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

There are rumors that a new electric car prototype concept will be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show this October, a move that would seem to go against the Japanese carmaker’s stand that hydrogen fuel cell technology is the way of the future. Toyota is sticking to hybrids for the moment, while Nissan and Mitsubishi has already decided to jump straight to EVs. EVs make a lot of sense but the long charge times and the problem of solving how to implement a charging infrastructure and payment system for charging needs out of one’s own home is not easy to solve.

The advantages of hydrogen fuel cell cars – which essentially are also electric cars but with their electricity generated on the fly with a fuel cell – are that refuelling hydrogen is much faster than recharging a battery and consumers are already very familiar with the concept of plugging something in that refills your car with something in the matter of minutes and you driving off with a renewed vehicle range.

Even though Honda only has hybrids and fuel cell cars in its portfolio right now, it does not mean they are strangers to the concept of the battery-powered EV. They were leasing a pure electric car back in 1999 – the Honda EV Plus, which was a 3-door hatchback. You could lease it for US$455 a month for a 3-year lease. After the lease, you had to return the car to Honda where it would be crushed. It had a 66hp brushless DC motor and travel up to 160km under normal economical driving conditions and even 190km under ideal conditions.

An AP report claims that a Honda spokesperson confirmed that new EVs were in Honda’s development plans, but a release date had not been decided yet. An estimated date for a US production launch is pegged at 2015, a long, long way to go.

The BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is truly mind-boggling. It’s an SUV, but the sloping roofline and two seats at the back kind of limit its utility and storage space. And it’s a hybrid which people usually associate with economy, yet its mated to a massive V8 twin turbocharged engine. There is not one but two electric motors, and the vehicle ends up having more torque than the BMW X6 M, a full 100Nm more to be exact.

The V8 motor puts out 407 horses, while the two electric motors make 91 horses and 86 horses respectively. All three propulsion devices running at the same time produces a peak 485 horses, with a massive peak torque of 780Nm.

This not only makes the X6 M the most powerful hybrid ever, but its also the most torquey BMW ever, beating the 760Li’s 750Nm by 30Nm. Only the upcoming BMW-built Rolls-Royce Ghost’s 6.6 liter V12 engine equals the ActiveHybrid X6’s 780Nm. 0 to 100km/h takes just 5.6 seconds, the car puts out 231g/km of CO2, while fuel consumption on the EU5 cycle is 9.9 liters per 100km.

Interestingly, BMW says this vehicle uses a 7-speed automatic transmission. Since when does BMW have a 7-speed automatic, other than the DCT and M DCT systems? This is not a conventional gearbox, as BMW says the transmission is “provided by the electric motors”.

It is an e-CVT, which is quite similiar to how the Prius’s e-CVT is also not a real transmission but instead is the result of the car’s two electric motors working together with various other components. Like the Prius too, one motor acts mostly as a generator while the other motor actually drives the vehicle. The two motors linked by three planetary gearsets are able to provide 7 different ratios.

The ActiveHybrid X6 can also run on an EV mode, which means on the motors only, at speeds of up to 60km/h for distances of up to 2.5km. Of course for EV mode the car must be driven gently – step on it abit more than the threshold and the V8 springs to life to provide you with the acceleration that the car thinks you need. Of course like any other hybrid it has a auto start-stop feature.

Unlike the ActiveHybrid 7-Series which uses lithium ion batteries, the ActiveHybrid X6 uses NiMH batteries and they are positioned beneath the floor of the luggage compartment. The batteries are liquid cooled with a heat exchanger that is cooled via outside air flow and also optionally through the air conditioning cooling circuits, depending on the cooling requirements needed.

Look after the jump for loads of hi-res photos of the new X6 hybrid.

Click here to read the rest of The new BMW ActiveHybrid X6 xDrive50i: world’s most powerful hybrid!

BMW now has a competitor for the S400 BlueHybrid – the new BMW ActiveHybrid 7. The ActiveHybrid 7 (available in both F01 and F02 longwheelbase bodies, with the long wheelbase called the BMW ActiveHybrid 7L) uses a mild hybrid system, also sometimes called a motor assist system.

