Hybrids add buzz to St. Louis Auto Show 

Sure, those sleek, sporty Corvettes drew second looks and the row of Camaros were magnets for muscle-car aficionados who strolled through Chevrolet's display space at the St. Louis Auto Show. But just as many car enthusiasts — if not more — gathered midday Thursday around the $41,000 Chevy Volt, the automaker's new entry into the electric car market. With a $7,500 federal tax credit, the car begins to approach affordability for consumers looking to shed their own oil dependence.
"It's been overwhelming," said Tricia Opper, a Chevrolet product specialist.
Within the next year or so, St. Louis can expect to see at least two electric vehicles — the Volt and the Nissan Leaf, which has a suggested list price of $25,280 to $26,580 after the tax credit. Chevrolet and Nissan have 2011 models of their electric cars on display at the auto show.
Attendees can get behind the wheel of a Volt — or a handful of hybrids — this week at the EcoCity area inside America's Center. EcoCity features a small track and other environmental-friendly booths.
Larry Kinder of Lily Pad EV of Overland Park, Kan., said his company is the Kansas and Missouri distributor of Coulomb Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, which the company hopes will serve future electric car owners.
"These charging stations will just become furniture in parking lots, along the street, on light poles, shopping centers, theaters, restaurants, in parking garages," Kinder said. "Everybody will charge at home at night. They'll drive to work, plug in. Drive to shopping centers, plug in. And off they go."
Kinder, who is on a list to get one of the first Nissan Leafs in Kansas City, possibly by this summer, said the demand for electric cars is being fed by an auto industry trying to claw its way out of a slump and the heavier emphasis on sustainability and oil independence.
Other automakers are getting their electrics to market, too, he said. An electric Ford Focus will debut later this year, and Toyota will have a plug-in Prius and Rav4.
Karl Brauer, senior analyst said the rush to meet higher fuel-efficiency requirements has spawned research and development in electric and hybrid cars. Soaring gas prices woke people up as well, Brauer said in an telephone interview. Despite the noise around hybrids and electrics, he said, domestic sales of perennial favorite trucks and SUVs have surged dramatically in the past six months.
Ron Jackson of unincorporated St. Louis County drove the Chevy Volt two laps around the EcoCity track and was impressed with the ride. But he won't likely buy one.
"There are only two reasons I wouldn't do it," Jackson said "It's very expensive. You start in at $41,000 before you do anything to it. And the second thing is I am a Harley rider, and I tow my Harley. You cannot tow with it."
Nissan officials were busy answering consumer questions about the 2011 Leaf on Thursday during the first day of the show. Most wanted to know about the charging system and the battery range, said Aric Shimkus, a Nissan representative, who predicted the Leaf will begin appearing in St. Louis by early 2012.
The distance a car can roam before recharging its lithium ion battery varies, he said, and can reach 130 miles.
Chris Adelmann, executive vice president of the St. Louis Auto Dealers Association and the auto show, said eco-friendly driving is a distinct industry trend.
"Is the market out there right now in St Louis? No," Adelmann said. "Because they don't have the charging stations set up yet. Now they are working on getting those put in businesses and stuff like that so people can start buying cars like the Volt and the Nissan Leaf and some of the others that are coming out."
About 400,000 people attend the auto show each year, Adelmann said, and he expects attendance to exceed that this year with the first year of the EcoCity.
He predicted many will want to see the 2011 Bugatti Veyron on display. The $2.5 million supersport is capable of reaching a top speed of 267 mph.

Electric car that can be recharged by pedal power

Chinese engineers have developed China's first "human-electric" hybrid vehicle , allowing userstocharge it by pedalling as they drive along . The vehicle , developed by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University , can carry two people and luggage .

Pedal energy is reclaimed and charges the battery . It can be driven in electric-only mode or pedal plus electric power , Shanghai Daily reported . Unlike existing Twike electric cars in operation in Europe , the vehicle can be recharged anytime as it has an "intelligent battery" .

>Twike drivers can only recharge the vehicle through braking or moving down a slope . The intelligent battery , developed in Shanghai , also allows users to gauge consumption . "If drivers are stuck in a traffic jam with the air-conditioning on , their car would soon run out of power ," Jay Lee, President of the Advanced Industrial Technology Research Institute was quoted as saying . 

