Green Cars Outrun One Another In Australian Race

Green cars race

Today, as hybrid cars of other car manufacturers are still being envisioned, developed or improved, existing hybrid cars are being showcased, studied, tinkered with, sometimes dissected, tested, and pitted against other hybrid cars and "eco cars" so that people will know how they work, and how environment-friendly they really are. Motor shows and races about these hybrid cars make the motoring headlines these days. Green cars have somehow become the status symbols of today. Driving one does not just mean that you can afford it. But it also declares that the owner is a responsible earthling. But in the years to come, they will hopefully just be our everyday ordinary cars.

But living out today while hybrid cars are still a breakthrough in green innovation, we relish the designs, performances and capabilities of these hybrid and "eco cars." One way to take pleasure in these green cars is through a race among "eco cars" held in Australia, as reported by Phil Mercer of BBC News, Sydney.

'Eco cars' race across Australia

One of the world's toughest endurance races for solar and hybrid cars is underway in Australia.

The Global Green Challenge takes competitors over 3,000km (1,864 miles) of the country's harshest terrain from tropical Darwin to southern Adelaide.

The early front-runner after the first day is a team from Japan.

The race aims to highlight advances in hybrid, electric and low emission vehicles as well as those propelled by the sun.

Japan's Tokai University car is powered by some of the world's most innovative solar cells and leads other entrants from the United States, the Netherlands and Britain.

Copenhagen message

The sort of aerodynamic design and tyres that improve fuel efficiency, which the competition has showcased over the years, have increasingly been adopted by large car makers.

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark just a few weeks away, Professor John Storey, an astrophysicist from the University of New South Wales, says the race shows that the motoring industry can adapt to environmental challenges.

"Going into Copenhagen I would see this event as being, if you like, the ray of sunshine on the horizon in the future to say that look if we have to cut our CO2 by 20%, 30%, 50% or more, it's not the end of the world."

This iconic and gruelling transcontinental race is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

It has attracted 35 teams from more than a dozen countries. The first cars are expected to cross the finish line in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, on Wednesday or Thursday.

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Toyota Hybrid Car Drives Off With Car of the Year Award

Toyota Prius, Japan's Car of the Year

Being an environemntally conscious and friendly country, Japan's choice of Car of the Year is expected to be the environment's best buddy, like a hybrid car. And true enough, in the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota Prius drives away with the accolade. Below is the news from InsideJapan.

The Toyota Prius has been voted as Japan's Car of the Year at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, beating fellow Japanese brand Honda to the top spot.

The hybrid car was voted top of the list by a panel of 61 motor journalists and people who work in the car industry.

Released in May of this year, the third generation Toyota Prius claims to have the best fuel efficiency of any car in the world.

In Japan, the Prius has topped the list of best-selling cars for the past three months and is also popular in the US, with high-profile eco-conscious Hollywood stars such as Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio both owners.

As well as this recent award, the Prius won Japan's Car of the Year in 1997 and the North American Car of the Year in 2004.

Four years ago it also scooped the accolade of European Car of the Year.

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Honda's Hybrid Sports Car

Honda hybrid car with earth painting

A lot has been said about hybrid cars from Honda. A few weeks ago, we had reported that the Acura NSX hybrid could be on its way. And the Japanese company is betting big on such cars as their hybrid sales also went up in May this year. Now British Web site Autocar reports that Honda has spoken about their hybrid sports car plan.

Nobuki Ebisawa is the design boss at Honda. He revealed that they are considering working on a hybrid high performance sports car. According to Ebisawa, “This is something that we are considering, and the CR-Z is only one shape of Honda’s hybrid sports cars in the current age.”

Though he didn’t reveal much, the Honda designer did point out that the team is checking out weight saving techniques like active aerodynamics and even using more aluminium for the car, something similar to the first NSX. However, Ebisawa indicated that the Japanese carmaker has other priorities such as more conventional hybrid cars over the hybrid sports cars.

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Talking about some maturity of the toys for the big boys!

Mazda Hybrid Car With A "Third Wheel"

Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE hybrid car runs on a "third wheel"

Environment-friendly driving does not necessarily mean driving on petrol and electricty. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid car runs on a third power source - hydrogen.

With all the hype surrounding plug-in electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered cars have all but disappeared from the radar.

But Mazda, which was the first car maker in the world to lease a hydrogen car to a customer, is still pressing ahead with a trial of the technology in Tokyo.

It’s also about to expand the program to Norway. The company’s latest creation is the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, an unassuming people mover that has two fuel tanks and three power modes; hydrogen, petrol and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries.

From the outside, the only clue to the car’s unique ability is the badging and signwriting on its flanks and rear.

But scratch the surface and you soon find out this is no ordinary form of soccer mum transport.

For a start the third row seat is gone, replaced by a sizeable 150 litre hydrogen fuel tank that takes up all but a foot of the rear cargo space.

There are also two fuel flaps on the outside; the one on the driver’s side is identical to a normal petrol cap, while on the passenger side, the refuelling nozzle looks similar to the connection on a domestic gas heater.

Step inside the Premacy and you’ll notice a “Biotechmaterial” logo on all the seats, the door inserts and large sections of the dash.

The logo refers to the use of plant-derived fabrics and plastics throughout the interior.

Mazda says it is looking to reduce its dependence on oil in two ways: by using less petrol for fuel and using fewer petroleum-based plastics and fabrics in its car interiors.

The material, which looks quite classy and feels high-tech, has already been incorporated into some regular Mazda passenger vehicles.

In the second row of the Premacy, you sit about 7cm higher than in the normal petrol version because the car has its stack of lithium ion batteries under the rear floor.

In the front, there is no change from the petrol version, except for the lack of a tacho in the instrument panel and a prominent colour screen on top of the dash with a readout that lets you know when you are driving on electric power, hydrogen power or petrol.

The flow-chart style readout also tells you when the car’s inverter is feeding stored energy back into the car’s lithium ion battery.

It is similar to the readout in the world’s top-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius, although it doesn’t give you instant fuel readouts.

The cynical observer would say there’s a reason for that: in hydrogen-mode, the Premacy drinks like a sailor on shore leave.

Officially, the Premacy has a range of 200km on Japan’s government fuel cycle. But we drove the Premacy for roughly 22km – admittedly in city traffic – and used half a tank.

That equates to a range of just 44km and fuel usage that would make a V8 Supercar look like positively frugal.

The Premacy is easy to start. Turn the key to the right and a light comes up on the dash saying the car is ready to proceed.

As with a Prius, it will start off on electric power before the internal combustion engine kicks in to life.

The engine in the Premacy is a version of the same Rotary engine in the RX8, modified to run on both petrol and hydrogen, in much the same way dual-fuel LPG cars run on gas and petrol.

Mazda says the Rotary engine, which is traditionally thirsty in petrol form, is ideally suited to gas applications because it is better suited to the high combustion properties of hydrogen.

A light in the Premacy’s instrument panel lets you know whether you are using petrol or hydrogen and you can switch from hydrogen to petrol on the run.

The car will also automatically change over to petrol if you’re running low on hydrogen. You can’t, however switch to hydrogen from petrol without first turning the car off. On the road, the first thing you notice is the lack of gear changes.

The conventional transmission gives way to a single gear and car’s engine noise rises and falls with your application of the throttle.

The rest of the experience is pretty similar to driving a petrol-electric hybrid; the car is eerily quiet when stopped at intersections, except for the whirr of the inverter.

The internal combustion engine kicks in with a bit of a shudder when you take off and the acceleration is on par with a modestly-powered petrol engine.

The engine noise can get fairly raucous at higher speeds as well, but there’s a vaguely sporty sound to the exhaust note that sits well with Mazda’s “Zoom Zoom” catch-cry.

With many enthusiasts bemoaning the fact that electric cars won’t have an exhaust note or any feel through the accelerator pedal, a hydrogen car seems an appealing zero-emission alternative for the driving enthusiast.

Mazda also says its hydrogen solution, which uses a traditional internal combustion engine, is a more practical alternative than the fuel-cell vehicles being developed by some rivals. The company says fuel cells are more energy efficient, but very expensive and unreliable.

Hydrogen cars are also potentially cleaner than electric vehicles, as they do not rely on power from traditional sources, including coal-fired power stations.

But there are still big hurdles to clear before any form of hydrogen power becomes a serious alternative to the electric car. The main one is infrastructure.

In Japan, which has a relatively well-developed hydrogen infrastructure compared with the rest of the world, there are only 16 hydrogen fuelling stations and ten of those are in Tokyo.

Compare that to the convenience of plugging your car into a household power point and the odds stack up against hydrogen.

And when you talk to Mazda’s engineers, you get the distinct impression that even they are resigned to the fact that hydrogen powered cars may not see commercial production for decades, if at all.

It may be a pipe dream, but there’s no doubting the appeal of driving a vehicle that drives like a petrol car but emits just steam from its tailpipe.

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Hybrid Cars Judged

Honda Insight - "best hybrid car in terms of daily performance"

"I want a hybrid."
I've heard that from more than one reader, and I have come to realize that most people don't really know a thing about hybrids. Not all hybrids are created equal and not every hybrid will fit into every garage the same.
First, let's define "hybrid." These are cars that run on gas and electric drivetrains. Some carmakers don't like the idea of hybrids because they have to create two powertrains for a single vehicle. Consumers, however, don't seem to mind.
These cars are not the final answer in mankind's quest for high-mileage, environmentally friendly machines, but they are part of the solution. A hundred years from now, when all of the vehicles are fueled by carbon neutral dilithium crystals and historians look back to trace the powertrain's lineage, hybrids will be a distant relative; the cars and trucks that started the world down a different road.

There are a dozen gas-electric hybrid cars sold in the United States, but that number will continue to grow in the coming years. They range in size, price and drivability. The $100,000 Lexus 600h was not included in this showdown. Neither was the Lexus GS 450h, a 340-horsepower thrill machine that manages 22 miles per gallon in city driving. Both vehicles miss the general idea of economical driving. The Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid also was not included for the same reasons.
Finally, there is also a group of vehicles known as mild hybrids not in this showdown. They use engine shut-off systems but do not use electric motors to help propel them. Calling them a hybrid is insulting to consumers and the equivalent to buying a refrigerator magnet that says hybrid and putting it on your Hummer.
So what's the best of the best when it comes to a hybrid car? Depends on the driver.
Of the eight in our comparison, three models, the 2010 Toyota Prius, the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Lexus are hybrid-only models, meaning there are no gas-only versions of these cars. The remainder come in hybrid versions of regular models: 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Honda Civic, 2009 Nissan Altima (which is only sold in the nine most pretentious states in the U.S.), 2010 Toyota Camry and the 2010 Mercury Milan.

Daily performance
Gas mileage is not the only thing to measure when weighing a car's performance, and never, I mean never, take hybrid owners' mileage figures too seriously. Yes, it is possible to get 90 miles per gallon in a Prius, but you can also get 100 mpg in a semi truck if the 100 miles are downhill. Exuberant hybrid owners' mileage figures tend to fudge to the high side. For people not posting to CleanMPG.com, I have found EPA estimates to be pretty accurate. During a recent weeklong test of the Mercury Milan hybrid, I averaged 39 mpg, dead on with the EPA's combined mileage numbers.
Performance-wise, the least expensive hybrid, the Honda Insight, has the sportiest ride. It turns on a dime and feels most connected to the road. The Ford Fusion was a very close second, with only its size cutting into its agility. The Fusion and the Altima certainly felt the most "normal," which may deter some hybrid buyers and encourage others. The Toyota Camry's ride and handling are too spongy, with too much body roll through corners, whereas the other two Toyota Motor Corp. entries, the Prius and HS 250h, provided much better rides.
The new Prius holds to the road much better than its previous two generations did. The HS 250h feels stable, and when running under electric-only power, is insanely silent.
Winner: Honda Insight

Best exterior
A car's exterior was made for the rest of the world to see. So if you need strangers to know you're driving a hybrid, get the Prius or Insight. It's a design that takes the most advantage of aerodynamics and has become synonymous with the word hybrid.
But they both have the profiles of a door stop and looked like they were carved out of cheese. Iconic does not mean pretty; Robert Zimmerman may be iconic, but even if you rename him Bob Dylan, he's still just as homely.
The downside to many of the other hybrids is they have gasoline-only counterparts, so they may not provide the eco-credibility some crave. Most have green jewelry sprinkled across their sheet metal but it's hardly noticeable, so strangers will need you to tell them you own a hybrid, and, trust me, you will. The Fusion looks sporty, the Civic looks smart and the Milan looks like the Fusion. The Camry hybrid is just as boring as the regular Camry. The HS 250h is more nondescript than attractive, leaving only the Nissan Altima as the most beautiful in the bunch. It impresses with its aggressive front end, slung-back headlights and crisp lines across its body.
Default winner: Nissan Altima

Best interior
Some cars can't be judged by their cover: The Altima proves that part with a less-than-spectacular cabin that feels cheap.
The Fusion and Milan have upped the ante for many carmakers with well-crafted interiors and quality materials. The SmartGauge creates a beautiful instrument panel that displays a virtual vine, which grows the better you drive. My favorite feature is the trip summary. It will tell you your fuel economy, the distance traveled and the amount of fuel used. It reminds you every time you turn the key that you've helped save the world.
The Prius also has upgraded its interior for 2010, losing its spaceship feel and adopting a more car-friendly interior. Materials and fit and finish have been improved, and the Prius offers enough technology to choke someone at NASA. Its hatchback configuration also makes the Prius feel very roomy and comfortable for five people. The compact Honda, which is significantly smaller than the Prius, shies away from Neiman Marcus and more toward Wal-Mart. In fairness to Honda, the car starts right at $20,000 and undercuts all of the hybrid competition. A lower price comes with sacrifices and plastic.
Winner: Ford Fusion

Best car
As more carmakers enter the fray and introduce the next greatest hybrid, there will be something for everyone. Even now, all of these hybrids are fine choices that will provide good, economical rides. But showdowns don't work if everyone wins.
The Ford Fusion, with its high mileage, top-notch interior and spacious cabin, is the best car in the group. It may get you more than 40 mpg and ride around over 40 mph in electric-only mode, but you will quickly forget you're in a hybrid. And that's when you know a hybrid has made it -- when the results are more important than the badge.
But America has not gotten to that point yet and hybrids remain a niche status vehicle, edging into the mainstream. Hitting a combined 50 mpg, the Toyota Prius still rules. Add to that a spacious interior, unique technologies and iconic look, the Prius remains the hybrid to beat. It feels and sounds and runs like the future.

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While some people are still realizing the exigency to live amiably with the environment, and carmakers are still designing and manufacturing their hybrid and other green automobiles, the earth continues to suffer the price of some technology, like a passive smoker getting cancer. When buying hybrid cars, I hope the top-of-mind buying consideration for a consumer is the environment.

How Do Hybrid Cars Work?

Here is a video explaining how hybrid cars work?

Why Not All Hybrid Cars Are Green

Plug-in car

Establishing a green lifestyle does not stop short with just using hybrid cars or electric cars. It takes a community, a country, or even the entire world, to really attain the positive environmental impact we want from green technology such as the hybrid cars, specifically the electric cars. The following article from Timothy Gardner explains why electric cars are not necessarily the environment's bestfriend.

Electric cars don't deserve halo yet: study

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Electric cars will not be dramatically cleaner than autos powered by fossil fuels until they rely less on electricity produced from conventional coal-fired power plants, scientists said on Monday.

"For electric vehicles to become a major green alternative, the power fuel mix has to move away from coal, or cleaner coal technologies have to be developed," said Jared Cohon, the chair of a National Research Council report released on Monday called "Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use."

About half of U.S. power is generated by burning coal, which emits many times more of traditional pollutants, such as particulates and smog components, than natural gas, and about twice as much of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Nuclear and renewable power would have to generate a larger portion of U.S. power for electric cars to become much greener compared to gasoline-powered cars, Cohan, who is also president of Carnegie Mellon University, said in an interview.

Advances in coal burning, like capturing carbon at power plants for permanent burial underground, could also help electric cars become a cleaner alternative to vehicles powered by fossil fuels, he said.

Pollution from energy sources did $120 billion worth of damage to human health, agriculture and recreation in 2005, said the NRC report, which was requested by the U.S. Congress in 2005 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Electricity was responsible for more than half of the damage, the report said.

Electric cars have other benefits such as reducing imports of foreign oil. But they can also have hidden costs

Materials in electric car batteries are hard to produce, which adds to the energy it takes to make them. In fact, the health and environmental costs of making electric cars can be 20 percent greater than conventional cars, and manufacturing efficiencies will have to be achieved in order for the cars to become greener, the report said.

Emissions from operating and building electric cars in 2005 cost about 0.20 cents to 15 cents per vehicle mile traveled, it said. In comparison, gasoline-powered cars cost about 0.34 cents to 5.04 cents per vehicle mile traveled.

The report estimated that electric cars could still cost more than gasoline-powered cars to operate and manufacture in 2030 unless U.S. power production becomes cleaner.

Hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles with batteries that are charged by the driver hitting the brakes scored slightly better than both gasoline-powered cars and plug-in hybrid cars, which have batteries that are charged by the power grid.

Source

Ford charges electric, hybrid strategy

BOSTON--Ford Motor expects to manufacture as many as 2 million all-electric and gas-electric vehicles in the next 10 years, betting that rising oil prices and consumer interest will sustain a long-term transition to new technologies.

The company has set a goal of making 10 percent to 25 percent of its fleet "electrified" by 2020, which represents somewhere between 800,000 and 2 million cars, said Nancy Gioia at a media event here on Wednesday. Ford announced on Wednesday that Gioia will hold a newly created position of director of global electrification, which covers hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles.

Plug-in electric vehicles promise to offer a much lower cost-per-mile than gasoline cars and deliver substantial environmental benefits. But in the near term, hybrids will likely represent the largest volume in the mix of technologies, said Gioia at the event.

"We've finally demonstrated the technology, the life, the durability, the safety (of hybrids)--all of that has reached a comfort zone to make it viable. Now it's going to be affordability that will drive mass market adoption," she said.

Ford is now working on an updated generation of its hybrid power train which will be used on its plug-in hybrid vehicles, which will come to market in 2012. Equipped with a larger battery than a traditional hybrid, the company projects its plug-in hybrid cars will allow drivers to go about 30 miles in electric mode, with the gasoline engine kicking in as needed for acceleration during those initial miles.

Before then, though, Ford plans to release an all-electric Focus compact sedan in 2011. An all-electric Transit Connect utility van is scheduled for release in 2011.

The electric Focus will be built in Michigan on the same manufacturing lines that make the gasoline version of the car. The car, which is expected to have a higher upfront cost than a gas Focus because of the large battery, which will offer 23 kilowatt-hours of storage, or about 100 miles of driving range.

In addition to electrification, Ford is implementing a number of other efficiency enhancements to gasoline engines, with an eye toward high volume. Earlier this year, Ford started introducing its EcoBoost direct-injection turbo technology which allows 4-cylinder cars to have the same power as 6-cylinder models.

Ford is also developing "start-stop" technology where a vehicle's engine turns off after being immobile for a few seconds, such as a stop light. This technology will come to manual transmission Fords in Europe next year and the company expects to bring it to automatic transmissions as well, Gioia said.

Opening a niche for pure electrics
For all the excitement around the potential for electric vehicles at Ford and other automakers, there is skepticism over how much all-electric cars will appeal to consumers, at least in the next decade.

For consumers, there's the ongoing concern over "range anxiety" where a driver can't find a spot to recharge during a drive. Also, there aren't many charging spots in public places, complicating the picture for city dwellers, for example.

Still, Ford expects growth from plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles. There are many consumers and fleet vehicle drivers who have relatively short driving cycles on repeatable paths, making them good candidates for either type. Demand for battery-electrics may be driven by cities which have created incentives for low-carbon transportation technologies or emissions-free zones, Gioia added.

"So whether it's incentivized or just driving behavior, we do see growth in battery electrics around the world. I'm not sure North America will be the driver," she said. "We may have the early-adopter lead, but if major infrastructure is not put in place, it will be hard to promote that."

During the media day, IHS Global Insight analyst John Wolkonowicz projected that pure electric vehicles and range-extended electric vehicles, like the Chevy Volt, will represent just over 1 percent of the total market by 2014. All electrics will outsell range-extended vehicles, he said.

Is the grid ready?
As any auto industry executive will tell you, the transition to plug-in electric vehicles requires coordination with utilities.

If large volumes of vehicles plugged into the grid at the same time, more expensive and polluting power plants may need to be constructed to meet the demand. To avoid that, automakers and smart-grid software companies are developing smart-charging technology that will allow vehicle charging at off-peak times, typically the overnight hours.

National Grid is one of several utilities working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Department of Energy on a study to measure the effects of plug-in electric vehicles on the grid. At this point, National Grid is mainly gathering data on electricity usage and charge patterns, said Steven Tobias, principal analyst for technology and innovation at National Grid on Wednesday.

Farther out, utilities could rely on plugged-in vehicles for short-term storage to stabilize the grid. But National Grid's main concern is making sure that plug-in electric vehicles work well with smart-grid home energy management systems, said Stan Blazewicz, the global head of technology at the utility.

Adding a few thousand plug-in electric vehicles across National Grid's Massachusetts and New York regions wouldn't be much of a concern in terms of demand, Blazewicz said. But utilities and automakers expect that "clusters" of consumers in neighborhoods will buy them. "When you get 100 vehicles all in the same area, that's when it becomes a challenge for us," he said.

There is technology that will allow utilities to control the rate of charging without creating an inconvenience for the consumer, he added. "At some point, we need the smart grid to manage EVs. We don't want to be the roadblock."

For its part, Ford is developing an in-car charge-management program and wireless system to communicate directly with smart meters, Gioia said.

When it comes to battery-electric or range-extended vehicles, one of the biggest barriers to consumers in the near term will be the higher upfront price, said Wolkonowicz. Government policies will "get us sliding down the technology curve where more and more people will see this as something they want to do," he said.

by Martin LaMonica

Urban Networked Electric Cars Coming to Tokyo Show

The theme of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show is "Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth." So, it's no surprise that Japan's biggest automakers-Toyota, Nissan and Honda-will be rolling out their funky futuristic networked electric cars. The show opens to the public on Oct. 24.

While falling behind on hybrids, Nissan is taking the lead on electric cars. The company will show the Nissan Leaf, which will make its US debut in late 2010. But Nissan will also display a concept two-seat electric car called the Land Glider. The cocoon-shaped vehicle is 10 feet long, three-and-a-half feet wide, and can lean as much as 17 degrees when turning corners. According to Nissan, the ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight, ultra-narrow Land Glider has a potential to become a new means of transportation in urban areas, reducing traffic and parking congestion.

Honda will show a near-ready production version of its CR-Z hybrid-as the company follows its strategy of focusing on small and affordable hybrids like the Honda Insight. The company also gazes into the future when cities will be more congested and more networked. Honda will display the EV-N design study-a small, four-seat battery-electric vehicle that combines Internet-age technology and retro-1960s style. The Honda EV-N uses solar cells in the roof, and a wireless communication system for traffic and EV charging station info. The EV-N's door conveniently stores the Honda U3-X, its quirky electric unicycle that can move in any direction when the driver leans in the intended direction.

Honda will also unveil the Honda Skydeck, a small six-seat hybrid minivan, which houses the its hybrid system in the car's center tunnel (rather than behind the rear seats) to allow for greater cabin space and room for three rows of two seats. This design signals a shift in how hybrids will pack batteries and components in the future.

Toyota will not be left out of the electric fantasy parade. The company will show a range of more immediate hybrids, including a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius, but it will also display the next iteration of the FT-EV it showed early this year at the Detroit Show.

In Detroit, the FT-EV appeared as a relatively practical electric version of the Toyota IQ minicar. In Tokyo, it goes out on a futuristic limb-by removing the steering wheel and foot pedals and turning the car into an information device on wheels. As the Toyota press release states, "The FT-EV II is not simply an electric vehicle designed for a post-fossil fuel era, but is a sustainable concept car that focuses on the relationship between cars, people and society of the future." The onboard communication system links to the driver's home network, from which it can access large volumes of data, and download music and movies. Toyota says it's primarily designed for short-distance travel for urban commuters.

