Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles Consume More Fuel

Plug-In Hybrid are Eco-Friendly?

Majority of people around the globe (mainly in rich countries) using plug-in hybrid electric cars are consuming more gasoline than their conventional counterparts. Sound strange but it’s true. Not sure how…read on. Plug-in hybrid automobiles use regular gasoline engine along with electric motor with battery. People buy these cars for different reasons – improve their Eco-friendly credentials, style statement, make use of generous subsidies given by government on electric cars, etc etc. That’s all good, but something is going wrong.

Plug-in hybrid owners are frequently choosing gasoline power to drive their cars even though their vehicles have inbuilt technology to run on batteries (electrically charged). When plug-in hybrid cars are made to run on just gasoline they actually consume more fuel since they are carrying 150 kilograms of extra electric components than regular cars.

According to a report such a situation is arising due to lack of charging facilities in the owner’s neighborhood. Lots of people using such cars are unable to charge it at their place of residence due to reasons like no reserved parking space, lack of electric outlet near the car etc. Also the public charging facilities are not densely located and you need to drive for few kilometers before you can access it. Countries like US and China are spending billions of dollars to build charging stations across the country but it will still take many more years before such facilities are easily accessible for majority of their population. Till then its best to drive a regular gasoline vehicle and be proud that you are contributing less to global warming than a rich guy driving a state of the art plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Source: Bloomberg
Read More On: Hybrid Cars

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Toyota Aqua / Prius C: World’s Most Fuel Efficient Hybrid Launched

Toyota recently launched in Japan its latest compact car which is being said to be the world’s most fuel efficient mass produced hybrid vehicle (excluding plug-in hybrid vehicles). The new car is being touted as a small successor to Toyota’s revolutionary Prius and is called Aqua in home market and Prius C in other countries. With addition of Prius C hatchback, Toyota now has 4 Prius-badged hybrid models that includes the regular Prius, the new plug-in Prius PHEV and the Prius V minivan.

According to Toyota’s Press Release, “the Aqua incorporates 17 years of Toyota expertise and technology in the development of mass-produced hybrid vehicles, and boasts a small, light and efficient hybrid system that achieves a world-leading fuel efficiency”. On the Japanese JC08 test cycle (a new method of finding fuel efficiency), the Aqua gave an incredible fuel economy of 35.4 km/L (83.3 mpg) and 40.0 km/L (94 mpg) under the MLIT 10-15 test cycle (the original Japanese method of calculating efficiency numbers).

Aqua, which means water in Latin, is powered by a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine producing 74 hp, and mated to a 45 kW electric motor. Combined output of 100 hp is enough to push it to 100 km/h (62mph) in 10.7 seconds in combination with its CVT gearbox. Aqua has a length of 3.9 meters as compared to 4.48 meters Prius and costs around 22% lesser. The car’s base model is priced at 1,690,000 yen in Japan which is about Rs 11,42,973. But if Toyota decides to launch Aqua in India in near future with 1.2L engine under the hood then we can hope for a much lower pricing.

Toyota Aqua/Prius C Technology Highlights:

• A cooled Exhaust-Gas Recirculation (EGR) system improves efficiency in the high-expansion-ratio Atkinson cycle engine.
• Also contributing to increased engine efficiency is a battery-powered water pump, a friction-reducing beltless design and precise coolant-water-flow volume control.
• A selectable electric-vehicle mode (EV Mode) enables driving with only the electric motor.
• The hybrid battery has been sized for placement under the rear seat, resulting in a spacious cargo area of 305 liters.
• The Hybrid System Indicator offers easy-to-understand information concerning eco-driving, such as effective accelerator use. Also part of the information system is Eco Judge ranks eco-driving on a 100-point scale, and Eco Wallet shows money saved as compared with other levels of fuel efficiency.
• Automatic air conditioning is equipped with an electric inverter compressor run by the electric motor, enabling a comfortably air-conditioned interior even when the engine is off.

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Photo Gallery: New 2012 Toyota Prius C / Aqua Hybrid Hatchback

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2009 Honda Insight To Be World's Cheapest Hybrid

Honda will debut its Toyota Pirus challenger, the new Honda Insight as a concept car at the 2008 Paris Motor Show next month. Touted as being the least expensive hybrid in the world, the Insight hatchback is going to hit the market in 2009 with a possible base price of $18,500. It will share styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle as can be seen from Honda's official pictures for the upcoming concept.

The Insight Concept defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology by utilizing a more cost-efficient version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) hybrid technology. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency.

Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan. The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America. Following the launch of the new Insight, Honda also plans to introduce another unique sporty hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as America's first gas-electric hybrid car. The first vehicle to break the 70-mpg fuel economy barrier, Insight was designed from the ground up to demonstrate the potential for fuel-economy in a two-seater subcompact automobile.

Source: Hybrid Cars
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Photo Gallery: Honda Insight Concept Hybrid High-Res Pictures.

