Author Archives: Laurent J. Masson

About Laurent J. Masson

Motor Nature, green cars with joy of driving. Hybrids, electrics, hydrogen and biofuels from expert European eyes.

PlanetSolar, travelling all around the world without oil nor wind

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

Something that has never happened before will happen this Friday afternoon. A boat is coming back to Monaco, not any boat, but a solar boat which has been around the world.

Posted in Renewable energy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

From Oslo to Monaco, 1342 miles without any CO2 emission, in a Hyundai running on hydrogen

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

Oslo, Gothenburg, Kiel, Hamburg, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Grenoble and finally Monte carlo. Quite a trip, 1342 miles long! The cities listed above are the stations where the car refilled. That had to be organized because the car was running on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fuel cells, Hydrogen | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The BYD Qin plug-in hybrid promises much more than the F3 DM, but will it deliver?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

The BYD Qin is a plug-in hybrid that was unveiled at the Beijing motor show. It’s officially a concept-car, but it was standing next to the new F3 sedan, which is a regular production model. That new car looks much … Continue reading →

Posted in Concept-cars, Plug-in hybrids | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The incredible future Ferrari V12 HyKers hybrid

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

At the Beijing motor show, on the Ferrari stand, the star was the new F12 berlinetta, but there was another unexpected highlight. It was under a glass box, the prototype of a future hybrid powertrain. It has a V12, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Hybrids, Sports car, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Volkswagen XL1 plug-in hybrid gets driven. It’s real, or is it?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

This might be the most incredible car in the world. Its fuel consumption is one liter for 100 km as we say in Europe, which is equivalent to 235 mpg. A fantastic value because this is a real car, meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in CO2 emissions, Concept-cars, Fuel efficiency, Plug-in hybrids | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A new Chinese electric car, the Denza, from BYD and Daimler

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

Chinese manufacturer BYD and the German Daimler group announced their partnership about 2 years ago, but it was only last month that we learned that the future car will be called Denza. Here’s the new brand’s first model.

Posted in Concept-cars, Electric cars (EVs) | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mitsubishi builds a small smart grid for the Keihanna Eco-City

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

It’s so easy to fill up a gas car. The driver goes into a gas station anytime he wants, without any need to make an appointment beforehand. It may not be as easy with an electric car. There are times … Continue reading →

Posted in EVs chargers & grid | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Citroën Numéro 9, a plug-in hybrid concept to introduce the DS line to China

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

The DS line was a great idea. It gives the customers more choice. They can choose the standard Citroen models, or go for the upmarket, spicier DS models. Sales of those have been increasing fast when several standard models were … Continue reading →

Posted in Concept-cars, Luxury cars, Plug-in hybrids | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Moment of truth is coming for Tesla Motors, Abu Dhabi will not be part of it

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

The world will soon find out if Tesla Motors is about to reverse its fortune. Now hugely in debt, Tesla Motors has acquired manufacturing capacities but it has yet to sell the first car coming from its own factory. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Electric cars (EVs) | Tagged , | 2 Comments

France, an unexpected leading country for manufacturing hybrid cars

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

It’s incredible sometimes to see how much things can change in only a few months. Last year, there wasn’t a single French hybrid available, now there are 3. The Citroen DS5 Hybrid4, the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4, the Peugeot 508 RXH. … Continue reading →

Posted in Hybrids, Manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment