Toyota’s reaches a significant milestone in producing hybrid cars in Europe, as the 400,000th unit delivered to its customer.

The 400,000th hybrid car delivered in Europe is an Auris Hybrid produced in UK. It was handed over to Valentine Nkwocha in Anderlecht (Belgium) as a company car from his employer CTG, an IT-consultancy. The company recently ordered over 20 Auris Hybrid cars to provide them to their junior consultants.

Toyota first began delivering hybrids to the European market back in 2000 with the first-gen Prius. It was also at first, but in recent years Toyota has been enjoying a remarkable boost in sales of hybrid cars. And it’s going to be better in 2012 when the new seven-seater Toyota Prius+ and Prius Plug-in Hybrid join the Prius to make up the Prius Family. The new Yaris will also get a hybrid variant.

Around the world Toyota has sold more than 3.5 million hybrid vehicles, representing a reduction of 23 million tons of CO2.

“We are very proud to deliver our 400,000th hybrid in Europe to a customer in Belgium where we have a strong presence with our European headquarters, our R&D centre, our parts and vehicle logistics operations,” said Michel Gardel, Vice President of Communication, External and Environmental Affairs at Toyota Motor Europe. “It shows that Belgian and European customers are not only ready to consider a hybrid vehicle purchase but for Toyota, they have been doing so in large numbers – in fact 10% of our sales in Europe were hybrid vehicles last year,” he added.

For those of you who don’t know, Vertias is a German bespoke sportscar maker, something like Caterham. They just announced a hybrid version of their RSIII which at 205 mph is currently the fastest plug-in hybrid in the world.

The Hybrid gets the same BMW M5 V1 engine that churns out 507 hp, but it also gets a 100 hp electric motor that powers the front wheels. So you get a 600 hp all-wheel-drive car that goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and can reach a 205 mph.

This of course is not yet a production model and remains a prototype, but the technology in this car is quite fascinating. It features Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) which turns the wasted energy of braking into electricity to charge the batteries. It can also drive 31 miles on electric power alone in which case it’s a front wheel drive zero-emission car.

Veritas has plans to launch a coupe and an all-electric version of the RS by 2013.

Translogic

Toyota sets achieves a new milestone as worldwide cumulative sales of hybrid models surpass 3 million mark. That’s no surprise since for most people the word hybrid car is synonymous with Prius!

The Prius was the first fully functional mass produced hybrid car that went on sales worldwide, but it’s not Toyota’s first hybrid. That’s be the Toyota Coaster Hybrid EV coach in August 1997. After Prius’ huge success, they launched a range of hybrid cars. Not just Toyota, their luxury arm Lexus too offers a hybrid verison of each model thy produce. Around the world Toyota currently offers 16 hybrids in around 80 countries, including MPVs, saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs, plus three commercial vehicles in Japan.

Toyota reckons as of the end of February this year their hybrid cars have led to approximately 18 million fewer tons of CO₂ emissions! Interesting stuff, but they should take into account the damage making a hybrid car which is a very complex process causes to the environment! Just making the lithium ion batteries is a mind-bogglingly long procedure in which materials have to be delivered from one side of the world to another. That’s not a completely green journey, is it!

ToyotaHybrid Vehicle Sales^*(1 Unit = 1,000 vehicles)

*Including Lexus, based on TMC/TGB data

ToyotaHybrid Milestones

With the new M35h Hybird Infiniti believes they have opened a new chapter in hybrid cars book, in which the car are as much about driving fun and performance as they are about economy and environment. They call this car the “driver’s hybrid”. Going on sale in both Europe and America, the M35h features world-first steering and braking technologies.

2011 Infiniti M35h’s hybrid powertrain consists of a V6 petrol engine with a 50 kW (68 PS) electric motor attached to it, both linked to a 7-speed Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) automatic transmission that blips the throttle on downchanges. The car also features a unique one motor/two clutch system.

The first clutch is installed between the naturally-aspirated 3.5-litre V6 and the electric motor, which is embedded within the automatic transmission. The electronically controlled clutch allows the full decoupling of the V6 when the car is in electric drive and power regeneration modes. Decoupling the V6 reduces mechanical drag and boosts the efficiency of the electric motor.

Other features of the car include world-first Blind Spot Intervention (BSI), state-of-the-art Forest Air climate control and Active Noise Control, while comfort and luxury are taken care of with double-piston dampers and the availability of semi-aniline leather in the spacious cabin.

As for those world-first technologies mentioned earlier, one of them is the electro-hydraulic steering system with “on-demand” assistance. In brief, the car uses elecro motors in addition to the engine torque for steering’s hydraulic pump, so it puts less pressure on the engine.

