[jimmydean]

...so you are screwed then I guess

Yes, because nothing made since 1972 is road worthy.

<edit> I hope to be picking up a '65 C10 for a 4BT bio conversion soon. 1/2 ton diesel FTW.

 

[rockofullr]

I bought it for my wife in 2000

Ok, you can still call yourself a man.

 

[jimmydean]

Ok, you can still call yourself a man.

I could have gone all out and gotten a mini van (no, I couldn't have). A buddy of mine bought a Honda Odyssey and tried to pass it off as cool because of all the useless features it had.

 

[Toshi]

Consumer Reports reports their real-world mpg in an official PHEV Prius:

- 14-17 miles on all electric power, eaten up at just over 300 Wh/mile
- 20-30 mile commuters seeing 81-86 mpg
- 78 mile commuter seeing 63.5 mpg
- Regular Prius for comparison logs 48 mpg in their hands

They do the math with expensive 19 cent/kWh electricity in Connecticut and find that the regular Prius is almost as cheap to run and doesn't have the up-front cost. However, they also note that using less gasoline is a selling point in and of itself.

Furthermore, factor in cheaper electricity (Seattle is 4.62 cents/kWh for the first 10 kWh/day, 9.58 cents/kWh thereafter) or more expensive gasoline and there's an economic benefit, too.

It kind of stuns me--well, not really --that the PHEV Prius they're testing is logging essentially equivalent numbers to the Volt with "only" 3.5 kWh of battery instead of the 8 kWh usable on the Volt. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I think the concept of the Volt is great but it looks like Chevy screwed the pooch with this one.

Jalopnik logs 33 mpg in charge-sustaining mode: http://jalopnik.com/5663944/chevrolet-volt-first-drive .

 

[syadasti]

MT data:

Good summary of the Volt from nasioc forum:

OMG!

WTF did you guys think? That GM somehow figured out gas/electric better than Toyota to the tune of 270+mpg? You're surprised that the gas engine kicks in over 70mph to give you an extra boost when passing? You're calculating that it wouldn't be worth it for you to buy the vehicle if you want to go on a long road trip?

Woopdefreakingdoo.

So if the average commute of a person in North America is 16 miles each way, or 32 miles, and they all drove Volts... this is essentially what the Volt was built for. It's a purpose-driven vehicle with a singular purpose - commuting. The leaf does it better, sure, but if you're a one-vehicle family the Volt is a decent commuter+traveler.

I work 260 days of the year and travel less than 11 miles total to/from work. 260 * 11 = 2867 miles traveled, no gasoline used.

I go on a road trip once/twice per year and travel 600 miles. Maybe 17 gallons of gas used if I choose to drive the Volt.

3467 miles traveled, 17 gallons of gas used = 203 mpg.

You do some simple math, you decide if it works for your situation and you either buy the car or you don't. I never understood why people cared about all these journalists making people feel that GM made us swallow the kool-aid - were we really fooled into thinking this was a magic car that defied physics?

 

[IH8Rice]

i still find it funny that that much cheaper and less sophisticated G-Wiz gets 99-125 miles per charge (depending on which car) and testers are seeing around 40miles with a Volt

 

[syadasti]

i still find it funny that that much cheaper and less sophisticated G-Wiz gets 99-125 miles per charge (depending on which car) and testers are seeing around 40miles with a Volt

GM and Toyota built EVs in the 90s that did up to 100-140 miles and solar-powered vehicles from universities have been doing no gas or charging for a long time but its not the same class of vehicle, what's your point? There is no magic car that defy physics as that poster notes.

 

[Toshi]

MT data:

http://i51.tinypic.com/2eqdsu8.jpg

Good summary of the Volt from nasioc forum:

I don't really care what Joe Sixpack or anyone else does, but for me the Volt really seems like a poor solution to that particular "problem" (< 40 mi commute, several road trips per year).

