Straightline

Just after last week's Tokyo Auto Show, IL News Editor Kelly Toepke had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with Honda's new president Takanobu Ito.

He laid out several of Honda's goals in the coming years as well as explaining some of the reasons for his actions so far. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the conversation.

In response to a question on his expected time line for hydrogen-powered cars:

"My wish, within 10 years. Please tell your government to build more hydrogen stations."

"Hydrogen stations are not being built as fast as we had hoped, so we have to prepare ourselves with battery EVs."

Regarding the cancellation of the NSX:

"I'm the one that stopped that program."

"I personally would love to develop another sports car, but if our wish is to come true we need to overcome two challenges:
1.    Bad economy, need more profit to have freedom to build new cars.
2.    Need to develop new green technologies. One we have an abundance of cash, we will develop a green sports car, not like the car Lexus announced yesterday."

And finally his view of the Acura brand:

"There's a certain level of confusion within the Acura line-up, we're in the midst of a big change. Post-Lehman we dropped the larger-than-V6 engine, and have to adjust to new consumer demands."

Categories: Acura,Auto Industry,Future Vehicles,Honda,Hybrids,Tokyo Motor Show,Trends

According to a report in Automotive News, Honda is refocusing its future product plan with an even greater emphasis on reduced weight and improved mileage. Yes, this from a company that already boasts one of the most efficient fleets on the market. Such are the demands of the upcoming fuel mileage standards in the U.S.

The next-generation Honda Civic was the first car to see changes under the new plan. Instead of getting slightly bigger as planned, the redesigned Civic has actually become smaller than the current model. Honda also plans to add more hybrid cars to its lineup and may even develop fully electric cars, a strategy it previously considered unnecessary.

Automotive News

Categories: Auto Industry,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Honda,Hybrids,Sedans,Trends

A reader named Lars H. sent this shot of a demolished Tesla to Autotopia, which is part of Wired. The Tesla collided with a VW Touareg and ironically a Toyota Prius. According to Lars the accident happened in Denmark.

For a larger and more complete version of the image, click here.

Categories: Crossovers,Green Tech,Hybrids,SUVs,Sports Cars,Tesla Motors,Toyota,Volkswagen

With a contest to name one of the Volt paint colors, Chevrolet has now officially pulled out all of the stops to try to keep the plug-in, er, extended-range electric vehicle in the public consciousness.

Here's the deal: You choose a winning name for the exclusive Volt color that Chevy is tentatively and alluringly referring to as "silver exterior with an emerald hue," and the company will fly you and a guest to Los Angeles for two nights of "standard hotel accommodations," whatever that means, a $400 gift card and admission to the LA auto show on December 2. In fact, Chevy is going to take three finalists to LA, and announce the winner on December first. In addition to the trip, the winner will be given a test drive in a pre-production Volt.

Naturally, aspiring color-namers can enter at a Volt-specific web site, beginning today. Then you can vote for the finalists from November 16 through December 1.

Or, you could just enter your ideas into the comments section below and win the gratitude of Inside Line.

Here are are three ideas: Clear-Coated Dolphin-hide Pearlmist, Shipping-Crate Mystic Metallic Flake, and Silver Exterior With An Emerald Hue. Think you can do better?

Categories: Chevrolet,Hybrids,LA Auto Show

There are two separate stories about the Subaru Hybrid Tourer making its debut here in Tokyo. The first is the obvious one. This is a hybrid. It showcases the in-house hybrid system that Subaru will bring to worldwide production in 2012, likely as an additional model within the Impreza or Legacy lines.

This will be a setup like in the Honda Insight, wherein you have a gas engine (a 2.0-liter, turbocharged and direct-injected boxer-4, in this case), a continuously variable transmission (the Lineartronic CVT) and a front-drive electric motor packaged between those two.

However, the Hybrid Tourer also has genuine symmetrical all-wheel drive, so the gas engine drives the rear wheels, too. At least in theory, the concept has a driveshaft and center clutch pack built into its flat floor. There's a rear-drive electric motor in the back, too. Subaru officials are adamant that any hybrid production car would have a true all-wheel-drive setup.

But the other story about the Hybrid Tourer is just as interesting. In talking with Osamu Namba, general manager of Subaru design, we learned that this car represents the next design direction for all Subaru models.