It offers the advantages of both types of steering – the natural and smooth feel of hydraulic power steering and the improved fuel efficiency of an electric system – while the motor cuts in only when the wheel is turned, further boosting efficiency. The system is smaller than traditional power steering set-ups, a feat achieved by integrating multiple parts.

The car also gets Electric Driven Intelligent Brake, which follows the same idea of using electricity to help the mechanical force.

When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the necessary braking force is maintained while the hydraulic pressure of the friction brake is controlled to help maximize the energy regeneration of the hybrid motor. Because of its simple structure, in which the motor directly operates the brake cylinders, the Electric Driven Intelligent Brake system has the potential to be a key part of all future Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid vehicles.The simplicity of these elegant mechanical solutions, with their emphasis on more compactness, lighter weight and fewer parts, is made possible by advanced computerized control.

Another benefit of both the new steering and braking systems is that they work with the innovative drivetrain to enhance the driving experience rather than dilute it in the manner of some hybrid vehicles. Designed to be fast and responsive with a strong sporting bias to the rear-wheel drive handling, the Infiniti M35h aims to deliver an exhilarating drive in all situations.

Romanian auto maker Dacia is best known for their economy cars such as the Logan or the Sandero, because they don’t make anything else but economy cars! But now apparently they are thinking big and ambitious, as they have started working on hybrid and diesel-electric models. Here’s the pictures of their 4×4 model, but they’re also working on a hybrid hatchback. Apparently this project is codenamed Hamster!

So if you can be bothered stay tuned for more on hybrid Dacias!

via: Promotor.ro

As it turns out those leaked patents which surfaced last year suggesting that Ferrari is working on a hybrid powertrain were totally legitimate. During unveiling of their 2010 F10 Formula 1 car at Maranello, CEO Luca di Montezemolo officially announced that the company will reveal a concept hybrid variant of 599 GTB super GT at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Of course this being Ferrari, they are not going to compromise on power and performance for the sake of being green. Their hybrid system will be containing of a small electric motor attached to the same monstrous V12! And it would only help to increase the MPG number specially for city driving.

As you know the 599′s fuel consumption, no matter how careful you are  while driving it, never gets into double figures! Now with the hybrid system, possibly KERS (a system which recovers the otherwise wasted kinetic energy of braking and turns it into electricity to charge the Li-Io batteries) and Start/Stop system, they might be able to take it up to 13-14 mpg.

But the real beauty of this powertrain is that when you are driving vigorously, the electric motor will join the V12 to give you even better acceleration than the normal 599!

Nissan GT-R is already known as an engineering marvel. It’s a sports coupe which offers extreme performance with convenience of a regular car. It manages to be both sporty and comfortable for everyday use. Now Nissan is going to make it green as well by developing a hybrid variant. Reportedly, GT-R Hybrid will use the same powertrain showcased in Infiniti Essence concept.

The car which is due in 2012, will use the same 3.8 liter Turbocharged V6 as the main source of power. But it’ll be coupled to a 160 hp electric motor. That means a combined power of around 600hp will be at the disposal of your right foot, and no one will criticize you warming up the globe because you are driving a hybrid! This system is expected to return 25 to 30 mpg.

The Hybrid Nissan GT-R will also get a proper facelift and it’ll be optimized in many ways. After all the hybrid powertrain will add a considerable amount of weight, so a lot of engineering is needed to keep things right.

source: InsideLine

As you know, Honda is going to launch its first hybrid sports coupe in 2010 with the new CR-Z. Details were scarce so far, but as the car’s official brochure leaks online, we can learn more about at. And the first thing we notice, if this brochure is good of course, is that the production model looks the same as the concept car shown two years ago. CR-Z Coupe is powered by a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine with 114 hp and an electric motor developing 14hp. So the car has a combined power of 128 hp and 164 lb-ft. of torque.

Further revealed facts about the 2010 Honda CR-Z are as follows:

Length: 4080 mm (160.6 in.)
Width: 1740 mm (68.5 in.)
Height: 1395 mm (54.9 in.)
Wheelbase: 2435 mm (95.9 in.)

