Honda Fit EV Concept 2012

Honda has unveiled the all-new Fit EV Concept electric vehicle at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. Alongside the plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Fit EV Concept is integral to the Honda Electric Mobility Network as an advanced environmental approach to reducing CO2 emissions.

Powered by a high-density motor derived from the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle, The Fit EV delivers excellent efficiency with a top speed of 90 mph.

The Fit EV will achieve an estimated 100-mile driving range per charge using the US EPA LA4* city cycle (70 miles when applying EPA’s adjustment factor). Driving range can be maximized by use of an innovative 3-mode electric drive system adapted from the 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid.

Battery recharging can be accomplished in less than 12 hours when using a conventional 120-volt outlet, and less than six hours when using a 240-volt outlet. When the Fit EV production model is introduced, it will be powered by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor.

The Fit EV Concept displayed at the LA Auto Show features an exclusive Deep Clear Blue Pearl exterior color and five-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with blue inserts. Inside, an eco-friendly gray bio-fabric on the seating surfaces is outfitted.

Saft Li-ion KERS Batteries Power 40% of Formula 1 Grid

Battery manufacturer Saft have developed state-of-the-art lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that are providing a boost to five of the twelve Formula 1 teams competing this season, including Ferrari and Lotus Renault GP.

Saft's Li-ion batteries are at the heart of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that will be deployed by the five teams in response to the FIA regulations that encourage the development of energy-saving technology. KERS also promotes more exciting racing by providing a power boost for overtaking.

"Our solutions for KERS demonstrate Saft's ability to deliver leading-edge technology for the most complex and demanding high performance applications, even while working to extremely tight deadlines," says Xavier Delacroix, General Manager of Saft's IBG division. "We are aiming to establish our Li-ion batteries as the reference for Formula 1."

KERS performance with Li-ion

The Saft Li-ion battery allows up to 60 kW boost (around 80 horsepower), with an energy release up to 400 kJ per lap. The driver can use this additional power to provide an extra seven-second boost of acceleration in each lap.

When the F1 car brakes, a proportion of its kinetic energy is captured by an electric motor/generator (MGU) connected mechanically to the engine. This captured kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy which is stored in the Saft Li-ion cells. When extra power is needed, the battery releases the stored energy to the MGU which functions as an electric motor, providing extra power to the drive train.

KERS battery considerations

The F1 KERS is a particularly demanding battery application. Saft has worked closely with the F1 teams to develop tailor-made solutions for each team's KERS design, based on its high-technology VL Li-ion cells - which offered the optimum combination of performance, power-to-weight ratio, reliability and safety. Lifetime and durability are also key considerations since the batteries are subjected to high levels of heat and vibration

Team to enter 2012 Dakar with the EV rally raid off-roader [video]

The OSCar eO project involves participation at the 2012 edition of the Dakar, the most demanding endurance event in the world, with the goal of completing the distance and win the category for alternative energy vehicles.

OSCar eO will be entered in a special car category that was introduced in the technical regulations a few years ago but has not attracted any competitors since. When meeting the French company A.S.O. which is in charge of organizing the Dakar rally, Rally Raid Team Latvia received an enthusiastic welcome and was granted a wide scope of support. Dambis and Saukans were quick in assuring A.S.O. that the project offers new and original engineering and sporting opportunities that also bear relevance to environmental protection.

One of the main components of the new OSCar eO is batteries. These will be exclusively supplied by Winston Battery from the People's Republic of China. Dambis states, “They are one of the leading electric vehicle battery manufacturers in the world and we could not have wished for a better product for the eO vehicle.”

Two powerful permanent magnet electric motors of combined power of 180 kW will allow OSCar eO to develop top speed of 140 km/h. While that might not be much, eO does not aim to compete against the conventional vehicles entered by manufacturers and private teams. Dambis gives more details, “The motors will be able to output up to 315 kW for brief periods of time which will allow us to negotiate particularly steep sand dunes that you find in Atacama Desert in Chile.

Project engineers expect a fully charged battery pack to provide up to 150 km driving range across the most difficult rally terrain and up to 300 km in less demanding conditions. As Dakar stages are normally several times this distance, OSCar eO will be fitted with an electric generator that will be driven by a petrol internal combustion engine. Dambis clarifies, “We can not do without it. The only alternative is to pack another set of batteries in the car but there are plenty of them already.

In fact, we will even sit on some of them as floor area proved to be a practical mounting site.” The engineer continues, “We have selected a race-proven Nissan engine to generate the remainder of the energy required.” The petrol engine will be fed from its own 200 litre fuel tank. “Yet the propulsion will be 100% electric. The petrol unit will be mounted in the rear of the car and coupled only to the electric generator.”

The Nissan engine for electricity generation will be sourced with help from Skandi Motors, official importer of Nissan in Latvia. Electrical systems of OSCar eO will be verified on a Nissan Navara test mule, due to be completed in three months from now.

Regenerative dampers from official partner Donerre Suspension

Project’s technical partner Donerre Suspension was founded in 1994 by Pierre de Frenne following 20 years of experience in competition suspension systems. The company has always focused on innovation and as of today holds nearly 10 patents, demonstrating engineering excellence in a variety of disciplines. Donerre takes part in the ambitious OSCar eO project by offering a solution for harnessing electrical energy from the oscillatory movement of shock absorbers and thereby providing additional means for battery recharge.

Marathon rally Dakar 2012 will take place from January 1st to 15th, 2012. The route will cover Argentina, Chile and, for the first time, Peru. Competitors will need to tackle more than 9000 km of particularly challenging terrain. Rally Raid Team Latvia will enter the rally with the electric OSCar eO, an on-route support vehicle OSCar O3, and technical assistance trucks.

OSCar eo

No quick fix for Red Bull KERS issues

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have been warned that there may be no quick fix to the KERS issues that appear to be the only chink in Red Bull Racing's armour at the moment.

Although Vettel has won the first two races of the season, the German and team-mate Webber have battled with ongoing KERS issues - and neither driver had a fully functioning system throughout the whole Malaysian Grand Prix.

And with just one week until the next race in China, which is another event where KERS is crucial for lap time, Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey has admitted that his outfit is still only beginning to get on top of the hybrid system.

"The reality is that it is a system in its infancy," said Newey. "We are not a manufacturer team so we are having to develop KERS ourselves, which has not been our area of expertise in the past.

"We are also doing it on a limited resource, limited budget and with limited experience, so we are on a rapid learning curve. How long it takes us to get to the top of that learning curve remains to be seen."

When asked if the problems were such that they could take some time, Newey said: "The fact that we are still finding new problems implies that is the case."

Some of the problems that Red Bull Racing has suffered with its KERS have been related to the ultra-aggressive packaging that Newey has demanded for the RB7 – but he has insisted that the team has not been too on the edge with it.

"I don't think so," he said. "If the problems we had were all related to the packaging then the answer would be yes, but they are not."

Webber did not run KERS at all in the Malaysian GP, after suffering a problem with it prior to the start, while Vettel was told not to use his in the second half of the race.

"With Mark we had a problem off the line that meant he could not use it at all, during the race, including the start," said Newey. "He had a problem on the lap to the startline – it was a fresh problem, not a problem we have had before.

"With Seb – we had a problem that meant we could have continued to run it, but from a safety point of view we thought it best to turn it off and not take any risks."

Vettel: KERS was key to my pole

Sebastian Vettel reckons there was no way he would've taken pole for the Malaysian Grand Prix if Red Bull hadn't got their KERS sorted in time for Sepang.

There had been doubts over whether the champion squad would use the energy-boosting device in Malaysia after reliability problems in Melbourne practice forced the team to remove KERS before the race.

That didn't stop Vettel taking a relatively easy win from pole in the opener, but with the Sepang track featuring much longer straights, KERS was thought to be a vital addition - and Vettel concurred after edging out Lewis Hamilton for pole and seeing team-mate Mark Webber take third.

"It's a big compliment to the guys, especially with the KERS," said Vettel.

"We got criticised after the last race for not having run it all the time and it's something that we were not proud of.

"But we came here and sorted out most of our problems and I think if we would not have had it today then we would not be here, both of us, so it's a great achievement."

Vettel was not quickest in any of the three practice sessions and admitted it had taken him a while to get on top of things at Sepang.

"It was quite a challenging weekend," he said.

"Until qualifying, I was happy with the car but we never got into a rhythm so yesterday was not as smooth as we hoped for and also this morning, but we knew we had it in the car, so the main thing was believing in it.

"In qualifying it worked out straight away, and was very close at the end with the McLaren guys."

He added: "It was not a particular problem with the car or anything that broke down, it was just not as smooth.

"We did not have all the laps we wanted, had a little bit of traffic, and I did mistakes and it just didn't all come together as nicely and allow us to find that rhythm.

"The track here can be very challenging in that regard, you've got lots of corners with different lines."

Vettel's margin over the field in Malaysia was much smaller than it had been in Australia, with Hamilton just a tenth behind, and the Red Bull driver said that showed those who had predicted he would dominate the year had spoken too soon.

"The gap is quite a lot smaller than it was in Australia so it just shows how quickly things can change and at the next race, you never know..." said Vettel.

DHL Introduces Hybrid Ford E450 Delivery Vans in Manhattan

DHL is rolling out an all “green” fleet of commercial delivery vehicles in Manhattan to help reduce its impact on the city’s environment. Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, announced the company’s initiative in New York City as he presented the inaugural vehicles in the 80-vehicle fleet. By September 2011, DHL Express will operate 30 American-made, battery-powered electric vans and 50 hybrid trucks that will cut down fossil fuel use and in combination reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 percent each year in comparison to conventional vehicles.

The multi-million dollar investment in the modern, environmentally-friendly vehicles is an integral part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group’s global GoGreen strategy, which has the goal of improving the company’s carbon efficiency worldwide by 30 percent by 2020, compared to 2007 base levels. In a large international city like New York, this fleet investment, which dovetails with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s comprehensive plan to lower carbon emissions throughout the city, allows DHL to serve customers with sustainable solutions and improved resource efficiency.

The two types of green vehicles to be used in New York City by DHL Express are being manufactured in the U.S. by Azure Dynamics. The Balance Hybrid Electric vehicle components combine Azure’s hybrid powertrain with a Ford E450 chassis. By converting DHL’s existing Ford E450s into hybrids, the vehicle’s fuel economy will improve by up to 40 percent while emissions will be reduced by about 30 percent. Azure will also integrate its Force Drive electric powertrain into new Ford Transit Connect vans. Using an advanced lithium-ion battery, the van can achieve a range of up to 80 miles on a single charge and can be recharged overnight. The Transit Connect Electric is virtually silent, thus reducing exterior and interior noise, and has zero tailpipe emissions.

Hybrids Outpace Conventional Vehicle Sales

For years, Americans have ignored hybrid vehicles in favor of trucks, SUVs, minivans and sports cars. Even the occasional bump in gasoline prices wasn’t enough to make buyers warm up to hybrids, with the possible exception of Toyota’s Prius (which just exceeded 1,000,000 sold in the United States alone).

That behavior may be changing, at least according to Edmunds: the website is reporting that sales of electric vehicles and hybrids increased by 37% in the first quarter of 2011. That compares against sales of conventional vehicles, which increased by 20% in the same time period; in other words, hybrid and EV sales are growing at nearly double the rate of conventional vehicle sales.

As you’d expect, Toyota is still the market leader with their Prius hybrid, which increased in sales by some 50% last quarter. Of the 78,523 “green” vehicles sold during Q1 2011, 54,609 (nearly 70%) were Toyotas. Honda was another big winner in the green vehicle sales wars, as their hybrid sales rose 84% (to 11,354 units) in the first quarter. Ford, who offers a variety of hybrids and will soon bring the Focus EV to market, moved 7,704 hybrids in Q1 to take third spot.

Green Overdrive: Wrightspeed Digital Drive System [video]

Green Overdrive caught up with Ian Wright, founder of Wrightspeed, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for his new factory, where he shows Katie a mock up of the company’s digital drive system that will be used to build hybrid electric truck retro fit kits.

We speculated back in August 2010 that Wright may be sourcing parts of his power train system from a UK company called Evo Electric. Instead of going for Axial Flux motors, Wright intends to use a much more conventional motor configuration for his technology demonstrator, which he says will be running by Sept 2011, using a pair of geared motors that more closely resemble the one found in the back of a Tesla Roadster.

The interview poses almost as many questions as it answers. The electric motors, according to Wright, will have "four times the power density" compared to motors shipped today. This was the hint that seemed to suggest Axial Flux motors were part of the plan. Instead, the motor shown on the bench looks to be approx the same dimensions as those manufactured by Tesla, with approx the same power output (250 hp) so we wonder what is he talking about?

The truck 'kit' will feature 2 stage gear reduction. A typical single speed reduction gearbox will be attached to the motor plus what Wright says will be a second reduction gear set to provide the kind of torque needed for truck use. The second gear set will be mounted in the hub with the two gearboxes connected by a drive shaft. The appropriate gear ratio won't fit inside a single gearbox?

The 1000 hp AWD supercar based on this powertrain, that Wright claims to already have a customer signed up for, will not see the light of day for "a couple of years".

KERS a ‘no-brainer’ for Red Bull at Malaysian GP, says Mark Webber

Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber has said it will be a "no-brainer" to use the Kers power boost system in this weekend's Malaysian grand prix.

