Hybrid

LTC demonstrates plug-in Prius Hybrid with 125+ mpg fuel efficiency

By Mike Hanlon

May 25, 2007 Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC) yesterday unveiled a retrofitted Toyota Prius, with plug-in capabilities allowing for 125+ miles per gallon fuel efficiency, which is powered by the Company’s unique battery technology. The battery for the Prius utilizes LTC’s new product line of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cells, the largest cells of their kind in the world, which are considered to be the technology of choice for car manufacturers. Read More

A0: the hybrid-powered luxury sports catamaran

By Loz Blain

May 10, 2007 We love this design concept from Spanish design team Ubica. The A0 is a powered catamaran with vast amounts of luxurious living space in the two side floaters, a maximum speed of 50 knots and an estimated power output of around 2740 kilowatts from a hybrid biodiesel turbine/electric powerplant. Read More

Proton unveils prototype Hybrid Car Developed In Collaboration With Lotus

By Mike Hanlon

April 16, 2007 Malaysia’s National auto manufacturer Proton has unveiled its first Hybrid prototype, designed in collaboration with Lotus Engineering. It is just over two decades since the company bolted together its first cars from Mitsubishi parts imported from Japan, but as the company has grown in strength, it has acquired considerable engineering design, development and manufacturing expertise, pulling off a major coup with its acquisition of Lotus in 1996. The 'EVE Hybrid' (Efficient, Viable, Environmental) research and development project was a collaboration of Proton and Lotus and EVE sports some impressive vital statistics. EVE has a 1.6litre petrol engine, which uses a 'micro-hybrid' start-stop system, a full parallel hybrid drive and a continuously variable transmission to achieve fuel economy of 5.6 litres/100km. maximum torque of whopping 233Nm at 1500rpm and maximum power of 105kW at 5500rpm enabling the car to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds with a top speed of 188.8 km/h. Read More

World’s First True Hybrid Tug

By Mike Hanlon

March 22, 2007 Seattle-based Foss Maritime has announced that it plans to build the world’s first true hybrid tug boat, a “green” vessel that will significantly reduce harmful nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and carbon emissions. It will also consume less fuel and be quieter than its conventional predecessors. The hybrid tug will look almost identical to the Dolphin-class tug boats pictured, and will match their 5000 horsepower. The hybrid tug’s drive units will be powered by batteries coupled with diesel generators and feature a modified engine room accommodating two 670 horsepower battery packs and two 335 horsepower generators. Read More

The three-wheel, 225 mpg plug-in hybrid XR-3 kit car

By Mike Hanlon

March 21, 2007 Robert Q. Riley’s radical high-efficiency designs, concepts and kits have been public for a long time, and have often been viewed as non-mainstream and largely irrelevant by an American population with a highly distorted view of the real cost of cheap petrol. Now his fuel-efficient designs seem suddenly relevant – we desperately need new transportation alternatives that conserve energy and protect the planet’s ecosystem, Riley’s latest creation, the XR-3 plug-in hybrid, is a sleek two-passenger, three-wheel sports car that is expected to return 225 miles per gallon. Designed to be assembled by someone with average mechanical abilities and no prior experience, the all-wheel drive vehicle will be available as a kit or plans for complete do-it-yourself construction. The XR-3 Hybrid is currently under development and is scheduled to debut in June 2007. Read More

Honda shows Small Hybrid Sports Concept Car

By Mike Hanlon

March 9, 2007 Honda has unveiled a new hybrid sports concept car with a potent blend of sports performance and low emissions at the Geneva Motor Show. The Small Hybrid Sports Concept is a compact sports car that features advanced hybrid technology – proving stylish design and driving enjoyment can be combined with low environmental impact. It was designed by Honda R&D Europe, based in Offenbach, Germany. Read More

Toyota Hybrid X Concept

By Mike Hanlon

March 7, 2007 Toyota ripped the covers off its Hybrid X at the Geneva Motor Show overnight with the reveal of a concept car that proposes a new design language for hybrid models, while also acting as an innovative technology showcase for future generation hybrid cars. Hybrid X is designed as a four-door, four-seat open-space concept and further extends the use of its Hybrid Synergy Drive. Read More