We'll walk you through it after the jump.

Continue reading Subaru Hybrid Tourer at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Hybrids,Subaru,Tokyo Motor Show,Trends

Ford is getting serious about this whole electric car thing. So much so that it even created a whole new position to oversee the effort.

Today is announced that Nancy Gioia, who was Ford's director of Sustainable Mobility Technology and Hybrid Vehicle Programs,has been given the new role of Director of Global Electrification.

According to Ford, "Gioia will direct strategy and planning for Ford's global electric vehicle portfolio, touching all aspects of electrified transportation, including product planning, supplier partnerships and collaboration with the energy industry and government."

Ford reiterated its plans for alternative drivetrain vehicles in the release, noting that an all-electric version of the Transit Connect is still planned for next year and an all-electric Focus is planned for 2011. An unspecified "next-generation hybrid vehicle" is planned for 2012 along with an unspecified plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Categories: Auto Industry,Ford,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids

Infiniti officially joined the hybrid race today. The company announced that it will sell a hybrid version of its upcoming M35 sedan starting in the spring of 2011.

The 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid will use a hybrid system developed in-house that combines a 3.5-liter V6 with a single electric motor. The electric motor will assist the gas engine under heavy load applications, but it will also be capable of propelling the car on its own in limited circumstances.

A newly developed lithium-ion battery pack will provide the power for the M35's motor. Infiniti says that it's physically the same size as current battery packs, yet produces twice the power. The pack is also laminated for improved cooling and utilizes manganese positive electrodes for improved long-term reliability. We'll have to take Infiniti's word on that for now.  

Categories: Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans

Finalists for the annual Green Car of the Year award have been announced. The Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI all made the cut.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDi won last year, so we can't help but think the Audi and Golf have a slim chance of taking home the prize this year. And given that the Ford Fusion didn't win last year, it seems unlikely that the Mercury Milan stands much of a chance either.

So that pretty leaves the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. Got any guesses which one will win?

Comparison Test: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius
 

Categories: Green Tech,Honda,Hybrids,LA Auto Show,Toyota

If there's a Suzuki to covet, it's the Suzuki Swift hatchback, which has earned a reputation as a poor man's Mini Cooper in Europe and Japan. Suzuki will show a plug-in hybrid version of the Swift at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

The most interesting thing we know about this concept car is the packaging of its lithium-ion batteries -- right down the middle of the car in the center console. This could potentially make it possible to have a pair of rear seats in the car, though that's not clear from the photos.

As the plug-in Swift is a series hybrid, there's a 658cc gasoline engine on-board to power the front-drive electric motor when the batteries run low on charge and you're not near a suitable electrical outlet. The engine apparently has a generating capacity of 40 kilowatts (54 hp). The front-drive electric motor has an output of 74 hp, according to Suzuki.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Suzuki Swift Plug-In Hybrid.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Green Tech,Hatchbacks,Hybrids,Suzuki,Tokyo Motor Show

Mitsubishi's PX-MiEV looks a bit like the production Outlander SUV, and dimensionally, the two are fairly close (177.5-inch overall length, 103.5-inch wheelbase and 61.5-inch track for the concept). But the PX-MiEV is a plug-in hybrid and in concept bears similarities to production Toyota hybrids and the Subaru's Hybrid Tourer concept.

It has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine up front, as well as a front-drive electric motor and a rear-drive electric motor. Together, the motors are good for 80 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, according to Mitsubishi, and together, they effectively create four-wheel drive, albeit in the unconventional, wait-there's-no-center-differential sense.

Rated at 114 hp and 92 lb-ft of torque, the gas engine can either help drive the front wheels (like a parallel hybrid) or work as a generator (like a series hybrid -- Chevy Volt) to power the electric motors. Its generating capacity is 70 kW, says Mitsu. You can also plug in the PX-MiEV to restore charge to the lithium-ion batteries, and it has the same variable-current charging system as Mitubishi's limited-production i MiEV electric car.

Mitsubishi also makes the interesting observation that when you're not driving the PX-MiEV, you can use its stored electricity to power home appliances -- useful if a storm knocks the power out.

The company claims an overall fuel consumption figure of 50 km/liter (117 mpg), which is probably very theoretical.

More details and photos of the PX-MiEV's cabin after the jump.

