Hybrid Jungle

Toyota announced Monday that they are pushing their engineers to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle using lithium-ion batteries before 2010. It appears they are looking to beat GM to the market, which plans to release the Chevy Volt in 2010. Toyota also once again confirmed that is planning to develop a new hybrid car for its Lexus division as well as another hybrid for its Toyota lineup. Both are expected to be unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Read the rest of this entry »

Later this month Toyota will be increasing the price of the Prius by 1.8%, which will change the MSRP to $21,500, an increase of $400. The increase is attributed to a stronger yen, which has gained 7% against the dollar this year, and a rise in materials costs. In addition the Camry, Solara, Avalon, Highlander, RAV4, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Land cruiser will also have an increase in their MSRP. The price of the Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, and Tacoma will not change at this time. Toyota will also be raising the MSRP on most of their Lexus and Scion lineups too. You can read the press release below: Read the rest of this entry »

Honda has reached an agreement with British Airways to supply over 100 new Civic Hybrids to their fleet. To date, this is one of the largest hybrid fleet contracts in the UK. British Airways had asked a short list of carmakers to submit a proposal for their new fleet, taking into consideration emissions throughout the cars life cycle, from the production of the vehicle to disposal. British Airways must have liked what Honda proposed to them. Read the rest of this entry »

General Electric successfully tested a giant hybrid dump truck that would be used for open pit mining operations. GE took the concept of a conventional hybrid vehicle system and applied it on a grand scale.

The battery packs, which are sodium based, would generate 600 hp and would be able to take advantage of regenerative braking much like what you would see in a Prius. When the driver accelerates, the energy captured from the wheel motors during braking is released from the monster battery packs. These trucks operate in very harsh conditions and it will be interesting to see the durability of the hybrid systems in this type of environment. Read the rest of this entry »

While most people prefer quiet cars, this is not the case for people that rely on the sound of the vehicles to get around safely. Hybrid and electric cars can be almost silent at lower speeds and may even be a hazard to the 1.3 million Americans who are legally blind, cyclists, runners, children and pets.

Rep. Cliff Stearns and Rep. Edolphus Towns, are sponsoring legislation that would change the way hybrids sound by utilizing a “noise emitting” device that would activate when the car is running in electric mode. Read the rest of this entry »

Registrations of hybrid vehicles rose to 350,289 in 2007, an increase of 38% according to R.L. Polk & Co., a Southfield-based automotive marketing and research company. The Prius remained the best selling hybrid, accounting for 51% of the hybrid market. Though high gas prices played a role in the increase, the research company claims that the biggest reason for the jump was buyers had a wide variety of different types of hybrids vehicles to choose from. California remains the number one state for hybrid vehicle sales, accounting for 26% of all hybrid vehicle registrations. Read the rest of this entry »

While many people will think of steam engines as a technology from the past, automakers are looking at incorporating steam power technology in their next generation of hybrid vehicles. Honda recently touted their heat harnessing hybrid technology, which can recapture energy by exploiting wasted energy from the exhaust. This innovative approach uses heat from the catalytic converter to boil water into steam which then then turns an electric generator that charges the battery packs. Finally, a condenser cools the steam back into water. This technology was used in a Honda Steam prototype and captured three times as much energy when compared to regenerative braking in a conventional hybrid car. Read the rest of this entry »

Chrysler recently announced that is plans to introduce the Dodge Ram HEMI Hybrid truck in 2010. Chrysler is launching the Dodge Durango Hybrid and Chrylser Aspen Hybrid SUV’s this summer and they expect to use the same technology on the upcoming Ram hybrid. The hybrids will use NiMH batteries and will have large engines that are capable of operating on only four cylinders at speeds up to 70 mph which will help improve fuel economy. Chrysler, like many other auto manufacturers are scrambling to develop hybrid cars into their lineups.

Press Release:
Chrysler’’s Fuel-efficient HEMI(R）Hybrid to Power All-New Dodge Ram
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.– Chrysler LLC added to its list of fuel efficient powertrain offerings for the all-new Dodge Ram 1500 pickup today, announcing that the company’s advanced two-mode hybrid will join the light-duty Dodge Ram powertrain lineup for 2010. Read the rest of this entry »