By HybridCars - Matter Network

2010 Fusion Hybrid Sales Soar

Ford Motor Company released its year-to-date sales report for September that revealed a rise in sales for its Ford

Fusion automobile. The Ford Fusion was released earlier this year and has shown a steady increase in sales ever

since. Moreover, the total number of hybrid sales is up by 73 percent, in comparison to the same period last year.

The automaker also announced that about 60 percent of Ford Fusion sales were from non-Ford owners.

%u201CHybrid customers increasingly are considering Ford,%u201D Ford's marketing manager, David Finnegan, said in a

statement. %u201CMore than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of

those are customers coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda,%u201D Finnegan added.

The auto industry was hurt the most last year due to the economic recession. However, the recent sales report could

indicate that the economy is slowly recovering. Automakers are in a race to meet higher fuel-efficient demands for

new vehicles as some financial analysts forecast a rise in oil prices.

If more than half of the Ford Fusion sales are from other automakers, including Toyota and Honda, it will be

interesting to see their sales reports as well. New car incentives, including the government's Cash for Clunkers

program, helped drive vehicle sales to new levels not seen since early last year. Most consumers are convinced that

new fuel-efficient cars will not only save them money at the pump, but will eventually reduce our dependency for

foreign oil.

Ford Fusion is a midsize car that is priced around $27,000. In fact, Ford's latest TV campaign promoted it as the

most fuel-efficient midsize hybrid car, and it still is. The automobile can achieve up to 41 miles per gallon. The

vehicle can also be powered by its electric motor at speeds up to 47 MPH (miles per hour). While powered by its

electric motor, the gas engine is automatically turned off to save gas.

The Fusion is designed to travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas. However, new driving techniques can

be used to increase the mileage, that include slower acceleration and braking. Last April, Ford took the 2010

Fusion on a road trip and achieved more than 1,440 miles on a single tank of gas. The automaker proved that the car

is more than capable of doubling its mileage to 80 MPG by using the new driving techniques.

Source

Infiniti Enters Hybrid Car Market

Infiniti has announced that it is set to join the hybrid car market.

The firm revealed that production of its first vehicles of this type could be available by 2011.

These will be the Infiniti M35 saloons, the first hybrid cars from the company in its 20-year history.

According to the firm, these will feature the luxury performance of its existing range, but will be the most economical cars that it has ever produced.

The new vehicle will come with a 3.5-litre V6 engine, rear-wheel drive handling and Infiniti’s own hybrid system, which features a single electric motor/twin clutch arrangement.

In addition, the new car will run on laminated a lithium ion battery pack, which provide twice the power offered by regular battery packs.

Last month, Volvo revealed details for its plug-in diesel car.

The manufacturer announced that the vehicle will be able to cover 31 miles on battery power alone, with drivers then able to switch to its engine to give them a range of 745 miles.

Source: Environmental Transport Association

The 2009 Honda CR-V Tops Hybrid SUV's

The 2010 Honda CR-V

Deciding on which hybrid SUV to buy? Check out these top-ranking affordable hybrid SUV's, gaining highest echelons among hybrid SUV's based on safety and reliability.

Articles - Reliability and Safety Data Used To Rank Best Hybrid SUV

The best hybrid SUV is the 2009 Honda CR-V. It was ranked the #1 out of 25 affordable compact SUV s according to the U.S. News Auto Ranking. This ranking is based on our analysis of 74 published reviews and test drives of the Honda CR-V, and our analysis of reliability and safety data. This vehicle received an overall 9.0 rating score.

The 2009 Honda CR-V reliability score of 9.0 is the predicted reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The 2009 Honda CR-V comes with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty.

The 2009 Toyota RAV4 was ranked #2 out of 25 affordable compact SUVs. The RAV4 delivers an excellent combination of power, performance and interior comfort in its class. After more than 10 years after it was introduced, the RAV4 still maintains a strong reputation for reliability, safety and interior comfort.

Tying for second-place is the 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan. By blending the words "tiger" and "iguana," the interestingly named Tiguan is a sporty and appealing entry within its class. Its German driving dynamics and upscale feel set it apart from other SUVs. The Federal government gave the Tiguan a 9.9 safety rating for all seating positions in both frontal and side impact crash tests.

The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid ranks 5 out of 25 Affordable Compact SUVs. The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid earns excellent crash test ratings from the federal government. The similar gasoline-powered model is even designated as a "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It received a Safety rating of 9.9 (Excellent).

The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most efficient hybrid SUV on the market. The Hybrid Escape earns an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated 34 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined in the two-wheel-drive vehicle. The Ford Escape Hybrid is one of the best SUVs made by the Ford Motor Company. The Ford Hybrid Escape can drive up to 40 miles per hour without using a single drop of gasoline. In addition the Hybrid SUV features a cap-less gas cap when fueling called Easy Fuel.

by Kara Gilmour of newsoxy.com

Energy Monitor of Toyota Prius hybrid car

One of the first hybrid cars made available in the market and has become widely used in the U.S. and Japan is the Toyota Prius. Andy Hodges writes about the third generation 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid car.

Toyota Motor Sales released the 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid in April 2009. The 2010 Prius has been well received by the mainstream consumer. It is one of the most popular Hybrid cars on the road today. The vehicle also delivers the best fuel economy in its class.

Toyota Prius offers a combined mileage rating of 51 MPG (miles per gallon). The automobile is the top-selling Hybrid in Japan and soaring in the United States. It has a distinctive bulky-shape design, but it is unique, and offers state-of-the-art aerodynamics. The driver can also receive feedback, from the multi-information display panel, which can provide help to acquire economical driving habits.

The Prius Hybrid outputs ultra-low emissions and is quieter and roomier in comparison to previous Toyota models. The car makes use of an electric water pump and a new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, which contributes to the engine's efficiency. It comes with a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle engine that will power the vehicle on four-cylinders. The engine is also used to recharge the Hybrid battery.

The Prius electric motor is called a Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor that can output 80 horsepower with a 153 lb-ft torque. The Hybrid system net output is 134 horsepower. When the electric motor is in use, it will automatically turn-off the four-cylinder gasoline engine. The transition from the gas engine to electric is smooth and hardly noticeable. The automobile offers three fuel-efficient alternatives for driving that include EV-Drive Mode, Power Mode, and an Eco Mode.