Mark Webber bounced back from his disappointing Australian Grand Prix to dominate an eventful opening practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday morning. Just as he did in Melbourne, the Australian set the pace in P1, but unlike there, he was never challenged for supremacy during the first 90 minutes in Sepang, his Red Bull some 1.665s faster than Lewis Hamilton managed in the McLaren.

Somewhat surprisingly Red Bull did not use the device in the Formula One season opener in Australia, yet still outpaced its Kers-equipped rivals as Sebastian Vettel drove to a comfortable win. The team had difficulty with the system in practice at Melbourne, and elected to forego the intermittent speed boosts for the sake of better balance around the Albert Park street circuit.

However, the long straights at Sepang put a greater emphasis upon straight-line speed and Webber hinted the team will use Kers if it works out in Friday's practice sessions.

"We will get some more confidence tomorrow," Webber said on Thursday. "It's a no-brainer. You need Kers. If it's working reliably and well, you should have it on the car."

Webber said the adjustable rear wing will also be a much greater factor in Malaysia than it was in Australia. The layout of the Melbourne track meant any speed boost on the short straight from lowering the rear wing was negated by the line advantage leading cars had going into the first corner.

Sepang's straights are among the longest on the F1 calendar, and the new adjustable rear wings should show their true benefit, with expectations of plenty of overtaking. "Here will be a completely different story," Webber said. "If it doesn't work here, I don't know where its going to work."

He struggled compared to team-mate Vettel in Australia, labouring into a distant fifth place, after suffering difficulty with tyre degradation and being forced to pit earlier than hoped. Degradation will be even more of an issue in the tropical heat of Malaysia, with tyre provider Pirelli forecasting three or four-stop strategies in the race. "Its pretty brutal with track temperatures which will be tough on the tyres," Webber said. "This is the most extreme situation they have faced as a company."

GM Says Electric Car Goes 1,000 Miles Between Fill-ups

General Motors said drivers of its Volt electric cars are traveling 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) before they need to fill up, enough to make the vehicles more practical for daily use.

GM’s $41,000 plug-in Volt runs on batteries. When the charge dwindles, it switches to a gasoline-powered electric generator for longer ranges. The Detroit-based manufacturer sold 1,210 units in the U.S. in the first quarter, according to Autodata Corp. of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

“A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, said at a conference in New York today.

The estimates suggest automakers’ dreams of selling viable electric cars are getting closer to reality. President Barack Obama’s administration aims to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

“Demand for the product is very, very high,” Posawatz said. Consumers “can’t get enough of them.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has estimated the Volt’s electric-only driving range at 35 miles. Drivers may go another 344 miles on the gasoline generator, reaching a combined range of 379 miles, GM said in November. Consumers who don’t regularly drive very far can plug in the car to recharge and won’t use much fuel.

Nissan’s Leaf

Nissan Motor Co. has sold more than 10,000 of its Leaf electric vehicle globally, Andy Palmer, senior vice president at the Yokohama, Japan-based company, said today at a panel discussion with Posawatz.

The $32,780 Leaf uses only batteries and doesn’t have a gas-powered generator. In fuel economy tests it traveled 73 miles on a fully charged battery, the EPA said in November. The company has estimated the driving range at 62 miles to 138 miles, depending on conditions, before it must be plugged in to recharge. The company has sold 452 Leafs in the U.S. this year, according to Autodata.

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive officer of Yokohama, Japan- based Nissan, has said that 95 percent of drivers travel fewer than 100 miles a day, making the Leaf a practical fit for most people.

Automakers plan to meet growing demand by introducing six plug-in electric vehicles this year, either battery-only models or those with back-up generators, and 14 more next year.

Toyota slashes Prius prices

TOYOTA Australia has taken an axe to the price of its hybrid icon, the Prius, which can now be had for as little at $34,990.

The move follows the Australian release of the first small hatchback from Lexus, the CT200h hybrid, which went on sale last week priced from a lower than expected $39,990, and a 65 per cent slump in Prius sales in March.

The entry-level Prius is now $5000 less expensive than the closely related but more luxurious Lexus and $2000 less than the larger Australian-assembled Camry Hybrid sedan (from $36,990).

While an even bigger $7510 has been sliced from the price of the flagship Prius i-Tech variant, which is now priced at $45,990 (down from $53,500), the Prius’ new sub-$35,000 starting price is $5000 higher than Honda’s similarly sized Insight hatch ($29,990), with which it battles for outright top-selling vehicle honours in Japan.

Honda’s more highly specified Insight VTi-L ($33,490) still costs $1500 less than the base Prius, however, while Australia’s only other mainstream hybrid – Honda’s small Civic Hybrid sedan – remains $500 cheaper at $33,490.

