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One of the biggest obstacles automakers face with electric and hybrid vehicles is battery longevity and battery disposal. If EVs are truly the next wave, there must be a solution to sustainably using the materials in batteries and safely. Both Volkswagen and Nissan have previously detailed reuse and recycling programs, and Honda Europe is the latest to announce an eco-friendly plan.

Honda Europe is expanding on a partnership with waste management company Société Nouvelle d'Affinage des Métaux (SNAM) that originally sprouted in 2013. SNAM previously assessed the traceability of end-of-life batteries and made sure they were properly disposed of. In the new arrangement, SNAM will analyze batteries for what are known as "second-life" uses.

If we were playing alt-powertrain Bingo, a recent Mazda patent application filed in Japan would be one or two letters from victory. What's exciting about the patent, discovered by Japanese outlet T's Media via Motor Trend, is that while it makes a case for an internal combustion engine of any configuration, one of the drawings showing a rotary engine. The wild bit is that the whole powertrain comprises the ICE, a transaxle, two tiny in-wheel electric motors turning the front wheels, a third electric motor in the driveline, a capacitor, a lithium-ion battery, and three inverters. Motor Trend parsed the mechanics, and the way it reads, Doc Brown couldn't have done a better job.

The rotary engine at the front turns the rear wheels, but not directly. Instead of a flywheel on back of the engine, the drawing shows a 25-kW electric motor and an inverter, then a driveshaft running to the transaxle. Along the axis of the transmission tunnel in a normal car, between the inverter and the transaxle, lies a 3.5-kWh battery running at 48 volts. MT writes that the electric motor can add its output to the ICE output to drive the rear wheels, or the e-motor can turn the rear axle on its own.

The 2020 Toyota Camry is unlike any that have come before. True, this generation set a unique tone from the very beginning with its significantly enhanced driver involvement, interior quality and overall style. However, the 2020 model goes even further by offering greater variety than ever. The addition of all-wheel drive satisfies requests by customers and dealers alike for a more all-weather-ready Camry. Then there's the new high-performance Camry, the TRD – it's highly unlikely anyone was clamoring for that, but if the goal was to show that a Camry can get the blood flowing, well, mission accomplished.

Now, in many other ways, the Camry is also like its predecessors – it's reliable, holds onto its value well and is very safe. So, while much has changed, much has also stayed the same. That's a good thing, and even if the Honda Accord is broadly more appealing, the Hyundai Sonata more distinctive and Mazda6 more fun to drive, the diverse Camry lineup is a must-consider.

The 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Honda CR-V Hybrid are two of the very best hybrid compact SUVs currently on sale in the United States. Which is the best? Redline Reviews has the answer.

Suzuki is launching the updated Swift Sport in Europe with the company's latest mild-hybrid technology, which promises not only better efficiency but also improved driveability for the small warm hatch.

The rumors claiming the next generation of Toyota's gargantuan Land Cruiser will surf the industry's downsizing wave are getting louder. The off-roader will get a high-tech makeover, but it will remain as rugged as ever.

In 2020, the Land Cruiser is available with a gasoline-powered V8 in the United States, among other markets, and with a diesel-burning V8 in countries like Australia. All signs point to both eight-cylinders retiring along with the current-generation model. Japanese magazine Best Car learned Toyota will argue there's a replacement for displacement by making the Land Cruiser available with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine borrowed from Lexus.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The CR-V has been the segment's top seller since its introduction, moving more than 5 million units in the past 23 years. For Honda, its sales juggernaut accounted for more than a quarter of the automaker's 2019 total and a whopping 60 percent of its CUV sales. With the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, however, the brand is stepping into territory where few have ventured before.

The Nissan Rogue Hybrid has come and gone. The Ford Escape Hybrid first arrived way back as a 2005 model, but disappeared for a generation until returning this year. The Toyota RAV4 waited 20 years to debut its hybrid, but now in its second generation, has actually become Toyota's best-selling hybrid model. That alone represents a strong case for the CR-V Hybrid, not to mention the dearth of competitors.  

