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

Lexus has recently launched the new HS250h hybrid car in Japan with a monthly sales target of 500 units per month. The Atkinson cycle 2.4 liter engine mated to an electric motor managed to achieve 23 km per liter based on the Japanese 10-15 life cycle, and on the new JC08 test cycle, it managed 19.8km per liter.

The central LCD screen system which was a main feature and attraction of the 2nd gen Prius cabin that went missing in the 3rd gen is now back in the HS250h and renamed the Harmonious Driving Navigator. It monitors and provides information on the car’s hybrid system, fuel consumption, and brake energy regeneration as well as awards “points” for environmentally (and wallet) considerate driving. These points can be used by a Lexus owner to make donations to charities registered with Project Mirai Isan, which is managed by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan.

The 2AZ-FXE 2.4 liter engine makes 150 PS and 187Nm of torque, supplemented by a 143 PS electric motor with 270Nm of torque, backed by a NiMH battery. An e-CVT combines the two power sources up to a maximum of 190 PS at any one time.

Nothing really that interesting about the engine as its the same one found in the Camry Hybrid but as if to make up for it, there are a few interesting techy bits about the HS250h. The Lexus HS250h also has LED headlamps as well as tail lamps. It has a heads-up display system which can display various info such as speed, lane information and warnings.

A Pre-crash Safety System using millimeter-wave radar detects whether driver’s eyes are properly open and also determining direction of driver’s face. If risk of accident is determined, system warns driver with buzzer and automatic braking. If there is a risk of a crash, the hazard lights flash, and if the risk is even higher, headrests are shifted to the appropriate positions to reduce strain on the neck and chances of whiplash injury.

There is also a telemetry system that reminds me of BMW Assist or BMW ConnectedDrive. The Lexus take on such services is called G-Link (called Lexus Enform with Safety Connect in the US). You will have access to a concierge that help you out in various ways. If you meet an accident, G-Link communicates with the remote Lexus center to contact the police and fire department. The call center will then call you to check if you are safe. If there is no answer, an ambulance will be called. The call centre operator can also help you with finding a location and can send GPS coordinates to your on-board GPS unit automatically. If there is an intrusion while the car is parked, the owner can be notified via phone and email.

G-Link also monitors various car components such as the brakes and engine and can assist with booking a service appointment with your Lexus service center. Of course all of this costs money and G-Link is only free for the first 3 years if you buy the car new.

Look after the jump for a photo gallery with some new photos of the HS250h, some videos, as well as the previously published photo gallery of the HS250h dedicated hybrid.

Click here to read the rest of More juicy details on the Lexus HS250h

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After rumors emerged that Mercedes will be producing an electric version of the upcoming SLS AMG Gullwing sports car, the auto maker has now officially announced that such a car will go into production.

Called the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing with electric drive, this emissions free sports car will have a total of four electric motors positioned near the wheels, with one transmission per axle that will transmit the power. With this arrangement there will not be any transmission losses, according to Mercedes.

The Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing with electric drive can produce up to 526 horsepower, with a massive torque figure of 880Nm which is mind blowing! This allows the electric Gullwing to hit 100 km/h in just 4 seconds flat, up to an unspecified top speed.

According to Mercedes, the 4-second sprint figure rivals the figure offered by the 6.3 liter V8-powered Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing that develops 571 horses. Power is derived from a 400-volt battery pack (with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah), that can be recharged via plug-in, as well as via regenerative braking.

Mercedes also revealed that the handling and driving characteristics of the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing with electric drive will match its carbon fuel-powered sibling. The auto maker also mentioned that the electric car will have an optimum weight distribution, which is achieved by placing parts of the batter pack in front of the firewall, in the centre tunnel and behind the seats.

Both Mercedes and AMG will be producing the electric Gullwing, and will have Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. (a joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG) to provide the battery technology required in future. The auto maker did not reveal any information regarding production schedule of the electric sports car in the press release.

