All The Hybrid Cars

Honda plans to boost profits with a new economical 2009 hybrid

2007-12-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

Considering the environment for auto sales in Honda's (HMC) two largest markets, Japan and North America, company chief Takeo Fukui looked remarkably relaxed as he delivered his outlook for the year ahead in Tokyo Dec. 19. It didn't take long to understand why. During the address in Tokyo's Shinagawa district, a confident Fukui predicted another year of overall expansion at the automaker in 2008, including a 3% increase in U.S. auto sales to 1.59 million vehicles despite concerns about the sub-prime crisis and stubbornly high fuel prices. He also predicted spectacular growth in several other key markets.

And in another sign of the Tokyo-based automaker's burgeoning strength, Fukui also promised to give Toyota a tougher run for its money in the battle for eco-supremacy in the years ahead. Honda was an early mover in hybrids. But so far it hasn't been able to benefit with a breakthrough like Toyota's Prius, which dominates the hybrid sector. For instance, Toyota had 79% of hybrid sales in the U.S. in November, compared to just 10% for Honda, the No. 2 hybrid maker. The Prius alone accounted for 50% of all hybrid sales in the U.S. last month.

That's why Fukui says that the battle is only now beginning. According to the Honda chief executive, the last decade was just the first phase for hybrids, a time when automakers focused on marketing a green image. The next phase, he argues, will focus on improving the economics of buying a hybrid. "The price needs to be reasonable and fuel efficiency higher so the [premium] the consumer pays [for a hybrid car] can be returned in a short period of time," he says.

To achieve that goal, he confirmed that Honda will launch a long-awaited, hybrid-only model in 2009. Honda plans on producing 200,000 of the new hybrids per year from the company's Suzuka plant in western Japan and will sell them initially in North America, Europe and Japan. They'll be equipped with a new lightweight motor which will assist the gasoline engine and be offered at a "more affordable price level" than currently available hybrids such as Honda's own Civic and Toyota's Prius.

That's just the beginning. Fukui also said that Honda is planning to launch its first-ever hybrid sports car, based on the CR-Z concept car that Honda first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. "The real full-scale hybrid competition will start from now," Fukui told reporters. He added that by 2010 around 10% of Honda's sales would come from hybrids.

Further into the future, the company continues to look to fuel cell technology. Next summer the company will also begin leasing a small number of it's FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in Southern California. For $600 a month, customers will be able to drive the emission-free vehicle, which has a range of 270 miles.

One clean hybrid tech that Honda remains at best ambivalent about is plug-in hybrids, which can be charged overnight using a home electricity supply. Echoing comments made by Honda execs at the Tokyo Motor Show, Fukui reiterated that Honda doesn't have high expectations for the tech. One problem, Fukui points out, is that while an electric car is possible with a "dramatic evolution in batteries" a plug-in hybrid "requires a full size engine and fuel tank on top of that." That's something which would increase weight, decrease fuel efficiency and add to the cost. "I'm not convinced why you would want to have that in the first place," he says.

Even without the hybrid assault, Honda is lining up plenty of growth for 2008 and beyond. Indeed, the company is projecting growth in 2008 in every market except Japan, where Honda sales are set to close the year down by 12% at 620,000 units this year. Honda expects its overall auto sales to rise 6% to 3.76 million vehicles during 2007.

In November, it produced more cars in a single month, 363,532, than at any time in its history. "We think Honda looks attractive from a long-term investment perspective," Tatsuo Yoshida, an analyst at UBS noted in a recent research note. Yoshida, who projects Honda's net earnings will rise 9.6% to $7.9 billion this year, rates Honda a "buy".

In the U.S., which accounts for about 41% of Honda's global auto sales, the new Accord, introduced in September, and the opening of new factory in Indiana next fall (the company's seventh U.S. plant) will help Honda continue to gain sales in an otherwise shrinking market. One factor: stubbornly high gasoline prices will help sales of Honda gas sippers. "If you look at the overall trend there's a shift towards smaller cars and fuel efficiency. Those are the customer requirements that will support our products," says Koichi Kondo, Honda's North American chief, who sat alongside the CEO at the Shinagawa conference. Fukui also reiterated that Honda will introduce its new, clean, diesel engine technology into the U.S. in 2009—around the same time it begins launching new hybrids.

But other regions of the world will be Honda's biggest source of growth in the months ahead. In Europe, Asia and South America, the company is set to post strong gains this year and, aided by numerous new plants, expects to do so again in 2008. In China, where sales rocketed 30% this year, the company projects further growth of 17% to 490,000 units in 2008. In the rest of Asia, not including Japan, it's a similar story with sales predicted to rise 20% to 415,000. In India, Honda doubled capacity at its plant in Bangalore to 100,000 this year and has begun building a second auto plant, which will be operational from 2009. Another new plant in Thailand will begin production in the second half of next year.

In Europe, fueled by rising demand in Russia and Central Europe, sales are expected to end 2007 23% higher than a year earlier at 380,000 and should reach 420,000 by the end of 2008. And in South America, where sales are projected to rise 30% in 2007 at 118,000, Honda is adding capacity at its Brazilian plant and, last month, began construction of new factory in Argentina. With so much activity across the globe, the Honda chief's vision of overall growth despite localized weakness makes a lot of sense.

[Via - Businessweek]

China has started making its own hybrid cars

2007-12-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

Mass production of the Chinese-designed car, which consumes 20 per cent less fuel than ordinary cars of the same size, was launched after six years of research and development, Xinhua said late on Friday.