Electric car that can be recharged by pedal power

Porsche 918 RSR To Promote Virtues of Hybrids

Porsche 918 RSR To Promote Virtues of Hybrids

According to Porsche's head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, the 918 RSR will be as much a marketing tool as a technological test bed.

"A Porsche is about emotion and passion," he told Inside Line. "We want to get our customers excited about the possibilities provided by hybrid technology. Until now, the Toyota Prius was the hybrid, and we need to change perceptions. In the long term we have to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. This is not just about climate change; it's also about protecting the world's oil reserves."

Porsche is currently developing two hybrids: a Prius-style battery system for use in road cars and a flywheel accumulator solution for racing. The former will be used in the 918 Spyder supercar, which will debut next year. The latter, developed in association with the Williams F1 team, debuted on the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and features in the 918 RSR.

"A flywheel solution works in a racecar because of the highly dynamic driving conditions," says Kristen. "You're collecting and discharging energy in fractions of a second. The flywheel allows us to collect more kinetic energy than a battery but you need to keep a pump running to maintain a vacuum in the system if you want to retain the energy, so it's not a good solution for the road."

According to Kristen, the main issue is not how you store the energy, but how you discharge it. "We're trying to learn as much as possible about how you merge two different power systems together. We need to develop the controls and systems to make the best use of the technology. Porsche is not about making components; our core competency is building cars but we need to understand what we need from the components we source."

The 918 RSR is currently a showcar and is not fully functional. Nor would it currently comply with the regulations for any of the major sports car series. "We wanted to excite our customers and to raise the appetite of the regulation makers for changing the rules," says Kristen.

One potential solution would be to introduce a one-make championship for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid or the 918. "The technology is currently too young and expensive," reckons Kristen, "but in the future it might be feasible. It is possible to imagine a Porsche Supercup series being run with hybrid cars."


Porsche 918 RSR To Promote Virtues of Hybrids

Porsche 918 RSR debuts at 2011 NAIAS

Porsche 918 RSR debuts at 2011 NAIAS

After being absent from the Detroit Auto Show for the past four years Porsche has come back with a vengeance unveiling one of the baddest hybrid racecars in existence!

The Porsche 918 RSR has an ultra light weight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque exterior, minimalistic highly functional interior.... and a flywheel accumulator. What the heck is a flywheel accumulator you may ask? This high tech device is positioned next to the driver's seat and collects energy when the car breaks. This energy can then in turn be converted to a 160 HP burst of speed with the touch of a button! Coupled together with the 563 horsepower V8 engine there are two front wheel drive electric motors powered by the flywheel accumulator that produce an unbelievable total of 767 horsepower!

The flywheel accumulator technology first appeared on Porsche's 911 GT3 R Hybrid. The device gains its charge when the two electric motors on the front axle reverse their function during the braking processes and operate as generators. The driver can then unleash the stored power by simply pressing a button! Now that's hybrid technology put to a good use.

If you can, come down to Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan to get a first had look at the Porsche 918 RSR in person.You can check the photos here too

Porsche 918 RSR debuts at 2011 NAIAS

First Images: Toyota Unveils Entire Line of Prius Hybrids

First Images: Toyota Unveils Entire Line of Prius Hybrids

After years of study and speculation, Toyota today unveiled two new Prius vehicles at the 2011 Detroit auto show. By the time all the curtains were opened, four Prius models were displayed on stage: the familiar 50-mpg hatchback model; the Prius plug-in demo version with the same shape; a new larger model that goes on sale this year; and a small city concept Prius that promises to offer the best price and highest mpg of any hybrid on the market.

"The Prius V, which stands for versatility, looks a lot like a Prius, but it has an extended roofline, giving it nearly 60 percent more cargo room than the existing Prius," said Doug Coleman, Toyota's Prius product manager, in an interview with HybridCars.com. "That's more than many small SUVs." Coleman said that Toyota has been studying the idea of a larger Prius for a number of years, and decided that it was the right time to introduce the model.

Toyota estimates that the Prius V will be rated at 42 mpg in the city, and 38 on the highway. The powertrain for the Prius V is nearly identical to the one used in the current Prius model. Prius V features will include a panoramic moonroof and Toyota's new Entune multimedia system.

