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Lotus City Car Concept Debuts at the Paris Auto Show

March 17, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The 2011 Paris Motor Show was a powerful illustration of auto industry efforts to capture the attention of those interested in low emission vehicles. A number of electric and hybrid concepts were presented including the hybrid Lotus City Car Concept.

The concept is powered by Lotus' electric motor and a 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder Lotus Range Extender engine. The system's total output is 162 kW (220 hp). In electric mode, the 240 Nm of torque are available and, at a weight of 1400 kg, the City Car accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in 4.5 seconds, from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 170 km/h (105 mph). A charge sustaining top speed of 120 km/h, produces only 60 g/km of CO2 emissions.

The car's driving range is 60 kilometers (37 miles), when in EV mode, but when in hybrid mode, the range goes up to 500 kilmeters (311 miles). The gasoline engine is only used to power the electric motor and charge the batteries, and it plays no role in propulsion. The engine is also designed for flex-fuel operation, and is able to run on regular gasoline, ethanol and methanol.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Nissan Esflow Debuts at the Geneva International Auto Show

March 15, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The mass produced all electric Leaf was a great achievement for Nissan. The company is following up with the Esflow concept car, on display at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show in March. The Esflow is an all-electric sports coupe that looks like a smaller version of the Nissan 370Z.

This EV sports car features a lightweight aluminum body and roll cage, twin rear electric motors and lithium-ion batteries slung low for better weight distribution. The Esflow is capable of zero to 60 mph acceleration times of less than 4 seconds.

The batteries should give the car a range of about 150 miles, which is much better than the Leaf's 73 miles of range.

Nissan and its partner, French carmaker Renault, are leading with their promise to put 1.5 million electric cars on the road by 2016. If the Esflow ever goes into production, it could be one of the most attractive, best forming EVs on the market.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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8 Greener Cars at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show

March 13, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) was held in Detroit, the former auto-making capital of the world. Detroit is trying to recapture some of its lost glory by showcasing a number of greener vehicles. The 2011 Detroit auto show ran from January 10 through January 23. In addition to hundreds of thousands of attendees, there were over 5,500 media representatives at the show. Here are some of the green highlights.

Toyota Prius: Toyota has long been a leader in hybrid cars and the company is increasing its offering of greener cars. Toyota has expanded its line of dependable, reasonably priced Prius hybrids including a plug-in version, a larger wagon and a sleek little sports car known as the Prius C concept. The Prius gets approximately 50 MPG.

Lexus CT 200h Hybrid: This car has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with a powerful electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. According to Lexus, this sporty hybrid offers a dynamic driving experience and combined fuel efficiency of 42 MPG+. The car can operate on battery-only power for short periods and speeds up to 28mph.

Chevrolet Volt: The Volt was the 2010 car of the year, it can travel up to 50 miles on a single charge. It also has an efficient internal combustion engine that eliminates range anxiety.

Chevrolet Sonic subcompact: The Sonic will be available as a 2012 model in two different body configurations: a 4-door sedan and a 5-door hatch. It comes with the efficient Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine rated at an estimated 138 horsepower (103 kW). The Sonic is expected to get around 40 MPG on the highway and in the low to mid 30s in the city.

Ford Focus Electric: The all-electric version of the popular Ford Focus has a 100 mile range. The plug-in electric vehicle has higher speed charging, highly customizable displays, and liquid cooled/heated batteries. This five door hatchback will be launched in 19 markets in late 2011.

VW Golf blue-e-motion: The Volkeswagen Golf blue-e-motion promises a range of 93 miles; the car can get from 0 to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds. The car will be available to the public in 2013.

Mercedes A-Class E-CELL: The five-seater with battery-powered electric drive meets all the requirements for a family car. Mercedes claims it is "an outstandingly assured and dynamic performer on the road, taking just 5.5 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 km/h." This car has an impressive 125 mile range from one charge and is available now in limited numbers.

Mercedes SLS AMG E-CELL: This new supercar features four electric motors, and offers an extraordinary 526 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque. It is capable of reaching zero to 62 mph in just four seconds flat. This car employs four regenerative braking options and will be available in 2013.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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March 12, 2011 1 Comment Edit

One of the most interesting green cars showcased at the 2011 North American International Auto Show (N.A.I.A.S) in Detroit was the Toyota Prius C concept. The Prius was first introduced in 1997 and as of 2011 it has become a brand that will include the C concept, a plug in electric hybrid and a larger family car.

Toyota is Planning to Retain its Lead Over its Rivals with a New Fleet of Electric Vehicles

March 10, 2011 1 Comment Edit

Toyota Motor Corp. has been a leader in hybrid cars ever since the first Prius rolled off assembly lines in 1997. Worldwide Toyota has sold more than 3 million hybrid cars, but competition is growing from cars like Nissan's all-electric Leaf, GM's Volt, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, Subaru's Plug-in Stella, and Ford's electric Focus. In total there are 13 different car brands now offering 30 different hybrid models.

Despite all the new entrants in the hybrid market Toyota still sells about half of all hybrid vehicles on the road. According to a Consumer Reports survey, Toyota also holds a big lead as the most environmental car maker.

To help retain that lead, Toyota's President Akio Toyoda unveiled the company's strategy on March 9, 2011. Toyoda reaffirmed the traditional objectives of the company founded by his grandfather to develop safe, reliable cars and clean technologies. Toyoda's objectives also include increased sales in the smaller margin but fast-growing emerging markets.

An important part of Toyota's strategy include the launch of 10 new environmentally friendly hybrids by 2015 including new Prius hybrids like a plug-in version, a larger wagon and a sleek little sports car known as the Prius C concept, all of which were unveiled at the Detroit auto show on March 8, 2011.