"This shows Chinese automakers have grasped the core technology of making hybrid cars," the report said, adding that Chang'an will donate 10 such vehicles for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Chang'an group controls listed Changan Automobile Co, a Chinese partner of Ford Motor Co and Mazda Motor Corp The listed arm, based in the southwestern city of Chongqing, is also China's largest mini-van maker.

Demand for hybrid cars is negligible in China, where petrol is subsidised and the impact of polluting factories on local neighbourhoods is more the focus of environmentalists than larger issues such as global warming. Fuel economy figures little in consumers' purchasing decisions in China. Hybrid cars are also expensive since the government offers buyers no incentives to purchase them.

Toyota Motor Corp was the first carmaker to build hybrid cars in China. General Motors Corp said last month it would begin producing a hybrid car in China from next year, in time for the Beijing Olympics in August.

Japan's Nikkei said the hybrid vehicle made by Chang'an is based on a 2-litre compact wagon that will be able to travel 100km on 6.8 litres of gasoline, and it will be officially released next year.

The new hybrid is close in size to Toyota's Prius hybrid, which the Japanese automaker has assembled and sold in China since late 2005, the Nikkei said.

Chinese sales of the Toyota hybrid were down 86 per cent in the first 10 months of 2007 from the same period a year earlier to 299 units, as the vehicle's 300,000 yuan ($NZ52,679) price tag dampened its popularity, it said.

Changan's new offering will cost around 150,000 yuan, roughly 20,000 yuan more than the base vehicle but just half as much as the Prius, the Nikkei said.

[Via - http://www.stuff.co.nz/]

Ford expects a new generation of more powerful batteries to be on the road in hybrid cars in the next three to five years

2007-12-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ford and its major rivals are all working to adapt the lithium-ion battery technology now widely used in consumer electronics for use in hybrids as a way to boost the fuel economy of vehicles still in the development stage.

"I think within three to five years you'll see lithium-ion hybrid electric vehicles out there in some volume," Ford's chief hybrid engineer, Sherif Marakby, said on Tuesday.

The auto industry's race to develop the new battery technology has drawn close scrutiny because it is expected to open the door to a new market for electric vehicles and allow automakers to meet tougher U.S. fuel economy standards.

Current hybrids, including Toyota Motor Corp's <7203.t> market-leading Prius, run on nickel-metal hydride batteries. That battery technology is seen as approaching the end of its usefulness because of chemical limits on how much power it can store and the cost of the metals it requires.

General Motors Corp is the only mass-market automaker to have committed to a timetable for rolling out a next-generation lithium-ion powered electric car. GM has said it will launch the rechargeable Chevy Volt in late 2010 using lithium-ion batteries the automaker plans to buy from one of two vendors now competing for the high-profile contract.

Toyota executives have said they do not expect lithium-ion batteries to be ready for use in the next generation of the Prius hybrid by GM's 2010 timetable.

For its part, Ford will use nickel-metal hydride batteries in new hybrid sedans slated to go into production next year, the Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan and the Lincoln MKZ.
But Marakby said subsequent Ford hybrid models -- such as a hybrid variant of the Ford Edge crossover -- could be equipped with the next-generation batteries. "I think we're still looking at those options," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a Ford briefing on its research into rechargeable electric cars, commonly known as plug-ins. Marakby said it would take longer to ready lithium-ion batteries for commercial use in plug-in vehicles, which can be recharged at a normal outlet and can run on battery power alone for short trips.

Ford has been testing a fleet of plug-in versions of its Ford Escape hybrid with one of the nation's largest power utilities, Southern California Edison .
Marakby said it would likely be five to 10 years before plug-in hybrids were sold widely, in part because of the technical challenge of building lithium-ion batteries designed to be frequently drained of all their power.

The expensive battery packs required for a plug-in vehicle are also as much as much as six times larger than the briefcase-sized batteries Ford expects to deploy in its first lithium-ion powered cars. In conjunction with the SoCal Edison, Ford is studying ways to cut the cost of the lithium-ion battery packs for consumers. Marakby said that included studying whether consumers would be able to lease the components for the term of their ownership and then have them recycled to power other kinds of equipment.

[Via - canada.com]

The Hybrid Versions of Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Are 25% Better Fuel Efficient

2007-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Fifteen fuel-saving hybrid vehicles are hitting the showrooms for 2008, four more than last year. But they're not just gas-sipping compacts anymore.

Two huge SUVs and a full-size luxury sedan are among the new hybrids available for U.S. drivers, giving them a wide choice in price, size and mileage ranges. And the world's manufacturers plan more than a dozen new models using the complex gas-electric technology in the next two years.

The 2008 big SUV hybrids are from General Motors Corp., which had been criticized for offering half-hearted hybrid systems in the past. It is adding a new hybrid system to its popular full-size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. GM says the hybrid versions average 25% better fuel economy while retaining big-truck capabilities.

"This will be the first hybrid in a full-size sport utility vehicle," said Jim Sloan, marketing manager for the Yukon hybrid. "Just because you drive a full-size doesn't mean you're not concerned about being green."

Jim Furcini of Phoenix plans to buy a hybrid Yukon or Tahoe this fall to replace his full-size SUV, but he has no illusions about soaring gas mileage. He said all he wants is to lessen his impact on the environment while "making an attempt to be part of a shift away from oil dependency."

