The hybrid car market continues to see a faster pace in sales numbers from a year ago with the Toyota Prius again the clear leader in hybrid sales. Honda is in the second place position for hybrids with Ford doing well with the newer Fusion Hybrid and Escape Hybrid models. 2011 has been a strong year for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. As many as 20 percent of all Sonata sales are for hybrid models. Hybridcars.com is quoted as saying “the gas-electric Sonata is the number two selling hybrid for the second straight month.”

General Motors has recieved hype on it’s Cheverolet Volt but sales are affected by supply shortages. The same is true for the Nissan LEAF.  In the luxery sector, the Lexus CT 200h is having a strong summer with dramatic sales growth.

Hyundai and Kia announced that they will offer stop-start technology as a fuel-saving feature on many North American vehicles within 2 years.

“Start-stop will be a key part of our development activity in the next two product cycles,” in 2012 and 2016, said Timothy White, Hyundai-Kia’s senior powertrain manager. The new technology is expected to provide a 3% increase in fuel economy. As you may know already Stop-start engine technology is being adopted by more automakers in order to improve their fuel economy as well as to meet tougher requirements. Ford will also offer similar technology on 20 percent of its global nameplates by 2014. Regarding Hyundai, they already revealed the 2011 Sonata Hybrid which represents the first step in producing hybrid vehicles. Kia is already working on a hybrid version of the 2011 Magentis, as it announced this at the New York Auto Show.

[Via: Autospies]

This is the first clear look that have been released of the production version of the electric Renault Fluence saloon. This car, which will go on sale in in Europe this year and in the UK in 2011, is based on the Megane saloon.

It boasts a theoretical range of 99 miles, a top speed of 84mph and 167lb ft of torque. The Fluence saloon will be joined in the electric vehicle lineup by an electric Kangoo van, which will go on sale sometime in the first six months of 2011. This van will have the same capacity as the standard Kangoo, which has a theoretical range of 99 miles, top speed of 81mph and 167lb ft of torque. Renault is already accepting expressions of interest. Renault has plans to lease both vehicles, but it has yet to disclose if it will offer these vans for sale too.