roof rails. What that means is that even with the top lowered, passengers will not get a full open-air experience; a good or a bad thing depending on how much you value your hairdo.
The roof is inspired by the canvas roof that was available when the original Fiat Cinquecento premiered in 1957. While the old car’s roof only rolled back to the end of the roof panel and was powered by elbow grease, the 2012 500c’s top is electrically actuated and can fold all the way back to rest behind the rear headrests. Driver’s can drop the top to its fully open position at up to 50 mph, or fold the roof back to the integrated spoiler to create an open sunroof at up to 60 mph. Opening the rear trunk will cause the roof to lift up, allowing unobstructed access to the diminutive, 5.4-cubic-foot luggage compartment.
The look of the 500c is almost identical to that of the hatchback; however, Fiat has extended the windshield to help reduce wind buffeting with the top down and to give rear passengers better forward visibility with the top up. Hidden in the new windshield is a reinforced upper cross member to help maintain structural rigidity once the roads get twisty. Read the rest of this entry »