Basically the V8 engine and 8-speed ZF automatic transmission is assisted by a three-phase synchronous electric motor weighing 23kg to give a peak output of 465 horses and 700Nm of torque. The electric motor (20 horses and 210Nm of torque) is positioned between the V8 and the 8-speeder’s torque converter, and receives power from a 35 cell 400wH lithium ion battery, which can also be recharged by the motor via brake energy regeneration.

This lithium ion battery measures 370mm by 220mm by 230mm and weighs 27kg, and is housed in the luggage compartment between the wheel arches, protected by a high-strength casing. Basically BMW had to remove the air-conditioning compressor for the rear aircond vents to make space for the battery.

0 to 100km/h takes 4.9 seconds, while EU test cycle fuel consumption is rated at 9.4 liters per 100km. CO2 emissions have been measured at 219g/km. Not exactly figures that will make greenheads drool but being an enthusiast I’m quite interested in experiencing the kind of pulling power that a high torque turbocharged engine and an inherently torquey electric motor can give.

The ActiveHybrid 7 also features automatic start-stop, which is said to be a first on a BMW equipped with an automatic transmission. Auto start-stop has been available for quite sometime now as part of their EfficientDynamics program but have previously been available only on manual transmission models.

The air conditioning and other systems remain fully operational whenever the engine is off, however being a mild hybrid system the car will not move with the V8 engine turned off – it will only turn off when you come to a stop. The air conditioning system can also be activated remotely via the remote control to cool down the car sufficiently before you get into the car.

Look after the jump for a full hi-res gallery and a video of the new BMW ActiveHybrid 7.

Click here to read the rest of New BMW ActiveHybrid 7 hybrid luxo-barge to face-off the S400 BlueHybrid

Some initial details and low-res photos of the upcoming hybrid versions of the 7-Series and X6 scheduled for public debut at the Frankfurt show this year have appeared on the internet. Both vehicles will be based on the 4.4 liter V8 engine but the 7-Series will have an electric motor, while the X6 will have two motors.

The turbocharged V8 and the two motors allow the X6 ActiveHybrid to produce a combined total of 478 horsepower and a massive 780Nm of torque, which is a full 100Nm more than the X6-M! Though its likely that none of the extra equipment require more space in terms of height in the engine bay, BMW has gone and added a powerdome to the X6’s bonnet anyway.

The 7-Series ActiveHybrid features a 459 horsepower and 760Nm combined total output. There is a fundamental difference between how these two hybrid systems work. The X6 can run on EV mode, which means it can move propelled by the electric motors alone with the V8 engine shut off (though only for 2.5km at speeds of up to 60km/h), while the 7-Series uses a motor assist setup which means the electric motor cannot be used standalone. Clearly not exactly positioned for those who really want to do their bit to save the earth or even save fuel, otherwise they would have based these babys on the 3.0 liter turbo six instead of the turbo V8.

Click here to read the rest of Initial details on BMW ActiveHybrid 7 and BMW X6 ActiveHybrid unveiled!

When GM first announced the Chevrolet Volt project, Bob Lutz said the production version could end up being priced somewhere in the high US$20,000s. That’s not so bad. The car is Cobalt-sized and a Cobalt starts at just under US$15k and tops out at US$23k. For about US$29k you can get a fully loaded up Chevy Impala. So I suppose you’ll be trading an upsize in vehicle class for the advanced EREV powertrain. But not any longer. It turns out the price tag was a big underestimation.

Apparently now the realistic price tag for the Volt hovers at somewhere around US$43,000. For that kind of money you can buy a fully loaded top of the range 3-Series, or even a basic BMW 5-Series. A Prius starts at just under US$22k. And how did Lutz end up with high US$20k range in the first place? “I just thought if a conventional car of that size with a four-cylinder engine can go for US$15k-16k, add US$8k for the battery and we’re at US$25k,” admitted Lutz.

