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Hybrid CarsPorsche Cayenne Hybrid
 Description:For quite a number of years, environmentalists have criticized Porsche. According to them, this car manufacturer is not taking any initiative to improve the fuel efficiency of the cars manufactured by them. Answering back at these negative comments by the environmentalists, Porsche has come out with the Cayenne, its first hybrid vehicle. The hybridizing of their models by Porsche will assist this organization to meet the tough CO2 standards of the European Union. The head of the hybrid car program of Porsche, Michael H. Lieters has told the AP (Associated Press) that his organization was trying to shake off the anti-green image attributed to them. Porsche announced its first hybrid at the Frankfurt auto show held in the year 2007 and during the course of the show, they had also promised to release Cayenne SUV’s hybrid version by the end of the decade. During that period, Porsche had estimated that the hybrid version of the Cayenne would enhance its fuel efficiency by 15% compared to the conventional one. This hybrid version of the Cayenne is being developed under partnership with Volkswagen. The Frankfurt auto show held in the year 2007 saw a demo model of the Cayenne hybrid being demonstrated. Whereas Porsche had said that the efficiency of this model would be better by 15% compared to the conventional one, everyone was pleasantly surprised to note that the improvement factor was nearly 30%. The Cayenne hybrid was capable of achieving more than 24 mpg that is far better than the 18 miles per gallon provided by the conventional model. This is not the end of the road and spokespersons of the company hinted that by the time the hybrid vehicle hits the road, it might touch the 26 miles per gallon mark. Let us peek under the hood of the Porsche and see what makes it tick. It boasts of a 3.6 liter direct fuel injection gas engine along with a electric motor. A 228 V, 38 KW NiMH (nickel metal hydride) battery pack that powers the electric engine is kept below the luggage compartment in the space normally reserved for spare tires. Do not make any mistakes about this car. It is a full hybrid system 4 wheel drive vehicle, having its electric motor and clutch positioned between the transmission and the engine. When the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid is released, it will be in league with other reputed concept hybrid vehicles like BMW X6 and Lexus 400h. Both the price and release dates are vague. For those who do not know, here is an interesting piece of news taken from the leaves of history. Porsche is credited with being one of the pioneers of hybrid vehicles with one of the earliest such car being designed way back in 1900 by Ferdinand Porsche. That electric vehicle boasted of battery-powered electric motors being directly incorporated with the front wheel hubs. When an internal combustion gasoline engine to run a generator was added to that car, it became a true hybrid. Mercury Meta One
 Description:Thanks to the increasing costs of fuel and the fear that the global reserves of the same might not last too long, most car manufacturers are coming out with vehicles that run on alternative sources of energy and these are termed as hybrid vehicles. There a number of people who have a special craving for biodiesel and such people will be glad to see the new offerings promised by the Mercury Meta One which clubs together a hybrid transmission along with a twin and turbocharged V6 diesel engine that is calibrated to run on biodiesel blends. There is no need to tell more about the benefits of using biodiesel and the same have been well documented and can easily be accessed and read by interested persons. There is one drawback of using biodiesel and that is its production of nitrogen oxide that adds to the smog level of the atmosphere. According to the technology manager of Meta One, a diesel engine releases the maximum amount of smog forming nitrogen dioxide when the driver tries to demand excessive power out of the engine. To overcome this problem an electric engine is used in the Mercury Meta One to cope with high power demands. The hybrid transmission and the V6 engine combine to give a good amount of extra power, equivalent to that produced by a V10 gas engine. Since both the gas and the electric engines are sharing this power, the vehicle’s emission levels easily conform to California's Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle requirement and meet the same. Though Mercury suggests that it is possible to cut down the emissions levels to 0 with their Meta One, this is not the truth. Most car manufacturers use these statements to purchase green tags that help them to offset their corporate or personal