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Hybrid
Narrow track vehicles - the convergence of the car and the motorcycle
By Mike Hanlon
01:22 November 19, 2009 PST
Since Nicholas Negroponte first came up with his landmark teething ring visualization of the coming together of communication, computing and content, the term convergence has become the uber buzzword. Now there’s convergence going on in the personal transport industry, with the car and the motorcycle morphing as car makers attempt to downsize their vehicles to make them better suited to the world’s increasingly crowded roads. This article begins with Nissan’s tandem two-seat, half width tilting car, the Landglider, and examines all the other work being done around the world as narrow track vehicles seriously begin to make their case. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid bus previews in Hamburg
By Jeff Salton
20:14 November 18, 2009 PST
The first of ten new Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid buses has appeared in Hamburg, Germany as part of a large-scale fleet trial taking place there and in other European cities. Two major features of this latest-generation fuel cell hybrid bus are that it emits no pollutants while in motion and is virtually silent, making it ideal for use in highly congested inner cities and metropolitan areas. From next year, ten of the 30 vehicles that Daimler Buses is producing for European transport operators are destined for the Hamburg transport authority. Hamburger Hochbahn will take delivery of the remaining 20 buses. Read More
Piaggio shows high performance hybrid two wheeler
By Mike Hanlon
15:03 November 14, 2009 PST
Piaggio's MP3 was the world's first hybrid three-wheeler and at EICMA this week, it showed what is likely to be the first two-wheeled hybrid – the Piaggio USB (urban sport bike). The combination of a highly efficient, low-emmission GDI (gasoline direct injection) two-stroke motor and an electric motor, the USB is much smaller than it looks in the images and weighs in at just 130 kg. The USB runs 50km (30 miles) on electric only, and returns 1.5 l/100 km (156 U.S. mpg and 188 imperial mpg). Read More
Are EVs risking or saving the planet?
By Jeff Salton
19:05 November 12, 2009 PST
“Electric cars should be rewarded for their energy efficiency, not for moving emissions from exhaust pipes to powerstation chimneys” says the UK's Environmental Transport Association (ETA). In a report titled "How to avoid an electric shock - Electric cars: from hype to reality", the ETA has taken a close look at electric-powered vehicles (EVs) and their associated technologies. In what could be a shock to some commuters – and governments - the report states that EVs could potentially speed climate change, rather than reduce it, and might not be as good for the planet as some of the spin suggests. Simply put, it’s not necessarily the cars themselves that will cause the damage, but the way the electricity is generated to power them and how often we drive them. For instance, EVs powered by “green energy” - wind or solar - are obviously superior, but if the electricity comes from coal, hybrids perform better. Read More
Peugeot previews another hybrid three wheeler - the Hybrid3 Evolution
By Mike Hanlon
13:10 November 12, 2009 PST
Peugeot looks to be getting serious about its 3WD hybrid design which we first saw last year at the 2008 Paris Motorcycle Show with the HYbrid3 compressor. Debuting at the Milan Motorcycle Show will be a roofless version named the HYbrid3 Evolution which replaces the 21bhp 125 cm3 supercharged motor with a 41bhp 300 cm3 supercharged engine giving it a total of 49bhp when combined with the two 3 kW (4.1bhp) front wheel motors. The Evolution comes with stop-start engine technology and returns 2.0 liters/100 km (117 U.S. mpg or 141 Imperial mpg) and just 48 g/km of CO2! Read More
Axon Automotive shows off lightweight plug-in hybrid
By Jeff Salton
19:42 October 29, 2009 PDT
UK car manufacturer Axon Automotive has used the Milton Keynes Science Festival to preview its plug-in hybrid lightweight passenger car. The car combines carbon fiber composite construction with a full electric mode for short-run local travel and a petrol or bioethanol-powered engine for longer distances or highway travel. Read More
Ultra Motor dumps pedals for new A2B Excel electric scooter
By Jeff Salton
10:04 October 16, 2009 PDT
Ultra Motor, known for its A2B electric assist bicycles has thrown out the pedals and replaced them with footrest platforms in its latest offering - the A2B Excel electric scooter. Weighing in at 90lb (41kg), the Excel uses an 800W hub motor at the rear wheel to achieve a range of around 28 miles (45km) and a top speed of 28mph (45kmh). Read More
France to spend US$2.2 billion on network of electric car charging stations
By Jeff Salton
19:15 October 11, 2009 PDT
As France’s car-makers push their plans to increase sales and give motorists more electric and hybrid-powered vehicle choices, the French Government has added its support by announcing it intends to spend €1.5 billion (about US$2.2 billion) on creating a battery-charging network for electric vehicles across the country. Part of its spend will also go towards further encouragement of clean vehicle technology and battery manufacturing. Read More
West Philly Hybrid X high school team in race for Auto X Prize
By Mick Webb
04:04 October 10, 2009 PDT