But of course the Volt is more than a regular inline-4 car with a battery. Yes, the battery did end up being US$8,000, supplied by Korean company LG Chem. But you also have to add the electric motor, ECU and various controls for the motor and battery charging systems, as well as equip the car with new auxiliaries that can continue to work via other methods rather than draw power from an internal combustion engine via an aux belt. The Volt also ended up using many one-off parts which does not benefit from economies of scale from use in other GM cars.

Even at the US$43k to the customer price tag, GM will also have to sell the car to the dealers at a loss. They are banking on warranty costs being much less than they provisioned and for technology advancement to reduce the costs of the Volt’s components halfway down the road to make the car profitable.

It was last reported that our neighbours up in Thailand north will be getting it beginning 2011, and who knows, maybe we’ll get it too, albeit if that happens it will probably be only as a halo model of some sort because of the kind of price tag it will have. Even in Thailand it is estimated to be priced at nearly 3 million Thai baht (roughly RM300,000), because of Thai import duty structures.

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Click here to read the rest of The Chevrolet Volt’s biggest problem: its cost

BMW’s Project i will be launched under the BMW subframe not unlike the BMW M badge, said its CEO Norberg Reithofer earlier this week.

We’ve already seen a modern BMW electric car with the trial-basis MINI E, and speculation was arife on whether BMW would start a new fourth brand for its electric cars, market the cars under the BMW brand, or sell them all as MINIs, since the MINI E is a MINI. The first car under Project i is commonly referred to as the MegaCity and will be released in the first half of the next decade, which is within 5 year’s time.

Lithium-ion batteries for Project i will be sourced from a Korean joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI called SB LiMotive. SB LiMotive also owns Cobasys, the company which supplies batteries to GM for its Volt.

BMW is said to be in talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen to expand its technical collaboration to electric cars as well. PSA already had some sort of deal with Mitsubishi though, with Mitsubishi set to supply the Mitsubishi i electric car to the French company to be sold in Europe under the Peugeot and Citroen badges.

It’s finally here, the first of the production Nissan electric vehicles that they’ve been shouting about for the longest time now. The new Nissan Leaf is a mid-sized hatchback powered by a lithium-ion battery that can go about 160km on a full charge.

The name Leaf in relation to the car’s zero-emissions nature – according to Nissan: just as leaves purify the air in nature, the Leaf purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.

The whole car has loads of blue themed in it. The introductory colour is called Aqua Globe. The interior (which at first sight looks Civic-like thanks to the format of the dual-level dash) features blue backlighting for the various displays. On the outside, the headlamps have a blue internal reflective design and are lit up by LED in order to be more energy efficient.

The Nissan Leaf’s lithium ion pack (installed under the passenger area under the seat and floor) produces 90kW and supplies power to the AC electric motor which produces 80kW (107 horsepower) and 280Nm of torque. It’s definitely not going to be a scorcher – it’s likely that due to gearing limitations, the top speed is limited to just over 140km/h and there is no 0 to 100km/h acceleration time given.

Different sockets for a regular wall plug and a quick charger

The 160km rated range is based on the US LA4 mode driving cycle. Nissan claims that this range satisfies the daily driving requirements of over 70% of the world’s drivers. At the end of the day, the Leaf can be charged overnight from a 200V power outlet in about 8 hours, or via a DC quick charger in under 30 minutes. The charging port is in front where the Nissan logo is.

Pricing for the new Nissan Leaf will only be announced later but according to Nissan, it will be priced about the same as a well-equipped C-segment car. The Leaf itself is well within the size of a typical C-segment hatch, with a wheelbase of 2,700mm. The Leaf is 4,445mm long, 1,770 mm wide and 1,550mm tall.

This means a Leaf could potentially be priced about the same as a Nissan Sylphy in Malaysia, which could put it well in reach for a sizeable amount of Malaysians, if only the government can revamp their various engine displacement based taxation systems.