"I want a full-size Yukon or Tahoe for me and my family that offers the greenest possible solution," said Furcini, a 56-year-old building contractor and developer. "I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem that my generation has created for 30 years."
GM also adds a hybrid system to the 2008 Chevy Malibu, with the same technology used in the Green Line versions of Saturn Vue and Aura.

Another step up in 2008 hybrids is the first full-size luxury sedan, the Lexus LS 600h L, which will be powered by a gasoline-electric system similar to those found in other Lexus and Toyota cars and SUVs. Toyota and its luxury division, Lexus, have been in the forefront of hybrid development.

The 600h also will be the first hybrid with a V8 engine and the most expensive hybrid yet, priced at $104,765.

Neither the big Lexus nor the GM trucks will get the kind of mileage touted by the Toyota Prius or the compact Honda Civic Hybrid, but each shows significant improvements for those drivers who want or need large vehicles.

GM has not yet released mileage estimates for the new hybrids, but if the 25% claim is accurate, drivers can expect 17.5 m.p.g. in the city and 25 on the highway, compared with 14 city and 20 highway for the standard V-8-power models, according to 2008 EPA estimates.

Prius, the most popular hybrid on the market, gets 48 city and 45 highway, according to the EPA, which revised its mileage estimates for 2008 under a new testing system.

Prius remains the only hybrid with a unique appearance that sets it apart as a hybrid car, which analysts say is a large part of its widespread appeal.

"There are still a lot of buyers who say, 'Look at me, guys,' which is one reason for the success of the Prius," said John O'Dell, publisher of the Green Car Guide for Edmunds.com. "Toyota did a marvelous marketing job. It has become the gold standard of what a hybrid is supposed to be."
Drivers still pay a premium -- several thousand extra on some models -- for hybrids, and it can take years to recoup the extra expense through gas savings.

But Toyota is rolling out a less expensive, no-frills model of the Prius priced under $21,000.
One hybrid that goes away for 2008 is the Honda Accord Hybrid, which failed to attract much interest. The Accord was unique in that it offered an electric motor to boost its already powerful V6 engine, making it more of a performance car than a green or economical model.

"What Honda was effectively selling was an electrically supercharged Accord," O'Dell said. "One reason it didn't work out: It was a fairly expensive proposition."

[Via - www.freep.com]

Unique Aptera Hybrid Looks like a Flying Car

2007-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

This looks like a flying car, but it’s no flight of fancy. Called the Aptera, the wacky machine is about to go into production and is almost as environmentally friendly as a glider – its clever petrol-electric hybrid engine returns an incredible 300mpg!

Despite its eco-friendly credentials, the Aptera can sprint from 0-60mph in 10 seconds and hit 95mph. Inside, there’s room for two adults, a child and luggage. And the interior boasts all the kit you’d expect from its sci-fi looks, with a rear view camera, sat-nav, a hi-tech sound system and even solar-assisted climate control.

The three-wheeler is only available in the US at the moment – although it could be imported here – priced from GBP 14,709. There’s also an all-electric version which costs GBP 13,232. This has similar performance as the hybrid and a range of 120 miles from only a few hours’ charge.

[Via - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/]

The First Plug-in Hybrid Aerial Lift Truck

2007-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Odyne Corporation, a leading developer of hybrid electric vehicle technology and Dueco, Inc., one of the largest utility equipment manufacturers in the country, introduced another important step in the greening of the nation's utility companies, with the first plug-in hybrid aerial lift truck.

The new plug-in hybrid electric diesel vehicle was introduced and displayed at the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) on October 16-18 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Odyne and Dueco have developed a PHEV propulsion system for the vehicle that minimizes fuel use and emissions in a typical aerial truck mission and can recharge at off hours using low cost electricity from the nation's electric grid. The system can also be recharged at any point with the conventional diesel engine. The system will provide the fuel efficiency and emission enhancements, typical of a hybrid vehicle, while the truck is traveling to and from the work site.

Odyne's state-of-the-art battery management systems, in conjunction with its control technology will also power the material handling aerial device (TLM50M), manufactured by Terex (NYSE:TEX - News), for up to eight hours of aerial lift operation time -- a full workday.

"Until now, aerial lift trucks which are used equipped with a bucket for workmen to access the tops of telephone and electric polls, required power from an idling engine to operate in the field for a full work day or to run the air conditioning," explains Alan Tannenbaum, CEO of Odyne Corp. "This Dueco partnership is another sales channel for Odyne to lead industry and government into more environmentally sound technologies."

"Dueco has been providing the utility industry with the most advanced equipment since we began operation 50 years ago," explains Thomas Dalum, president of Dalum-Dueco, Inc. "We're ready to take orders for this vehicle technology that will help the nation's utilities conserve energy, limit fuel emissions and further advance plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology."
The Dueco International (2008 4300 SBA 4x2) is equipped with a 255HP; 660lb torque IHC MaxxxForceDT and an Automatic Allison 3500_RDS_P transmission.

In addition to the estimated eight hour lift operation time on battery, the propulsion system requires an 8 hour charge time. The on board charger power is 5kW, and the battery energy reserve is 35kWh. The motor size is 50kW, regen and traction assist.

[Via - biz.yahoo.com]

Hybrid Cars to Drive Around the World in 100th Anniversary Great Race

2007-10-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

When renewable-fuel powered cars and vintage automobiles begin the 100th anniversary re-run of the famous 1908 New York to Paris "Great Race" next year, they will be joined by a group of car enthusiasts with a unique mission: promote hybrid cars by driving around the world on the least amount of fuel possible.

