When we first got spy shots of the Porsche 918 Coupe last week, we were thrown by the faux racecar livery applied just too well to the car. It wouldn't have been the first time a manufacturer has thrown racecar paint on a prototype to throw photographers, but this one was a little too....nice. And now we know why....
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Categories: Hybrids,Porsche,Sports Cars
Back in February a California woman made headlines when she refused to participate in the class-action suit against Honda (which ad a $200 payout and $1,000 towards a new car purchase) and instead won a victory in small claims court for $9867.
This victory led many to think that small claims court was the way to go and the woman, Heather Peters -- a lawyer -- even intended to set up a practice helping people through the process. About 1,700 hybrid owners have followed. Unfortunately for Peters, Honda won their appeal.
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Categories: Honda,Hybrids
Updated info on 3.0 TDI engine for U.S.-spec 2014 Q5
It's time for a mid-cycle refresh for the Audi Q5, and today Audi announced a round of updates for its compact(ish) crossover SUV. These include the potent 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6, which will replace the current, naturally-aspirated 3.2-liter V6 -- in the Q5, it's rated at 268 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, up from the 3.2's 270 hp and 243 lb-ft.
The 2.0 TFSI engine also gets various revisions, and should be rated around 221 hp (up from 211 in MY2012) and 258 lb-ft of torque. The latest version of this workhorse four-cylinder turbo will be used in the Q5 Hybrid, which draws from its gasoline and electric power sources to top out at 241 hp and 354 lb-ft. All models use the eight-speed automatic transmission; although, the hybrid gets a version of it without a torque converter -- the 40kW electric motor occupies this space instead.
The updated Q5 goes on sale in Europe this summer, and Audi's Mark Dahncke tells us it will be a phased rollout in the United States: "the 2.0T and the 3.0T gas engines in the fall, hybrid by end of the year, TDI next year."
By the way, that diesel is probably not going to be the 2.0 TDI you were expecting. Audi hasn't made a final decision, but Dahncke tells us the 3.0 TDI, a turbodiesel V6 that in European specification makes about 241 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque is most likely at this point. Suddenly, we're a lot more interested in owning a crossover SUV.
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Categories: Audi,Crossovers,Diesels,Future Vehicles,Hybrids,SUVs
Ferrari, in a rare moment of openness, detailed their new V12 HY-KERS engine that has just been adapted to work in a mid-engined layout. This means in no uncertain terms that this is the engine the 900+ horsepower Enzo replacement will get. The engine is hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and has two electric motors -- one for powering the car, the other to deal with all of the parasitic stuff like steering and AC.
If anyone can pull off a hybrid hypercar it's Ferrari. Still, I wouldn't want to be the owner of one of the first few off the line....
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Categories: Ferrari,Future Vehicles,Hybrids,Sports Cars
On Friday, Fisker laid off another 12 employees from its Delaware facility that was set to built the Fisker Atlantic shown at the New York Auto Show.
Those included in this round of layoffs included engineers and maintenance technicians. A skeleton crew of maintenance workers remains on staff to protect the plant and maintain the facility.
Fisker claims they're running a very flexible organization and that these layoffs are only temporary. They are waiting on the Department of Energy to make good on the remainder of a $529,000,000 federal loan -- the DOE suspended the loan after Fisker failed to hit milestones laid out by the two parties at the loan's creation. If Fisker shutters the plant-- thereby breaking the promise of bringing jobs to the area-- they could be faced to repay the entirety of a $193 million DOE loan immediately.
Fisker let go 26 employees back in February for the same reasons.
Another bump in the road or is the road about to end?
Categories: Auto Industry,Fisker,Future Vehicles,Hybrids
A new round of spy photos hit our inbox this morning and the debate began immediately: Is this the 2015 Chevy Impala SS or is this the 2015 Chevy Impala Hybrid (perhaps eAssist).
The obvious change in this prototype is the unpainted black plastic grille with the Bat Symbol replacig the chrome slatted unit shown in New York. Now, this is obviously an aggressive piece of kit that would make sense on a sports-oriented version of the Impala. AKA an Impala SS.
Look closer, though, and this grille isn't the most conducive for increased air flow -- something that would be necessary should this pack a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. Instead, this grille looks more like the ones designed to restrict airflow that we've seen on the Chevy Volt.
Nothing else gives this one away one way or the other. The tires are all season, both tips of the dual-exhaust look to be functional and the brakes look to be stock. eAssist or SS, what say you?
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Categories: Chevrolet,Hybrids,Sedans,Spy Photos
That's it; I'm moving to France or China. Citroen has just released official photos of the new Numero 9 Concept and, well, it's magnificent.