Once that is settled there shouldn’t be a problem having one in Malaysia as Nissan has a right hand drive version pretty much ready. Look after the jump for a full photo gallery as well as 3 videos of the Nissan Leaf.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan LEAF: 160km range production electric car

Suzuki has officially revealed the 2010 Kizashi mid-sized sedan, that is offered in both front wheel drive and all wheel drive forms. Based on the Kizashi Concept that was previewed two years ago, the mid-size sedan is treated to a large prominent grille up front with curvaceous design lines under the projector beam headlights, which is also evident at the rear end. There are two exhaust tailpipes as well, on each side. The Kizashi also sits on the ground with 18-inch alloy wheels, treated to a multi-spoke design.

Inside, you can choose between cloth or premium leather seats. With the latter, you will get three-stage heating and memory function. Both material options are finished with French seams, hard cover rears and low fatigue foam. More features include, key-less entry (with start/stop button), iPod connectivity, Bluetooth (optional) and a 425-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system (optional). There is also a three-spoke steering wheel, in front of a two-gauge (with chrome outline and light blue lighting) instrument panel, with an LCD display.

Now to what is under the hood. Before I can continue, I must say that Suzuki has neglected to mention official performance figures of the Kizashi, along with the engine output numbers as well. We do know that it is powered by a 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder, mated to either a 6 speed manual or a CVT transmission. With the CVT, buyers will get steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

The engine includes an aluminum block and cylinder heads, aluminum pistons with low tensile force rings, dropped-forged connecting rods, rotating on a forged steel crankshaft and a balancer shaft that delivers improved engine balance and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Suspension wise, the Kizashi with a rigid steel unibody features MacPherson struts in the reinforced front suspension, while the rear is treated to a multi-link setup, which is constructed with embedded aluminum to improve handling. As mentioned earlier, the Kizashi is also offered with an all wheel drive system, which is Suzuki’s first for its sedan segment. The system’s torque split remains dependent on several factors, including wheel slippage and throttle input.

Safety wise, it comes with eight airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD and a tire pressure monitoring system. You can also go home with Suzuki’s synergetic vehicle dynamic control, which allows you to have more fun with the car, with minimal intrusion from the ESP. The auto maker also revealed that it is developing a hybrid variant of the Kizashi, and that it will be added into the line-up in the future. Expect the new sedan from Suzuki to hit US showrooms by December. Continue reading to view an image gallery and to watch a half-hour long video.

Click here to read the rest of 2010 Suzuki Kizashi officially revealed! Hybrid model coming soon

Nissan previewed its electric vehicle powertrain a few days ago and used a Nissan Latio as a demonostrator vehicle. The EV system uses an in-house developed electric motor that can produce 107 horsepower and 280Nm of torque, matched with a 24kWh laminated compact li-ion battery pack.

With the demonstrator, the battery pack is placed under the vehicle floor for better packaging – this reduces intrusions into the cabin or cargo space. It can be quite tricky to mate an electric powertrain to a normal chassis that was designed for an internal combustion engine as the requirements in terms of size, shape and other factors of an electric vehicle system can be quite different from a regular car’s. An additional frame is added to the battery pack to improve the platform’s rigidity.

Thanks to the 24kWh and a regenerative braking system, the electric Latio can go over 160km on a full charge, based on the US LA4 mode driving cycle.

Nissan will also be adding a remote control and monitoring function to its electric cars. All Nissan EVs will communicate with a central IT system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alerts can be sent to your mobile phone. With the system, users can check the car’s current charging status and current range capacity. A map can show the current available driving radius so its easier to visualize where you will be able to drive.

You can also control the air conditioner to turn on or off at predefined times, and charging can also be set to be done only within certain timeslots even though the car is plugged in so that you can take advantage from cheaper night electricity rates in some countries.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan exhibits EV system in a Nissan Latio

It may be different for the enthusiast but say the word hybrid to the layman and he’ll automatically associate it with the Toyota Prius. And now, the third generation is here, and slated to be launched in Malaysia next month. Let’s have a look at the new iconic hybrid Toyota that you’ll be able to buy at showrooms before the end of the year.

Click here to read the rest of 3rd generation Toyota Prius: first impressions