What we plan to do is to have a Leaf for my wife's commuting needs, me on the bicycle +/- public transit or an Empulse if that's infeasible, and keep the Prius around as our "second car" for longer road trips. For those who don't have a spare Prius lying around, or a Zipcar Prius accessible nearby, renting a gasoline car for those two weeks seems like it'd go a long way given the near $10k price differential between a Volt and a Leaf… If one rents a Prius, TDI, Fiesta, an efficiency-mode Kia/Hyundai or a Cobalt XFE then one could readily beat the Volt's charge-sustaining mileage, too.

 

[IH8Rice]

And solar-powered vehicles from universities have been doing no gas for years but its not the same class of vehicle, whats your point? There is no magic car that defy physics as that poster notes.

who said anything about solar vehicles???

they are both electric cars.
the gwiz is a fraction of the size and price as the Volt, but yet has better range on its battery and has far less technology built into it. not very impressive for the Volt.


really guy, you seem to have to have a negative response to anyone that isnt you.

 

[syadasti]

I don't really care what Joe Sixpack or anyone else does, but for me the Volt really seems like a poor solution to that particular "problem" (< 40 mi commute, several road trips per year).

...

If one rents a Prius, TDI, Fiesta, an efficiency-mode Kia/Hyundai or a Cobalt XFE then one could readily beat the Volt's charge-sustaining mileage, too.

That will never happen if you bought it for the reason it was designed so people are making a big deal over nothing...

 

[syadasti]

who said anything about solar vehicles???

they are both electric cars.
the gwiz is a fraction of the size and price as the Volt, but yet has better range on its battery and has far less technology built into it. not very impressive for the Volt.


really guy, you seem to have to have a negative response to anyone that isnt you.

A car and motorcycle are both ICE vehicles. Amazingly a smaller, cheaper, simpler, and lighter motorcycle gets much better mileage, its a miracle, who would have expected it

Really guy, this impresses you?

 

[Toshi]

A car and motorcycle are both ICE vehicles. Amazingly a smaller, cheaper, simpler, and lighter motorcycle gets much better mileage, its a miracle, who would have expected it

Really guy, this impresses you?

Actually, motorcycles are surprisingly bad on gasoline. My 649 cc parallel twin Kawasaki Versys gets around 45-50 mpg in my hands. I get equivalent if not better mileage in our Prius, notwithstanding its 5x higher mass.

 

[IH8Rice]

A car and motorcycle are both ICE vehicles. Amazingly a smaller, cheaper, simpler, and lighter motorcycle gets much better mileage, its a miracle, who would have expected it

a gwiz is a 4wheel car. the Volt is a............4 wheel car.
why do you keep trying to compare these two 4wheeled electric cars to something else?

Actually, motorcycles are surprisingly bad on gasoline. My 649 cc parallel twin Kawasaki Versys gets around 45-50 mpg in my hands. I get equivalent if not better mileage in our Prius, notwithstanding its 5x higher mass.

dont try and prove him wrong. its not worth the effort

edit: actually, it is

 

[syadasti]

Actually, motorcycles are surprisingly bad on gasoline. My 649 cc parallel twin Kawasaki Versys gets around 45-50 mpg in my hands. I get equivalent if not better mileage in our Prius, notwithstanding its 5x higher mass.

An average ICE motorcycle is still better than an average ICE automobile - the are both ICE vehicles...

A keicar vs regular car would be more like the g-wiz vs. full sized electric car. Not to mention the EVs from GM and Toyota in the 90s also beat the old and new G-wiz. The second revision of the EV1 had up to a 140 mile range.

 

[IH8Rice]

Not to mention the EVs from GM and Toyota in the 90s also beat the old and new G-wiz. The second revision of the EV1 had up to a 140 mile range.

your point? that was 10 year+ years ago. their current product gets less mileage than a 10+ year old design.... no so great for the Volt

 

[syadasti]

your point? that was 10 year+ years ago. their current product gets less mileage than a 10+ year old design.... no so great for the Volt

Same thing applies to the Toyota Prius. The RAV4 EV did up to 120 miles.

 

[CBJ]

Also adding motorcycles into the argument is a little off at least for my way of life. I normally have either drive with all 4 of us or with a friends and a car loaded with bikes. Of course living in NYC I and taking the subway to work every day I am not the norm in the US.

