Archive for Hybrids, Electric vehicles, fuel cells, alternative fuel

Words are being exchanged in the motoring fraternity that Japanese-based auto maker, Toyota is planning to produce a hybrid coupe, which will share the same powertrain as the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle. The hybrid is said to carry over certain design cues from the Toyota FT-HS Concept which was previewed at Detroit 2007.

According to Auto Express, Toyota will dub the hybrid coupe as the MR2, and that the environmentally friendly compact coupe will feature a rear wheel drive setup with a paddle shift transmission. The British-based magazine also revealed that Toyota’s executive vice president Masatami Takimoto mentioned that the auto maker understands that people in the U.K and Europe are very fond of the MR2, and the company is developing small hybrid sports car.

The coupe is expected to also offer excellent handling characteristics with improved aerodynamic efficiency and if it goes into production, we can expect a price point that would hover over the GBP 20,000 figure. It is also speculated that the hybrid coupe would be able to hit the 100 km/h mark in 7 seconds, while returning an impressive 60 miles to the gallon. Stay tuned as we will bring you the latest updates!

Ecotricity is a British-based wind energy company and to help promote the usage of electric vehicles in the U.K, the company initiated the development process to produce an all electric Lotus Exige about seven months ago. The car which is now in its final stage of development is able to accelerate to the 100 km/h point in about 4 second all the way to a top speed of 225 km/h.

Ecotricity, which has an ultimate goal of seeing only electric cars in the U.K, assembled six highly trained engineers to work on the project. Collectively, all six engineers have worked on the development of the De Lorean, Jaguar XJR15, Corvette ZR1, Lotus Elan as well as the legendary McLaren F1 super car. Ecotricity also encourages electric vehicles to be recharged via its wind power turbine farms, but also revealed that the electric Exige can be recharged via a house hold power outlet.

The modified Lotus Exige now features a 90mm extended chassis, Brushless electric motors from America, a 96 lithium-ion polymer battery pack from Korea and LED turn indicators. The project, which thus far is worth GBP 200,000, will go into its testing stage in a couple weeks. Ecotricity also revealed that by using electric vehicles in a large scale, U.K can cut down oil usage by 25 million tonnes, and total emissions output in the country can be reduced by 12%.

Italian-based Tazzari revealed that it will offer its Zero electric vehicle in North America by 2010, via Verdek-EV, which is a company appointed to represent Tazzari in regions such as North America, Mexico and the Caribbean islands. The Tazzari Zero is a fully electric 2 door super mini that is powered by a 15kW asynchronous AC centrally mounted motor, that is also good for 150Nm of torque. The 542 kilograms electric-mobile is also able to sprint to 100 km/h in just 5 seconds, which is impressive. Top speed is rated at 80 km/h.

With a Li-ion Fe battery pack which takes about 9 hours for a full recharge via a household power outlet, the Zero is capable of delivering 140 kilometers in terms of driving range. The Zero which measures 2884 mm in length, 1550 mm in width and 1400 mm in height, also features four driving modes that include “Race” for performance driving with race like feel, “Rain” for driving in wet conditions, “Standard” for daily use and “Economy” to get the most mileage from a full charge.

The Tazzari Zero is scheduled for its first public appearance at the Bologna International Motor Show in December and Tazzari revealed that in Europe, the Zero will carry price tag which is slightly less than 20,000 Euros. Standard features include 15 inch alloy wheels finished in Anthracite, electronic anti-theft device with remote control and immobilizer, radio stereo RDS with mp3 and CD player, removable venting ultra view sunroof, eco-leather seats, standard battery charger for 9 hours charge time and a 12V outlet for phone recharge and LED tail lights.

Other options include white or black paint finish for the wheels and either a Multifast battery charger or a Superfast battery charger. The Multifast charger can fully recharge the electric car in 6 hours while the latter can recharge the Zero up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Continue reading to view more images.

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The Geneva Motor Show officially comes to an end, and just before the shutter rolls down, here is a report on Mitsubishi’s iMiev Prototype and the iMiev Sport Air Concept. The iMiev Prototype is basically meant for the European market, and is expected to debut sometime in 2010, while the iMiev for the Japanese market is set to hit showrooms by summer this year.

Compared to the Japanese market model, the European Prototype iMiev features widened front and rear tracks and extended rear overhangs to help provide higher levels of pedestrian protection expected in Europe as well as better occupant protection in the event of a rear-end shunt. With a clean and simple Ice Blue interior treatment, the exterior is finished in a snow-white body finish.

Propulsion power of the iMiev with a rear-midship layout is provided by an electric motor that can output 47kW and 180Nm of torque. This rear wheel drive 4-seater prototype stores energy in a 330V lithium-ion battery pack.

Next up is the iMiev Sport Air Concept which is a sporty concept version of the electric iMiev. Sharing the same platform as the iMiev, this tear-drop shaped Sport Air Concept features a number of new fitments and accessories including front and rear lights that have a 3D look as well as a detachable “clear cutaway” roof panel that also features a solar inlay.

The interior is treated to a high-contrast colour scheme of greyish blue and “greige”, which is an intermediate color between grey and beige with blue illumination for the instruments and interior lighting. Compared to the iMiev, this 4-seater concept features a more powerful electric motor which generates 60kW and 230Nm of torque. The Sport Air Concept is also about 100 kilograms lighter than the iMiev thanks to its body structure that uses tailgate panels and plastic body to help reduce weight. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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Norwegian electric-car builder TH!NK which has recently undergone bankruptcy under Norwegian law and had to cease production in that country, announced plans to set up a plant in the U.S to manufacture its all electric TH!NK City car and that production and sales can initiate by 2011.