The Automotive X Prize is a competition aiming to “inspire a new generation of viable, super – efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change”. With a $10 million prize pot and over 100 teams from 12 countries contributing entries, an unlikely contender has emerged in the form of West Philadelphia High School’s Hybrid X Team, which is applying its experience and knowledge to two entries including the Factory Five GT based EVX GT sports car. Read More
Google investigating smart charging solution for electric vehicles
By Paul Ridden
02:52 October 5, 2009 PDT
A lesser-known fact about the operator of the world's most popular Internet search engine is that it's been running a small fleet of hybrid vehicles for the past few years to support its effort to reduce CO2 emissions, cut oil use and stabilize the electrical grid by accelerating the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. Google engineers have put the cars through numerous tests to both prove and improve electric vehicle technology whilst publishing the results on the Internet. More recently, Google has confirmed that the fleet is currently running smart software to enable communication between the grid and the vehicles. Read More
Mitsubishi i-MiEV CARGO and PX-MiEV Plug-in hybrid crossover concepts
By Gizmag Team
04:29 October 1, 2009 PDT
The 41st Tokyo Motor Show in October looks set to lift the veil on the first wave of Japanese electric cars we’ll actually see in mainstream distribution, so it’s incredibly exciting to see what will be rolled out as we are entering the pre-announcement period for the show. Mitsubishi’s MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle ) lineage gets two new offspring concept cars – the PX-MiEV (PX stands for Plug-in hybrid crossover) and the i-MiEV CARGO. The CARGO in particular looks like it will fill an immediate need for emission-free delivery vehicles in the world’s most congested cities and, not surprisingly, although it’s classed as a concept, the company is currently accepting pre-orders for delivery in April 2010. Read More
Silicon nanotubes could increase li-ion battery capacity 10X
By Darren Quick
00:21 September 25, 2009 PDT
In news that could greatly extend the range of electric cars, researchers have shown that replacing the conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanotubes can produce a battery that can store ten times more charge. The researchers developed a silicon anode that, aside from extending the range of electric cars, could also make gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles more efficient by allowing them to run in electric mode for longer periods. Read More
Keeping hybrids cool under the bonnet reaches boiling point
By Jeff Salton
23:50 September 23, 2009 PDT
As an increasing number of hybrid-powered vehicles move from concept to completion, technology is battling to keep pace with some of the less-publicized technical challenges found among the complex electronics aboard these land- and air-based vehicles, computers and other devices. For instance, how do you effectively cool the electronics in a high-power electric motor that propels a passenger car from 0-60mph in under 10 seconds and uses regenerative braking to stop? Researchers in the U.S. believe the secret may lie in understanding precisely how fluid boils in tiny ‘microchannels’, which has led them to develop formulas and models that will help engineers design unique systems to cool high-power electronics found in today’s and tomorrow’s devices. Read More
Lexus LF-Ch full hybrid concept debuts at IAA Frankfurt
By Jeff Salton
00:45 September 16, 2009 PDT
Back in August we told you that Toyota would be releasing its Lexus hybrid concept car at IAA Frankfurt, and here it is – in the flesh. Our team of journalists on the ground captured these images of the LF-Ch (Compact hybrid) as soon as the wraps came off at its world debut. Set to rival the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, the vehicle is the first Lexus full hybrid in the European premium compact segment – one that’s sure to be bursting with quality competition. If you thought hybrids and luxury didn’t mix, think again. And if you thought Lexus was a brand just for the over-50s, look closer. Read More
Lotus announces purpose-built Range Extender Engine
By Gizmag Team
21:27 September 15, 2009 PDT
Designed specifically for the new breed of highly efficient series hybrid vehicles, Lotus Engineering’s Range Extender engine was shown for the first time at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show. In a series hybrid vehicle, the Range Extender engine is attached to an electricity generator and provides a highly efficient source of energy to power the electric motor directly or charge the vehicle's battery. The three-cylinder 1.2 liter Range Extender engine is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator. The battery can also power the electric motor which enables the design of a drivetrain with low emissions, optimized performance and acceptable range. Read More
Citroen's REVOLTe - the electric 2CV
By Gizmag Team
09:44 September 15, 2009 PDT
Citroen showed an ultra-chic plug-in REVOLTe hybrid concept inspired by its iconic 2CV at the Frankfurt Motorshow. Compact, with a visually-stunning low stance, REVOLTe measures just 3.68m long, 1.73m wide and 1.35m tall. Apart from the drive train, the most interesting feature is its original and distinctive three-seater layout - driver’s seat to one side with two passenger seats behind it - is designed to resemble a lounge, with the rear seats taking the form of a contemporary sofa. Read More
VW shows 170 mpg tandem diesel hybrid two-seater
By Gizmag Team
04:51 September 15, 2009 PDT