Hybrid components for the vehicle are known as the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system. In comparison to previous models, the system is 90 percent newly-developed with significant improvements. The transaxle is lighter in weight and reduces torque losses by as much as 20 percent. The inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current, has a new direct cooling system to reduce size and weight.

In addition, the Hybrid car offers many innovations not seen in other Hybrids. It has a solar moon-roof that collects energy from the sun. When in direct sunlight, the energy is used to power the vehicle's interior ventilation system. This is free energy that could also be used in future models to power accessories such as door locks and windows.

The Toyota Prius has also adopted a new electronic controlled braking system. This system includes control logic that optimizes and enhances brake regeneration. The electric system will collect lost energy from braking and store it in the Hybrid battery for later use. The Hybrid battery pack is NiMH (nickel-metal hydride).

You can also save money and time with the 2010 Prius. For example, the Hybrid requires no belts under the hood to replace or maintain. This is also a benefit for the environment and does increase fuel efficiency.

Overall, you can't go wrong with the 2010 Toyota Prius. It is a reliable Hybrid car that was introduced more than 10 years ago. It is a top-selling automobile where many people have saved money at the pump.

from newsoxy.com

Volvo Hybrid Cars Coming in 2012

Volvo Hybrid Car

Volvo plans plug-in diesel hybrids for 2012

Volvo has said it wants to introduce plug-in hybrid cars from 2012.

Standard hybrid cars have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Energy that would normally be lost under braking is directed towards recharging batteries which are then used to power the electric motor, which kicks in to support the combustion engine under acceleration. Some hybrids are able to run for very short distances at low speeds on battery power alone.

Plug-in hybrids, which as their name suggests, can be charged from the mains while the car is stationary, are able to spend a much greater proportion of a given journey running on electric power; Volvo says that its plug-in hybrids will be able to run for up to about 30 miles on batteries alone. Only beyond that distance, which, according to Volvo, covers the daily needs of about 75% of European drivers, does the combustion engine – in this case, a diesel – play a part.

A diesel plug-in hybrid can be an exceptionally economical and ecologically friendly car but the precise advantages depend on a number of factors, in particular, which fuel is used to generate electricity at the power station, but Volvo thinks its cars will achieve a range of 745 miles while emitting as little as 50g/km of CO2 and consuming as little as 148.6mpg.

By David Wilkins of The Independent Motoring

The natural calamities that recently hit some parts of the world are urgent signs that the shift to the use of hybrid cars from gasoline-powered vehicles is imperative not just in Germany and Europe, but all over the globe. Car manufacturers will hopefully expedite the design and fabrication of these hybrid cars.

Porsche Electric Car Driving In Soon

Porsche 911, hybrid car version coming soon

The vast highway of opportunities in the hybrid cars section for car manufacturers extends to the sports car niche. An electric Porsche sports car and a Ferrari 599 prototype hybrid car are in the works. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on this:

Newly appointed Porsche boss Michael Macht says the German sports car specialist is working on an electric sports car and will expand its suite of petrol-electric hybrid cars to include the iconic 911.

Porsche was quick to prove that the rules had changed under the leadership of new parent Volkswagen.

Porsche showed it is prepared to take bold steps into the relative unknown in an effort to prepare itself for a world of alternative fuels and electric cars.

Speaking at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, Mr Macht confirmed the company was working on an electric car.

“I am also convinced that one day Porsche will have an electric sports car in its line-up,” he said. “Since this trend towards electric power is unstoppable, our engineers are already working hard on this challenge.”

For an electric Porsche to come to reality, though, he emphasised battery technology would have to progress further. “Everything we have seen in this area has not yet been sufficient to meet our substantial demands, particularly when it comes to battery technology and charge cycles,” said Mr Macht.

“An electric sports car would therefore only make sense for Porsche if it offers the performance and cruising range similar to that of current sports cars in the market.” As with other car makers, Porsche is working on hybrid technology as a stepping stone to a full electric car.

Porsche will have a hybrid version of the Cayenne off-roader on sale in 2010 (there was a Cayenne Hybrid prototype on display at the Frankfurt motor show) closely followed by a hybrid version of the four-door, four-seat Panamera sports car.

Rival Ferrari already has a prototype of its 599 fitted with a hybrid engine, something the brand hopes to have on sale in 2015. Mr Macht also said that Porsche could build a hybrid version of the 911. “Why not?” he asked rhetorically.

The move to consider a hybrid version of the 911 demonstrates how much things have changed under the guidance of Volkswagen.

Just a few months ago Porsche suggested the 911 was unlikely to go down the hybrid route. Executives pointed out that the 911 lived by different rules to the rest of the Porsche family due to its heritage and legendary status in the sports car world.

Porsche insiders are already suggesting the new Volkswagen ownership could be a boon for the proud engineering company, allowing it to take bolder risks and invest heavily in new technologies rather than push for instant profitability.

The underpinnings of the Cayenne off-roader – which Porsche credits for buoyancy during recently challenging economic times – was famously developed and paid for by Volkswagen before being used by Porsche. News: We're healthy, says Porsche.

from The Sydney Morning Herald

Plug-in Hybrid Cars: More Efficient and Environment-Friendlier

Toyota plug-in hybrid car

Car makers today are facing a vast highway of business opportunities in the manufacturing of environment-friendly and fuel efficient cars, particularly the hybrid cars. There can be a lot of options on how to create their hybrid car models. One option is the plug-in hybrid car, which is seen to be more efficient than the regular hybrid car.

BrisbaneTimes.com.au reports on the anticipated arrival in the car market of the plug-in hybrid car:

Hybrids are here but the even more efficient plug-in hybrid car should be here by 2010.

There’s a lot of buzz about hybrid cars, but the next step in the shift to cleaner, greener motoring is the plug-in hybrid.

A plug-in hybrid is effectively an electric vehicle with a small petrol or diesel engine acting as a generator to recharge its batteries.

As the name suggests, a plug-in hybrid car can also be plugged in to a regular power point to be recharged. Research has shown that most people’s daily driving needs rarely goes beyond about 60 kilometres.

The thinking of a plug-in hybrid car is that it will run purely on electricity supplied by the onboard batteries for about 60km. Then it can be recharged overnight, ready for use again the next day.

In such everyday use for short journeys the regular engine would never be used. However, the beauty of a plug-in hybrid is that it also has the regular engine acting as a back-up generator.