To the informed: How good is the new solar cells solution in the roof of the Prius? Seems like a good way to help cool the car and even make a little electricity when cooling is not needed?

I really think one people start driving the Leaf the fear of running out of power will go away as you learn to trust and drive the car. The low cost which is always the main barrier will help greatly too.

In NYC renting actually really sucks as so many do not have cars so when you really need them everything is rented out including zip cars. So you have to plan really well to make it work.

 

[Toshi]

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid getting pretty decent reviews: http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/19/2011-hyundai-sonata-hybrid-second-drive-review/

For all intents and purposes 40 mpg is equivalent to 50, so the choice comes down to driving dynamics, interior utility and design, and price.

More choices:

 

[Toshi]

 

[Toshi]

A black eye for Honda:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-honda-20100815,0,4626507,full.story

Important points:

- Battery failure rate per CARB for Civic Hybrids of 4%, over CARB's internal threshold
- Honda policy to not replace the battery unless completely dead
- Software updates seem to make the already-mild hybrid even meeker, further reducing its marginal mileage gains over a standard hybrid, presumably to reduce battery warranty-replacement claims

Contrast this with Toyota, who (afaik) are still riding high in the saddle with regard to hybrid battery life, and clearly have the technological lead.

More on this: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/10/complaints-concerning-2006-08-honda-civic-hybrids-still-rolling-in-from-owners.html

It's been two months since GreenCarAdvisor reported complaints by owners of 2006 and later Honda Civic Hybrids concerning the batteries that power the cars' Integrated Motor Assist electric drive system and Honda's response to the problem, and still their frustration mounts, as seen in HCH owner posts on the Edmunds.com CarSpace social network.

In more than one instance, the owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid got so fed up with the car and the service they received from Honda dealerships that they felt the need to sell the vehicle. [...]

 

[Toshi]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/20/2011-chevrolet-volt-first-drive-review/

Volt production model driven. My first thought on seeing the above photo was that it has a really high beltline and small windows (note that the bottom of the "windows" is actually black plastic--the windows are smaller than they seem and they seem small enough at first glance!). Stupid GM.

When you're sitting inside it, the Volt feels more cramped than a Prius, as it suffers from some common GM syndromes: a high belt line, wide pillars, thick doors and a relatively low roof. Numbers bear this out, as the Prius bests the Volt in both headroom and legroom. The Volt is by no means as claustrophobia-inducing as a sports car, but you'd never describe it as "roomy."

:facepalm: I like outwards visibility. (Yes, our Prius sucks in terms of rear visibility. Not ideal. Backup camera was essential. Our Fit is much better in this regard.)

On the other hand, I do like how GM has replaced the dashboard with an LCD, shades of Toyota Crown Hybrid.

Here's a whopper of a figure: 3781 lb curb weight. Let that sink in for a bit.

:facepalm,again:

They also confirm the ~32 mpg figure being bandied about, reporting 33 mpg calculated by their hand in charge-sustaining mode&#8230;

I still am glad that GM has brought this to market as it represents a total sea-change in their way of thought from the era of Suburbans for everyone. However, I'm still scratching my head as to why: if one only drives more than, say, 100 miles infrequently then a Leaf plus a gas car (or, better yet, renting/Zipcar-ing a gas car) would seem to be a better idea. If one does drive over 100 mile frequently then a Prius does that job better. I don't think anyone is going to have either a Leaf or a Volt as an only car--why would one buy a single $40k car instead of two $20k cars if money is tight?--and when it's put forward this way I don't see how the compromises inherent in the Volt pay off.

 

[CBJ]

Lets hope it will not be a competition as much as you are thinking about but will help more people drive in cars with good mileage. As much as I see flaws with the Volt I do see the glass being half full

 

[Toshi]

116 miles of range from a Leaf with A/C on, albeit driven more conservatively than most reasonable people would expect (ie, 5 under, 10 under at times): http://www.plugincars.com/nissan-leaf-116-mile-range.html

More interesting to me than the range number is that they used 22.76 kWh from a nominally 24 kWh battery and that their rate of energy consumption was under 200 Wh/mile. What's 200 Wh/mile in context? Well, I and most people use 300 Wh/mile as a typical ballpark estimate for car energy needs, and my old electric bike would hum along with 25-35 Wh/mile depending on how I rode it.

