Category: Hybrid

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500hp Plug-In Hybrid BMW Supra / Z7 due 2019

Following reports in November about Toyota testing a BMW i8 at their Mt. Fuji proving grounds as a pre-lude to a joint venture sports car, a report now claims BMW and Toyota are already developing a second sports car which, like the i8, is a mid-engine model that will battle the Porsche 911.

According to Car Magazine, the model is codenamed "Silk Road 2" and will spawn a BMW Z7 and Supra. The cars will reportedly be developed by BMW in Munich and is expected to be launched in late 2018 or early 2019.

While development is reportedly at an early stage, the magazine says the car will be a plug-in hybrid featuring a twin-turbo 3.0-liter six cylinder engine, a 150 bhp (111 kW) electric motor, a small battery pack between the seats (again like an i8) and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. This setup will reportedly enable them to have a combined output of 400-500 bhp (298-372 kW).

If everything pans out, the cars will weigh less than 1650 kg (3637 lbs) and cost approximately €90,000 ($122,010 / £72,720).

Source: Car Magazine

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Volkswagen delivers first XL1

First vehicle goes to Berlin

Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars

Volkswagen has delivered yesterday at the Transparent Factory in Dresden the first XL1 to a customer. Together with his family accepted Dr. Christian Malorny from Berlin's innovative diesel plug-in hybrid.

The first XL1 was delivered in the exterior color Oryxweiß pearl effect with titan black and pearl gray interior. "The XL1 has inspired me from the beginning and I am very pleased to now be driving my own. With its visionary design and high-tech appearance, Volkswagen has dared something new and innovative, "Malorny told Presented was the spectacular two-seater by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany, Volkswagen Passenger Cars." The XL1 is the most efficient production car in the world and the Technology Lighthouse of the Volkswagen brand. He embodies the now technically feasible in a unique shape. "

With an average fuel consumption of 0.9 l / 100 km, the XL1 is the most economical series-production car in the world. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, the two-seater can be driven purely electrically, and thus free of local emissions over a distance of up to 50 kilometers. From design layout to follow the XL1 as automotive protagonist of the pure sports car theory: minimum weight of CFRP monocoque and outer skin (795 kg), perfect aerodynamics (Cd 0.189) and extremely low center of gravity (1.153 mm height). Therefore, the efficient Volkswagen range 6.2 kW / 8.4 hp to slide at a constant speed of 100 km / h above the plane. In electric mode, the Volkswagen content with less than 0.1 kWh for more than a kilometer route.

1 XL1: Fuel consumption in l/100 km: 0.9 (combined); Electricity consumption in kWh per 100 km: 7.2 (combined) CO2 emissions in g / km: 21 (combined), Efficiency: A +

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Toyota Prius now 2nd Best Selling EV in US

Hot on the heals of news earlier this week that Nissan's Leaf has set a new monthly sales record of 3,117 sales in May, comes official sales figures from Toyota showing the Plug-In Toyota Prius is now the 2nd best selling EV in the US.

Toyota sold 1,741 Prius PHV in May, up 180% on the same month last year. That knocks the Chevy Volt back to 3rd place with 1,684 sales for May.

The number of Plug-in Prius sales are all the more remarkable considering it is available in only 15 states.

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Nissan Leaf sets a new record, almost double GM Volt sales in May

May was the best-ever month for Nissan LEAF in the US with 3,117 sales confirming it's position as best selling plug-in car by a significant margin over the second placed Chevy Volt with 1,684 sold in the same month.

While Chevy Volt sales showed a year-on-year increase from May 2013 of about 5%, Nissan Leaf sales increased 45.8% over the same period last year.

In May, LEAF also passed 50,000 total U.S. sales since launch, further establishing it as the leader among electric vehicles.

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Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Evolution Vision Gran Turismo [VIDEO]

Mitsubishi Motors, a company with a spectacular history in races like the Dakar Rally and World Rally Championships (WRC), has developed a special concept model for Vision Gran Turismo: This is the "Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Evolution Vision Gran Turismo".

In the development of this special concept model, Mitsubishi Motors introduced their design team, Advanced Vehicle Research and Development Group, and Aerodynamic Engineering Development Group into this project in the same process they would normally follow to plan and develop real motorsports vehicles.