The Numero 9 Concept previews the next-generation Citroen DS9 and we hope this will be a very Honda-like concept-to-production path because, besides the too-small side-view mirrors and the 21-inch wheels, I don't want this to change a bit. This concept is powered by a 220 horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline motor powering the front wheels and an electric motor out back kicking in another 70 hp. The lithium-ion battery running the back motor can be charged via a home plug in only 3.5-hours. That's enough juice to propel the Numero 9 on electricity only for 30 miles.
As you can likely assume by knowing anything about Citroen or just by looking at it, this one's not coming to the U.S., and is intended for the Chinese market.
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Categories: Beijing Auto Show,Citroen,Concept Vehicles,Hybrids
A recent study by Polk has concluded that the majority (65%) of hybrid buyers leave the electric-assist fold at the time of their next purchase. If you remove the Toyota Prius from the equation it gets even uglier; only 22 percent of hybrid buyers bought another one.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Hybrids
Czech news source Autoforum, the same site that leaked the BMW i8 earlier this week, has just let fly with another leak in the form of the Fisker Nina...which we've just found out will be called the Fisker Atlantic.
The good news is that it looks almost exactly how we expected it to (based on recent spy photos and our knowledge of the product). It's a fitting younger, smaller sibling to the gorgeous Karma. The bad news is the new production name. Nina wasn't our favorite, but it had a sort of sexy spy feel to it. Atlantic makes us think of old Bugattis not modern hybrids running BMW power.
We're hours away from touchdown in New York. We'll have more shortly.
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Categories: Electric Vehicles,Fisker,Hybrids,New York Auto Show
Last time, Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell took us behind the scenes at Volkswagen to talk sales and sausages, this week it was the Toyota Prius C that piqued her interest.
"1,201
"I'm jumping on the bandwagon here because this is the number that caught everyone's attention. 1,201 made its splashy appearance in the Toyota press release as the number of Prius Cs that were sold in the first three days of its shelf life. The release also pointed out the Prius C sold more in three days than Chevrolet Volt or Nissan Leaf did in the entire month of February. Let's put aside the fact that the Prius C, Volt, and Leaf possess different technologies for a second and realize the release had moxie. It was bold and very un-Toyota."
Read more at Drive by Numbers in the Edmunds Industry Center.
Categories: Auto Industry,Hybrids,Toyota
Back when we had our Long Term Chevy Volt, our power cord gave out and was replaced (under warranty) by GM. Now GM is replacing all power cords for 2011 Volts and some power cords on 2012 MY Volts.
GM is quick to point out, however, that this is not a recall. "We want to give our customers a more consistent charging experience -- a more durable and reliable charge cord," said GM spokesman Randy Fox. Some Volt owners who had the "battery enhancement program" installed have already received the new charger.
There are an estimated 9,500 Volts included in this "Customer satisfaction program."
Categories: Car Tech,Chevrolet,Hybrids
At some point in the future, Porsche will strap some skin to this 759 horsepower (562 from the V8, 107 from a front electric motor and 121 from the one powering the rear wheels) contraption and sell it as the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid.
Recently we got a ride in this very, very pre-production mule, but for a car like this we wanted more. We needed to see it move and, more importantly, hear it. You'll want to, too. 25 minutes of behind the scenes footage with no voiceover and no audio track. Just car noises. Enjoy!
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Categories: Hybrids,Porsche,Sports Cars
There's nothing quite like a good old fashioned distraction technique when things get rough. Lately, all of the news revolving around the Fisker Karma has had to do with Consumer Reports (and other, less public, owners) and their battery issue.
Today, however, Fisker intends to run the tides with new news that they will be showing off the new Fisker Nina at the 2012 New York Auto Show!
The Nina is set to use a BMW-sourced four-cylinder engine for the new hybrid that should be assembled at the old GM plant in Delaware. Earlier this year Fisker announced that 26 employees would be let go from that facility as Fisker was struggling to appease the DOE.
Categories: Fisker,Hybrids,New York Auto Show
On March 12, 2012, the 2012 Toyota Prius C went on sale with an EPA mileage rating of 53 in the city and a sticker price below $19,000. Three days later it had sold 1,201 units which is a higher volume than either the Chevy Volt or the Nissan Leaf managed in all of February.
There are a dozen reasons for this (people know the Prius name, they have them at nearly every dealership, there's no additional stuff to buy -- charger --, people sort of get what a hybrid is) but the one that sticks out the most is that this thing only costs $19,000 at the bottom compared with over $30 for either of the other cars.
Excuses aside, it does appear that the market has spoken.