----------------------------

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/2011-nissan-leaf-review-drive-second/

More tidbits:

- No rare earth metals in the car, which means not subject to delays secondary to China's reticence to provide these materials to the rest of the world
- "Lots of recycled materials" used in the car's production: seat material from recycled plastic bottles, for instance
- 99% recyclable by weight in Japan
- 94-95% recyclable by weight in the US, which lags behind Japan in ability to process recyclables
- 0-60 "around 7 seconds"
- Lots of info on the dashboard about energy consumption and range:

 

[Toshi]

 

[Toshi]

Not really "personal transportation" outside of Texas but still probably more important than the choice of personal transportation of all the solo drivers in the US:

EPA prepares to announce first-ever fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks.

Earlier this year, President Obama directed EPA and the Department of Transportation to set the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In a memorandum signed in May, Obama called on the agencies to work on a joint rulemaking with the aim of issuing a final rule by July 30, 2011.

[...]

The regulations would eventually be added to a climate program that already includes standards for cars, light-duty trucks and stationary sources. Obama described large trucks as low-hanging fruit in that effort, citing estimates that tractor-trailers account for half of the sector's greenhouse gas emissions and that the vehicles could boost fuel efficiency by 25 percent with existing technology (Greenwire, May 21).

Patrick Charbonneau, vice president of government relations at truck maker Navistar, said the existing pollution program is a testament to the viability of federal truck regulations. By taking a "systems approach" that included the adoption of low-sulfur fuel, EPA helped truck makers achieve greater reductions than would otherwise be possible, he said.

"The next challenge is right around the corner," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. "That is to retain this incredible environmental progress while attacking the next challenge, and that is to lower greenhouse gases through improved fuel economy."

Update with actual rules:

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/9b3706622f4ac560852577c7005ea140!OpenDocument
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/10/epa-dot-propose-new-fuel-economy-standards-for-heavy-trucks.html

Overall, NHTSA and EPA estimate that the heavy-duty national program would provide $41 billion in net benefits over the lifetime of model year 2014 to 2018 vehicles. With the potential for significant fuel efficiency gains, ranging from seven to 20 percent, drivers and operators could expect to net significant savings over the long-term. For example, it is estimated an operator of a semi truck could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year, and save as much as $74,000 over the truck&#8217;s useful life. Vehicles with lower annual miles would typically experience longer payback periods, up to four or five years, but would still reap cost-savings.

The innovative technologies fostered by this program would also yield economic benefits, enhance energy security, and improve air quality. New technologies include widespread use of aerodynamic improvements and tire rolling resistance, as well as engine and transmission upgrades.

I'm very glad to see the F-250 and its ilk finally under fuel economy regs, as they are clearly driven as every day vehicles by a hell of a lot of people.

 

[Toshi]

Chip Yates Swigz Superbike uses a trick KERS system off the front wheel that returns braking force regenerated to the electric drivetrain. Visible in this photo are the two counter-rotating shafts in front of the fork legs that are mated to one-way clutches at the hub. Hotness.

The front wheel is equipped with special one-way clutches housed in custom CNC machined wheel hubs that allow the front tire to transmit energy back to the electric motor, but do not allow the electric motor to drive the front wheel; our bike is rear-wheel drive only. These clutches have the capability of transmitting more than 500 ft/lbs of braking torque from the front wheel, although we currently software limit the regeneration levels to less than that amount based on a number of factors. The clutches mate to a ring and pinion gear set located on each side of the wheel, on the front axle centerline. The pinion gears turn two counter-rotating and telescoping driveshafts that can be seen running along the outside of the Ohlins front forks.