Ten teams driving hybrid electric cars will join the Innovation Class of next summer's Great Race from New York to Paris and attempt to complete the almost 22,000 mile (35,000 km) course by driving as efficiently as possible. 'Hypermilers', as they are known, push the limits of fuel efficiency and achieve unheard of miles-per-gallon readings of as high has 100 mpg.

This is the first in a series of MPG Challenges, created in partnership with Hybridfest, Inc., organizers of the nation's largest hybrid car festival. Bill Ewing, chief executive of the firm promoting the event, said he is emphasizing the Great Race to promote major improvements in fuel economy not only through technology, but also by improving personal driving habits.

The Great Race celebrates the 100th anniversary of one of the most remarkable automotive events of the 20th century, an automobile race nearly around the world, from New York to Paris in 1908. In a repeat of that milestone event, the Great Race will travel across North America, Asia and Europe in 65 days, this time featuring classic cars, renewable fuel powered cars and now hybrid cars.

"Clearly the world has a big fuel problem," said Bill Ewing, chief executive officer of Great Race Sports, Inc., organizer of the event. "Dealing with global warming issues requires conservation as well as alternative fuels. The MPG Challenge brings attention to the importance of improving fuel economy by squeezing the most out of hybrids in a way that people relate to."

Hybridfest is a non-profit organization that promotes awareness and understanding of hybrid vehicles - cars that use two or more distinct power sources, often electric motors and a gasoline engine to propel the vehicle and achieve above average fuel economy. The organization, run entirely by volunteers, organizes an annual event, "A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More," in Madison, Wis.

"We are very excited about our involvement in creating the MPG Challenge," said Eric Powers, president of Hybridfest. "Some of the best hypermilers in the world have already expressed interest in participating and showing the world how to do something as mind boggling as driving around the world with as little fuel as possible."

One of the world's leading 'hypermilers,' Wayne Gerdes, has already agreed to participate. Gerdes recently drove a Toyota Prius more than 1,200 miles on a tank of gasoline.

The MPG category will be a part of the Innovation Class, one of two competitive categories in The Great Race 2008: New York to Paris. Classic vehicles that are at least 25 years old are participating in the Schuster Class, named for the winning drive in the 1908 Greatest Auto Race.
The commemorative event will start May 30 in New York City and will finish in Paris, France on August 2, 2008.

Following the start in New York City, The Great Race will travel across three continents and 13 countries, reaching more than a billion people.

Teams participating in the MPG Challenge will attempt to achieve the best fuel economy while driving a predetermined course at assigned speeds. Commonly called a rally or regularity-driving event, the Great Race simulates real-world driving conditions that create results relevant to today's drivers and car owners.

The 2008 Great Race commemorates an event that began on Feb. 12, 1908, when six automobiles left New York City's Times Square to the cheers of a crowd of 250,000 in what was described by its newspaper sponsors as "the toughest race ever devised."

Despite the daunting challenge of traveling poor roads in harsh weather, teams from three countries persevered in the race across North America, Asia and Europe, finishing in Paris more than five months later (two in July, one in September). It was a sensational adventure told in breathless daily newspaper dispatches and later in books and films. The event was spoofed in the 1960s Tony Curtis-Jack Lemmon movie, "The Great Race."

[Via - biz.yahoo.com]

Toyota 400HP hybrid sportscar / 0-60 in 4sec / $35,000

2007-09-28T17:23:00.001-07:00

Plus it looks super cool. GM and Ford better step up their game, fast.

read more digg story

The U.S. Department of Energy will invest $20 million for plug-in hybrid vehicle

2007-09-26T06:28:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Department of Energy announced it will invest nearly $20 million for plug-in hybrid vehicle, or PHEV, research. The announcement was made by Kevin Kolevar, the department's assistant secretary for electricity delivery and energy reliability. He said five projects were selected for awards under the department's collaboration with the United States Advanced Battery Consortium for $17.2 million in funding for PHEV battery development projects.

The government will also provide nearly $2 million to the University of Michigan to coordinate the study. Kolevar said plug-in hybrid vehicles have the potential to displace a large amount of gasoline by delivering up to 40 miles of electric range without recharging -- a distance that would include most daily roundtrip commutes.

The five projects selected for negotiation of awards were designed by the 3M Corp. of St. Paul, Minn.; A123Systems of Watertown, Maine; Compact Power Inc. of Troy, Mich.; EnerDel Inc. of Indianapolis, and Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions of Milwaukee.
The Energy Department said its goal is to make PHEVs cost-competitive by 2014 and ready for commercialization by 2016.

[Via - United Press International]

Peugeot Unveiled New Hybrid Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show

2007-09-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

French firm Peugeot used the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil a diesel hybrid version of its acclaimed 308 compact hatchback.

The car is only a concept at the moment, but a spokesman commented: "This represents another step on the path towards the planned commercialization of the technology in 2010. Further evaluation of the original Peugeot 307 Hybrid HDi demonstrator in 2006 has confirmed the choice of a diesel engine, instead of a petrol engine, as the best option to provide the best reduction in fuel consumption and emissions."

