Hyundai recently broke a few molds with its dolphin-inspired cellphone, and it now looks to be doing the same with its latest plug-in hybrid concept, which is set to make its public debut at the Seoul Motor Show next week. Of course, Hyundai isn't just letting the car, dubbed the BLUE-WILL, get by on those eye-catching lines alone, with it also cramming a direct-inject 1.6-liter gas engine with a CVT transmission and a 100kw electric motor under the hood, and taking a number of other measures to make the vehicle even more eco-minded. That includes some solar cells on the panoramic roof, which you can still see through, and some eco-friendly plastics throughout, including headlamp bezels made from recycled plastic bottles, and other plastics derived from plant extracts. No word about it actually going into production, of course, but you can get a bit of a closer look by hitting up the link below.

The NYPD may have ditched a few of their Piaggio scooters in favor of some all-electric Vectrix models a little while back, but it looks like the Italian company may be about to get back in their favor, as it has just unveiled its new MP3 Hybrid plug-in scooter that promises to get an impressive 141MPG. Apparently, the three-wheeled scooter can operate in either a full-electric mode, or one of three hybrid modes, which brings the 125 cc gasoline engine into the picture to let you do zero to sixty about five seconds. As with some other PHEVs, the scooter also makes use of regenerative breaking to help recharge the batteries, which can apparently be fully topped off in as little as three hours when plugged in at home. No word on a price just yet, but Piaggo says it "could" be on the market as soon as next year.

We heard a few months ago that some fleets of plug-in Priuses were set to go into testing in early 2009, and it looks like some of those plans are now starting to get a bit clearer, with two southeastern electric utility companies recently announcing that they plan to use the PHEVs to evaluate a new smart charging system. Apparently, Duke Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy are particularly interested in testing how billing and energy usage will be tracked when a vehicle subscribed to one company charges on another network, and also how they'll be able to ensure that folks who feed energy back onto the grid get properly credited. To that end, all the Priuses in the test will be equipped with a V2Green connectivity module, which allows for two-way communication between the vehicles and the grid and promises to let utility companies minimize grid stress. No word on an exact start date for the fleet roll-out just yet, so anyone in the area had best keep an eye out -- you never know when they might just silently sneak up on you when you least expect it.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

We've been hearing about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) for quite a while, and now a team at the University of Michigan is conducting an extensive study on the technology as part of a national sustainable energy solution. While current electric plants are good at generating power, they often fall short when it comes to storage -- which can be a problem when there's a power surge or when demand increases. V2G will let hybrid-electric owners sell the power their car generates to the electrical power grid whenever the car is not in use. The research team envisions a time when millions of hybrid vehicle owners will come together to create one large battery, allowing us all to play a small part in building our nation's energy independence. And sure, this all sounds good in theory. But wouldn't that mean relying on the neighbors to provide a key piece of the nation's infrastructure? Have you met the neighbors? Doesn't that seem a little... iffy?

It's official public debut may still only be coming next week, but it looks like GM has finally decided to give up on the carefully-chosen teaser shots and let the hotly-anticipated Volt out in the open for all the internet to see. No doubt to the dismay of some, the would-be next Prius sure looks a good deal different than the far more angular prototype we've all come to know over the past little while, although we can't say we're exactly surprised given GM's mass-market hopes for the car. Still, it is quite the milestone for the auto industry, and hopefully only the start of things to come. Be sure to hit up Autoblog for a gallery full of more pics of your favorite GM execs -- and the Volt, too.