KIA RIO Hybrid

By Mike Hanlon

March 7, 2007 To mark the massive expansion of Korea’s domestic hybrid vehicle development programme, Kia Motors is displaying a very special version of the Kia Rio Hybrid saloon at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva. The European premiere of the Kia hybrid comes on top of the recent announcement that Kia and Hyundai are to supply the Korean Ministry of the Environment with an additional 3,390 hybrid vehicles over the next two years, as part of the country’s on-going programme of ‘real-world’ testing to develop hybrid vehicles for the future. The Kia Rio Hybrid saloon created by Kia R&D to take part in these ‘real-world’ test fleet activities, features a unique powertrain with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, mated to a 12kW, 95 Nm AC synchronised electric motor and a CVT gearbox. Read More

The plug-in hybrid carving three-wheeler from Venture

By Mike Hanlon

February 17, 2007 UPDATED IMAGES Venture Vehicles has formally announced in Los Angeles, the development of a revolutionary (not to mention very cool), 3-wheel, tilting, plug-in Hybrid vehicle under the working name VentureOne. It’s a two-passenger Hybrid vehicle that will get 100 mpg, accelerate from 0-60 in 6 seconds, will have a top speed of over 100 mph, while being priced at under US$20,000. In addition to the low-emission, flex-fuel Hybrid model, a zero-emission all-electric version is also being developed that will have an all-electric range of nearly 200 miles. A key feature of the VentureOne is the patented Dynamic Vehicle Control tilting technology from Dutch-based Carver Engineering that allows the body of the vehicle to actually tilt when going through turns while all three wheels maintain firm contact with the road. Carver already sells petrol-engined versions of the machine, and the Phiaro 3-wheeler is also closely based on the Carver. But a plug-in hybrid with a 200 mile electric range and sportscar performance is very enticing. Production is not scheduled until late 2008 and Venture Vehicles will initially offer two propulsion packages for the VentureOne: the hybrid E50 and Q100, and all-electric Venture EV model. The US$23,000 all-electric model will top the range while the E50 hybrid will sell for US$18,000 and the Q100 hybrid is expected to be priced under US$20,000. Read More

Volvo starts project with hybrid-drive garbage vehicles

By Mike Hanlon

February 16, 2007 Volvo is to receive a SEK 9.8 million grant forom the Swedish Energy Agency in support of a hybrid technology development project for heavy vehicles. The project involves development and testing of hybrid technology in two garbage (refuse) collection trucks in Gothenburg and Stockholm. The aim of the project is to achieve fuel savings of up to 30%. Volvo has been working on research and development of hybrid technology for 20 years. Volvo’s tests and simulations show that hybrid drive for heavy vehicles is most suitable for vehicles forced during operations to make many starts and stops, such as buses, distribution trucks and refuse vehicles. In these cases, fuel savings can be up to 35%. Read More

Toyota's 400 bhp FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car Concept

By Mike Hanlon

January 12, 2007 UPDATED PHOTO GALLERY Toyota’s FT-HS hybrid sports concept to be shown at the 2007 North American International Auto Show next week seems to have a lot more of the real world in it than your normal concept car. Sporting hybrids are coming to mainstream consumer land very soon, if we’re reading the signs correctly. The two-plus-two concept is a front-engine, rear-drive sports car with a projected 0-62mph acceleration in the four-second range. A powerful V6, 3.5L-engine is coupled with a sports hybrid system for a total of 400 bhp. The press release specifically prices the FT-HS in a mid-priced market position, making it a truly attainable exotic should it be produced. The Japanese company will achieve it’s Everest this year when it will become the world’s top selling automobile manufacturer – our bet is that this baby will be in the 2008 model range. Read More