Toyota has announced that it will be making a hybrid version of the Toyota Auris from mid-2010 onwards, and production for this new model will be set up in the UK at Toyota’s Derbyshire plant. No further specifications have been revealed at the moment, and it’s not known whether Toyota will fit their current 1.8 liter Hybrid Synergy Drive, or the older 1.5 liter from the 2nd generation Prius, or a totally new Hybrid Synergy Drive system perhaps based on the new 1.33 liter dual VVT-i engine. We’ll probably get more news at one of the upcoming motorshows. I wonder if a Corolla Altis Hybrid could be offered sometime in the future, since the Auris is effectively a Corolla hatchback.

Proton previewed an all-electric version of the Proton Saga sedan in University Putra Malaysia, Serdang during the “Proton Exora – The Making” seminar organized by SAE International earlier this week. The “Proton” name would definitely make sense on this particular car!

You might expect this plug-in electric vehicle to have been co-developed with Detroit Electric which have a deal to produce electric cars based on the Proton GEN2 and the Proton Persona for certain overseas markets under the Detroit Electric brand. But on the contrary, what you see above is an in-house project done with the help of unnamed suppliers and partners.

This means that unlike the Detroit Electric e46 (based on the Proton Gen 2) and the Detroit Electric e63 (based on the Proton Persona), the electric Saga (officially called the Proton Saga EV Green Propulsion Concept for now) is probably being considered for the local market, although the auto maker is very tight-lipped about possible launch dates. It could take years.

The emissions-free Proton Saga EV on display features a 125kW (168hp) brushless DC electric motor, mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. It has a 20kWh Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack (12 separate batteries stored in the trunk). Because of the batteries, truckspace is pretty much non-existent but this is quite normal with concept electric cars based on a chassis that was originally designed to take a regular combustion engine and fuel tank. A production car would ideally have neater integration of the batteries.

According to Proton, the Saga EV can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds, up to a top speed of 161 km/h, with a driving range of 109 kilometers over a full charge. Both the Detroit Electric e46 and e63 will feature a 150kW Axial Magnetic Flux motor instead.

There is more! The “green-mobil” also features re-generative braking and an electric power steering, apart from a built-in Batter Management System (BCMU), a plug-in charger (with a household power outlet), air conditioning as well as an In-Vehicle display screen that displays various information pertaining to the electric vehicle functions. Sources also revealed that Proton has plans to built an electric Exora MPV, and, is currently working on some hybrid vehicles as well, for research and development.

Since Proton took the trouble to produce a fully functioning Saga EV Concept, I am sure it is a matter of time till we actually see Proton-built electric cars on the road, but it doesn’t end at just producing such emissions-free vehicles. There has to an infrastructure ready to accommodate charging in the outdoors, which is something that will involve the government, apart from the private sector.

Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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Honda has announced that the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car will go on sale in February 2010 and the Honda Fit Hybrid will go on sale before the end of 2010. Both cars will use Honda’s current Integrated Motor Assist system which currently combines a 1.3 liter engine with an electric motor.

They’ve also revealed that a new hybrid system for mid to large vehicles is also under development. This is definitely important especially for the Acura brand, as its competitors have line-ups full of hybrids now, and Lexus even has a dedicated hybrid model called the HS250h.

The last hybrid system with a large engine that Honda had was found in the previous generation Honda Accord in the US. It combined a 14kW brushless electric motor and a 3.0 liter V6 with Variable Cylinder Management that allowed it to run on 3 cylinders out of 6. Like the smaller IMA system, it was a parallel hybrid system which means it could not run on electric motor only.

Mercedes-Benz has just released a couple of more photos of their Concept BlueZERO, which many say is most likely a preview of what the next generation B-Class will look like.

But like the name indicates, the BlueZERO is not just a showcase of future production models. The 4220 x 1890 x 1590mm vehicle uses a sandwich floor construction, much like the current A-Class and B-Class, but it’s been modified a little to accomodate electric drive. There are three versions of the Concept BlueZERO but with one commonality, all are front wheel drive with an electric motor at the front axle.