The hybrid emits just 90 g/km of CO2 and reduces fuel consumption by 58 percent on the urban cycle, compared to a standard 308 HDi. It has a 110-hp 1.6-liter HDi diesel engine with particulate filter coupled with a 22-hp electric motor. Fuel consumption is 83 mpg. In addition, the engine has been designed to meet the future Euro V directive which comes into force in 2009, and offers the possibility of driving exclusively in electric mode.

Is It Truth Or Myth That Hybrid Cars are Fuel Efficient?

2007-09-24T06:04:00.001-07:00

Interested in an energy-efficient auto? You're in luck. That's because nearly every major car company has a hybrid line, or has plans to introduce one soon. But enter the showroom, and instead of seeing green, you may be seeing red. Many of the market's hybrids--cars which combine gasoline engines with battery-powered electric motors--forsake fuel-efficiency in the name of power and performance.

The average gas mileage of hybrid models available in the U.S. is 33 miles per gallon (combined city and highway). But Chevy's newest Silverado hybrid truck gets only 16 mpg. The newest Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan clocks in at 21 mpg, the 2007 Saturn Vue hybrid at 26 mpg. This contradiction is not lost on consumers. The most recent 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Alternative Powertrain Study found that only 50% of new-vehicle shoppers are currently considering a hybrid--down from 57% the year before.

"In the 2006 study, we found consumers often overestimated the fuel efficiency of hybrid-electric vehicles," said Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power. "The decrease in consideration of hybrids in 2007 may be a result of their more realistic understanding of the actual fuel-economy capabilities."

Problematic Pumpbusters

In fact, the fuel economy of many new hybrids is almost indistinguishable from that of their conventionally powered counterparts. (The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency list info on hybrid vehicles at fueleconomy.gov, including numbers that have recently been updated to reflect actual gas mileage--not just numbers from ideal-condition driving, which are often used in marketing.)

Take the GMC Sierra Classic 15 Hybrid. Its V8 engine and hefty 5,000-lb. weight keeps its gas mileage to 16 mpg--only one mile per gallon more than GMC's non-hybrid version. Few would consider a truck that guzzles that much gas a friend of the environment--or the wallet. The Department of Energy estimates that Toyota Prius owners will spend an average of $900 on gas per year. The Classic 15 hybrid is expected to swallow over $2,600 in gas per year. That's cash consumers don't want to spend. The J.D. Power study found that buyers expected hybrids to gain 18.5 mpg over similar non-hybrid vehicles.

Honda, a company that forged the hybrid car market in the U.S. with the 1999 Insight, understands this. Due to poor sales, the Japanese company is discontinuing its Accord Hybrid, which is considered a "mild hybrid." Such cars have oversized starter motors that allow gas to be saved when coasting and while stopped, but have no hybrid drivetrains, meaning there is no electric motor to drive the vehicle. Mild hybrids also rarely have regenerative braking--a system that converts kinetic energy from the brakes into electrical energy to help power the vehicle.

Despite outperforming the conventional Accord, the hybrid's poor fuel economy (27 mpg) hasn't made the $31,090 price tag worth it to consumers. Instead, Honda will focus its energy on the smaller Civic, which costs $10,000 less and has 19 mpg better fuel economy than the most powerful conventional Civic.

Many U.S. car makers, however, aren't following suit.

GM's Gas Guzzlers

This year, in addition to two large hybrid SUVs with V8 power and abysmal fuel economy, GM will roll the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu hybrid sedans (both 27 mpg) straight off the assembly line and onto the bottom of the efficiency heap. The Aura Hybrid, a $22,700 midsize with a four-cylinder engine, has the same gas mileage as the conventional engine in the comparably sized and more modestly priced Kia Spectra ($16,000).

GM officials have pointed out that the company makes more models with 30 mpg or better than any other manufacturer, and that GM has been investing heavily in ethanol and fuel-cell technology.

Still, Bradley Berman, editor of hybridcars.com, says manufacturers like GM should expect sluggish sales. Consumers' ecological concerns don't seem to be waning, and fuel prices, now around $3 a gallon, continue to spiral upward.

"The reality now is that people want maximum mpg," he says. "The most fuel-efficient hybrids are selling a lot better than the hybrids that are oriented toward power."

[Via - Forbes]

Is Plug-in Feature For Hybrid Car Really Revolutionary?

2007-09-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

Industry experts are predicting an era of renaissance in the global automotive market, thanks to hybrids as this concept is full of advantages and is being adopted by carmakers rapidly. US, in particular, is leading the market. The US Federal and State Governments make some of the largest vehicle markets and their high purchasing power can certainly set the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) market in motion.

According to “Hybrid Car Market Outlook”, a recent report of RNCOS on hybrids, ‘plug-in’ feature, which is truly revolutionary, is going to bring the next phase in hybrid evolution. US is sufficiently capable to offset the augured electricity demand by plug-ins, though cost may vary from region to region.

PHEVs come with multiple benefits, like they have larger battery which can be recharged at night to get more than 100 Miles per Gallon (mpg) and if gasoline in the PHEV is added with Northwest biodiesel, the mpg can go even higher.

Counting its benefits, the U.S. Department of Transportation says, “There are significantly fewer harmful pollutants and CO2 produced to power a plug-in vehicle than a comparable gasoline powered car. Plug-in cars capable of 50 miles per day would meet the needs of 80% of the American driving public”, as reported by the First Science News on July 2, 2007.

HEVs are already proving immensely beneficial for US energy in terms of security and consumption. As per the data by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the league of existing hybrids, the most energy-efficient one can reduce the consumption of gasoline by nearly 40% against similar conventional cars.

