Toyota, which of course is by far the leading producer of hybrids, believes they may have finally hit on the formula that will make the hybrid the go-to car at least for Gen Y. The secret? Make ‘em small and cheap. And voila – we present the Prius c – the smallest and cheapest hybrid on the road.

Now cheap is a relative measure. The Prius c is basically the 5 door Yaris but with a gasoline-electric hybrid power train. And to put a hybrid in your Yaris you’re adding about six thousand dollars to the purchase price (approx $15,000 Yaris versus $21,000 Prius c plus freight, dealer charges and tax).

Toyota gets stars in their eyes when they think about Gen Y. These “millennials” number about 90 million in North America and are expected to account for about 40 per cent of vehicle sales in the next ten years. And what do they want according to Toyota’s survey data? Sixty percent of them say they want a hybrid. Well of course it’s easy to say such a thing to sound good but let’s see how many of them actually slap their money down.

Toyota has done everything they could think of to set the Gen Y hook. Naturally the Prius c is available in some weird colours but this car is also loaded with every electronic gizmo in the book. All the entertainment and communication and car performance graphics you can imagine. Plus electronic braking and stability control systems and nine – count ‘em – nine airbags. I saw a Yaris crash tested at a Toyota engineering centre. Impact speed was 110 km/h causing the most frightening noise I ever heard. When the dust settled all four doors of the Yaris could be opened normally and the computers said all the crash-test dummies were just fine.

Hybrids are all about saving fuel and Toyota says this is the most fuel-efficient non plug-in vehicle on the road today with a combined city/highway fuel consumption rating of 3.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Well I didn’t get anything like that number in a fairly lengthy test drive but I drove mostly in the left lane on an Interstate Highway. Hybrids, and this one in particular, are at their best in stop and go city driving.

In fact on the highway this one had as much driving dynamics as a dead fish. The electric steering is numb, hammering the misnamed accelerator doesn’t result in much acceleration at all – just a little more noise as the gas engine revs up – to what I don’t know as there is no tachometer. However the interior is comfortable and surprisingly spacious. Quiet it is not. I was surprised at this as Toyota says it’s loaded with sound deadening material. Maybe it was the noise from the extra hard low-rolling resistance tires. Yup, I’d get rid of those.

But let’s get back to the original question – will this be the hybrid that finally delivers some serious sales volume? Well, don’t ask me, ask some twenty year old. If they’ve gotta-have-a-hybrid then maybe this is the one because of the price and city-friendly size. Toyota is expanding the Prius line and the c is just one of the new ones. The bigger hatchback the Prius v is now seriously outselling the original liftback Prius. And orders for this Prius c are stretching the factory in Japan where they are built to the limit (30,000 cars a month for the whole world).

Toyota has done a commendable job in trimming weight and size. Its Hybrid Synergy Drive system is the smallest, lightest version ever from Toyota. The gas engine is a 16-valve 1.5-litre four-cylinder with double-overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. There’s not a fan belt or any other kind of belt driving things off the engine – it’s all electric – the steering, the cooling, the air conditioning, the works. This is one clean little car, even cleaner than the Yaris. Let’s see if it’s worth the extra six grand to Gen Y.

Source: ctv.ca

Will hybrid cars make a breakthrough in 2012?

Performance boost is because of a newly developed diesel hybrid power train in conjunction with the already economical 4-cylinder 2.1 liter direct injection cohesively working with the hybrid automatic transmission 7G- Tronic Plus. The E300 power is because of various components cohesively working to increase performance. There’s an electric motor supplied by Bosch that replaces the torque converter of the transmission. This arrangement adds an additional 20 kW and 259 Nm to the engine that delivers 204 horsepower and produces 500 Nm torque. The mechanical layout is not simple. Between the electric motor and the diesel engine is placed a single multi-plate clutch which is connected to input shaft of the transmission. Although the length of the transmission is changed because of the electric motor, it’s packaged in the same amount of space that’s occupied currently by the torque convertor in the transmission.

The arrangement and assembly ensures that on electric- only mode, distribution of power through the electric motor to the rear wheels in conjunction with 7-speed auto transmission is tuned and balanced. In accordance with the power on the installed motor, ease with high speeds and acceleration vary. Freewheeling and sailing is highly improved with configuration and arrangement. Sailing is of integral importance in vehicles that are heavy. It’s only when arrangements of various components work in unison that efficiency increases. Although the electric motor gives a significant boost to fuel efficiency the overall efficiency is increased with the transmission working in conjunction with the electric motor.