Production wise, the auto maker is targeting to produce 16,000 units within the first year. The 3-door all electric hatch features a 3 phase asyncron electric motor that can produce 30kW. With power stored in either a sodium or in a lithium battery pack, it has a driving range of up to 180 kilometers. Recharging can be performed via a household power outlet and it takes about 13 hours to fully charge the battery pack. 0 – 100 km/h acceleration time of the TH!NK City is figured at 6.5 seconds.

In standard form, the TH!NK City comes with two front seats only, but two rear seats are optionally available. Among others, the TH!NK City car also features two front airbags, ABS, regenerative brakes, power steering as well as electric windows and mirrors. Buyers can also opt for a full length sunroof, a radio CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth and more. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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American-based auto maker Ford has revealed that it will present a tri-fuel Ford Mondeo at the Leipzig Motor Show which will run from March 28th till April 2009 this year. This tri-model, as the title suggests, can be fueled with a mixture of gasoline, bio-ethanol (E85) as well as LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas. This means that the standard Mondeo with its 2.0 liter Duratec gasoline engine comes fitted with an additional 48.8-liter tank to supply LPG, while gasoline and bio-ethanol shares a 70-liter tank.

Ford also revealed that the Mondeo with the tri-fuel feature can deliver up to 1,300 kilometers in terms of driving range when all three fuel types are used. Out of the 1,300 kilometers of range, 460 kilometers is contributed by LPG while the balance is contributed by a mixture of gasoline and bio-ethanol. Power output wise, the auto maker mentioned that with a mixture of gasoline and bio-ethanol, the 2.0 liter powerplant is able to produce 145HP, and while running on LPG, it can output 141HP, which is pretty decent actually.

Available in sedan, five-door liftback and in station wagon forms, the Tri-Fuel Ford Mondeo will go on sale in selected European markets from April this year, with prices in Germany starting from 27,500 Euros, which means this fuel efficient variant is cheaper by 250 Euros than the diesel-powered Ford Mondeo TDCi with 140HP.

Words are being exchanged that Japanese auto maker Mitsubishi is planning to reveal the a plug-in hybrid crossover at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

There are no other details thus far regarding this matter, but we just know that this hybrid would equal the size of the Nissan Qashqai. Apparently, an executive from the company revealed that Mitsubishi would now like to focus on more fuel efficient, smaller engines to power its SUV’s.

In line with that, the auto maker will also launch a new 1.8 diesel power plant later this year. The executive also mentioned that Mitsubishi has re-assigned its motor sport engineers who were part of the Dakar racing program to help develop the company’s electric vehicle program.

Koenigsegg has arrived in Geneva with its Quant Concept vehicle which is a 4-seater solar powered electric super car. According Koenigsegg, if the Quant goes into production, it can be fully recharged in just 20 minutes, and with that it can deliver 500 kilometers in terms of driving range. The company also revealed that the batteries can be charged an unlimited number of times with no degradation. Further power can also be drawn from a thin film photovoltaic coating on the body and from the four-wheel brake regeneration.

This rear wheel drive, futuristic looking concept is said to be able to deliver 512HP at the touch of the accelerator with 715Nm of torque. Naught to 100 km/h is achieved in 5.2 seconds and it can do a top speed of 275 km/h. Other preliminary features include; 6 air bags, ABD, ESP, 3 zone climate control, LED front and rear lights, among others.

Koenigsegg has yet to release any other details regarding pricing as well as a potential production date. Meanwhile, continue reading to view an image gallery.

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Nissan has uncovered the Infiniti Essence Concept which also seem to like the Zagato Perana Z-One sports car. This sexy looking concept also has hints of the Maserati GranTurismo especially with its front fascia. But what differentiates the Essence concept from the first two vehicles mentioned above is that, apart from featuring a typical 434HP 3.7 liter V6 with twin turbos and direct injection, this sports car also features an electric drive system, hence, it is called a gas-electric hybrid sports car.

This also means that apart from the obvious improvement in fuel efficiency and a reduced emissions output, the Essence gets an extra 158HP from its electric motor which is also called a “3D Motor” that draws its energy from a lithium ion battery pack. Hence, total power output is rated at 592HP. Energy usage is fully optimized thanks to two separate clutches which “switch in” the motors when required. The reason behind the the 3D term is that its design was achieved by utilizing a 3D magnetic field analysis to optimize the layout of the electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets.

Safety wise, the concept comes fitted with Distance Control Assist (DCA), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Side Collision Prevention (SCP) and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP) that make up the Safety Shield system. The driver-focused interior which is finished in a combination of leather, Alcantara and hand-painted wood features a flat-bottomed steering wheel and chronometer-style dials. In fact, the auto maker has collaborated with famous designer label Louis Vuitton to produce a set of high quality luggage made to fit the car’s boot area exactly. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

Click here to read the rest of Geneva 2009: The Infiniti Essence Concept

General Motors has revealed Vauxhall’s interpretation of the Chevy Volt which will be offered in a right hand drive form, and that potential buyers can expect a production version by 2012. Based on the Chevy Volt and the Opel Ampera, this almost similar looking Vauxhall Ampera also features the Voltec electric propulsion system, meaning for journeys of up to 60 kilometers, it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery pack and this is done by emitting zero emissions.

Once energy in the battery pack is depleted, electricity generated from an engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km. Recharging can be performed via a 230 volt house hold power outlet. GM also revealed that its Australian subsidiary Holden, will offer its own version of the Volt/Ampera for the Australian market. Personally, the Ampera looks a little better than the more down to earth Volt. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

Click here to read the rest of Geneva 2009: RHD Volt-based Vauxhall Ampera to be produced by 2012