"Consumers have told Toyota that they love the idea of the Prius-high fuel-efficiency, low emissions, advanced technology-but the vehicle selling today doesn't fit their lifestyle and needs," Coleman said. These consumers want more versatility, comfort and luxury. The final product is a segment-buster that has been difficult to describe by consumers in Toyota research. "They were perplexed. Some called it a wagon. Some called it a crossover. Some called it a hatchback. We said it's really not any of those things." Coleman said the EPA is going to classify it as a midsize station wagon. "That doesn't do it justice. It's not a crossover, because it doesn't have a high enough ride. And it's not a minivan certainly, because it's not going to have sliding doors. It has seating for five."

Does this mean that Toyota will not build a full-size hybrid minivan in the future? Not at all, according to Coleman. "We're not there." Coleman said Toyota continues to study how to address the engineering challenge of building a hybrid minivan with the features, cost, and convenience that consumers say they want. He showed interest in Ford's announcement in Detroit about its upcoming C-Max hybrid and plug-in microvan.

Coming Soon: The World's First Compact Hybrid

Toyota will follow its push of the Prius model to a larger more spacious format in the other smaller direction with a compact hybrid. "The Prius C concept is an inspiration for us to build a future vehicle coming in the first half of 2012 that would be the most value-oriented vehicle of the Prius family, and have the highest mileage of any cordless hybrid," Coleman said. He said it will be oriented toward young singles and couples, but more maneuverable and affordable.



First Images: Toyota Unveils Entire Line of Prius Hybrids

2012 Honda Civic Concepts Revealed In Detroit

2012 Honda Civic Concepts Revealed In Detroit

We have not been hearing much exciting news from Honda this past couple of years mainly because they were kinda overshadowed by the dominating Korean brands, and also becasue they didn’t make a single amazing car recently! But they’re coming back fighting with the new generation Civic Coupe and Sedan previewed here.

At 2011 NAIAS the Japanese car maker revealed near production versions of Honda Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan, providing the first official glimpse at the styling direction of the all-new, ninth-generation 2012 model set to go on sale in spring 2011. Both cars has the same familiar profile, but get a new distinctive face.

The diverse vehicle range includes a sedan and a coupe with conventional gasoline models, two sporty “Si” performance versions, along with one hybrid and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant. Collectively the depth of the Civic line offers a compelling balance between fuel economy, low emissions and fun-to-drive performance unlike any other vehicle in the industry.

Between the two the Civic sedan looks nicer to us since it is sporty and elegant. But the coupe looks too like a Scion from the side and that tapered rear roofline doesn’t float our boat! The Civic Concept sedan takes on a sophisticated presence with a front grille defined by crisp lines and a solid bar that integrates a chrome Honda emblem.

Both concepts sit on 19-inch wheels which are not likely to be available for the production version as well, at least not as standard.

While all of the engines for the new Civic family benefit from Intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (i-VTEC) technology for maximum efficiency, there’s also a hybrid version planned with the latest generation of the compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) gasoline-electric powertrain like the one in the CR-Z.

Additionally, Honda is expanding retail sales of the natural gas-powered Civic GX model, which is the only OEM-built, dedicated CNG passenger car assembled in America. The increased availability of the Civic GX helps bring inherently clean-burning natural gas technology to an even broader audience while also supporting diversity in transportation energy resources.

Prius Ranks As Japan's Top-Selling Car In 2010

Prius Ranks As Japan's Top-Selling Car In 2010

Toyota's Prius hybrid ranked as Japan's top-selling car in 2010 with annual sales hitting an all-time high, bucking the fallout from a series of massive global recalls, an auto industry group said Tuesday.

Toyota Motor Corp. sold a record 315,669 Prius cars in its home market last year, up 51 percent from 2009, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said.

The world's No. 1 automaker has recalled more than 11 million vehicles worldwide, including the Prius, since late 2009 due to acceleration and braking problems.

But Japanese sales of the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius soared to an all-time high last year thanks to government subsidies and tax breaks for eco-friendly cars, the association said.

"The Prius was hugely popular among consumers. Its sales were boosted by subsidies and tax breaks for green cars," said association spokesman Michiro Saito. Japan doled out government subsidies for eco-friendly cars like the Prius from April 2009 to September 2010.

The government will keep tax breaks aimed at boosting demand for green cars until April 2012.

Prius sales last year broke Japan's annual sales record for a single model. The previous record was 300,008 units by Toyota's Corolla in 1990.

The Prius hybrid went on sale for the first time in 1997, beating rivals as the first mass-produced hybrid car with over two million sold worldwide at the end of November last year, according to Toyota.

Prius Ranks As Japan's Top-Selling Car In 2010