Engine: 1.5L i-VTEC + IMA
Transmission: 6MT or CVT
Power (ICE): 114ps@6000RPM
Torque (ICE): 145 NM (107 lb-ft)@4800RPM
Power (IMA): 14ps@1500RPM
Torque (IMA): 78 NM (57 lb-ft)@1000RPM
0-100km/hr (0-62mph): 9.7 sec

via: egmcartech

It’s a bit odd for a luxury car maker such as Rolls Royce to even care about environment and all that green nonsense mainly because efficiency is kinda against their philosophy, which is limitless luxury and exuberance. For the records, they kill like ten cows to make the leather upholstery for one Phantom! But don’t forget that they are under BMW care, and efficiency matters for them. Also it makes complete sense to make their cars a bit more clean and economical without much effort!

They don’t have to put in much effort because the hybrid power train which will be used in the Ghost is almost identical to the one in the BMW 7-series Active Hybrid, and that is relevant because the Ghost is built upn the 7-series platform!

And this being Rolls Royce they are not going to compromise on anything. That massive 6.6 liter V12 will be still there, but a small 27 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque electric motor that is fed by lithium-ion batteries, will be attached to it. But this small contribution will have a rather big impact on fuel economy as it gets bettered by almost 15 percent.

via: Autocar

Today Honda officially announced they will put the hybrid sportscar CR-Z Coupe and the hybrid version of the Fit model into production next year. CR-Z, which is based on the concept car sown in 2007 Tokyo Motorshow, would go on sale in Japan by Feburary 2010, while the Fit hybrid wouldn’t make it until year-end.

Both of this car will get Honda’s intelligent hybrid drivetrain called Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) which is already used in the Insight and Civic hybrid. This system is a combination of a small electric motor and an internal combustion engine, with a system which uses the wasted energy when you brake or decelerate, turn it into electricity and feed the electromotor with it.

In brief, characteristics of this system are compact size, light weight and high efficiency. Honda will definitely become one of the greenest automakers with these new model joining its range of cars, they are developing a new hybrid platform for mid- to large-size vehicles.

Both of these cars will go on sale in Japan first, but will make their way to other markets, U.S. included, shortly afterward.

The third generation of Mercedes full-size SUV, the ML-Class is going to be more angular and sporty than ever. The car that used to be described as a tall van will get an extreme makeover for 2011 while becoming more environmentally responsible!

Of course the ML will maintain its good points like that artistic C-pillar or the flared wheel arches, but sharp edges will replace most of the curves in its body, giving it a more masculine character.

As for the technicalities, everything is better and more efficient with every new model Mercedes put out! So the 4-Matic system will be cleverer, and the range of engines will have more power and better economy. V6 and V8s, both petrol and diesels will be available as usual, but the word is that a plugin hybrid model will be added to the range as well. We are not interested in that! What we want to see is the AMG version of this car which apparently is going to have 571 hp  Fantastic!

source: Autobild

Alright it’s simple! If you buy one of these very soon you will miss your local gas station because it just keeps going on and on! In fact on a single tank of fuel, it can cover 1,445.7 miles or 2325 kilometers! It is averaging 81.5 mpg or about 3.5 liters per 100 KM. An astonishing record. Of course that is achieved by an extreme eco-minded driving, however if you get 70 percent of that in real world, that’s still brilliant.

WASHINGTON — The Ford Fusion Hybrid has posted impressive numbers in an endurance feat that saw it run for 69 consecutive hours and 1,445.7 miles on a single tank of gasoline. Average fuel economy was an impressive 81.5 mpg. Ford says “drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques” were part of the reason the Fusion Hybrid was able to run so efficiently. The company calls it a world record for a gasoline-powered car in the mid-size sedan category.

Ford lists the 2010 Fusion Hybrid’s fuel economy as 41 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, meaning the test run came just short of doubling the fuel economy numbers despite a route that included city driving.

Ford set up the Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge in and around Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the potential mileage of the mid-size sedan and to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The team of seven drivers for the challenge included NASCAR racer Carl Edwards, CleanMPG.com founder and mileage-maximization guru Wayne Gerdes and several Ford engineers. Some of the techniques they used were coasting up to stop signs and red lights, accelerating smoothly and gradually, minimizing the use of heating and air conditioning units, closing windows at high speed to cut drag and anticipating traffic conditions to maintain a safe distance between vehicles and avoid unnecessary braking.

Ford noted that the driving techniques were paired with keeping the Fusion under 47 mph as much as possible, where it can run on all-electric power. However, the company said, the tips “can be used in any vehicle to improve fuel economy.”

For the less-trained driver, Ford says, the Fusion Hybrid’s SmartGauge with Eco Guide instrument cluster helps “coach drivers” to get maximum fuel economy numbers.