The Prius has undergone a remarkable sales slide since it was launched locally in third-generation guise in July 2009. At the time, Toyota Australia forecast it would sell 4500 examples of the world’s first mass-market hybrid in 2010, equating to a monthly average of 375 sales.

Instead, the Prius averaged 134 monthly sales last year for a total of just 1611 – 47 per cent down on the 3040 examples it sold in 2009 and less than half the number sold in the Prius’ halcyon year of 2008, when a spike in petrol prices helped sales to an annual high of 3413.

In the first quarter of this year Toyota sold just 167 Prius cars for a monthly average of fewer than 56, representing a 63.7 per cent sales slide on 2010 levels.

The Prius, which has narrowly been outsold by the Insight (176 sales) so far this year, now accounts for just 0.3 per cent of the mainstream small-car market segment – down from 0.7 per cent in 2010 and 1.5 per cent in 2008 and 2009.

Meantime, the evergreen Corolla experienced a last-gasp sales surge late last year to reclaim segment leadership from the Mazda3 in 2010, and while Corolla sales remain steady in 2011, a near 10 per cent lift in popularity has seen the Mazda3 surge ahead in the first three months of this year.

Toyota’s third small-car contender, the Corolla-based Rukus hatch, attracted just 114 sales last month – well down on the 150-200 forecast Toyota announced at its launch last May – despite the addition of a ‘Halo’ special-edition in mid-March. With just 314 sales so far this year, the Rukus has averaged fewer than 105 sales per month – down from the 136 it averaged last year.

The Prius’ sales decline is at odds with the petrol-electric model’s stellar sales performance elsewhere in the world, however, and Toyota – which has committed to producing a hybrid version of every model in its range by 2020 – remains committed to expanding the Prius model family.

The MkIII Prius is likely to be joined by a plug-in version next year after global trials of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid last year, while the seven-seat Prius+ people-mover that was revealed at last month’s Geneva motor show is under local consideration and the compact Prius C city-car will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne motor show in July.

Meantime, Lexus will continue its headlong hybrid charge at the expense of diesel power – at least in Australia – by following up the dedicated-hybrid CT200h with a redesigned GS large hybrid sedan. It will make its world debut in concept form at the New York motor show in two weeks and should join hybrid versions of the RX crossover and LS limousine in Australia next year.

Microsoft and Toyota Announce Strategic Partnership on Next-Generation Telematics

Microsoft Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) today announced they have forged a strategic partnership and plan to build a global platform for TMC’s next-generation telematics services using the Windows Azure platform. Telematics is the fusing of telecommunications and information technologies in vehicles; it can encompass GPS systems, energy management and other multimedia technologies.

As part of the partnership, the two companies plan to participate in a 1 billion yen (approximately $12 million) investment in Toyota Media Service Co., a TMC subsidiary that offers digital information services to Toyota automotive customers. The two companies aim to help develop and deploy telematics applications on the Windows Azure platform, which includes Windows Azure and Microsoft SQL Azure, starting with TMC’s electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2012. TMC’s goal is to establish a complete global cloud platform by 2015 that will provide affordable and advanced telematics services to Toyota automotive customers around the world.

As part of its smart-grid activities, aimed at achieving a low-carbon society through efficient energy use, TMC is conducting trials in Japan of its Toyota Smart Center pilot program, which plans to link people, automobiles and homes for integrated control of energy consumption. TMC believes that, as electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles become more popular, such systems will rely more on telematics services for achieving efficient energy management.

Microsoft has a long history of delivering platforms and services to the automotive market, including in-car infotainment systems built on the Windows Embedded Automotive platform, in-car mapping services with Bing and the Microsoft Tellme voice application, and many other consumer solutions.

“Today’s announcement of our partnership with TMC is a great example of how we continue to invest in the automotive industry and of our commitment to power the services that are important to consumers,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “It further validates the power of the cloud, as the Windows Azure platform will provide the enterprise-grade, scalable platform that TMC needs to deliver telematics in its automobiles worldwide.”

“This new partnership between Microsoft and Toyota is an important step in developing greater future mobility and energy management for consumers around the world. Creating these more efficient, more environmentally advanced products will be our contribution to society,” said Akio Toyoda, president of TMC. “To achieve this, it is important to develop a new link between vehicles, people and smart center energy-management systems.”