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi PX-MIEV Concept.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Crossovers,Green Tech,Hybrids,Mitsubishi,SUVs,Tokyo Motor Show

Here it is, the all-wheel-drive hybrid Subaru that has been the subject of so much speculation. We're sure Toyota had some involvement in this one, given its current position as Hybrid Overlord of Planet Earth.

Details are sketchy, but Subaru says Hybrid Tourer concept has a turbocharged and direct-injected version of its 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder as the gasoline power source. It joins forces with a 10-kilowatt front-drive electric motor and Subaru's Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). In back, there is a 20-kilowatt rear-drive electric motor. Add them together and you get all-wheel drive, though not in the usual Subaru sense since there would be no center differential. But this is exactly how Toyota creates "AWD" in the Lexus RX 450h and Highlander Hybrid.

Batteries are of the lithium-ion variety.

More photos after the jump.

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Subaru Takes Wing With Hybrid Tourer Concept

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Subaru,Tokyo Motor Show

Fisker hasn't built a car yet, but today, the carmaker announced it had reached agreement on a low-interest, $528 million loan from the U.S. Energy Department.

You'll recall that Fisker showed the production version of its Karma plug-in hybrid sedan at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. This $87,900, 408-horsepower car still hasn't officially started production in Finland (under contract), though Fisker says more than 1,500 orders are in.

The federal loan is not for the Karma, either. It's for a second, mid-priced plug-in hybrid that Fisker plans to build in the United States. Known as Project NINA, this car is scheduled to enter production in 2012. Fisker says it will build 100,000 units per year and export a substantial portion of them.

We're starting the clock now.

Green Car Advisor: Fisker Scores $528-Million Loan From Feds For Next-Generation Plug-in Hybrid

Categories: Auto Industry,Green Tech,Hybrids

We've told you Lexus might build a production version of the LF-Ch hatchback from Frankfurt, but we haven't shown you much of the interior. You can't draw any hard conclusions from a concept car, obviously, but there's some indication of future directions the company might take in interior design.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Lexus LF-Ch Concept

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Frankfurt Auto Show,Hatchbacks,Hybrids,Lexus

Updated

It was pretty clear the Lexus LF-Ch concept from Frankfurt was aimed at European buyers. Sure, it was designed mostly by Toyota's Calty studio in Newport Beach, CA (with some input from the European studio in Paris), but it's small and it's a hatchback.

"It's aimed at the C premium class in Europe," said Nancy Hubbell, Lexus communications manager. "That's the largest luxury category there, and we've never had a player."

But that doesn't mean Lexus wouldn't want to sell a production version of the LF-Ch in the U.S. Existing C premium players like the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series have done rather well here. (Ha, well, not really in the 1er's case, but that's why BMW should have imported the 5-door hatchback version, right? Right?)

Although Hubbell says the LF-Ch would be a ways off ("not even in the next year"), she notes that Lexus is "definitely trying to gauge customer reaction."

Since most of you aren't going to hop on a plane to Frankfurt, Lexus has conveniently set up a web site. You can sign up for updates, naturally, or you can take a multiple-choice survey and weigh in on the styling.

Perhaps the most telling question is this one, suggesting a production car wouldn't necessarily even be a hybrid:

Does the Hybrid powertrain feature add to the appeal of this car?
--> Yes, I want MPG with looks and handling.
--> No, the hybrid attribute does not add to the car's appeal.
--> Doesn't really matter.

Of course, there's also a question about your involvement in social networking and Lexus has updated its Facebook page. 

Lexus LF-Ch Survey

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Lexus LF-Ch Concept

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Frankfurt Auto Show,Hatchbacks,Hybrids,Lexus

Yes, it's true, this uh...vehicle is capable of returning nearly 170 mpg. That's the kind of number you can achieve when you're only putting out 27 horsepower in a body that weighs 838 pounds.

Impressive on paper maybe, but stand next to the thing and the idea of the L1 as a car seems a bit of a stretch. Only two, shall we say, smaller adults could fit in the thing and their luggage would be limited to a small handbag.

And then there's the whole enclosed canopy issue, not exactly the most comfortable way to travel.

So nice concept, maybe. But a "car" the L1 is not.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Diesels,Frankfurt Auto Show,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Volkswagen