Mercedes Benz is entering a new era by introducing the S400 Hybrid luxury saloon. It gives you everything you expect from a S-class with fuel economy of a small city car. You still get a 3.5 liter V6 developing 280 hp, but thanks to Mercedes hybrid technology average fuel consumption is pretty low at 7.9 liters per 100 kilometres, considering weight of the car. The S400 hybrid is planned for middle east market and will be available from September 2009.

Press Release

Dubai – Here is the first picture of the new Mercedes-Benz S400 that will be the first Hybrid luxury sedan in the world with a lithium-ion battery and which will arrive in the Middle East & Levant in September this year.”The S 400 HYBRID is an important milestone on the way to emission-free mobility,” said Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant. “Our first series production hybrid car exemplifies Mercedes-Benz’s long-standing development strategy geared towards sustainability, with its clearly defined aim of producing economical and environment-friendly premium cars without compromising on safety, comfort and superior performance.”

The first hybrid drive in a series production car from Mercedes-Benz makes this S-Class model the most economical petrol-engined luxury saloon. The fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres corresponds to carbon dioxide emissions of just 186 grammes per kilometre. This is the lowest level worldwide in this vehicle segment, confirming the new S 400 HYBRID as the “CO2 champion of the luxury class”.

The excellent fuel consumption and the low CO2 emissions of the S 400 HYBRID are accompanied by truly superior performance potential with the modified 3.5 litre petrol engine generating 279 hp, while the electric motor produces 20 hp and a starting torque of 160 Nm.

The battle of MPG is getting a bit violent! New Toyota Prius can easily do 50 mpg but Toyota is not satisfied and is working on a plugin version which hit 65 mpg (3.6 liters/100km) in early tests! This is overkill! And this tests are not done in labs, this number is actually achieved in real world driving condition. Although the plugin cars are not what you call flawless, but they are constantly testing and improving different types of lithium-ion battery packs to arrive at one that offers longest range and optimum power. Great! but I still don’t want a Prius!

Europeans will get their own version of Chevy Volt in form of this car, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Ampera. Teased by this nor so clear image, the car runs on GM’s Voltec platform and is a hybrid. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery which is solely enough for up to 60km range and a small internal combustion engine, maybe a diesel, for longer distances. The car will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Opel has announced Ampera as the name of its revolutionary extended-range electric car. The five-door, four-seat Opel Ampera will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show (March 5-15).

“With the Ampera, Opel will be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving,” said Alain Visser, GM Europe Chief Marketing Officer.

GM’s ground-breaking electric propulsion technology, called Voltec, operates differently from other advanced propulsion systems. For short trips up to 60 km, the Ampera will run only on lithium-ion battery power charged via a standard 230v outlet. For longer distances, the car will continue to drive on electricity that is generated by a small internal combustion engine.

The Ampera will be well-suited to the daily driving schedule of most European customers. For example, approximately 80 percent of German drivers travel less than 50 km daily.

Additional information on the Opel Ampera will be released March 3 at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Toyota announced a new certified used program for its hybrid models which provides additional 14 inspection points than the current program for normal used cars. Toyota say this program covers critical parts like batteries, control units and tranaxle and will prove peace of mind for the used hybrid shippers. But some believes that it’s just a marketing move as hybrid sales number is going down continuously because of cheap fuel. Prius, Camry and Highlander hybrids which pass this new test will be awarded with company’s three-month, 3,000-mile comprehensive warranty and seven-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and roadside assistance plan along with hybrid’s own eight-year, 100,000-mile factory hybrid battery warranty.via : Leftlanenews

Even in this world that everyone is Dieselizing their engines, the last thing you expect is Bentley getting one of those, and I’m not talking about V12 or V10 diesel, it’s gonna be a V6 twin turbo!

Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn announced during an interview with AMUS that they will react to the market regardless of the brand, so he could imagine a V6 diesel in a Bentley! Stupid man!

This VW executive says this in spite of the Bentley’s Boss statement who recently told Bentley is never going to use diesels or hybrids.

But the financial turmoil is so hard they might even have to put a diesel in Bugatti Veyron!

Autocar

Hybrids are naturally boring, so are lexsus cars, and when they come together the results is very uncool. So it would be nice if some tuning gurus try their hands and see if they can make a look that bury all the boring logic inside and give us some craziness we like ! That’s what Japan’s Job Design has done to the lexsus hybrid flagships LS and GS.

Although you cant call this bodykits pretty, but come on, they make you take a second look at the car, something you’d never do with a normal lexsus!! I particularly like the lowering , lexsus drivers won’t like this! 

Anyway, these sort of jobs are always appreciated, specially on uncool boring fat-ass vehicles like these two!