Hybrid

Audi achieved another near perfect race result at the Le Mans 24 Hour today with the first victory of a hybrid vehicle and a stunning 1-2 for the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Both Toyota hybrids didn't finish and neither did the Nissan Delta.  Read More

Audi has taken pole position for the Le Man 24 Hour race with its new R18 e-tron quattro, with André Lotterer beating last year’s best time by nearly two seconds. Audi qualified second and sixth with the Audi R18 ultra and first and fourth with the two R18 e-tron quattros. Toyota's TS030 hybrids managed third and fifth to set up an interesting battle of with hybrids filling four of the top five grid placings. The race runs for 24 hours this weekend and you can monitor the tussle in a variety of ways.  Read More

Bionx has taken its proportional assist technology used in pedal-assist bicycles and developed the SeaScape 12, a low-maintenance, no noise and no local pollution craft that's designed to carry two adults and two children and will deliver a speed of 5 knots (5.8 mph) for around 4-5 hours. It's a human-electric hybrid for the water.  Read More

With most major auto manufacturers now actively developing electric vehicles, the drive towards a zero emission personal electric transportation future seems very much on the horizon. Road pollution doesn't just come from cars of course, freight vehicles are also major players in choking our highways and byways. Siemens is currently testing a possible solution in Germany that's based on proven railway and tram technology but has been adapted for trucks on roads. Heavy goods vehicles have been fitted with a newly-developed pantograph that can automatically raise to meet overhead cables and transfer electric power to hybrid diesel/electric power trains. Energy recovered from regenerative braking can also be fed back into the system for re-use by other vehicles.  Read More

Ford has announced the pricing for its 2013 C-MAX hybrid, a crossover that has the look of a small minivan without the sliding doors. The American automaker says the base price of US$25,995 will undercut the Toyota Prius v wagon by $500.  Read More

Still think hybrids and green cars are meek and hipsterish? Plant your eyes on the US Army's Fuel Efficient ground vehicle Demonstrator Bravo. It's one of the burliest vehicles you've likely seen in years, and it's all hybrid underneath its rugged sheet metal.  Read More

One of the nice things about motorsport is its ability to put excellence in perspective. It hence reflects well on Audi that in debuting two race cars in the Spa Six Hour race yesterday, it achieved a rare perfect result. In fielding two each of the new Audi R18 ultra and R18 e-tron (hybrid) quattro cars, the marque finished with a stunning 1-2-3-4. In the end, it was the diesel-only R18 ultra which prevailed over the R18 e-tron quattro diesel-electric hybrid by 46 seconds. All cars ran strongly, and the hybrids in particular will benefit from the outing, as the balance of the car with its electrically-driven front wheels is still far from optimal.  Read More

Volta Volaré has begun taking orders for its four-seater GT4 hybrid private aircraft it calls "the most technologically advanced private aircraft available anywhere on Earth." Though the GT4 is perfectly capable of taking off and flying powered only electrically, a gas engine starts when the airplane's battery drops to 25 percent capacity in order to recharge it mid-flight. Surprisingly, perhaps, Volta Volaré makes a strong economic case for the GT4. Because the powertrain has only one moving part - the motor or "EViation Drive" - the company claims the need for maintenance is reduced significantly, offering increases in TBO (time between overhaul) by up to a factor of ten when compared to a combustion engine.  Read More

In addition to recently showing off its brand new F12 Berlinetta in Beijing, Ferrari brought along the latest version of its HY-KERS hybrid system. The system has been tweaked for a mid-rear engine layout.  Read More