World’s first affordable diesel hybrid powertrain

By Mike Hanlon

December 14, 2006 Zytek has already proven its knowledge of powertrains and electric vehicle many times over, on and off the racetrack. Now, in collaboration with a UK Government initiative, the British engineering consultancy has developed a novel diesel hybrid powertrain that will be affordable in the most popular market segments. The new technology will allow vehicle owners to drive across London’s extended congestion charge zone for just four pence. The low-cost, high-efficiency hybrid-electric drivetrain offers a realistic alternative to expensive proprietary systems and can be quickly implemented within the packaging constraints of compact European passenger cars. A demonstration vehicle, built within the UK Government’s Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge (ULCCC), has exceeded all targets set for the programme, delivering an exceptional 85g of CO2 per km compared with 121g/km for the already exceptionally efficient standard vehicle. Read More

Hybrid Manned/Unmanned Light Helicopter Makes First Flight

By Mike Hanlon

October 10, 2006 This photo shows the first of two newly designed A/MH-6X light-turbine helicopters lifting off for the first time late last month at Boeing’s Rotorcraft Systems facility in Mesa, Arizona. The flight was a significant milestone in the continuing development of the versatile hybrid manned/unmanned military aircraft which combines the proven performance of the A/MH-6M Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) with the unmanned aerial vehicle technologies of the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) Demonstrator, a modified MD 530F civil helicopter that has been in development since 2004. Aircraft performance will be similar to the ULB Demonstrator with an additional 1,000 pounds of payload that can be used for increased range, endurance or mission hardware. Total payload for the ULB Demonstrator is greater than 2,400 pounds. Read More

The world’s first commercially-available electric-solar hybrid, and a sporty one at that

By Mike Hanlon

October 2, 2006 It’s not often we get lead stories on consecutive days from the same company (never before in fact) but French transportation futurists Venturi have done it again – this time with the first solar electric hybrid to be commercialised in the world. Named Astrolab (latin astro = star, labe = to take) because it takes its energy from the sun in order to move, the solar commuter is capable of working with very little energy (16 kW engine) and of recharging even when in motion, and does not need to be permanently exposed to the sun in order to move. The car’s performance is remarkably close to that of a petrol-engined vehicle as it has a top speed of 120 kmh and a minimum range of 110 km. To attain this level of performance while using very little energy, the Astrolab has been designed like a Formula 1 car with an ultra-light carbon monocoque chassis serving as an oversized protection cell in the event of a collision and at the same time offering a large surface for the 3.6 square metres of photovoltaic cells. Its profile recalls the aqua-dynamic design of great racing yachts and Venturi draws the parallel between Astrolab and a sailboat : both advance silently while making best use of the elements and both offer sensations unlike any other. Its designer Sacha Lakic describes Astrolab as “a flying wing set on four wheels.”Astoundingly, it’s not just a show car - EUR92,000 will buy you one and the first vehicles are scheduled for delivery in January, 2008. Do be sure to see yesterday’s equally remarkable story about the world’s first energy-autonomous vehicle. Venturi, we salute you! Read More

NuVinci continuously variable planetary (CVP) technology set for pedal-electric hybrids

By Mike Hanlon

September 12, 2006 One of the many inventions with which the extraordinary Leonardo da Vinci is credited is the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), a technology that has only just come into common usage 500 years after his foresightedness was committed to parchment. NuVinci is a new highly adaptable and scalable variation on the CVT theme that looks set to make its mark – developed by Fallbrook Technologies, continuously variable planetary (CVP) NuVinci technology promises a practical and economical CVT for both human-powered and motor-powered vehicles and machines. The NuVinci CVP is applicable to any product that uses a transmission, including bicycles, light electric vehicles, agricultural equipment, automobiles and utility class wind turbines and an announcement overnight heralds the first use of the new technology by well-known electric-powered vehicle manufacturer Currie Technologies in hybrid electric bicycles and electric scooters which will combine the NuVinci CVP with the Currie Electro-Drive drive system. The first product will be seen before the end of the year and already looks set to give the pedal-electric hybrid bicycle remarkable new capabilities. Read More

International Race Formula for hybrids set for 2007

By Mike Hanlon

UPDATED September 4, 2006 Here's one out of left field. Only a week ago we reported on the coming Formula Zero series for fuel cell go karts. Now comes the breaking news from Italy that N.Technology S.p.a. and Tatuus s.r.l. have signed a deal to produce a new single-seater Formula car. Tatuus, which builds Formula Renault cars, will take care of bulding N.Technology’s concept and will also provide technical assistance and spare parts service to the teams involved in the new series.