The driveshafts share the torque load and so can be smaller diameter than if we only used one big shaft. They enter into the lower triple clamp and each has its own sprocket at the top end to drive a chain inside the hollow triple clamp. The two chains coming from either side are positioned one above the other to avoid interference and they drive an inner and outer shaft in the center of the triple clamp that rotate in opposite directions as they head up to the custom steering head in the frame of the bike. Once inside the steering head, one of the shafts turns a lower bevel gear and the shaft rotating the other direction turns an upper bevel gear. Between these counter-rotating bevel gears is an output bevel gear that exits the steering head and turns a KERS driveshaft that runs inside the frame rail of the bike. The counter-rotating driveshafts and bevel gears act to counteract torque steer felt through the handlebars.

The KERS driveshaft runs from the steering head down to a KERS gearbox located inside the frame rail around the area of the rider's knee. The gearbox turns the spinning KERS driveshaft into a rotating drive sprocket, and the sprocket turns a KERS chain that runs down to the UQM electric motor shaft where it can be used to generate electricity for recharging our on-board battery pack. There are a few additional elements to this system that we can't elaborate on for confidentiality reasons but this gives a pretty clear picture how things work.

Our proprietary and patent-pending KERS control software has features that smooth out the front wheel braking, limit braking based on factors such as lean angle for safety and also based on battery pack voltage to guard against overvoltaging the pack. Our MoTeC ECU processes over 150 channels of streaming data from our UQM motor, motor controller and chassis sensors over our two on-board CAN networks running at 1Gbps and many of these channels are used to optimize the KERS system.

Our system can be coupled to the hydraulic front brake for seamless control and activation, but for our testing and first races, we have decided to split the front braking controls into a left handlebar KERS brake lever, and a right handlebar hydraulic friction brake lever to give me more control over how I trail brake into corners.

With this system on our bike at a representative track such as Laguna Seca, we can use the same size battery pack as our electric competitors, but make about twice the horsepower over the course of an entire 12-lap race. Our analysis indicates a lap-time approximately 10 seconds per lap faster than the fastest electric racebikes have recently accomplished at Laguna Seca making it a worthwhile development.

 

[IH8Rice]

Autoblog.it says that the Prius MPV will be powered by the same 1.8-liter hybrid engine used in the five-door hatch, though output has reportedly been bumped up to 138 horsepower.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/26/toyota-prius-mpv-leaked-ahead-of-detroit-debut/

 

[syadasti]

News of something that easily surpasses old GM and Toyota EVs - new world record:

DBM Energy's electric Audi A2 completes record setting 372 mile drive on a single charge
By Thomas Ricker posted Oct 27th 2010 3:15AM

116 miles in an electric vehicle? No problem. But you'll quite literally be pushing your new Nissan Leaf another 250 miles to achieve what's being hailed as a world record in Germany. Little Lekker Mobil, a four-seat Audi A2 refitted with an experimental electric powerplant as part of a government sponsored project with Germany's lekker Energie and DBM Energy, just completed a 372-mile (600-km) stretch of road between Munich and Berlin on a single charge, a journey that lasted around seven hours. Even with the heater running, the modified A2 with fully usable trunk arrived with spare electricity in the "tank." The battery uses DBM Energy's KOLIBRI AlphaPolymer Technology said to be 97 percent efficient and chargeable from virtually any socket -- plug it into a high voltage DC source and it can be fully charged in just six minutes according to the car's driver and battery inventor, Mirko Hannemann. While Hannemann wouldn't be pinned down on pricing for the battery, the 27 year old did say that it would be more powerful and cheaper than conventional lithium ion batteries. He even went so far as to suggest that his company was ready to begin mass production of the batteries now -- presumably aided by the large sacks of money he'll be handed after pulling off the record breaking stunt.

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2010/10/26/German-electric-car-sets-world-record/UPI-84921288102816/

 

[IH8Rice]

build your overpriced,er, awesome Chevy Volt online...with only two options

It's hard to believe that the time to purchase a Chevrolet Volt is finally almost here, and the latest evidence of this fact comes in the form of Chevrolet's official online vehicle configurator. Taking a quick look at the "build and price" options reveals few options for the seven markets eligible to purchase a 2011 Volt. That's probably a good thing since a new Volt starts at $41,000, (or $32,780 after U.S. government tax breaks).