The styling of the car follows the basic concepts of the "MITSUBISHI Concept XR-PHEV" shown at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, while pouring in know-how gained from years of motorsports experience into its every detail. The result was the evolution of the concept into a stoic racing machine.

The "Athlete Form" design concept was advanced further, emphasizing the driving features aggressively. The iconic front grill is a study of next generation Mitsubishi automobiles, and the shape that forms a wedge starting from the triple diamond mark is designed in the image of an athlete at crouching position on a starting line, evoking an intense image of tension and potential.

Utilizing advanced development technology from the Plug-in Hybrid EV System, the spontaneous power of the motor and powerful torque of the engine is transmitted through an 8 speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) to drive the 4 wheels. It's overwhelming drive performance is controlled precisely with the S-AWC vehicle dynamics control system that distributes the drive force optimally to the 4 wheels, producing a handling characteristic that moves the car exactly as the driver desires.

In addition, the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) body reduces weight and greatly contributes to its agility, and the downforce produced by the aerodynamic form of the front and rear diffusers produces excellent cornering performance. The large diameter 20 inch aluminum wheels gives an impression of a tough suspension system, and the powerful appearance of the front and rear fenders is in the image of toned muscles of a powerful athlete.

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BMW i9 planned for 2016?

Auto Motor und Sport and other German outlets are reporting on BMW’s plans to build an i9 model. Built atop the already sold out i8, the BMW i9 is rumored to be a four-door sportscar.

Little else is known about the i9 but it would presumably feature carbon fiber construction and i8's plug-in hybrid powertrain that consists of a 1.5-liter Turbo three-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery which as a combined maximum output of 362 PS (266 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque.

BMW has trademarked an entire range of i vehicle, from i1 to i9, with at least one of them, the BMW i5, planned for production in the near future.

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Nissan launches GT-R LMP1 WEC and Le Mans programme for 2015

Nissan will take on Audi, Toyota and Porsche in the World Endurance Championship from the start of next season.

Nissan has confirmed that it will mount a two-car attack on the full WEC with a car to be known as the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO.

Nissan vice-president Andy Palmer explained that his company wanted to exploit the new energy-based P1 rules introduced for this season by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans and the FIA.

"We applaud the ACO and FIA for the work they have done to get the rules right," he said.

"LMP1 is not just an arms race - all our rivals in the class have taken different technical approaches and we will be doing the same."

He explained that Nissan wanted "to win in a very different way to that of our rivals".

"We won't be turning up in a vehicle that is a basically another hybrid that looks like another Porsche, Audi or Toyota — they all look the same to me. Our intention is to do something that is a little bit different."

Nissan, which made its announcement in London on Friday afternoon, has yet to disclose technical details of the car or where it will be built.

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Volvo to Develop Electric Roads for Dynamic Wireless EV Charging

The Volvo Group is now taking the next step in the development of sustainable transport solutions. In collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration, the Volvo Group will study the potential for building electric roads, where city buses can be charged from electricity in the road at the same time as the bus is in operation. The benefit is quieter and more climate-smart public transport. A 300- to 500-meter electric road may be built for test operations in central Gothenburg during 2015.

“Vehicles capable of being charged directly from the road during operation could become the next pioneering step in the development towards reduced environmental impact, and this is fully in line with our vision of becoming the world leader in sustainable transport solutions. Close cooperation between society and industry is needed for such a development to be possible and we look forward to investigating the possibilities together with the City of Gothenburg,” says Niklas Gustavsson, Executive Vice President, Corporate Sustainability & Public Affairs of the Volvo Group.

With the use of an electric road, vehicle batteries would continuously be charged wirelessly during operation by transferring energy from the electricity grid to a vehicle, instead of charging the bus while it is standing still at charging stations. The technology being studied is called inductive charging, whereby the energy is transferred wirelessly to the underside of the vehicle by equipment built into the road.

The Volvo Group will develop a detailed proposal within the framework of innovation procurement from the Swedish Transport Administration. The proposal entails building a road section equipped with wireless charge technology and developing vehicles that will automatically charge their batteries when passing such a road section. The road will be built along a suitable bus line in central Gothenburg and be tested for public transport. Experiences from such a test track will provide valuable knowledge for future political and industrial decisions for establishing electric roads.