Toyota Sells One-Millionth Prius in the U.S. [video]

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. today announced the one-millionth sale of the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid gas-electric vehicle, in the United States. It is the third milestone for Toyota’s hybrid lineup in the last six months that started with the announcement of worldwide Toyota Prius sales topping two million in October 2010 and overall global Toyota hybrid sales passing three million last month.

“Since the Prius went on sale eleven years ago not a year has gone by when it hasn’t been the number one selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. “Prius has become synonymous with the word hybrid and as we see fuel prices starting to rise again, it has accounted for more than 60 percent of hybrid passenger car sales so far this year. Prius paved the way for hybrids and while it is still the hybrid leader in sales and fuel economy, I’m proud to say that since its introduction, 13 other auto brands have seen the benefits of hybrid technology and joined the hybrid market.”

The third-generation Prius topped the EPA’s list of the Most Fuel Efficient Vehicles for 2011. It has been named the Best Overall Value of the Year for the last nine years in a row by IntelliChoice, and has the highest owner loyalty of any mid-size vehicle for four of the last five years according to R.L. Polk. More than 97 percent of all Toyota Prii sold since 2000 are still on the road.

Since it was introduced in the U.S. in 2000, Prius, when compared to the average car, has saved American consumers more than an estimated 881 million gallons of gas, $2.19 billion in fuel costs, and 12.4 million tons of CO2 emissions.

In January 2011 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota debuted the Prius v, the first vehicle to be debuted as part of the Prius family marketing strategy. Prius v, which goes on sale in third quarter of 2011, is a mid-size vehicle that provides more than 50 percent additional interior cargo space than the current Prius. In early 2012 Prius will launch two more Prius family members – the Prius c compact hybrid vehicle and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle.

Nico Rosberg explains his 2011 steering wheel with KERS [video]

In a promotional video for the Mercedes GP Formula One team, Nico Rosberg shows how an F1 steering wheel works, including the extra switches for KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and the DRS (Drag Reduction System) device.

Rosberg explains how the KERS is deployed and how its harvesting can be adjusted.

“It shows how much harvesting is happening, so you can reduce or increase with this rotary here,” he says at some point, referring to the rotary switch for the KERS deployment.

Hope Racing Unveils Oreca Swiss HyTech Hybrid

The Swiss-based team took the wraps off its new Oreca 01 Swiss HyTech Hybrid last weekend at Paul Ricard, which features a unique energy recovery and transmission system designed by U.K. specialists Flybrid.

Powered by a conventional 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline turbo engine, badged as a Swiss HyTech, Hope Racing’s prototype will double as a flywheel-based hybrid, capable of revving to 60,000 rpm to store kinetic energy from the car’s braking phases. That energy, still in kinetic form, is then transmitted directly back to the drivetrain, bypassing the need for electric motors.

It’s a system which Flybrid calls CFT, or clutch flywheel transmission, in which team engineers claim results in no loss of energy when transmitted from the wheels to the flywheel storage and then back to the wheels.

“With battery systems, you always struggle to get energy in and out of the battery quickly,” explained Tobias Knichel, lead engineer for Flybrid’s LMP1 program. “Where the mechanical system, it basically all depends on how quickly you can decelerate or accelerate the flywheel. That determines at what rate you store the energy.”

Knichel explained that the more energy stored, the faster the flywheel will spin. Compared to the flywheel on the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, which revs at 40,000 rpm, Flybrid’s system could end up producing larger amounts of boost, although exact numbers have not been disclosed.

While the ACO limits the amount of energy recovered to 500 kilojoules per two braking phases, it’s a massive increase over the previously allowed 400 kilojoules per lap in Formula One, where Flybrid developed its first-generation system for Honda F1 over two years ago.

“Obviously there are a lot of braking phases at Le Mans,” Knichel said. “We’re really thankful for the ACO to write the rules as they are at the moment. They allow very powerful KERS systems, which is not possible in Formula One. I think that’s one of the reasons why you don’t see any mechanical systems [in F1] and why it was not met with a lot of enthusiasm.”

The team plans to roll out its hybrid for testing next week at Paul Ricard, prior to a public debut at the Le Mans Test Day, where it will likely be joined by Peugeot’s battery/electric motor-based 908 Hybrid4 and the second-generation Zytek Hybrid entered by MIK Corse.

In order to be certified by the ACO, all hybrids must complete the 400-meter long trip down the Le Mans pit lane in full electric/KERS mode. Hope will get its chance on April 20, with lead driver Steve Zacchia handling the driving duties.

“There is a strategy that we’ll use and Steve is going to be very busy in the cockpit,” said Hope Racing technical director Andrew Sayer. “To drive it only on KERS, we have to have the gearbox engaged, but the engine de-clutched. So he’ll have one or two things to do, but he’s going to be trained for that.”