With the BlueZERO E-CELL, two lithium ion battery packs (liquid cooled 35kWh capacity battery) are placed in the sandwich floor behind the electric motor. The other two variants are the BlueZERO F-CELL which is fuel-cell-powered with a battery and hydrogen tank in the sandwich floor.

Finally there is the E-CELL PLUS which is a range extender electric car, with some form of combustion engine used to recharge the batteries, like the Chevy Volt. Right now the proposed combustion engine is an inline-3 turbocharged petrol engine from the smart fortwo, producing 50kW.

Anyway check out the full gallery after the jump.

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According to UK-based Autocar, Nissan will reveal an electric vehicle prototype on August 2nd this year, the day when the Japanese auto maker opens its new headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.

Not much has been revealed regarding the new prototype, but rumor has it that it would be a mid-sized, five door hatchback. The prototype is expected to offer twice the power offered by a traditional “li-lo” battery, while maintaining power and reliability.

The advanced lithium-ion battery pack will be developed by Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), which is a joint-venture company involving Nissan, NEC Corporation and NEC TOKIN Corporation, a subsidiary of NEC.

Apparently, the production version of the prototype could be produced by winter this year with an output target of 50,000 units. The production version is expected to be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Reports worldwide are indicating that Japanese auto maker Toyota, will revive the Supra, and that a production model could hit dealerships by 2011. The news was first fueled back in 2007, when the auto maker previewed the FT-HS Concept car the Detroit Auto Show.

Now, words are being exchanged again regarding the revival of the Nissan Skyline-fighter. Apparently, the new Supra would be powered by a Lexus-sourced 2GR-VSE 3.5-liter V6, that will be paired with a hybrid system, sourced from the Toyota Crown.

While the previous Supra produced up to 320HP from it’s 2JZ-GTE inline-6 twin turbo powerplant (depending on the market), the replacement model could produce more than 400HP, when mated to the hybrid system. Expect the auto maker to showcase a concept at this year’s motor show in Tokyo. Keep your fingers crossed!

The US Government has loaned US$ 5.9 billion to Ford, for the development of fuel-saving technologies including hybrid-electric systems, alternative-fuel power plants, direct-injection as well as other developments that are related to help reduce fuel consumption such as dual clutch transmissions, vehicle weight reduction and aerodynamic efficiency.

On that note, Ford has revealed more information about its electric car programs. First on the list, is a ‘pure battery electric’, or (BEV) Transit Connect commercial van that would be introduced next year. Ford will be working hand in hand with Smith Electric U.S on the development of the electric Transit.

Next on the list is something that is more interesting, which is the production of a BEV Focus. The emissions-free Focus would be co-developed with Magna, and can hit the streets by 2011. Both the BEV Transit Connect and BEC Focus are expected to deliver up to anywhere between 160 and 257 kilometers in terms of driving range.

Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally revealed, “This green partnership between Ford and the U.S. Government will help accelerate the development of advanced technologies for even better fuel efficiency and emissions. Ford is absolutely committed to fuel economy leadership with every new model we introduce. In fact, we plan to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years.”

FoMoCo will also work on plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) as well as “next generation” hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Both the PHEV and the HEV could be introduced by 2012.

Daimler has confirmed that it will put the smart fortwo electric drive into small series production after a successful 100 car UK trial involving the Metropolitan Police, universities, local councils, architects and energy companies. The trial involved select customers leasing the vehicle for 4 years at a monthly cost of £375.

The smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a 30kW electric motor built by Zytek. It runs on a single gear transmission and smart claims that cost-wise, it is able to achieve the equivalent of 300mpg. You charge it via a regular 3-pin plug as it has its own own-board charger. 0 to 60km/h takes 6.5 seconds, which isn’t very sluggy at all actually but because it only has a single gear ratio, top speed is limited to more or less 100km/h.