Electric and Hybrid Archives - Page 22 of 22

Hybrids Rule: 2008's Top Five, Chevy Malibu to Ford Escape (Part 1)

Depending upon one’s perspective, either a lot or not much changed in hybrid cars until 1997. That’s when Toyota debuted the Prius only to car buyers in Japan. A decade later, the automotive industry is fully engrossed in the world of hybrid and other alternatively powered cars. The Prius remains at the forefront of the industry, accounting for about half of 350,000 hybrids sold in the United States in 2007. But while the high-mileage Toyota dominates the market, an ever-expanding array of manufacturers know there’s plenty of room for everyone. Less than three percent of new cars sold in the country last year were hybrids. As such, economy to luxury, sedans to pickup trucks, more than 65 hybrid choices will

Honda Begins Limited U.S. Distribution Of Hydrogen Car, Clarity

The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming. Honda began transporting the first supply of the vehicle June 16 from Takanezawa, Japan to Los Angeles. A few dozen of perhaps 200 of the vehicles expected to be available in coming months have created a buzz among Hollywood celebrities, according to the Associated Press. The news service reported actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris, filmmaker Christopher Guest and Ron Yerxa and businessmen Job Spallino and Jim Salomon are among the Clarity’s first customers. Honda believes its new car is two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car.

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

General Motors Announces Aproval For Electric Chevy Volt For 2010

The funding for production development and tooling, indicates GM believes the technology for the Volt, including its lithium-ion batteries, will be ready for volume production on schedule. “The Chevy Volt is a go,” said CEO Rick Wagoner. “We believe this is the biggest step yet in our industry’s move away from our historic, virtually complete reliance on petroleum to power vehicles.” “We intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt]]> publicly in the very near future, and we remain focused on our target of getting the Volt into Chevrolet showrooms by the end of 2010,” Wagoner said. Preliminary plans are to produce the Volt at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, subject to successful discussions with state and local governments.

Electric and Hybrid

Norway Thinks Global With New U.S.—Based Electric Car, Think City

The car will be named Think City, is a two-seater with a top speed of about 65 mph. It will operate on sodium batteries and is 95 percent recyclable. “It’s a mass-market vehicle,” Ray Lane of venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers to the AP. “Our desire is to be selling 30-40-50,000 of these cars in a couple of years.” Think Chief Executive Jan-Olaf Willums said test vehicles will be brought to the U.S. in coming months. Ford Motor Co. owned Think for five years, leasing vehicles in the U.S. before selling the company in 2004. Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motor Co., have announced plans to make all-electric cars. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for

Electric and Hybrid, News Service, Specialty cars, Sports Cars

Electric Sports Car, Tesla, Makes Los Angeles Debut

According to an Associated Press report, the Tesla can travel 225 miles on one charge and fully recharge in 3 1/2 hours. The car was developed in San Carlos, Calif., with venture capital of more than $40 million. Google Inc. founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were among the initial investors. A distribution for San Carlos as well as in Chicago, New York and other cities by early next year. Although a fully loaded model can cost $124,000, the Tesla’s 6,831-cell lithium-ion battery pack gives off no emissions. The Tesla accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in slightly less than four seconds and it has a top speed of 125 mph. According to the Associated Press: * Tesla officials report

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Honda Civic (Hybrid), 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Like I experienced when I first test drove the Civic hybrid in 2004, the current version in exceedingly quiet. During stops, for example, it seems the vehicle’s engine has stopped. Instead, it’s the engine operating solely on electric power. The hybrid Civic is equipped with a 110-horsepower, 1.3-liter engine with two relatively new features largely known by acronyms, IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) and CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). A five-speed manual transmission was previously available, but now the hybrid is only offered with an automatic transmission. The IMA, as previously mentioned, allows a vehicle to operate solely on electric power in certain situations. The CVT feature replaces conventional gears with a belt-and-pully system that continuously and automatically adjusts to provide a

Electric and Hybrid

Hybrid Sales Continue To Climb In United States

The total sale of all hybrids in U.S last month was the second-highest ever, falling only behind the May 2007 total. The total pushed hybrid to a total sales share of 2.8 percent. Toyota reported 20,635 sales of the Prius in March 2008, an increase of eight percent over March 2007 and the model’s second-best month’s results to date. The Camry Hybrid sold 6,930 units, up 35 percent, and representing 17.1 per cent of all Camry sales. The Highlander Hybrid sold 2,239 units, down 10 per cent from March 2007, and representing 20.7 per cent of all Highlanders sold. The Lexus RX400h sold 1,570 units, up seven percent, and representing 20.3 percent of all RX models sold. The GS450h sold