carbon emissions. The fuel used to run the Mercury Meta One is biodiesel that is procured from biological feedstocks that suck in CO2 when they are growing. Here is the tricky part, the amount of CO2 vehicles running on such biodiesel emit is equivalent to the amount of CO2 released by the car’s exhaust thereby keeping the CO2 level static. Special electronics like the “mechanized vision system” have been incorporated into the Mercury Meta One that warns the driver when the car starts drifting out of its lane without the turn signal being used. The mechanism is able to recognize the lane markings and the car’s lateral position in relation to these marking to achieve these results. Another electronic gadget that can determine the likelihood of an impending crash and apply the brakes in such an eventuality is also implemented in this car. It is called the “collision mitigation sensor”. The Mercury Meta One clearly demonstrates how advanced technology can easily be incorporated in normal cars providing the user with an enhanced amount of safety. It also helps demonstrate that a totally safe car can easily be produced in the future if one has the dream and incorporate newer safety features. Mercedes S400 Hybrid
 Description:Though the hybrid version of Mercedes Benz’s S-Class luxury sedan is being introduced in the United States, the details of this car are still uncertain and this includes its launch schedule. There are certain schools of though who point out that it might be released as early as in 2009, whereas others state that it shall not be introduced prior to 2010. If the latter happens then this vehicle might get released before the Mercedes Benz S400 Bluetac Hybrid that was first shown to the public as a concept vehicle during the Frankfurt motor show of 2007. The Mercedes Benz S400 is a gas-electric hybrid that is scheduled to be released soon, but ahead of the Bluetac, will be fitted with a 275 HP V6 engine. The hybrid system of this car comprises of a starter, a generator and an electric motor located between the transmission and the flywheel. This system can provide both starting and stopping capabilities and it can also receive a power boost from electricity. This electric energy is stored in a small Li-ion (lithium ion) battery pack that is being manufactured jointly by a group of battery manufacturers comprising Saft Advanced Battery Systems and Johnson Controls. While hybrid cars do use batteries for powering the electric motor, the S400 will be the first S-class hybrid that will be using a lithium battery. The electric motor of this car shall boost the output power by another 20 HP to give a total capacity of 295 horsepower. The combined (city/ highway) fuel economy of the Mercedes S400 Hybrid is 30 miles per gallon. Compared to its power and size, the Mercedes S400 Hybrid has relatively low CO2 emissions of 190g per kilometer. This is something that environmentalists would really love. Be prepared to hear rave reviews from them about this car. As far as styling is concerned, the Mercedes S400 Hybrid will be a replica of its non-hybrid cousin. This means that you can expect all the luxuries you are used to from the standard fuel driven sedan. As far as competition is concerned, the only vehicle that can match up to the Mercedes S400 Hybrid is the Lexus LS600h that is a high-end touring hybrid that contains all the works. While the Mercedes S400 Hybrid will easily beat the Lexus LS600h as far as price is concerned, it shall not be able to perform as well as the Lexus that boasts of a whopping 430 horsepower that it derives from its V8 hybrid powertrain. As of date the price of the Mercedes S400 hybrid has not been revealed, but it should be competitive. As the cost of fuel escalates, one can expect more and more manufacturers to come out with hybrid versions of their conventional cars. This will provide them with an opportunity to serve their loyal clienteles better. You can be rest assured that Mercedes shall be no different and the launch of the Mercedes S400 Hybrid proves that point. Honda Fit Hybrid
 Description:At times it takes distantly related things to trigger off events that have been kept on the backburner for ages. It is due to the hike in fuel prices in 2008 that Takeo Fukui, the President and chief executive officer of Honda to start planning about a hybrid vehicle. In the year 2006, it was reported that Honda was thinking about manufacturing a hybrid version of its Fit. This information was based on news reports from an unidentified source but was denied by the officials of Honda. The president of Honda had at that moment vehemently denied such reports and had said in December 2006 that their then car, the Jazz, had a fuel engine that was more than capable of delivering the correct mileage. All this