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Lexus Debuts Pebble Beach Edition LS 600h L & SC 430

Lexus introduced the first-ever LS 600h L Pebble Beach Edition and the sixth SC 430 Pebble Beach Edition to commemorate its continuing partnership with Pebble Beach Company. The vehicles were unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Lexus Fashion Preview. Production of these 2009 Pebble Beach Edition vehicles are limited to 50 LS 600h L hybrid luxury sedans and 300 SC 430 hardtop convertibles.

Pebble Beach Edition owners have the opportunity to customize their ownership experience by selecting from one of three distinctive merchandise packages: Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Package or Epicurean Encounter. The Pebble Beach LS hybrid comes standard with the Advanced Pre-Collision System (APCS). Furthermore, the Pebble Beach Edition LS 600h L is equipped with the Advanced Parking Guidance System, Rear-Seat Entertainment System (RSES), power rear-door sunshades and rear-seat side airbags.

Celebrating its sixth year, the new Pebble Beach Edition SC 430 receives an exterior/interior color combination with a Mercury Metallic exterior paint and an exclusive two-tone Ecru and Black leather trim interior with Black Bird's-eye maple wood trim. The retractable hardtop convertible includes special-edition brushed chrome badging on the front fenders and center console, and an Ecru The Lone Cypress™ logo embroidered on black carpeted floor mats. It also features a color-keyed rear spoiler, 18-inch Machined Tourmaline alloy wheels, and white illuminated scuff plates. All-season run-flat or summer run-flat tires are available.

The 2009 SC 430 and LS 600h L Pebble Beach Edition vehicles go on sale in September and October 2008, respectively.

Source: Lexus
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By 2015, Mazda To Cut Fuel Consumption 30 Percent

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that it is setting its sights on reducing the fuel consumption of Mazda vehicles sold globally by an average 30 percent by 2015. This determined commitment will entail a holistic approach which includes using lightweight technologies, the upgrade of almost all of Mazda's gasoline engines, introducing a Smart Idle Stop System, a new gasoline rotary engine and new diesel engines worldwide.

By 2015, Mazda will have renewed almost its entire powertrain lineup and, from 2011, through steadily developing safe, lightweight, new generation platforms aims to reduce the weight of its new vehicles by 100 kilograms or more.

Mazda saw its hydrogen powertrain efforts progress positively forward in June 2008 when the Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid received the green light from the Japanese government to begin testing on public roads. The Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid (known as the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in Japan) offers 40 percent more power and an extended hydrogen driving range of 200 kilometers. It will be available for commercial lease in Japan during the 2008 fiscal year.

And, Mazda is already progressing well with the development of an all-new Hydrogen RE vehicle with dynamic performance equivalent to a 3.0-liter gasoline engine and a hydrogen range of 400 kilometers.

The next technological milestone for Mazda will be the introduction of the mass production version of its proprietary Smart Idle Stop System into one of its cars in 2009.

Source: TheyReviewed
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Gumpert Apollo Hybrid Racer Photo Gallery

This photo gallery is for the new 2008 model Gumpert Apollo Hybrid photos & pictures. It contains high-res wallpaper images of interior and exterior for Gumpert's Apollo Hybrid racer. Click on the thumbnail pics below to enlarge.


Related Post: Gumpert Apollo Hybrid Ready For 24hr Nurburgring



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Video: Gumpert Apollo Hybrid Being Tested At Nurburgring

The new hybrid race edition of Gumpert Apollo from supercar makers Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur will take part at the 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring in Germany later this month. The green version of Apollo is powered by a hybrid drivetrain featuring a 3.3L twin-turbo petrol V8 mated to a 100kW electric motor taking combined output to 630hp.

The supercar's 190kg battery that powers the electric motor will get recharged when the car brakes are applied. The new hybrid racer driven by Ex-F1 star Heinz Harald Frentzen will compete against likes of Audi R8, Lexus LF-A and other supercars during the two day event.

Click For Gumpert Apollo Hybrid Pictures


Video: Gumpert Apollo Hybrid testing at the nürburgring


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2010 Toyota Pirus To Debut At 2009 Detroit Auto Show

The next generation of Toyota's eco-friendly Pirus hybrid will make its debut at 2009 North American International Auto Show in January. According to Edmunds Auto Observer the 3rd-generation Prius will be 3 to 4 inches longer and about an inch wider, but not significantly heavier. It will sport a larger, 1.8 liter engine and combined gas and electric power is up from approx 110 hp to 160 horsepower.

The increases in power will be combined with an increase in fuel economy by about 10 percent and thus taking it up to the 50-55 mpg mark. Toyota will re-engineer the Prius' unique gas engine/electric motor/battery powertrain to make it more efficient, more tightly packaged and to extend the driving range in electric mode.

Toyota is also working on Plug-in versions of the next Prius. Its protoypes are being tested on various road conditions in different countries. Toyota plans to launch sales of Plug In Hybrids (fitted with state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries) to fleet buyers in the US and elsewhere by 2010.


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