Auto Blog Green has lots of great updates today - including their review of the EDTA Conference that’s currently taking place in Washington D.C. as well conference interviews with Argonne Lab’s Don Hillebrand and Honda VP Edward Cohen, and details on the IRS approving tax credits for Honda hybrid and natural gas vehicles.

The EDTA (Electric Drive Transportation Association) expo starts today, with the main goal of finding federal funds to support electric drive.  This is probably why this year’s convention will be held in Washingto D.C.

Toyota is the main sponsor, and GM, GE, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai will be among the exhibitors, see EDTA for the full list. 

China has a lot of environmental issues, and the fact that Prius hybrid car sales are lagging is just one of them.  But it is still a disappointment that China’s wealthy are not embracing the hybrid. 

The Detroit News just reported on the issue: “When Toyota Motor Corp. announced two years ago that it would produce Prius hybrids in China, it seemed like a sure bet.”

“The air in China’s biggest cities is thick with pollution, and the government is pushing up taxes on gas guzzlers. China appeared to be an ideal market for Toyota’s gasoline-electric car. But sales of the Prius have been extremely disappointing.”

“‘We started with a target of 3,000 a year, but we’re running short of that,’ said Yoshimi Inaba, an executive vice president of Toyota and its top executive in China. Prius sales are currently running at around 100 a month, or less than half the rate required to meet the annual goal.”

“The Prius’s poor showing, an anomaly in Toyota’s otherwise dynamic performance in China, suggests that energy conservation is not a priority among China’s newly rich consumers.”

It doesn’t help that China offers no tax breaks or other benefits for hybrid owners, either.

Read the full article.

This weekend MSN reported that they found hybrids to be no more dangerous that gasoline-powered cars, as long as rescue procedures were followed.

The article reports “Hybrids first went on sale seven years ago in America—starting with the 2000 Honda Insight—but fears of potential dangers related to the high-voltage systems have inspired a recent wave of news stories and fueled online bulletin-board discussions. Concerned groups have focused on the possible dangers associated with the systems used to power the vehicles, questioning the risks the electric components might pose in the event of an accident.”

Read the full story on hybrid safety.

When General Motors showed off its hydrogen-powered vehicle to Chinese officials, it announced plans to build hybrid vehicles in China by 2008.

GM head Rick Wagoner said “We believe fuel cell vehicles offer the best long-term solution for meeting the world’s growing demand for automobiles in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner… From a China and Asia Pacific perspective, development of world-class fuel cells and the associated infrastructure are key initiatives that need the support of industry, government and the academic community.”

Read more at Yahoo! News

Toyota has always been the most aggressive company in promoting gasoline-electric cars and now they’re considering releasing a hybrid Prius - which could help tremendously in increasing hybrid car use.

STL Today reports “Toyota plans to sell worldwide each year by early next decade, said Jim Lentz, executive vice president of the company’s U.S. sales unit. Prius-based models might include a wagon and a smaller car, he said.”

Read the full story.

Here are some of the newest hybrids that are now available:

Lexus GS 450h
This compact car has an MSRP price of $55,595, or, if you can afford it, you can opt for the limited edition (pictured above) which was featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.  The Lexus GS 450h has EPA mileage figures of 25 city/28 highway.

Toyota Camry Hybrid 4dr Sedan
Like previous versions, the new Toyota Camry comes with either a four-cylinder engine or a V6. But it also has an all-new hybrid drivetrain that makes 192 horsepower (as much as the current 3.0-liter V6 model) while earning EPA mileage figures of 40-43 city and 37-38 highway.  MSRP price is $25,900.

Saturn Vue Hybrid - This SUV is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a Hydra-matic 4-speed automatic transmission.  This has EPA mileage figures of 27 city/32 highway and has an MSRP price of $22,995. 

While these aren’t available yet, you can also expect the following for 2007:

Saturn Aura Hybrid - Midsize car with a 4-cylinder engine and an 4-speed automatic transmission.

Nissan Altima Hybrid - Midsize car.