Categories: Chevrolet,Hybrids,Nissan,Toyota
Like it or not, the 2012 Toyota Prius C is one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the year. It's not fun or sexy, but in our testing we managed an average of 48.9 mpg and a singe-tank, fuel-economy loop of 58.2 mpg -- and that's without hypermiling. The EPA estimates the average Prius C driver will spend only $1,150 on fuel a year. The average Sonic (1.4L turbo) driver will spent $1,700 which is the same amount a Hyundai Accent driver will spend.
That test car, however, was a top-o-the-line Prius C Four that carried a sticker price of over $25K, not exactly the stuff serious savers are into. The 2012 Prius C One could be. It starts at $19,710 and comes with such niceties as color-keyed power outside mirrors, 15-inch steel wheels with 175/65R15 tires, Bluetooth, USB, 3.5-inch TFT display, keyless entry and nine airbags. Jump up to the Prius C Two and you get LED stop lights, more speakers, two-tone front seats, 60/40 split fold-down seats, tilt/telescoping wheel and cruise. The two starts at $20,660.
Build your own here.
Categories: Hybrids,Toyota
Consumer Reports shelled out a whopping $107,850 in order to test a Fisker Karma. Fewer than 200 miles later, the car was inoperable.
During steady-state testing, "the dashboard flashed a message and sounded a 'bing' showing a major fault." After that, the Karma wouldn't engage any gear except for neutral. An hour later they tried again and got another failure. The "local" Fisker dealer -- 100 miles away -- sent a flatbed.
"It is a little disconcerting that you pay that amount of money for a car and it lasts basically 180 miles before going wrong," said David Champion, senior director to Reuters.
We're not sure we agree in any way that price = reliability (Ferrari fires anyone?), but the bigger issue of reliability with new technology from a new manufacturer is a serious concern.
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Categories: Fisker,Hybrids,Videos
The Toyota stand is right at the bottom of an escalator in the Geneva Palexpo's Hall 4, so we passed by more than a dozen times, and each time, the FT-Bh caught our eye. It's not the most beautiful thing at this show, but it's evidence that Toyota gets what the Geneva Auto Show is all about: Come weird, or don't come at all.
Of course, the FT-Bh is meant to be something useful -- a B-segment hybrid car for European families that's about 25 percent lighter than an equivalent Yaris without relying on expensive, exotic materials to get there. Although, aluminum and magesium (both of which are in play here) aren't exactly cheap.
If this concept were a real car, Toyota estimates it would weigh 786 kg, or 1,732 pounds, which is ridiculously light for a car with batteries, and that it would have a 0.23 coefficient of drag. It would use a direct-injected version of the company's gasoline 1.0-liter inline-3, allowing a sky-high 13:1 compression ratio, plus a front-drive electric motor running off a lithium-ion battery pack. Moreover, it would be modular enough to accept a CNG-fueled engine and/or support plug-in capability.
Alongside all that, there's the FT-Bh's bodywork, which is supposed to look like fabric stretched and sewn over the unit-body. We're not quite sure the FT-Bh pulls that off, but it's still neat looking.
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Categories: Concept Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Green Tech,Hybrids,Toyota
At the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, Volkswagen conjured up another derivative of its Cross Coupe plug-in hybrid concept - this one with a clean diesel engine. In addition to the TDI engine, the latest version of the Cross Coupe features a pair of electric motors, one at the front and one in the rear.
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Categories: Geneva Motor Show,Hybrids,SUVs,Videos,Volkswagen
Nissan took the wraps off its Hi-Cross Concept this morning here in Geneva. With seven-seat capability, the Hi-Cross is apparently the replacement for the X-Trail SUV sold elsewhere on the planet.
Is this the replacement for the Murano in our corner of the world?
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Categories: Concept Vehicles,Crossovers,Geneva Motor Show,Hybrids,Nissan,SUVs
We hope the Infiniti Emerg-e concept has a long life on the auto show circuit, because you need to see this car in person. This is a stunningly beautiful car, and our front-row perch at Infiniti's press conference is the highlight of our Geneva auto show experience thus far.
Shiro Nakamura, head of design for Nissan and Infiniti, is the designer of record on the Emerg-e, and this car surpasses his previous high -- the Essence. The drivetrain on this car is interesting, too, because it's a rear-drive, plug-in hybrid with a range-extending gasoline engine -- in this case, a mid-mounted, 1.2-liter inline three-cylinder developed by Lotus.
"Designing a mid-ship car sounds very exciting, but at the same time there's even less freedom because of the package constraints and the distribution of weight," Nakamura says. "Because of the FX and Essence, we have already established an Infiniti look and proportion. Also, we now have front-wheel-drive cars with Etherea. We've got to go beyond our existing proportions, so this is a good experience."
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Categories: Concept Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Hybrids,Infiniti,Luxury Cars