has changed now and it now looks sensible to launch a Fit hybrid are the current views of Fukui. It is commonly known that more and more car manufacturers are bringing out hybrid versions of their vehicles in order to counter the effect of spiraling fuel prices and also to cope with the CO2 emissions of the standard fuel engine vehicles. This too must have been at the back of Fukui’s mind when he reversed his decision. To stay in the competition, Honda had no other alternative rather than bringing out hybrid vehicles. It was thought, way back in 2006, that Honda would make use of its Insight drivetrain. The reason behind this is that the wheel-hub to wheel-hub dimensions of the Insight and the Fit are more or less identical. It was also thought to convert the Fit to a practical 4 door version of the Insight. Though the Insight, which was discontinued in the year 2006, had good fuel efficiency, in the range of 60’s, the drawback was that it could seat just 2 persons. Replacing it by the near identical Insight seemed to be a better plan. The Fit is available nowadays in models that have fuel displacements between 1.3 liters and 1.5 liters. It is reported that Honda is developing a 1 liter engine for the hybrid version of Fit. There are reports doing the rounds that the hybrid version of Fit would be priced at about $12,000 but this news seems to be exaggerated. However, it is safe to assume that even with a premium of a few thousand dollar, the Fit Hybrid would still be cheaper than the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Plus. Add to this the fact that the Fit Hybrid is going to provide far better mileage than all other hybrids and one has a winner on their hands. Honda is also planning to introduce a low cost hybrid specific model in the 2009s, but do not expect the Fit before 2010. With the release of the Fit Hybrid, Honda will raise the stakes higher as far as hybrids are concerned and provide users with a car boasting better fuel efficiency for a lower cost. Honda CR-Z
 Description:The simplest way to reduce the environmental impact created by the by of CO2 emissions is by shifting over to light weight and smaller vehicles. The problem in such a step is that compact cars do not sell so well in the United States. Is there are way by means of which the Americans can be coerced to cut down on the size of their vehicles and accept sporty and attractive hybrids? Honda had tried this approach a long time back when it introduced the CR-Z Concept (Compact Renaissance Zero Concept) at the Tokyo Motor Show for the year 2007. With this move Honda signified their wish to launch a new age for compact cars. This car is sporty, futuristic and light in weight. First time viewers will be awed by the oversized front grille that boasts of small openings on both side of the front panel. Using glass on the hatchback and roof, all of which give an aura of spaciousness, has further enhanced the looks of the car. The same effects are achieved in the interior, thanks to the use of meshed materials. The instrument panel is hi-tech and sleek. It won’t be wrong to assume that the shape of the Honda CR-Z looks somewhat like the Honda CRX sports car. In fact the CR-Z borrows much of its shape from the Honda CRX, a version of Civic that remained in production from the year 1984 to the year 1991, that had a light and small profile that made it look both speedy and sporty. The CR-Z Hybrid looks more like a mixture of the CRX and the Insight, a teardrop shaped and 2 seater hybrid from Honda which is not produced anymore. Nowadays, Honda is not looking backwards at the CRX design. In fact it has set its sight on the new 2010 Honda Insight that is expected in 2009. Honda plans on selling 200,000 units of this car. The launch of this car may well redefine the way we all look at compact cars. There is no specific launch date announced for this car, but there in no denying the fact that Honda has increased the stakes. It is likely that more car manufacturers will soon follow this trend if the car lovers of America accept the 2010 Honda Insight. Thanks to technology that is increasing at a fast pace, newer and lighter hybrid versions of vehicles are being seen every month. Each one is offering better miles per gallon that their predecessor without sacrificing on the speed and seating capacity, whereas making every horsepower count. The day is not far off, when one will see more and more small cars zipping around rather that the huge fuel guzzlers we see today. Imagine making the same trip for far less fuel and at the same time contributing to the global community by reducing the amount of CO2 emissions. This is what the future will be and Honda has clearly shown that it plans to be the leader.  |
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