Volkswagen rocked the automotive world at a lunchtime press conference on the first day of the Frankfurt Motor Show with a carbon fiber, half width, 1-liter hybrid electric diesel tandem two-seater car named the L1. When the car makes production in 2013, four years from now, it will almost certainly be the most fuel efficient car available with a combined diesel fuel consumption figure of 1.38 l/100km (170 U.S. mpg), thanks to its frugal motor combo, feather-like weight – 380 kg in total - and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient of just 0.195! Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid
By Gizmag Team
15:34 September 10, 2009 PDT
Having launched its S 400 HYBRID, currently the most fuel-efficient luxury-segment saloon with a petrol engine, Mercedes-Benz is set to show its Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID technology vehicle in Frankfurt next week. Aimed at demonstrating the company’s scalable and intelligently organized set of hybrid systems, and previewing the next model, the compact 15-kW electric motor hardly differs from the S 400 HYBRID, yet is three times more powerful and can be elegantly incorporated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission. Read More
Toyota Auris HSD full hybrid concept for Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
17:21 September 2, 2009 PDT
Toyota is set to unveil the Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor show. The concept represents a milestone in Toyota’s strategy: introducing Toyota’s full hybrid technology to a mainstream model, and the first step in the deployment of Hybrid Synergy Drive across the company’s model range. Other firsts at Frankfurt for Toyota include the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept, an all-new Toyota Land Cruiser and two customised iQ show cars - iQ for Sports and iQ Collection. Read More
BMW to show 75 mpg, 350 bhp, 150 mph hybrid at Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
15:49 September 2, 2009 PDT
BMW’s new Vision Efficient Dynamics concept is remarkable to look at and even more so when you consider the numbers. Powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel and two electric motors (one in each axle), the all-wheel drive produces 262 kW (356 bhp) and 800 NM of torque, giving it M power performance (0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h) thanks in part to its slippery drag coefficient of just 0.22. It’ll run 50 km (31 miles) in electric mode alone and its consumption in the EU test cycle is 3.76 litres/100 km (75.1 mph imp) with CO2 emissions of 99 grams/km. Read More
Mercedes-Benz announces first series-produced fuel cell car
By Jeff Salton
19:57 August 31, 2009 PDT
After much discussion about the latest iterations of battery-powered hybrid vehicles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that fuel cell technology had been left behind. Not so. Mercedes-Benz is launching what it says is the world’s first series-produced fuel cell car: the new B-Class F-CELL. This electric car has zero emissions, has a range of 400km, takes three minutes to refuel with hydrogen and consumes the equivalent of 3.3 liters of diesel per 100km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). Read More
Ford PHEVs to save by ‘talking’ to electric grid
By Jeff Salton
23:38 August 20, 2009 PDT
A new development by Ford allows owners of the company’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to further reduce their operating costs by programming when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate. Ford says it has developed a vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its (PHEVs) which enables them to ‘talk’ directly with the nation’s electric grid. Read More
Eaton announces major development of plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles
By Jeff Salton
19:52 August 18, 2009 PDT
Eaton Corporation’s truck and electrical businesses will play a major role in producing 378 plug-in hybrid electric power vehicles, the largest commercial hybrid deployment to date in the U.S., thanks to a USD$45.4 million government grant. Eaton will also provide the electrical charging infrastructure for these vehicles. Read More
Fisker Karma PHEV hits the tarmac for the first time
By Jeff Salton
19:27 August 17, 2009 PDT
The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) recently demonstrated how quick it is in two ways – it goes from 0-60mph in six seconds and from concept to public driving debut just 19 months after the company was formed. The 403hp prototype Karma PHEV almost silently attained a top speed of 100mph (using no gasoline) as it made its way around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Read More
Obama bets US$2.4 billion on battery-electric vehicles
By Loz Blain
03:29 August 7, 2009 PDT
Awesome news: battery technology is about to get a US$2.4 billion-dollar kick in the pants. US President Barack Obama has announced the single largest funds injection into battery development and electric/hybrid vehicle technology the world has ever seen. Obama's hope is that this huge chunk of stimulus funds will be enough to knock down the biggest wall standing between electric vehicles and the mainstream: the fact that current batteries are still too expensive, take too long to charge, and don't hold enough energy. If the move succeeds, it could put America right at the front of the electric car revolution - but at the least, it could help the next generation of iPhones last more than a day between charges. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