With a race debut slated for next month’s Spa 1000km and participation in the remainder of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup races confirmed, Hope is poised to become the first hybrid to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June.

Chevrolet Volt the Subject of New SAE International Book

As one of the automotive engineering industry's most storied vehicles, the Chevrolet Volt has been the subject of hundreds of articles over the last few years as it went from a concept car to a reality. Now, the car is the subject of a new book from SAE International focusing on the incredible story of the vehicle's development.

The 224-page, full-color book, edited by SAE International senior editor Lindsay Brooke, is the premiere compendium of engineering information related to the Chevrolet Volt. It aggregates articles about the Volt from SAE International's Vehicle Electrification website and Automotive Engineering International (AEI) magazine along with SAE International technical papers covering the vehicle's technology development. In addition to this content, it includes interviews with the principal engineers and supplier partners who participated in the Chevrolet Volt project, as well as insights from other technology companies who bring new ideas to the electrified vehicle space.

Vehicle electrification comprises three major system technologies: lithium-based batteries, power control and electric motors. With the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, GM began a new era in mobility technology—the extended range electric vehicle. AEI has closely followed the Chevrolet Volt's development—from its lithium battery technologies to its aerodynamics, subsystems and vehicle charging strategies. AEI has been deep inside the research and development labs and was the first industry publication to drive a Volt mile and experience the unique propulsion system. That sort of industry-insider access is the very thing that makes this book so important: it demonstrates, in-depth, the design process of electrification to mobility professionals.

The rapid push of automakers towards vehicle electrification demonstrates the need to understand cutting-edge electric vehicle trends. The Chevrolet Volt is certainly on the cutting edge of those trends, filled with groundbreaking engineering and often singled out by industry experts as the leader of vehicle electrification. The EPA recently released their official fuel economy label for the Volt: 93 MPG equivalent in all-electric mode, entirely peerless in the world of traditional gasoline powered cars. The market has reacted very positively to the Volt, and it is Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year.

Chevrolet Volt – Development Story of the Pioneering Electrified will be of interest to any automotive engineering professional, but will be of special interest to executives, engineers and mobility professionals who are interested in vehicle electrification development. Suppliers will also find the book useful for positioning their products for electric vehicle adoption. Academics and enthusiasts will enjoy the incredible depth of the book's story of the Chevrolet Volt.

AEI Senior Editor Lindsay Brooke has written extensively about automotive technology, manufacturing, business and history for 30 years for various trade and consumer publications. He was also technology analyst for a major auto industry analysis firm.

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Chevrolet Debut Miray AWD Hybrid concept @ Seoul Motor Show

GM Korea has unveiled the Chevrolet Miray (pronounced Mi-ray) concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show - a mid-electric hybrid-powered sports model.

The Miray (which means 'future' in Korean) was created to celebrate Chevrolet's centennial anniversary which takes place this year.

The concept's powertrain consists of two front-mounted electric motors, each producing 15 kW (20 bhp / 20 PS) of power for the front axle, coupled with a 1.5 liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit mounted mid-rear which drives the back wheels. Current for the electric motors comes from a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is recharged through regenerative braking.

The Miray is capable of running on electric power alone and the petrol engine kicks in with its quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox when extra power is needed. Chevrolet did not provide any performance or range figures for the concept.

As for the aesthetics, the design takes some cues from Chevy's heritage and was inspired by such models as the 1963 Monza SS and the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder. There's a split grille for the front fascia and sharp lines over the smooth and slightly rounded surfaces of the car's design. The body also makes use of carbon panels such as for the spoilers. The Miray is also fitted with 20 inch wheels at the front and 21-inchers at the rear.

The 'future' design is also present in the interior with its center console-mounted start button, ambient lighting and dual-cockpit design for both the driver and passenger area.

Newey vows to correct KERS problems

Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey has vowed to crack the issues that led to a "stressful" Australian Grand Prix weekend, despite Sebastian Vettel's stunning start to the new Formula One season.

Vettel cruised to victory by 22 seconds in Sunday's curtain-raiser at Melbourne's Albert Park after crushing his rivals in qualifying for the ideal opening to the defence of his world title. However, in the eyes of perfectionist Newey, behind the scenes it was a different story as Red Bull grappled with an issue they are still struggling to come to terms with.

"It was quite a stressful weekend in Australia. There were a lot of rumours about our KERS system for a start," said Newey.