The new single-seater car will have a 2-litre, 4-cylinder, 250-bhp engine, gearbox and clutch controls on the steering wheel and has been conceived to be fitted with an hybrid engine system. N.Technology's Andrea Fiorani reports that the first season for the formula will be the 2007 season. Formula N.T07 cars will compete in a new international series within the European rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Eurosport will be responsible for the TV production and broadcasting of the events of the international series. That's the first sketch of the Formula N.T07 car which predictably looks a lot like a Formula Renault - more news when it comes to hand, but we must say we're excited at the prospects of creating an environment where creative and higly competitive engineers develop hybrid technology. Read More

The Fhybrid front-wheel driven hydrogen-powered scooter

By Mike Hanlon

July 29, 2006 The Fhybrid scooter is a hydrogen electric hybrid two wheeler that has emerged as Crijn Bouman's graduation project at Delft University in Holland and it is a very different form of two wheeler than almost anything that has come before it. For starters, it’s the only front wheel drive two wheeler going around that we know of, has a reverse gear for parking (another first on a scooter), and a range equivalent to that of a normal scooter in that it can travel approximately 200 km on a full tank of hydrogen. Oh, and it doesn’t make any noise or produce harmful emissions and looks very different to normal scooter fare. Read More

'Boosted Hybrid' technology offers new approach to lower emissions and performance improvements

By Mike Hanlon

July 16, 2006 A new approach to hybrid powertrain design, combining advanced pressure boosting technology with electric torque assist in one compact unit, has been demonstrated to offer a low cost route to lower emissions and performance improvements. The system, called the SuperGen i-Hybrid, is compatible with conventional gasoline powertrain architecture, and is claimed to offer all the benefits of a hybrid transmission at around one third of the cost of a conventional hybrid solution. SuperGen i-Hybrid can be applied to all mainstream gasoline engines and also diesels, acting as a pre-booster. Read More

High performance electric-human hybrid bicycle

By Mike Hanlon

May 31, 2006 Electric bikes and scooters hold much promise in the future transport equation, particularly for short distance commuting, but one of the limiting factors is their rather sedate speeds and limited range. The Optibike is designed to overcome these obvious deficiencies with a range of 25 to 30 miles (40 to 48 km) and very clever microprocessor-controlled electronics and Shimano XT 7 speed Derailleur gears which enable the motor to be assisted by the rider at all speeds. This means the Optibike will run at 20 mph (32 km/h) on the battery alone, cruise at 25 mph (40km/h) with gentle pedalling and with some aggressive pedal assistance, run with the traffic at 35+ mph (60 km/h). For those who are prepared to settle for a shorter battery life of 30 minutes, the Optibike can have its top speed increased to 46 mph (75 km/h). Read More

Scuderi Group Air-Hybrid Engine claimed to double fuel efficiency

By Mike Hanlon

May 3, 2006 On March 7, we wrote of the coming of Scuderi Group's Air-Hybrid engine which claims the title of the world's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine. The Scuderi engine makes its European debut May 9 - 11 at the Engine Expo 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany on a bit of a roll. With three additional worldwide patents recently filed, the air-hybrid system potentially doubles the fuel efficiency of today's gasoline and diesel vehicles and reduces toxic emissions by up to 80 percent. The design is ingenious, has been verified by a world renowned independent laboratory, just landed a US$1.2 million DoD grant to develop the technology further, and it was clearly the talk of the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit where it was officially declared the most visited stand. The technology can be adapted for either diesel or gasoline engines of any size and is claimed to halve fuel consumption compared to today’s internal combustion engines. Autoblog has a succinct well-crafted peice and this animation will help you conceptualise this clever twist on the Otto cycle. There's also the official how it works and theory of operation. Read More

General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and BMW premiere two-mode hybrid technology