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

Ratan Tata: Profile Of India’s Tata Motors’ Chairman

Born Dec. 28, 1937, Tata’s dream was to manufacture a car costing 100,000 rupees (the Indian currency) which converts to about $2,500. He realized his dream by launching three models of The Nano at the New Delhi Auto Expo on Jan. 10, 2008. On March 26, 2008, Tata Motors announced it had purchased Jaguar & Land Rover from Ford Motor Company for $2.3 billion. Raised in the famous Tata family of Mumbai, Ratan Tata is the son of Soonoo and Naval Hormusji Tata, a Gujarati-speaking Parsi family. Ratan is the great grandson of Tata group founder Jamsedji Tata. Ratan’s childhood was troubled. His parents separated when he was seven years old and his younger brother Jimmy was five. His mother

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Chevrolet Malibu (Hybrid), 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The promotion began in earnest during the 2007 World Series and it hasn’t waned. Chevrolet wants the Malibu to compete with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and that’s a hefty task. With its hybrid version, new for 2008, the Malibu features GMC‘s “mild hybrid system” rather than its dual mode full hybrid system. The hybrid’s configuration is a 36-volt electric motor coupled with a 2.4 liter Ecotec VVT four-cylinder engine with a four-speed manual transmission. Using an integrated starter-generator, mild hybrid approach the gasoline engine shuts off at stoplights or other stopping situations. With its well-touted exterior redesign, the new Malibu also features a sharp new interior that features chrome outlines on gauges, center vents and the console shifter.

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Chevy Malibu, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Chevrolet wants the Malibu to compete with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and that’s a hefty task. With its hybrid, new for 2008, the Malibu features GMC’s “mild hybrid system” rather than its dual mode full hybrid system. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars And when compared to other hybrid offerings, the Malibu goes in reverse before it finds forward gears. The reason: Early mileage reports for the hybrid are about two percent higher than to 22 to 27 mph for the gas engine Malibu. That’s little to boast about particularly when you’re trying to compete established brands. The hybrid’s configuration is a 36-volt electric motor

Electric and Hybrid, Sport Utility Vehicles

Ford Escape (Hybrid), 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With its hybrid model, the Escape and its close hybrid sibling easily overcome the the SUV stigma — poor gas mileage. The Escape features a “full” hybrid electric system. It works in three different ways — as pure electric power, pure gasoline power or a combination of the two systems. While braking or decelerating, the Escape’s hybrid system relies on regenerative braking. The electric motor operates as a generator and coverts the vehicle’s momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. The system may sound complicated, but it all worked well in my weekly driver, one of four available 2007 Escapes.Like other hybrid vehicles, the Escape has a better city driving mph average than its freeway rating. It’s the

Electric and Hybrid, Sport Utility Vehicles

Ford Escape (Hybrid), 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Combined, it offers 155 horsepower and it’s rated at 33 mpg gallon in city driving and 29 mpg in highway conditions. That’s the best SUV mileage available. For those still new to hybrids, the Escape is another prime example of the advancement of the combined gas-electric presentation . The electric motor helps save gas by powering the vehicle at lower speeds and complementing the gas engine during acceleration. The notion of recharging a hybrid battery is no longer relevant; the system recharges the motor’s batteries when the vehicle is decelerating or coasting. Beyond its combined engine, the 2005 Escape has a larger base engine (28 more horsepower than in ’04) and its interior and exterior styling has been “tweaked” to

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Honda Civic, 2004 (Hybrid): The Weekly Driver Car Review

The first time I came to a stoplight, the car was so quiet I thought the engine had stalled. I tried to restart the car, but the 2004 Honda Civic hybrid’s engine was already on, and I advanced when the light changed in my favor. But the same thing happened at the next spotlight and again at the third red light I reached. It wasn’t like I was driving a “high-tech” vehicle and didn’t know how properly operate it. Rather, it was “only” Honda Civic Hybrid — the first hybrid I’ve had as a weekly test drive. But finally I got it. The “little” Honda Civic hybrid is more technically advanced than I imagined. In fact, the engine “idle stops.”