If you want to spec out more than a base Volt, you can choose from one of three uplevel paint jobs, $695 for a rear camera with Park Assist (an option we very much recommend after experiencing the Volt's compromised rear visibility), $595 for polished aluminum wheels or $1,395 for a Premium Trim package with heated leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. All optioned out, the Volt jumps to $44,680. If that price tag feels like a bit of a tall order, keep in mind that the Volt can be leased for $350 a month for 36 months with $2,500 due at signing, an option that we suspect will be very popular.

http://www.chevrolet.com/tools/byo/byoCustomizeVehicle.do?year=2011&brand=volt&evar10=byo_path_buildbytrim&pvc=500

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/26/chevy-volt-configurator-powers-up/

 

[syadasti]

EV rescue safety addressed:

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

116 miles of range from a Leaf with A/C on, albeit driven more conservatively than most reasonable people would expect (ie, 5 under, 10 under at times): http://www.plugincars.com/nissan-leaf-116-mile-range.html

More interesting to me than the range number is that they used 22.76 kWh from a nominally 24 kWh battery and that their rate of energy consumption was under 200 Wh/mile. What's 200 Wh/mile in context? Well, I and most people use 300 Wh/mile as a typical ballpark estimate for car energy needs, and my old electric bike would hum along with 25-35 Wh/mile depending on how I rode it.

22.76kwh out of 24kwh is a very deep discharge.
how does long term life expectancy works out for such a deep discharge? most batteries usually suffer some degree of permanent damage, premature wear when discharged under 20%...

has this been addressed by nissan? is that battery meant for such discharge rates? is it a one time thing for marketing purposes?

 

[Toshi]

Nissan said in that article that they designed around 95% depth of discharge. Only time will tell how the reliability is.

 

[Toshi]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/2011-nissan-leaf-review-drive-second/

More tidbits:

- No rare earth metals in the car, which means not subject to delays secondary to China's reticence to provide these materials to the rest of the world
- "Lots of recycled materials" used in the car's production: seat material from recycled plastic bottles, for instance
- 99% recyclable by weight in Japan
- 94-95% recyclable by weight in the US, which lags behind Japan in ability to process recyclables
- 0-60 "around 7 seconds"
- Lots of info on the dashboard about energy consumption and range:

Yet another PR release from Nissan disguised as an article: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/hybrid-electric/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-nissan-leaf?src=rss

#10: It's Made From Recycled Water Bottles
In fact, 60 percent of the plastic on the Leaf's interior is already recycled material—much of it comes from used water bottles—and at the end of the Leaf's lifespan, 99 percent of the 3375-pound vehicle weight is recyclable and can be transformed back into water bottles or other Leafs.

#6: The Leaf Can Text You
The Leaf can communicate with the owner's cell phone using an e-mail-based system that manages the charging system. It will notify you when the batteries are charged, at which point you can control the air-conditioning system so the cabin reaches a specified temperature before you get in the car. It will also notify you by text message if charging is interrupted, which alleviates the need to physically baby-sit the charging station or stare at an extension cord for hours on end.

#1: The Bottom Bottom Line? $19,280
Starting at $25,280 (after a $7,500 federal rebate), the Leaf costs less than the average new car sold in America. In addition, some states offer extra incentives. For instance, California offers a $5,000 clean-vehicle rebate, and Colorado residents are eligible to receive an additional $6,000 tax credit, which brings the price tag down to $19,280.

 

[syadasti]

Rumored Saab Diesel Hybrid to Compete with Peugeot - up to 40 percent less fuel consumption

A reporter from Sweden's Automobil was returning a Saab 9-5 to the factory in Trollhättan when he stopped at a gas station to fill the tank. And what did he spy with his little eye? A 9-3 Sedan also pulling up to the pumps, with a trunk full of batteries. When the car started up, the reporter realized that said 9-3 was also powered by a diesel engine. This has all led to speculation that Saab has picked up its previous work on a diesel hybrid powertrain.

