WHILE BMW holds off on a locally-delivered hybrid and Audi concentrates on high-efficiency diesels, Mercedes-Benz is shaping up to be the first European prestige manufacturer to have a hybrid model on the Australian market.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific is reportedly close to locking in the upcoming E300 BlueTEC Hybrid for local sales, with the company estimating that it [...]

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AS AUSTRALIAN CAR BUYERS gradually warm to the idea of diesel engines, and Peugeot, Citroen and Volvo forge ahead with their plans to bring diesel-electric hybrids to market, Toyota, the world’s current hybrid-car leader, has reportedly nixed the idea of an oil-burning hybrid.

Toyota currently produces a diesel hybrid truck for the Japanese market, but it [...]

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LATE LAST YEAR Volvo announced that it would be launching its first diesel-electric hybrid model in 2012, which will spearhead a range of fuel-sipping Volvos.

Now the Swedish automaker has upped the ante, announcing a partnership with Swedish power company Vattenfall and pledging to have its first plug-in hybrid on the road in 2012.

The industrial joint [...]

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