At country level, in 2005, US remained the biggest hybrid car market and had a share of around 69% (with over 210,000 units sold) in the global hybrid sales. Next came Japan with over 19% share. It is expected that the hybrid car sales in US would transcend 1.6 Million in 2012, says the RNCOS report “Hybrid Car Market Outlook”.

The future of automotives too belongs to PHEVs and identifying this, many car-manufacturers, including GM, Ford, and Toyota, are fast switching towards adding these cars in their portfolio. PHEVs will let the customers to use electricity from grid to substitute gasoline at their own choice.

Toyota To Build The First New Auto Assembly Plant In Japan In Nearly Two Decades

2007-09-20T06:10:00.001-07:00

Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to build its first new auto assembly plant in Japan in nearly two decades, Japanese media reports said Friday. The Japanese automaker said in a statement it's studying all such production possibilities, but no decision had been made.

Toyota, which makes Camry sedans, Lexus luxury cars and Prius hybrids, has been reporting booming sales and appears to be on track to beat General Motors Corp. as the world's No. 1 automaker in annual global group sales and production, perhaps as soon as this year.Kyodo News, citing anonymous sources, said Toyota is considering Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido or the northern region of the main island as possible sites for the plant.

A decision for the $872 million plant, producing from 100,000 to 200,000 vehicles a year, could come as early as this year, the report said. Toyota officials have said Japan is often the best place to make certain models, such as luxury models and hybrids. The latter switch between a gas engine and an electric motor to boost mileage.

Fuel-efficient models from Japanese companies are growing in popularity because of soaring gas prices. But up to now, Japanese automakers have been busy opening plants overseas to keep up with growing demand. Honda Motor Co., Japan's No. 2 automaker, whose fuel-efficient models are also selling well, is planning its first plant opening in Japan in 30 years. The new car-assembly and engine plants will be running by 2010. Toyota has already announced a new line next year at a 2005 plant in southwestern Japan to double production of engines for luxury models.

While the Japanese auto majors have been seeing their sales and global market share increase, their American rivals, including GM and Ford Motor Co., have been struggling to boost profits, cutting jobs and shuttering plants.

[Via - Associated Press]

Hybrid Car Sales Rise 49 Percent In 2007

2007-09-19T06:15:00.001-07:00

U.S. sales of new hybrid cars were up 49 percent in the first seven months of this year, due largely to a boom in sales in the Midwest, an auto information and marketing company said today.

Oklahoma led all states with a 143 percent increase in hybrid sales compared to the first seven months of 2006, said Southfield-based R.L. Polk & Co. Hawaii was the only state to report a decline in hybrid sales. Hybrid sales were up 57 percent in the Midwest, the most of any region. The Toyota Prius and hybrid Toyota Camry were the most popular models there. Hybrid sales rose 52 percent in the West, 49 percent in the Northeast and 42 percent in the South.

Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis for R.L. Polk, said hybrids are a bright spot in a U.S. market that is otherwise down. Miller predicts total U.S. hybrid sales will exceed 300,000 this year, or more than 2 percent of all sales. U.S. consumers bought 254,545 hybrids in 2006. Miller said hybrid sales are on the rise because of high gas prices and environmental concerns. "The data indicates that hybrids have not hit plateau and that there is room for continued growth within the marketplace in all regions," Miller said in a news release.

[Via - Associated Press]

Automakers unveiled hybrids on Frankfurt Auto Show

2007-09-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

Take a look at list of some of the new hybrid models unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show:

1. Mercedes-BMW-GM ML 450 Hybrid — A two-mode rear-drive hybrid, it will be available in North America (Canada, anyway) in 2009.
2. BMW X6 ActiveHybrid — A gasoline-electric hybrid that is billed as the world’s first sport-utility-like coupe, it will go on sale (in Canada) in 2009.
3. GM Flextreme — A plug-in electric hybrid with a lithium-ion battery pack and a 1.3 Liter diesel engine, it is made under the Open and Saturn banners. Cars with this technology should be in production within two or three years.
4. Audi E Concept — A modified A4 sedan, it uses gel batteries to store kinetic energy.

Though not all of these cars will be available in the United States anytime soon, but the point is that these cars demonstrate the innovation taking place in the automaking industry.

Is Hybrid Car The Best Environmental Option?

2007-09-17T06:05:00.001-07:00

A hybrid car is a car powered by two different sources: an electric motor and an internal combustion engine which propels the car. The hybrid recaptures energy through a process known as regenerative braking -- where the energy normally lost through braking or coasting goes to power the electric motor.

According to Earth-Policy.org, if the United States replaced its entire fleet of passenger cars with "super-efficient" hybrids such as these over the next 10 years, gasoline use would be slashed in half.

Public hybrid buses have been tested in New York to some success, according to the EDTA, which says the buses emit 90 percent less particulate matter and 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases than regular diesel buses. Hybrid cars are also taking off in a big way in Sweden, which also is recording faster drops in CO2 emissions from new cars than any other European nation. (Europe's market share of global hybrid sales is still very small, estimated at less than 8 percent. The U.S. remains the world's biggest hybrid car market with 70 percent market share.)