Three years ago, in November 2007, some scribes visiting the same factory got an engineer to admit that General Motors and Saab were working on a diesel hybrid. The engineer said that "We will get everything to work together. With the next generation of hybrid we can lower the fuel consumption up to 40 percent. This is possible with the use of more electricity." Peugeot has a diesel hybrid coming in early 2011. It will be interesting to see if Saab could get in front of that wave and reap the benefits instead of playing catch up.

 

[Toshi]

Official Leaf specs

- 0-100 km/hr in 11.9 seconds, so expect 0-60 mph in 11.5, perhaps. That's faster than my 1996 Pathfinder and slower than my Prius, for comparison.
- Curb weight: 3,366 lbs. Compare to the Chevy Volt's 3781 lb figure.
- Redline of 10,390 rpm! (which coincides with the max speed of 89 mph)
- Constant 107 hp available from its AC motor over 2,730 rpm to 9,800 rpm (23 to 84 mph by my calculations)
- US LA4 test cycle range of 100 mi/160 km
- 345 volt, 24 kWh Li-ion battery made up of 192 individual prismatic cells
- 440 kg/970 lb payload, sufficient for four Americans and their poodle
- 0.29 Cd, kind of surprising given the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid's 0.25, the 2010 Prius's 0.25, and the 2004-2009 Prius's 0.26

 

[IH8Rice]

another sick hybrid supercar getting the green light. also interesting to see if the LiPo goes into production

Little surprise, then, that BMW was interested in building this for the people &#8211; well, people who can afford the $200,000, give or take, the car will likely cost when it come to market in a few years. Since the VED contained a fair bit of "completely or virtually production-ready components," BMW is confidently giving out media test drives at the Leipzig trade fair center of a road-ready technology showcase vehicle based on the VED.

Final production numbers won't be known for a while, but the prototype features wing doors and a 2+2 seating arrangement. Underhood, a three-cylinder turbo diesel engine "with a hybrid synchronous motor at the front axle and a full-hybrid engine at the rear axle" put out a total of 241 kW/328 bhp and hits 0-100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in just 4.8 seconds. The sleek car can do this while burning just 3.76 litters of fuel per 100 kilometers (a Toyota Prius-beating 62.5 miles per gallon U.S.) and emitting 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The production VED will also be a plug-in, with the ability to go 50 km (31 miles) on lithium-polymer battery power.

 

[Toshi]

Piaggio NT3 concept city car

Destined for developing countries--might the USA qualify in a few years? 200 and 300 cc gasoline engines straight from the scooter parts bin, hybrid option on the 300 cc version, gas mileage north of 70 mpg.

The 300 hybrid engine version integrates – as with the new Piaggio Mp3 300 Hybrid – the traditional low environmental impact internal-combustion powertrain with the zero emissions electric powertrain with performance equal to the 300cc internal combustion (80 km/hour max speed) and a speed of 30 km/hour in the ZEV "electric only" mode. The on board electronics decide, depending on the operational mode selected and the conditions of use, how much power to provide through the internal combustion engine and how much through the electric engine in order to optimise performance and consumption. The hybrid version represents the solution of excellence to satisfy the growing needs for urban mobility and metropolitan products with high environmental compatibility.

 

[Toshi]

40some odd pages of light reading on the Volt

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sae/10EVSD1104/index.php?lre=1:3131394433443637344442344144344633373441453033413937384646463337#/0

 

[Toshi]

FHI covets a PHEV. In other words, although the Toyobaru is still MIA we may see a Hybrid Synergy Drive-based Subaru around 2012?

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. is getting ready to launch a plug-in hybrid car by the middle of the next decade, company sources said Sunday.

Fuji Heavy, makers of the Subaru brand, also wants to team up with none other than hybrid-car pioneer Toyota Motor Corp., its top shareholder, in developing the model, which can be recharged using a household power outlet, the sources said.

The move is expected to further deepen cooperation between Fuji Heavy and Toyota in the field of environmentally safe vehicles. Fuji Heavy has announced it will launch an ordinary gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle in 2012 based on Toyota technology.

 

[syadasti]

Nobody posted the Audi Q5 Hybrid preview? Edmunds must be off because $41500 seems too cheap for a hybrid version:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/09/videos-first-look-at-audi-q5-hybrid-ahead-of-la-debut/