When the batteries of a plug-in hybrid start running low the engine starts up and starts charging the batteries. The engine in a plug-in hybrid never actually drives the wheels.

Instead it’s purely a generator used to charge the batteries which, in turn, power the electric motor/s.

One of the criticisms of plug-in hybrid vehicles is that while they may be clean running, just like a tram or electric train they’re effectively transferring the nasty emissions to the power station, which could be running on brown coal or something equally as polluting.

If the electricity is clean – such as hydro-electric or wind power – then the plug-in hybrid equation works effectively, but most of Australia’s electricity is heavily polluting; 50 per cent of carbon-dioxide emissions in Australia come from power stations, while cars and trucks account for about 7 per cent.

In many ways plug-in hybrids are the car makers’ way of forcing the energy debate back on to governments. Many car makers have signalled their intention to build a plug-in hybrid vehicle through various concept vehicles shown at motor shows around the world.

General Motors led the way with its Chevrolet Volt concept car, released at the 2007 Detroit motor show. Volvo followed suit with the ReCharge concept and Nissan has flagged its intention to pursue plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles.

And, of course, Toyota – the producer of the most hybrid vehicles – is trialling a plug-in version of its Prius, something that is in the production pipeline.

from brisbanetimes.com.au

Indeed, the production of environment-friendlier and more fuel efficient hybrid cars should be led not just by car makers, but should be in partnership with the government.

German Chancellor Promotes Hybrid Cars

BMW Hybrid Car Vision at Frankfurt Motor Show

Merkel promotes green cars at Frankfurt Motor Show

German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the Frankfurt Motor Show Thursday with a speech that looked to the future of transportation with electric and hybrid cars.

Merkel said widespread "green" car use was still some time off but that her government was making big investments into programs that would push green technology forward and make the eco-friendly cars more readily available on the market.

"Electro-mobility, electric and hybrid cars are very much the future," she said in her opening speech at the show, which runs until September 27.
There's a lot of interest in Frankfurt in electric-powered cars, like this model from Renault

Merkel also said she hopes Germany will have 1 million electric cars on the road by 2020, which means that "it would really take another generation of car buyers" before this trend becomes mainstream here.

Merkel said she hopes Germany will remain the automotive leader it is as the face of the industry changes. Some Asian car companies have heavily stepped up production of green cars and are on the cutting edge when it comes to green automotive technology.

"If Asian markets take over the lead role and we lose the upper hand in standardization, then we will also lose the markets," Merkel said.

Merkel also had words of support for the general German car industry in general, which has recently found itself embroiled with the European Commission over environmental standards.

"In a free world, it can't be that we prescribe the size of a car," she said, referring to the EU's plans to penalize automakers that produce larger cars that are less fuel efficient. "If the producers of large cars did not exist, the innovation of small ones could not be implemented so quickly."

Though German car companies have are also producing electric and hybrid cars, they rely almost entirely on profits from standard gas models and aren’t looking to jeopardize the health of that sector of industry.

“Germany is playing it smart with their multi facted approach,” Tim Urquhart, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight, told Deutsche Welle. “They care deeply about green technology and electric cars and the whole bit, but they're going to wait and see how much the trend catches on. When it comes to all this new technology, no one knows what the end game is going to be. Germany’s hedging its bets."

from Deutsche Welle
Editor: Susan Houlton

Any business entity would ensure it's company's profitability whatever it ventures into. Green or hybrid cars are a risk venture worth taking because for sure these hybrid cars will be the wave of the automotive future. Hybrid cars are not immediately a need of direct consumers of cars, but they are really needed in order for our world to last longer.

BMW's Beautiful Vision of a Hybrid Car

BMW Hybrid Car Vision

European carmakers rev up the electro-diesel concept

If you think all hybrid cars are like the Toyota Prius -- mirthless, ugly hair shirts of green conscience -- BMW would like you to meet its Vision: a stealth submarine of a car, lower than a boxing foul, all folded geometry and LED tracer lights. The signature BMW grille glows blue like a reactor cooling pond. The transparent doors open like dragonfly wings.

The all-wheel-drive Vision sport coupe is the Usain Bolt of hybrid cars: zero to 60 mph in under 4.8 seconds, top speed of 155 mph, 356 horsepower, and handling and braking comparable to the company's brain-melting M3 coupe.

Fuel economy: 75 miles per gallon. And you can plug it in.

Santa Monica might never be the same.

The Vision is one of several so-called electro-diesels at the Frankfurt Motor Show that put a typically European spin on Japan's signature eco-tech of hybrids. By combining electric motors and batteries with the huge torque and efficiency of direct-injection turbo- diesels, the European automakers are breeding a species of car that delivers V-8 performance with the fuel economy of mopeds.

Behind the menacing grille of the Vision, there's a small, 1.5-liter, 163-horsepower three-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and a big electric traction motor; arrayed like a capital "I" running down the spine of the car are rows of lithium-polymer batteries. At the rear axle is another electric motor, which gives the car essentially all-wheel drive. Together these components produce a whopping 590 pound-feet of torque, considerably more than your average Lamborghini.

The Vision, which uses batteries developed for Apache attack helicopters, is only an experimental vehicle for now. But "all the components are very realistic," said Philip Koehn, BMW's director of concept vehicle development. The batteries, the diesel components and electric motors are "off the shelf," he said.

Too flashy for you? At the other end of the performance spectrum is Volkswagen's L1 concept, a hyperlight, tandem-seat oil-burner, like a bobsled for the road. Getting its world premiere in Frankfurt, the L1 is powered by a small, two-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection (TDI) diesel engine and a small electric motor.

The L1's marquee number: 170 mpg, or about four times that of a Honda Insight hybrid. If it comes to market as planned in 2013, the VW L1 could claim the title of most fuel efficient passenger car on the road.

It would also be one of the cleanest. On a carbon-gram-per-mile basis -- that's the emissions metric that Europeans are most concerned with -- electro-diesels can outperform the thriftiest gas hybrids on the planet.

In the case of the Vision, BMW says the car produces 99 grams of carbon per kilometer on its own; plug it in and that number drops to 50 g/km.

To compare, a Toyota Prius has carbon emissions of 89 g/km in the European emission test cycle.

