Autoblog

Tokyo 2009 Preview: Suzuki Swift hybrid plug-in concept

Xavier Navarro — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:28:00 EST

_{2010 Suzuki Swift hybrid plug-in concept - Click for high-res image gallery}

The Suzuki Swift is a competent subcompact that the Japanese marque sells both in Japan and Europe. In the latter, the little hatchback is available with a solid 1.3-liter diesel dubbed DDIS. To make things even cleaner, Suzuki has announced that it will introduce a plug-in series hybrid version of the Swift at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, and the powertrain reminds us of nothing less than a smaller Chevrolet Volt.

The model, which is just a concept at this point, uses a 660 cc engine, probably sourced from a kei car. The engine charges the lithium-ion batteries, which are placed between the front seats - we suspect they extend into the middle of the rear seat as well. The batteries power a 54 kW motor that moves the front wheels.

We'll learn more when we get to Tokyo, but for now, check out our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Suzuki Swift plug-in hybrid

[Source: Suzuki]

Tokyo 2009 Preview: Suzuki Swift hybrid plug-in concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac most likely for second Volt

Chris Shunk — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac

Click above for gallery of production pics of Chevy Volt

When the Chevy Volt goes on sale in late 2010, it may be joined shortly thereafter by other GM-branded series hybrids using the eFlex architecture. But after the General's bread-and-butter bow-tie division, which brands make the most sense to get their own Volt? We've already seen a Cadillac with underlying eFlex technology, and GM's luxury arm could charge higher prices to offset the cost of the expensive powertrain. After Cadillac, Saturn might be a good bet considering we've already seen an eFlex-based Saturn-branded FlexStream concept.

Susan Docherty, GM's North American vice president of Buick, Pontiac and GMC, thinks GM's driving excitement team is a natural fit for a Volt-like hybrid. Her reason is that the Pontiac brand can attract a younger crowd that readily accepts new technology and cutting-edge design. We're not so sure. If Pontiac is supposed to build excitement, how does that jive with a heavy battery pack in a car that's engineered to save fuel rather than go fast? Then again, nothing says instant torque quite like an electric vehicle. Dealers who bought into building combined Buick, Pontiac and GMC stores will want at least one vehicle in their showrooms based on the eFlex architecture, though, and Pontiac makes more sense than Buick or GMC.

Gallery: Production Chevy Volt

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Pontiac most likely for second Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota defends its defense of parallel hybrids

John Neff — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM, Toyota

Earlier this month, Toyota Executive Veep Kazuo Okamoto made news when he defended his company's pursuit of further developing its parallel hybrid system called the Hybrid Synergy Drive. He was specifically calling out GM's development of the first mass market series hybrid, the Chevy Volt. On Toyota's own Open Road Blog, Irv Miller, Group Vice President of Corporate Communications, came to the defense of his boss soon after. It was an editorial we missed at the time, but reading it this morning was an eye opener.

Miller makes a case for Toyota's support of parallel hybrids by saying that at this point the Volt is vaporware, while you can buy a Prius today. He notes that Volt engineers are only able to get about 10 miles of pure electric range from current lithium-ion batteries, far short of the 40 miles promised by GM. He also goes after the set up of a series hybrid, saying, "So - and we love this part - a series hybrid hauls around a gas engine that isn't available to directly propel the car."

There are no doubt engineers in this audience who will read Toyota's response and rip it to shreds, much like commenters have already done on the original post. We'll merely respond to two points, since we're not engineers. Toyota calling a series hybrid vaporware because there isn't one on the market today is bunk. We assume the Hybrid Synergy Drive was at one time in development, too. While there's certainly a chance the Volt may never happen (10% according to Bob Lutz), the fact that GM is already using the Volt in advertising and has been completely transparent with the car's development tells us that it will do whatever it takes to bring this car to market.

Continue reading Toyota defends its defense of parallel hybrids

Toyota defends its defense of parallel hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bricklin shooting for the Automotive X-Prize: Will it have gull-wings?

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Green

Click to enlarge the 1/4 scale model of the EXV-LS

Depending on whether you bought a Subaru or a Yugo, Malcolm Bricklin is either the phoenix who keeps rising from the ashes or the roach you just can't seem to stamp out. Either way, he's back and this time his Visionary Vehicles has shifted from an abortive attempt to import Chery cars from China to a developer of high mileage series hybrids. Bricklin plans to have a full line of 100+ mpg vehicles with an initial on-sale date in 2010.