For several years, the Volvo Group has been offering hybrid buses with a traditional diesel engine that is supplemented by an electrical engine to reduce CO2 emissions. Three Volvo plug-in-hybrid buses are already in operation in Gothenburg (project Hyper Bus*), which charge their batteries at the end stations of line 60. The next stage of development is for these types of buses to be able to charge their batteries while in operation, thus increasing the distance the buses can run on pure electricity. And this is exactly what will be studied now. In 2015, a new bus line, ElectriCity, will become operational between Chalmers and Lindholmen in Gothenburg. This line will also provide additional knowledge of charging technology and electric power for heavy vehicles.

“We are working on both a broad and a deep basis to develop the technology of tomorrow. Electric roads are another important part of the puzzle in our aim of achieving transport solutions that will minimize the impact on the environment,” says Niklas Gustavsson.

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Toyota Improve hybrid fuel efficiency by 10% with SiC Inverter

Toyota in collaboration with Denso has developed a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor for use in automotive power control units. Toyota will begin test driving vehicles fitted with the new PCUs on public roads in Japan within a year.

Through use of SiC power semiconductors, Toyota aims to improve hybrid vehicle fuel efficiency by 10 percent under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's JC08 test cycle and reduce PCU size by 80 percent compared to current PCUs with silicon-only power semiconductors. SiC power semiconductors have low power loss when switching on and off, allowing for efficient current flow even at higher frequencies. This enables the coil and capacitor, which account for approximately 40 percent of the size of the PCU, to be reduced in size.

PCUs play an important role in hybrids and other vehicles with an electrified powertrain: they supply electrical power from the battery to the motor to control vehicle speed, and also send electricity generated during deceleration to the battery for storage. However, PCUs account for approximately 25 percent of the total electrical power loss in HVs, with an estimated 20 percent of the total loss associated with the power semiconductors alone. Therefore, a key way to improve fuel efficiency is to improve power semiconductor efficiency, specifically by reducing resistance experienced by the passing current. Since launching the “Prius” gasoline-electric HV in 1997, Toyota has been working on in-house development of power semiconductors and on improving HV fuel efficiency.

As SiC enables higher efficiency than silicon alone, Toyota CRDL and Denso began basic research in the 1980s, with Toyota participating from 2007 to jointly develop SiC semiconductors for practical use. Toyota has installed the jointly developed SiC power semiconductors in PCUs for prototype HVs, and test driving on test courses has confirmed a fuel efficiency increase exceeding 5 percent under the JC08 test cycle.

In December last year, Toyota established a clean room for dedicated development of SiC semiconductors at its Hirose Plant, which is a facility for research, development and production of devices such as electronic controllers and semiconductors.

In addition to improved engine and aerodynamic performance, Toyota is positioning high efficiency power semiconductors as a key technology for improving fuel efficiency for HVs and other vehicles with electrified powertrains. Going forward, Toyota will continue to boost development activities aimed at early implementation of SiC power semiconductors.

Toyota will exhibit the technology at the 2014 Automotive Engineering Exposition, to be held from May 21 to May 23 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center in Yokohama.

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NISMO ZEOD RC’s Electrical System Explained [VIDEO]

Jason from Engineering Explained has a look at the ZEOD RC's Electrical Systems and Zero Emissions on Demand motors that are capable of making the car go at 300km per hour!

While the video does show a close-up of the enclosure for the 400 volt 12 kWh battery, the only other details provided are that the twin BLDC motors are rated at 120 kw each.

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BMW i8 Gran Coupé to rival Tesla Model S

BMW's i3 is already on the market and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is poised for its own launch but what of a rival for the Tesla Model S?

We recently reported on BMW considering a large battery powered sedan to compete head on with Tesla's Model S. The guys at Auto Projecoes envisage a "family" i8, with four doors and longer wheelbase as a fitting Model S rival.

Source: Auto Projeções

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2015 BMW i8 by the numbers [VIDEO]

Jason Cammisa of Road & Track brings us the first real world performance numbers of the new BMW i8. One interesting figure that stands out is the 0 to 60 mph which was recorded at 3.8 seconds. You can also read our BMW i8 test drive here.