By the end of 2012, Toyota plans to introduce six new hybrid models, two of which will be in the Lexus luxury brand, and four as Toyota models.The two new Lexus hybrids will join four Lexus hybrids already on the market. The four Toyota hybrid models are the Sienna, Yaris, Corolla and Rav4. The Rav4 will also be available as an all-electric vehicle, it will be designed and built in partnership with California-based Tesla Motors. The electric version of the Rav4 will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, 2011.

Toyota's new generation of vehicles are intended to retain the company's global leadership in greener cars.

Click here for more information on Toyota's Hybrid Vehicles.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Honda's CR-Z and Second Generation Hybrids

August 07, 2010 Add Comment Edit

Earlier this year Honda launched the CR-Z hybrid car, and in July it won an award for the best green sports car of 2010. The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight are the veterans of the hybrid vehicle market, but the CR-Z is a sleek new coupe specifically geared towards younger drivers.

The affordable CR-Z offers a fuel economy of between 35 and 40 mpg. The new Honda has a 10kW electric motor, a nickel-metal hydride battery and a six-speed manual transmission. What makes this car distinct is the way it handles. Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear make the suspension firm and sporty.

The CR-Z employs Honda's Integrated Motor Assist which uses both gas and electric power all the time. The engine's management system decides when to use the electric motor as a power boost and when to use it as a generator, charging the battery on the overrun and under braking. The car comes with three settings, Econ, Normal and Sport. In Econ mode Honda claims fuel consumption of five litres/100km. The CR-Z's also employs a stop-start system.

The instrumentation includes LED bar-graphs for fuel and battery and a "green-ness" icon. The onboard computer also calculates your "eco-score" at the end of each trip and compares it to your previous trips.

Honda understands that hybrids cannot get by on their green credentials alone. The CR-Z is a well designed, great looking vehicle inside and out. It has a host of features including hill hold, rear parking sensors, shift indicator, stability control and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-pressure distribution and emergency brake assist. There are also six crash bags, pre-tensioned seatbelts and active head restraints.

The CR-Z targets a very specific market sector and it is leading a second wave of more specialized hybrids that are now coming to market. Hybrids are coming of age and this second generation reflects a new level of maturity.
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Volkswagen's Dirty Automotive Brands

August 05, 2010 Add Comment Edit

Volkswagen may be receiving awards for their greener cars, but other automotive brands belonging to the company have large environmental footprints.

Volkswagen owns three of the world's most exotic brands, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley, yet even these gas guzzling car companies are striving to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

The Porsche 918 Spyder, was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. With its three electric motors, Porsche claims that in the "Eco" mode (one of the car's four settings), the Spyder gets an astounding 94.1 mpg and emits just 70g carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometer. However in this mode the battery has a range of only 16 miles.

In "Race" mode, the car's power plant is supplemented by two electric motors giving it an extra 218 horsepower. The electric motors also redirect energy lost in braking back to the wheels. Despite the car's dynamic use of mobile electricity, the 918 is primarily powered by a 500-horsepower V8 internal combustion engine. The car is a marvelous feat of engineering, it can get from 0-62 mph in just 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 198 mph, but at these speeds, it is also devours fossil fuels and emits high levels of emissions.

Although Bentley claims it will cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption 15 per cent by 2012, the Bentley Brooklands emits CO2 at a rate of 465g of CO2 per kilometer. According to the EPA, the company currently makes some of the least fuel efficient cars on the US market. The Bentley Continental GTC, with a 12 cyl, 6 L engine gets only 10 mpg (17 hwy). The Bentley Azure, 8 cyl, 6.8 L and the Bentley Brooklands, 8 cyl, 6.8 L get only 9 mpg (15 hwy). According to the EPA, the only cars with worse fuel economy are manufactured by Volkswagen's other brand Lamborghini.

Despite dropping CO2 emission 20.5 percent in 2010 compared to the previous model, The Lamborghini Murcielago still emits CO2 at a rate of 539g of CO2 per kilometer. The EPA lists Lamborghini as the manufacturer of the least fuel efficient car in the US. The Lamborghini Murcielago, 12 cyl, 6.5 L and the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, 12 cyl, 6.5 L, get only 8 mpg (13 hwy).

Volkswagen is advancing greener car technologies, including cars powered by methane from human waste, but there is nothing green about the vehicles produced by some of the company's other brands. Owning companies that manufacture some of the most environmentally destructive cars on the planet obscures Volkswagen's new brand.
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The Winners of the UK's What Car? Green Awards 2010

August 03, 2010 Add Comment Edit

The What Car? Green Awards is a UK competition held in association with Warranty Direct, results were presented on July 14 2010, at Twickenham Rugby Stadium. Here is a summary of the winners in nine categories from supermini to luxury cars.

Supermini – Fiat 500 1.2 Pop, (58.9 mpg)

Executive Cars – BMW 320 ED, (69 mpg).

MPV - Peugeot 5008 1.6 HDi 110, (39.8mpg).

4×4 / Crossover – Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Visia Pure Drive 2WD, (57.6 mpg).

Sports Car – Honda CR-Z 1.5 i-VTEC Sport, (58.8 mpg).

Luxury Car – Jaguar XJ 3.0D V6 Luxury, (40 mpg).

Used Car – Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 90 Style 5dr ’08/08, (over 60 mpg).

Family Car – Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion, (64.2 MPG and CO2 emissions of 114g/km).

Green Car of the Year – Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion 5dr, (74.3 mpg and emits 99g/km of CO2).
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