The main objections to hybrid technology are:
- regard purchasing and maintenance costs
- limited fuel economy on long-distance drives
- faltering battery levels at high speeds
- added car weight (hybrids tend to be 10 percent heavier than a similar sized car, according to NewCarPark.com)
- conversely, negative environmental impacts, more energy is required to build a hybrid as it is a more complicated vehicle; it requires more copper wire than a regular car; and its battery which weighs more than 100 pounds is a potential environmental hazard, critics say.

But mainly, the questions many people have with hybrids is that they still rely on gasoline and they still pollute the atmosphere. While Earth-Policy says that hybrids could slash U.S. gasoline use in half, if it applied that same methodology to plug-in hybrids, you could cut gasoline use by 70 percent.

The advantage plug-in hybrids have over regular hybrids, its proponents say, is you can power them by electricity alone. They carry larger batteries than conventional hybrids, which, when recharged (by plugging them into the national grid) will give drivers up to 60 miles of without any emissions at all.

A U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) study found that 73 percent of the nearly 217 million vehicles on America's roads could be charged with existing power plants to generate the electricity to charge the cars -- and greenhouse gases would fall by 27 percent as a result.

The new challenge would then be using existing power plants using coal or nuclear power. The DoE study also found that particulate emissions would increase with the power grid having to charge all these vehicles. The panacea is a car which produces no emissions at all -- some will say that it is an electric car, others say it is the fuel cell vehicle. For now, though, hybrid cars are possibly the best environmental option on the road.

The Limo Business Is Starting To Go Green

2007-09-17T01:19:00.001-07:00

Even in a small sea of over-the-top limousines, 28-foot-long black Lincolns, and stretched-out Hummers with not one but three cocktail bars in the back, this was a car that stood out from the crowd. What made it unique? An environmentally friendly hybrid engine that makes this livery-package Mercury Mariner capable of getting 34 miles a gallon in the city, easily triple the mileage of a maxed-out Hummer.

As limousine-company owners and industry vendors gathered at the Mohegan Sun casino this week for the LCT Eastern Conference/New England Livery Association trade show and convention, one of the showroom-floor vehicles getting its tires kicked the most was the new Mariner hybrid sport-utility vehicle customized for limousine service. It was the first time the vehicle has been displayed outside of Ford Motor Co. dealer meetings.

Many companies have begun in the last year offering chauffeur-driven hybrid livery cars, including PlanetTran in Cambridge and Go Green Airport Shuttle in Pelham, N.H., which both use Toyota Priuses. More than 300 hybrid taxis have gone into service in New York and San Francisco since late 2005.

The Mariner, however, is the first manufacturer-sponsored hybrid made specifically for livery service. Painted in - what else - deep glossy black, with a specialized four-year, 100,000-mile warranty and deluxe business-executive appointments such as leather seats and a front-seat electric outlet for a laptop computer, the car sells for $30,200 in its front-wheel-drive version. Buyers can get a $3,000 federal energy-conservation tax credit.

The first livery cars are expected to reach fleet operators in November or December. Known for ample, often colossal, fuel-chugging vehicles, the limo business is starting to go green. "Our biggest challenge right now is the price of fuel, and if you compare the costs, apples to apples, this is a cheaper vehicle to run," said show attendee Roger J. Richard, president of Associated Cab Ltd. in Calgary, which runs a fleet of 425 taxis and 75 livery cars in the Western Canada energy-industry hub.

Associated uses eight hybrid Ford Escapes in the cab fleet and plans to add several of the Mercury Mariners, a posher cousin of the Escape in size and styling. "The next five years, there is going to be a huge change in the industry," Richard added. "There has to be."

Doug Walczak, limousine and livery manager for Ford's North American fleet operations, said in recent months he and other Ford executives have been peppered with inquiries from customers seeking to add hybrids to their fleet, including one Brooklyn limousine operator who was warned by a client that if he didn't add a hybrid to his fleet by New Year's Day, they'd drop him. "A lot of operators said, 'What are we going to do to listen to the green market? What are we doing to respond to the environmental movement?' " Walczak said.

The EPA rates the Mariner at 34 miles to the gallon in city driving, 30 on the highway, compared with 15 city and 23 highway for the industry-standard Lincoln Town Car built with an extra 6 inches of rear-seat legroom. Depending on weight, customized stretch Hummers and Cadillac Escalades can rate single-digit mileage.

In sharp contrast to gasoline-only vehicles, which normally are far more fuel-efficient on the highway, hybrids do better in stop-and-go city driving, when they can operate all-electric at slow speeds and have batteries repeatedly recharged as the brakes are applied, through the technological marvel known as regenerative braking.

Such companies as PlanetTran, which expanded last year from Boston and Cambridge to also serve the San Francisco Bay area, showed there's a clear market for environmentally minded chauffeured-car customers willing to pay $60 an hour and stuff themselves in the back seat of a Prius.

New York hybrid limo operator OzoCar, which runs a fleet of Priuses and Lexus Rx400h hybrids, and Executive Transportation Group, which runs 17 metropolitan New York black car fleets, plan this fall to roll out franchised hybrid-car limo services in six to eight more US cities.

