hybrids

Honda is bringing back the defunct Insight nameplate for a hybrid-only vehicle planned for the Japanese, European and North American markets early next year, as the automaker strives to play catch-up with rival Toyota in hybrids.

Honda's watched from the sidelines for the better part of a decade as the Toyota Prius left its hybrids in the dust to become the must-have ride of the green set.

Nissan showed on Wednesday a spiffy electric car packed with a battery developed by the Japanese automaker to deliver more power than the type common in today's hybrids.

The market for hybrid full-size sport utility vehicles may be small, but Chrysler LLC is determined to get a piece of it, saying Tuesday that its new hybrids will be nearly $8,000 less than competitors from General Motors Corp.