Depending on what you call a hybrid, electro-diesels have already arrived. Audi sells two diesel cars that are equipped with small starter/generators and battery packs to give them stop/start capability (the engine shuts down when the car is put in neutral).

However, Americans think of hybrids as cars with powerful electric motors that can move at low speed on battery power alone. The first such diesel car to come to market will be the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4. Arriving in spring 2011, this mid-size sport-utility vehicle is expected to get about 62 mpg and produce 99 g/km of carbon.

A HYbrid4 version of the company's RCZ sports coupe is all but certain.

For years European automakers, who are the acknowledged masters of turbo-diesel technology, have quietly stewed as Asian companies reaped the green-image benefits of hybrid technology.

On a cost and emissions basis, German automakers argued, turbo-diesel engines are more efficient. One reason is that diesel fuel itself has a higher energy content than gasoline.

Still, hybrids offer some advantages. They recover kinetic energy as they brake or coast and use it to charge the batteries. They also save fuel by shutting down the internal-combustion engine when the vehicle comes to a stop. And they can move on electric power alone at low speeds, where internal combustion engines are less efficient.

So why not combine the best of both technologies?

Cost, mostly.

By Dan Neil
Los Angeles Times

Nissan's Leaf Electric Car Hums Futuristic Sound

The science fiction of the past becomes the reality of the future. The future has arrived today. The present was the future of the past. With this development in the automobile industry, it seems that those flying cars we see in sci-fi movies are but just a few years away from reality. Like these hybrid cars.

At present, car owners fuss over their car audio system, err, audio-video system. But soon, they would also be concerned about their cars' "sound system" from outside, or the "hum" of their cars. But this time, it would not be any ordinary hum, it would be "futuristic noise. Nissan sound engineers have developed "beautiful noise" for their Leaf electric car. See article below from Los Angeles Times.

Nissan Gives Silent Electric Cars 'Blade Runner' Appeal
A campaign backed by automakers and some lawmakers to make electric or hybrid cars noisier in a bid to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists has taken a strange, “Blade Runner”-type twist.

Nissan sound engineers have announced that the Leaf electric car set for release next year will emit a “beautiful and futuristic” noise similar to the sound of flying cars -- or “spinners” -- that buzz around 2019 Los Angeles in Ridley Scott’s dystopian thriller based on a Philip K. Dick science fiction novel.

“We decided that if we’re going to do this, if we have to make sound, then we’re going to make it beautiful and futuristic,” Toshiyuki Tabata, Nissan’s noise and vibration expert, told Bloomberg. “We wanted something a bit different, something closer to the world of art.”

Automakers since 2007 have been exploring ways to increase the sound of electric or hybrid vehicles, which run almost silently at low speeds, after concerns were expressed by advocates for the blind and for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Nissan says its system would turn off after the car reaches 12 mph, when, it says, tire noise is deemed loud enough to warn a pedestrian or cyclist that a car is approaching.

An act going through Congress -- The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 -- would require a federal ruling on whether a minimum sound level for hybrid and electric cars is needed and, if so, for the Department of Transportation to set that limit. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will release a report on the issue in January. And Nissan, alongside Toyota and Honda, has responded to concerns in Japan over sound-emission safety, and in a combined report with Japanese government agencies will present its findings later this year.

Some reports suggest that in the future, car owners will download a sound for their car the way many consumers buy ring tones for their cellphones. No word yet on whether electric vehicles will -- a la “Blade Runner” replicants -- get implanted memories, though.

by Craig Howie

Frankfurt Motor Show Tinkers With BMW Hybrid Car

2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid Car

Frankfurt Motor Show Tinkers BMW With Hybrid Car

Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car
This extraordinary machine is a vision of a BMW supercar for the year 2020.

While BMW, Mercedes and Audi normally match each other move-for-move, this is an entirely different idea from the big-engined and thirsty Mercedes SLS and Audi R8. It's compact, light and almost unbelievably efficient.

The drivetrain consists of a mid-mounted three-cylinder 163bhp diesel engine, boosted by a hybrid electric motor. It goes through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels.

But there's an extra electric motor driving the front wheels. This boosts total system power to 365bhp for short periods of acceleration, and gives the car all-wheel-drive traction and the performance to match today's BMW M3.

Yet the CO2 emissions figure is just 99g/km. It can also run emissions-free as a plug-in hybrid for short journeys.

Encouragingly, BMW says all these drivetrain components are well into the testing phase and they are confident of their practicability for production.

The body is, say the designers, 'layered'. The panels sit proud of the understructure, and a layer of air goes into the gap and allows very fine aerodynamic control. It reduces turbulence, controls lift and manages engine and battery cooling.

BMW also launched two production petrol hybrid cars, a high-performance X6 and a super-economical 7-series. But these are mainly aimed at the USA – in Britain we buy our economical BMWs as diesels.

By Paul Horrell of Telegraph.co.uk

When we think of taking care of the environment, we think of the future and the long-term effects of environmentally hazardous human activities and inventions. It is a good thing that automobile companies nowadays include environment-friendly innovations in their visions for their cars in the pipeline.

HYBRID CARS DEFINED

Hybrid car Honda Insight Concept

Before we start comparing different hybrid cars, let us first define what haybrid cars are we talking about in this site. Technically, according to Wikipedia,

"a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle which uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle." This includes simple means of transport such as mopeds and electric bicycles, and heavy vehicles like trains, ships and other heavy vehicles which use two or more distinct power sources."

But Wikipedia clarifies that,

"When the term hybrid vehicle is used, it most often refers to a Hybrid electric vehicle. These encompass such vehicles as the AHS2 (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, and the Saturn Vue), Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid and others. A petroleum-electric hybrid most commonly uses internal combustion engines (generally gasoline or Diesel engines, powered by a variety of fuels) and electric batteries to power electric motors. There are many types of petroleum-electric hybrid drivetrains, from Full hybrid to Mild hybrid, which offer varying advantages and disadvantages.

In addition to vehicles that use two or more different devices for propulsion, some also consider vehicles that use distinct energy sources or input types ("fuels") using the same engine to be hybrids, although to avoid confusion with hybrids as described above and to use correctly the terms, these are perhaps more correctly described as dual mode vehicles."