Roger Hamelin, owner of Prospect Limo Service LLC in Prospect, Conn., who operates a fleet of five cars he drives for weddings, proms, and airport service and night-on-the-town runs to Boston and New York, said he'd be leery of offering service in a Prius. "I wouldn't do that because of the luggage space," Hamelin said. Looking over the Mariner, Hamelin said he liked what he saw, but admitted, "I'm hoping they'd be able to come in sooner or later with a Town Car hybrid version. That's the real standard in this business, and people want to be green. People like being able to say, 'I'm using a green car for my limo.' "

[Via - International Herald Tribune]

Hybrid Car That Would Cost No More Than A Conventional Hatchback

2007-09-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

French car maker Citroen has unveiled a hybrid car that would cost no more than a conventional hatchback. Despite its futuristic styling, the Citroen C-Cactus (so named because of its low consumption, as with a cactus plant) is a pointer to future technology and the design of the next-generation C3 small hatch.
This is the third diesel-hybrid show car from Citroen in less than two years and the maker this week vowed it would have hybrid power on every model in its range by 2012 from as little as $20,000.

The previous two diesel-hybrid concepts from Citroen were a five-door hatch and a large, V6-powered sedan. The C-Cactus uses Citroen's diesel-hybrid technology in the smallest cars on the market, the so-called "light" cars. These are similar in size to a Toyota Yaris. Until now, hybrid technology was thought to be too expensive on such vehicles.

A hybrid drivetrain and battery pack is said to be 30 to 40 per cent dearer than a conventional petrol engine. That's why a hybrid version of a Honda Civic costs $30,000, instead of $21,000 for a regular model.

So how has Citroen done it? By completely rethinking how it builds small cars. The maker says it has found ways to cut more than 200 components from a car. The dashboard is one part and all the controls are located in one spot. The ignition key, another example of Citroen's thriftiness, doubles as an MP3 player.

"Citroen wants its hybrid cars to be in the same price bracket as conventional cars," Edward Rowe, spokesman for Citroen cars in Australia, told Drive at this week's Frankfurt motor show. "Hybrid drivetrains are expensive and there's no escaping the cost, so Citroen looked at how it could reduce the cost of the rest of the car.

"It's all very well building the greenest car in the world but if no one buys it, the whole exercise has been pointless. So we've got to make a car that is priced and equipped correctly."

The C-Cactus concept car is powered by a 1.4-litre diesel engine backed up by an electric motor. It sips fuel at a little more than half the rate of a Toyota Prius hybrid (2.9 litres/100 kilometres) and Citroen says it emits just 78 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (a fraction of the emissions of a regular car and well below the European Union's proposed 2012 target of 130g/km).

[Via - http://www.drive.com.au/]

Three Reasons To Choose A Hybrid

2007-09-16T15:33:00.001-07:00

1. Less Emissions
Hybrids are super-efficient with their use of gas because they rely on electricity for some of their power. This has made it possible for hybrids to get great mileage. The environmental impact is phenomenal. Hybrids use less gas sending fewer emissions into the air. Chemicals from dioxide, to nitrogen oxide all get into the air with gas cars. Although hybrids still emit some fumes and toxic elements, they are performing so well that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has made special ratings for them because they are putting about 90% fewer emissions into the air.

2. Better Health
When emissions get churned into the air, the environment is not the only place that suffers. The human body does not take well to the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, lead and other chemicals that gas-guzzling cars use. Sitting in traffic, one experiences the odors alone that carry the cancer causing agents. All of the chemicals produced by emissions have been linked to cancer, birth defects and a number of other preventable conditions.

3. Environmental Domino Effect
Many people say that buying a hybrid is a great idea, but not everyone buys one. It is hard to blame people, since the cost is thousands of dollars more than for a regular car, but for those who are taking the first steps, they are contributing to environmental awareness. Choosing a hybrid helps the market get the price down, which allows for more people to buy them. Buying a hybrid is one of the best ways to get the environmental domino effect moving.

Many other reasons to buy hybrids are being offered by the makers of hybrids, those who have already purchased one, and by dealerships. To many, any issues that makers are having with the production of hybrids seem like less of a problem than finding real ways to stay green. Emissions and efficiency have come to the forefront of people’s minds more and more as gas prices rise.

People are starting to be more concerned about the effects of high emissions on their health, and their future grandchildren. Choosing a hybrid makes a huge statement to the government and to other consumers. More and more people are beginning to "choose green" when they buy a car, which encourages more people that doing so is the right way to go.

List of hybrid cars

2007-09-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ford & Mercury
Ford Escape Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid

General Motors
Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
GMC Sierra Hybrid
Saturn Aura Greenline
Saturn Vue Greenline

Honda
Honda Accord Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid

Nissan
Nissan Altima Hybrid

Toyota & Lexus
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Toyota Prius
Lexus GS 450h
Lexus RX 400h

What is hybrid car? What benefits?

2007-09-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

A hybrid car combines two or more sources of power. Hybrid cars most commonly use an internal combustion engine and electric batteries to power electric motors. There are a lot of hybrid models on the market these days, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions. Hybrid cars are viewed by some automakers as a core segment of the next future automotive market.

The hybrid electric cars have the folowing benefits:

Lower fuel consumption:
a) Reducing wasted energy during idle/low output, generally by turning the internal combustion engine off;
b) Recapturing waste energy (i.e. regenerative braking);
c) reducing the size and power of the internal combustion engine engine, and hence inefficiencies from under-utilization, by using the better torque response of electric motors to compensate for the loss in peak power output from the smaller internal combustion engine.

Durability:
Reduced wear on the gasoline engine, particularly from idling with no load. Reduced wear on brakes from the regenerative braking system use.

Environmental impact:
Reduced noise emissions resulting from substantial use of electric motor at low speeds, leading to roadway noise reduction and beneficial noise health effects.

Hello World!

2007-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hello World!