Inward and outward energy flow during acceleration, braking and regeneration is important. Parasitic losses and clutch drag is reduced with the electric motor and auto transmission working in tandem. Daimler engineers are of the opinion that larger motors will be used to enhance various aspects of performance. Engineers reveal, up to 50 kW motors will be used in future platforms. The new Hybrid system is expected to be equipped with the next generation S-Class Mercedes that will arrive in the third quarter of 2013. Also on the cards for the North American market is the E400 Hybrid that will be powered with a V6 gasoline engine, believed to deliver 306 hp and produce 370 Nm torque.

Mercedes Diesel Hybrid – World’s car in the Luxury segment

Volvo XC60 Feature
XC60 is combined with the power of 280p gasoline engine and 70hp electric motor. It includes a four cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine. The engine generates 380Nm of torque that provides power to XC60’s front wheels through eight speed automatic transmission. This engine is fuel efficient and are developed using advanced technologies.

A 12Kwh lithium ion battery provides power to the electric motor. The car can be recharged through 11V/12A outlet will take 7.5 hours and using 22V/12A will take 3.5 hours. The car also features an Integrated Starter motor and Generator that delivers more 34 kW during acceleration and also charges the battery during braking. XC60 also includes a save feature that save the battery power for later use and provides power for up to 20 km on electricity.

The car can be switched between pure, hybrid and power mode. In pure mode, the car gets power only by electric motor. Hybrid mode is the standard mode. The car gives you maximum performance through both petrol engine and electric motor and can operate upto 600 miles. In power mode, the petrol engine with 280 hp and 380 Nm is combined with electric motor with 70 hp and 200 Nm.

Thus, XC60 is a gasoline hybrid plug in car with four cylinder engine. It is an economical and high performance car that can be switched between pure, hybrid and power modes. The engine is also fuel efficient and battery enables the driver and other people a safe and uninterrupted journey.

Volvo unveils concept XC60 plug-in hybrid

Besides winning the coveted European Car of the Year Award at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the Opel Ampera, is now doing better than projected on the sales front, with orders having passed the 7,000 mark. According to Opel’s e-mobility launch director Enno Fuchs, “this news shows us that our sales target of 10,000 units for 2012 is well within reach.”

The scenario contrasts with the Ampera’s cousin, the Chevy Volt which has suffered from lower than expected demand in the U.S., not helped by highly publicized battery fire investigations, resulting in the car becoming, what General Motors’ CEO Dan Akerson dubbed “a political punching bag.”

Nonetheless, with GM essentially re-launching the Volt, which includes a plan of meeting demand rather than pegging output to a specific target (like the 10,000 units originally projected last year), the company has ordered a five-week production shutdown of both the Ampera and Volt to “maintain our proper inventory levels,” according to a company spokesman.

The closure was mainly due to U.S. issues over the Volt, but at this juncture, it appears things for the Ampera are still off to a more positive overall reception.

Source: Autoguide

Opel Ampera Orders Surpass 7,000 units

Designed with a futuristic approach, the Hyundai Sonata houses a plethora of features. We must say that the word ‘compromise’ does not exist in the Sonata Hybrid dictionary. This vehicle has amazing exterior and luxurious interiors. Along with comfortable seating, the vehicle has a glass roof for every seat in the vehicle. This coupe runs on a 2.4 litre four-cylinder engine plus an electric drive system that uses 34 kW lithium polymer batteries. Additionally, the car has a navigation system, flash-memory-based, that helps save time and travel conveniently. This exquisite navigation system not only updates you on weather conditions, but also keeps you informed about the status of traffic at a particular place. In order to provide a safe journey, the car’s navigation system guides you to your destination with voice-prompts for street names and turn-by-turn directions. And not only that, to ensure a great driving experience, Sonata features a Bluetooth phone system with full interface, a number pad, and access to contacts directly on the touchscreen. This automobile incorporates the Infinity audio system featuring a 400 W amp, 7 speakers, and a sub-woofer.

All in all, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is an excellent car with outstanding features and a breathtaking design. It surely appears that the usage of a 34 kW lithium polymer battery pack, makes its coupe fuel efficient and powerful.

Hyundai unfurls the Sonata Hybrid