By Mike Hanlon

June 19, 2006 UPDATED with extensive image and diagram library Details of the hybrid drive system under co-development by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and BMW have been released and the new system is quite a technological feat due to the full integration of electric motors with a fixed-gear transmission. As a result of its low- and high-speed electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes, the system is commonly referred to as the 2-mode hybrid. The system also incorporates four fixed gear ratios for high efficiency and power-handling capabilities. During the two ECVT modes and four fixed gear operations, the hybrid system can use the electric motors for boosting and regenerative braking. Traditional “one-mode” hybrid systems typically have only one torque-splitting arrangement and no fixed mechanical ratios. Due to their less capable mechanical content, one-mode hybrids need to transmit a significant amount of power through an electrical path that is 20 percent less efficient than a mechanical path. Working collaboratively, the group has conceived a full hybrid system featuring four fixed mechanical ratios, within the two ECVT modes, to reduce power transmission through the less efficient electrical path. Consequently, the electric motors are more compact and less dependent on engine size. Read More

The four-wheel drive hybrid wheelchair

By Mike Hanlon

April 20, 2006 Technology is beginning to yield many new and wonderous devices to make life better, safer and more fun, but few can compare to the life-enhancement offered by a new wheelchair which offers mobility-impaired and aged people an unprecedented level of freedom. It is comfortable, all-terrain and safe - a four-wheel drive wheelchair with hybrid motor and electronic assistance system has the immense potential to enable the physically disabled live more independent lives, to enable Octagenarians to bushwalk, and paraplegics . The innovative system even checks pulse rate and blood values and calls for help in emergencies. Read More

Lexus to release V8 hybrid limousine

By Mike Hanlon

April 13, 2006 Lexus unveiled the 2008 LS 600h L hybrid luxury sedan today at the 2006 New York International Automobile Show. Scheduled to arrive in Spring 2007, the all-wheel-drive LS 600h L is the first vehicle to feature a full hybrid V8 powertrain. The hybrid-drive system combines a new 5.0 litre V8 engine with large, high-output electric motors and a large-capacity battery pack. This combination will provide the LS 600h L with an unmatched balance of environmental efficiency and performance, furnishing the hybrid with a peak combined output rating of more than 430 horsepower. To distribute this immense power, a new full-time all-wheel-drive system is utilized for superior handling control. The LS 600h L also employs a newly developed dual-stage electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission. This combination results in impressive power and seamless acceleration. Read More

Scuderi Group to show Air-Hybrid technology design at SAE World Congress

By Mike Hanlon

March 7, 2006 The Scuderi Group is an engine development company currently building an Air-Hybrid Engine which it claims will be to be the world's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine. Currently in production at Southwest Research in San Antonio, Texas, it is claimed that the Scuderi Air-Hybrid Engine will allow diesel and gasoline automobiles, commercial vehicles and other applications powered by internal combustion engines to be 60 percent fuel efficient (compared to today's 33 percent), reduce toxic emissions by 80 percent, while making it easier and less expensive to incorporate the technology into today's automobile manufacturing process. Designs for the air-hybrid engine will be on display at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit next month. Read More

Plug-in Hybrid Technology Kits released

By Mike Hanlon

February 24, 2006 Hymotion has unveiled a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) kit for a range of existing hybrid vehicles. Hymotion currently has systems available for Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid with systems under development for Lexus RX400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are more fossil-fuel-efficient than existing hybrids as they can be recharged by plugging into a regular household electrical outlet and can hence travel for a greater percentage of each journey on solely electrical power. The Hymotion PHEV kit includes up to seven times more battery capacity enabling the vehicles to be used as electric zero-emission cars for short journeys. According to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), half the cars in the U.S. are driven just 25 miles a day or less so a plug-in vehicle with even a 20-mile range could reduce petroleum fuel consumption by about 60 percent. Though the Hymotion PHEV kit will initially cost US$9500 and will be sold only to Government and fleet owners, a target price of US$5000 is expected by the time the kit becomes available to the public 12 months from now. The advantages of PHEV include better fuel economy, fewer visits to gas station, lower fuel costs, less pollution and longer range in all-electric mode - the solution for spiking gas prices, CO2 emissions and dependence on imported oil. Read More