To get things kicked off, the first model will be entered in the Automotive X-Prize competition. For those who haven't been paying attention, the Auto X-Prize will offer a multi-million dollar purse to a team that can build a production viable and affordable car that seats at least four and can exceed 100 mpg (gasoline equivalent). The key there is viability and affordability. No single seater science projects here. Competitors have to demonstrate a business plan in addition to an actual working car. Bricklin plans to start off with an S-Class sized luxury sedan propelled by a series hybrid drivetrain including a lithium battery. Electric range is targeted at 40-50 miles and price at $35,000. Good luck.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

Bricklin shooting for the Automotive X-Prize: Will it have gull-wings? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankfurt Preview: Volvo unveils ReCharge PHEV concept

Alex Nunez — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Budget, Hybrid, Green, Hatchback, Volvo

Click image for gallery

Maybe they should've called it the "Volt-vo." In Frankfurt, Volvo will pull the wraps off the ReCharge concept, a C30-based plug-in hybrid vehicle that combines a 1.6L flexible-fuel engine connected to an auxiliary power unit (APU), which is in powers a set of in-wheel motors. It's a series hybrid, much like the Chevy Volt. The ReCharge's EV-only range on a full battery is said to be 62 miles, and under normal operating conditions, the car's engine wouldn't be activated to help with recharging until 70% of the battery's charge has been exhausted. Volvo says that on a 90 mile trip (150 km), for example, the ReCharge would essentially average 124 mpg (1.9L/100 km).

A full charge when plugged into a standard power outlet takes approximately 3 hours, but Volvo says that even 1 hour plugged in gives the car a 50% charge. Regenerative braking while underway helps charge the battery pack on the fly, and the driver can summon the combustion engine at any time to maximize charging if the situation is favorable (such as during highway driving) to get the car ready for straight EV duty at the next local stop. The ReCharge uses a lithium-polymer battery designed to last longer than the car's operating life. CO2 emissions, a key concern in Europe where the concept is being unveiled, are 66% better than what's afforded by current hybrid cars in the marketplace. We'll be on hand to bring you full details on Volvo's answer to the Chevy Volt next week.

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: Volvo unveils ReCharge PHEV concept

Frankfurt Preview: Volvo unveils ReCharge PHEV concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plug it in, plug it in: GM likely to debut plug-in hyrbrid at Detroit show

John Neff — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Green, GM

The Detroit News reported today that General Motors will likely unveil a prototype plug-in hybrid at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit come January. The news is a bit surprising to some, considering that GM is credited as being one of the homicidal maniacs that killed the electric car when it cancelled its own EV1 program back in the '90s.

It's not known whether the prototype's internal combustion component will be a gas- or diesel-powered engine, but Andrew Frank, a professor at the University of California-Davis who is credited with developing the first plug-in hybrid, believes it's likely to be a series hybrid rather than the more common parallel-type hybrids that are sold today. This means that the internal combustion engine on board will not be directly attached to the drivetrain, but act merely as a generator to fill the batteries up with juice when they're low. This advanced technology is common on large locomotives, and some have suggested it will be used in the future on heavy duty pickups to greatly increase torque ratings.

If GM's listening, we say go with a small on-board diesel motor and really wow the crowd with an extended driving range that makes the Prius look like a gas-swilling pig. We should learn more about the technology that GM will be using in this prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month where Rick Wagoner is scheduled to give a speech.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Plug it in, plug it in: GM likely to debut plug-in hyrbrid at Detroit show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siemens VDO announces eCorner motor-in-hub concept

Eric Bryant — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hybrid, Green, Technology

As the use of electric motors in motor vehicles converges with other technologies such as drive-by-wire, stability control, and active suspension, eventually a major paradigm shift in automotive architecture may be required. In preparation for that moment, Siemens VDO is working on something that it calls eCorner, which is a convergence of several technologies into the wheel and hub assembly.

While the centerpiece of the concept is an electric drive motor that's integrated into the hub (clearly intended for use with a fuel cell or series hybrid powertrain), other interesting technologies include an active suspension system and Siemens VDO's electronic wedge brake (EWB) brake-by-wire system. The whole assembly is kept pointed in the correct direction by a steer-by-wire system. Fitting the system at all four corners of a vehicle would enable some rather interesting vehicle dynamics, with the angle of each road wheel and the amount of power applied to each motor being continuously varied to keep the car pointed where the driver intends it to go.

While each of these technologies by themselves aren't necessarily novel, it's certainly interesting to see them bundled as one package. Now, someone just has to take the big leap and put into production a vehicle that uses all this technology.

[Source: Siemens; a hat tip to reader Dan Mohr]

Continue reading Siemens VDO announces eCorner motor-in-hub concept

Siemens VDO announces eCorner motor-in-hub concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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