Vettel's glorious beginning is all the more remarkable because he did not run with the KERS power-boost system all weekend. At present, Newey is hopeful, but cannot say for definite, whether Red Bull will use KERS at the next grand prix in 11 days' time in Malaysia where it will be far more beneficial.

"The intention going into the weekend was actually to run a full KERS, but we had some reliability problems, so we had to take it off. We hope it will be in the car in Malaysia, but first and foremost we need to try and field a car that is reliable, and if we feel it is that then we will try to race it."

Asked if it was required given the way Vettel crushed his rivals, Newey added: "Well it gives you a benefit at the start where you might be outgunned. McLaren also made a huge leap forwards - by copying our exhaust system, it has been said - and I'm sure they'll be pushing, so we can't be complacent."

Newey has described the problem as "relatively trivial," although refused to expand other than to state it was one developed by themselves. Cryptically, he added: "We're not experts in that field, so we're on a steep learning curve, and we'll make a decision on the Friday evening in Malaysia."

Newey was speaking at the Segrave Trophy Awards lunch held at the Royal Automobile Club in London where he collected the honour for 2010. Commemorating the life of Sir Henry Segrave, the trophy is awarded to a British subject with the 'spirit of adventure' for the most outstanding demonstration of transportation by land, air or water.

Newey received the award for being the only Formula One designer to have designed championship-winning cars with three different teams, Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. With the list of winners reading like a who's who of British greats from Newey's hero in Donald Campbell, to Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Lewis Hamilton, the 52-year-old felt humbled.

"To receive such an illustrious and distinguished trophy like this, it almost sends shivers down my spine when I look at the names who have received it in the past, the history of it," said Newey. "I've tremendously enjoyed my career, and been privileged to work with some great people. I can honestly say I've just about enjoyed every single working day of it. Everything else has been a bonus."

Audi A5 e-tron quattro plug-in hybrid prototype

Audi is going the PSA (Peugeot Citroën) route in developing a hybrid system that doubles as an all-wheel drive conversion kit.

This is the A5 e-tron Quattro plug-in hybrid which matches a 2.0 liter TFSI engine with 211 PS (155 kW / 208 bhp) with two electric motors, one on each axle, that makes this A5 an all-electric capable vehicle.

The electric motor at the front adds another 45 PS (33 kW) to the power going through the front wheels while an 81 PS (60 kW) electric motor at the back powers the rear axle. That rear-mounted motor only kicks in when acceleration requires it to or when sensors detect a loss of rear traction such as in a hard curve. Juice for the electric motors is supplied by a 9.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

With that electrical setup, the A5 e-tron Quattro can travel up to 40 km (25 miles) solely on electric power and is able to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph). Overall, fuel-economy is rated at 2.7 liters/100 km with a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds (0.6 seconds faster than the standard 2.0 liter TFSI A5) and a top speed of 228 km/h (142 mph).

But this is just a prototype and Audi engineers have had to make use of carbon fiber and aluminum parts to counteract the weight gain of all that electrical gear to keep the curb weight around the same 1,600 kg (3,527 lbs) mark of the standard 2.0 TFSI A5 Quattro.

We'll see if this prototype ever makes it to the streets but Peugeot is ready to prove the concept's market-viability by bringing the 3008 HYbrid4 all-wheel drive capable diesel-electric hybrid to market later this year.

Obama boosts Hybrid and EV sales with federal auto fleet, oil strategy

President Barack Obama announced today that the U.S. government will buy only advanced technology vehicles — such as hybrids and electric plug-ins — by 2015.

The government already has doubled the number of hybrids in the 600,000-vehicle federal fleet.
At a speech at Georgetown University, Obama unveiled his strategy to cut U.S. oil imports by a third by 2025, by stepping up domestic oil production and requiring a major increase in fuel economy for the 2017-25 model years.

"Here's the bottom line — there are no quick fixes. And we will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get serious about a long-term policy for secure, affordable energy," Obama told a crowd of several hundred at McDonough Arena. "We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the snooze button when they fall again."

The reduction would be more than the 11 million barrels of oil a day the United States imported in 2008, the White House said today. Obama noted that the U.S. has just 2 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. The U.S. consumes about a quarter of the oil.

In 2010, the government purchased 23,000 more fuel-efficient vehicles for the federal fleet, including almost 9,000 hybrid-electric cars. This year, the government will buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, including its first 100 plug-in electrics.

Last year, the U.S. imported less than half of the oil it used for the first time in more than a decade.

White House aides said the president's plan to reduce imported oil relies on improving efficiency for half of the anticipated reduction, but they said the government hasn't settled on a proposed increase for the 2017-2025 timeframe.