BMW i8 uses a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system.

In the rear of the BMW i8, the B38 three-cylinder engine makes 231 hp and delivers its power solely to the rear wheels. At the front, an electric motor is installed, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery in the middle of the vehicle. The system performance drives up to 362 horsepower.

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Porsche to Develop Plug-in hybrid Cayenne Coupé

Porsche are planning to expand their Cayenne SUV line-up with a uniquely styled coupé model. Design proposals for the new five-door liftback are described as already being at an advanced phase.

The Cayenne coupé will be positioned as a more sporting alternative to the regular Cayenne with a possible resemblanece to BMW's X6 coupe. It will receive a range of petrol and diesel engines, together with plug-in petrol-electric and diesel-electric hybrid powertrains.

It is one of up to seven new SUVs set to be developed on a new version of the VW Group’s MLB platform currently being engineered by Audi.

Source: Autocar

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BMW i8 First Drive – CHRIS HARRIS [VIDEO]

Chris Harris takes a trip to Los Angeles to drive the new BMW i8.

Capable of 23 miles all electric before the 3-cylinder turbocharged motor kicks in to recharge the batteries. Harris things the i8 is one of the closest production cars ever seen that looks almost identical to the concept car it's based on.

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Ferrari LaFerrari 950 hp Hybrid Supercar Test Drive [VIDEO]

The LaFerrari is powered by a 950bhp petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain. It can accelerate from 0-62mph in less than 3sec, from 0-124mph in less than 7sec and from 0-186mph in less than 15sec. Top speed is 220 mph and production is limited to just 499 models.

The battery compartment is integrated into the chassis (the batteries and engine are mid-mounted) to improve stiffness, while the electric drive itself consists of two motors, one with 161bhp to power the rear wheels and another for the ancillaries. The batteries weigh 60kg and can be charged either under braking or via any excess torque produced by the engine, which is diverted from the rear wheels.

This is all attached to a 6,262cc V12 with a screaming 9,250rpm rev limit, driving through a seven-speed paddle-shift gearbox. On its own this engine produces 789bhp and 516lb ft of torque. Combined with the electric motor this swells to the 950bhp headline figure, as well as 664lb ft of torque.

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BMW i8 testing on the Nürburgring [VIDEO]

In more news on the soon to be launched BMW i8, we've found a short video of the car testing at the Nürburgring. Also, while in Munich recently on business, I personally spotted an i8 test mule in morning peak hour traffic with a young lady at the wheel (I didn't take the pictures as I was driving the rental)

BMW plans to sell the i8 in about 50 countries, with the U.S. expected to be the largest sales market. In Europe, Germany, France and the UK are expected to be the top markets. Deliveries to retail customers in Europe are scheduled to begin in June 2014, and about one month later in the U.S.

Pricing for the 2015 BMW i8 destined for the U.S. market starts at US$135,925. BMW are currently taking orders for the i8 in Japan. Pricing starts at ¥19,170,000 (US$191,500)

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BMW i8 test drive in China [VIDEO]

According to Bloomberg's Stephen Engle, the ultra high-end electric and hybrid car space is suddenly getting a bit more crowded in China.

Tesla had the first deliveries of the Model S to Chinese customers this week, while BMW will roll out its hybrid i8 super sports car for the China market by the end of the year.

Engle got behind the wheel of BMW's new offering in Beijing.

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Airbus Developing Hybrid Electric Jet Aircraft

Airbus is learning from automakers as it works on developing a small aircraft powered by hybrid electric engines that could represent its first move into the market for regional jets.

The development of a regional plane, seating between 70 and 90 people, that can take off and land using electric power could take between 15 and 20 years, Airbus Group Chief Technology Officer Jean Botti told reporters in Munich.

Airbus, which with Boeing dominates the market for passenger jets, presently makes planes that seat more than 150 people.

Airbus is already working on an all-electric two-seater plane, powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 60 kilowatts, hoping this technology will serve as a step to bringing electric motors on to larger aircraft.

The two-seater, which Airbus says is suited for short missions such as pilot training and aerobatics, can run on its lithium-ion polymer batteries for half an hour, with the aim to get it up to an hour.

The batteries are tricky, Botti said. "They're causing us a lot of headaches."