Lexus has updated its UX small luxury SUV for the new model year by giving it new features that focus on style, safety and connectivity.

The new 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid will arrive in dealerships across U.S. on March 1, featuring a similar electrified powertrain with the Accord Hybrid.

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid marks the first time we've seen a hybrid powertrain in a Corolla in the U.S. It uses the same hardware as the Prius, consisting of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and single electric motor that combine for 121 horsepower. So no, the power numbers aren't scintillating, but the EPA fuel economy figures are. The Corolla Hybrid is rated at 53 mpg city, 52 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined. Those numbers put it right on pace with the 52 mpg combined rating of the Prius LE (though the Prius Eco achieves 56 mpg combined). Its price is significantly less than the Prius LE, though — at just $24,055, it's $2,435 less. Impressive stuff, but the Prius is more practical with its hatchback body. You can also get the stripper Prius L Eco for just $25,280, closing the gap by a bit.

Toyota positioned the Corolla Hybrid like this on purpose, letting it be the budget option for Toyota's small, hybrid lineup — the Prius C hatchback is no longer with us. Our tester was the LE trim, because that's the only trim Toyota offers on the Corolla Hybrid. After a couple of accessories were tacked on (body side molding, mudguards and a carpet mat package), our tester came to $24,467. A few of the standard features are impressive at its low price point. You get LED headlights, an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay compatibility and Toyota's full Safety Sense suite of driver assistance aids that includes adaptive cruise control and lane-centering. 

As of this year, Toyota will have yet another small SUV in its lineup which will slot under the C-HR and will share underpinnings with the new Yaris.

Renault is sending their engineering boss to meet with his counterpart at Nissan in Japan as the two partners are seeking to bring back to life joint projects that are crucial to the Alliance.

Production of the outgoing Toyota Land Cruiser kicked off in 2007, which makes the J200 one of the oldest SUVs in the market.

Here's a rumor that's been bubbling for about three months. It started with a report in French Canadian outlet RPM Web last October 4, picked up by Motor Illustrated, citing a "reliable source" saying Toyota will bring back the Venza nameplate for a new crossover to bow in 2021. The Venza, for those who don't remember, was a five-seater crossover built on the same platform as the Camry and Highlander. Toyota introduced the Venza to the market in 2008, but a wagon-y form factor and premium pricing kept sales in check, convincing Toyota to kill the model in 2015. The same Canadian report said there would be a new plug-in hybrid RAV4, the RAV4 Prime being officially announced six days later. This month, a TFLnow report credited "an insider source" for the same Venza news — that a new model will arrive for the 2021 model year, and that it will be hybrid only. Both Venza resurrection articles refer to what's happened with crossovers in the past couple of years as context for a new five-seat midsizer — Honda cutting its three-row Pilot down to resurrect the five-seat Passport, Chevrolet cutting the three-row Traverse down to resurrect the five-seat Blazer. Beyond those two, the Ford Edge, on sale since 2007 with traditional crossover looks, has sold more than 120,000 units per year in the U.S. for eight of the past 10 years. A five-seat Venza on the Highlander platform would give buyers who want to step up from the RAV4 another option, and arrive in a timely manner if the 2021 sale date holds. Toyota puts a hybrid powertrain based around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder in both the RAV4 and the Highlander, the latter crossover getting slightly more power from its unit. Both offer all-wheel drive from the electric motor used to turn the rear axle. The TFLnow report included news on two other Toyota products, too. The next-gen Sienna minivan is due to debut later this year and, like the potential Venza, will only come in hybrid flavors. The news was all bad for shoppers awaiting the new full-size Tundra, though, with the outlet's sources saying the next-gen pickup won't go on sale until December 2021 as a 2022-model offering. Spy shots and previous intel suggest the new rig will bring a lot of marquee features to market, from the new platform to a hi-po twin-turbo V6 hybrid, and a better rear end. TFLnow said crew cab long bed prototypes in the Colorado area could mean the new Tundra will offer more variants as well, whenever it arrives.