Electric Cars Report » Plug-in Hybrids

Chevrolet Volt Goes to China

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:46:23 +0000

General Motors announced the arrival of the first drivable Chevrolet Volt extended range electric car in China.

The Chevrolet Volt, which will be sold in the US from the end of this year, will go on sale in Chinese market next year.

Despite earlier reports–including ours–to the contrary, General Motors plans to sell the car as a Chevrolet, rather than as a Buick–a brand that carries far more prestige in China than the mass-market Chevy label.

GM delivered two Chevrolet Volts to the Shanghai Expo Bureau for use as part of its VIP transportation fleet at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The Volt will shuttle special guests to and from Shanghai’s Expo Park and demonstrate GM’s pathway to its vision of sustainable urban transportation.

The Chevrolet Volt will be available in China with the OnStar in-vehicle safety, security and communication service. Chevrolet and OnStar developed the smartphone application system that will allow Volt owners to set the charge time, start their vehicle, track mileage, unlock doors and much more from a smartphone or home computer on a 24/7 basis.

Honda to Launch Plug-in Hybrid in Two Years

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:18:34 +0000

Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito has has announced that Honda will add a plug-in hybrid vehicle to its range in the Japanese and U.S. markets in 2012.

The new plug-in hybrid will be able to make trips of up to 60 km using the electric motor alone, without the need for the petrol engine.

“Honda will fulfill customer demand more precisely by developing and adopting multiple hybrid systems that are appropriate for vehicles of different sizes and use,” Mr. Ito said.

Honda introduced hybrid motoring to Australia with the first-generation Honda Insight and will launch the second-generation Insight Hybrid in late 2010 to complement the Civic Hybrid.

GM Increases Chevrolet Volt Production 50 Percent

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:32:21 +0000

General Motors today said that it will increase the production capacity of the Chevrolet Volt in 2012 from 30,000 cars to 45,000.

The announcement came as U.S. President Barack Obama toured the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Chevrolet Volt is being produced now for sale later this year.

The expanded U.S. production capacity is the latest in a series of positive developments for the Chevrolet Volt.

This week, participating Chevrolet dealers in launch markets began taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, following the release of retail and lease pricing.

The brand also recently announced battery and vehicle limited warranties to bring value and peace of mind to Volt customers. And the number of U.S. launch markets for the vehicle recently was raised from three to seven. In the past few weeks, more than 25,000 people have joined the Chevrolet Volt enthusiast list.

The Volt offers a total driving range of about 340 miles and is powered by electricity at all times. For up to the first 40 miles, the vehicle drives gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered, engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 300 miles on a full tank.

The Detroit-Hamtramck plant received $336 million in new investment to prepare for production of the Volt, part of more than $700 million GM has invested in eight Michigan facilities to support Volt production since 2008. This includes a 33,000 square-foot battery systems lab in Warren; a battery assembly facility in Brownstown Township; and supporting engine and stamping operations in Grand Blanc, Bay City, and three plants in Flint.

Porsche Approves 918 Spyder Plug-In Hybrid for Production

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:02:35 +0000

Porsche’s supervisory board approved production of the Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-In Hybrid supercar.

The announcement came just two days after German carmaker confirmed it’s working on a pure-electric version of the Boxster sports car.

By late April, Porsche has reportedly recorded nearly 900 potential buyers at least 2,000 non-binding submissions of interest for its 918 Spyder hybrid concept.

Porsche, which unveiled the 918 Spyder hybrid at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, said it will move forward with a production 918 Spyder if that number crosses the 1,000 threshold. It now looks like the 1,000-mark has been cleared.

Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG: “Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base.”

The 918 Spyder concept combines high-performance mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid combines high-tech breakthroughs in engine technology and electro-mobility with a truly fascinating range of further qualities. Emissions otherwise to be found only on a super-mini of just 70 g/km CO2 with three liters fuel consumption for 100 kilometers in the NEDC (equal to 94.1 UK mpg or 73.5 mpg U.S.), are combined with the performance of a super sportscar developing well over 600 horsepower.

The 918 Spyder supercar will be developed Weissach and built in Zuffenhausen in Germany. Further product details of the 918 Spyder will be disclosed in the months to come.

2011 Chevrolet Volt to Start at $41000

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:40:25 +0000

It’s official: starting this November, GM dealerships in select U.S markets will start selling the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first mass produced extended-range electric vehicle, at a starting price of $41,000 (including a $720 destination charge).

The effective purchase price with a federal tax credit worth up to $7,500 for the Chevrolet Volt, the price drops to $33,500. Car buyers will have to finance the $41,000 and get the credit back on their next tax return.

GM will also offer leasing option for the Chevrolet Volt available on a 36-month term which will set you back $350/month with an initial payment of $2,500, which is about equal to the Leaf’s.

The carmaker announced the Chevrolet Volt pricing at noon today at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, Calif.

GM is making the pitch that the Volt’s longer driving range on a single charge and tank of gasoline will make it a better buy for most drivers than Nissan’s Leaf.

The Chevy Volt price tag is considerably larger than the electric Nissan Leaf, which is expected to sell for $32,780. Both cars, however, will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit and there are several states offering additional tax credits that could lower the cost of owning a Volt even more.

The Chevrolet Volt can travel 340 miles on a tank of fuel, with the first 40 in electric drive before a gasoline engine starts to recharge the battery. The Leaf is pure electric and can travel about 100 miles on a charge.

PGE First to Receive Raser E-REV Trucks by End of 2010

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:15:49 +0000

PG&E will be the first company in the U.S. to take delivery of Raser’s new extended range electric (E-REV) fleet trucks, designed to achieve an average of 100 miles per gallon in typical daily driving when recharged at night from a typical household outlet.

The extended range electric pick-up truck can drive the first 40 miles on powerful lithium-ion batteries. It can continue driving over 300 miles by generating its own electricity from a small onboard gasoline-powered generator or “range extender.”

PG&E expects to take delivery of the first two E-REV fleet trucks modified with Raser’s E-REV powertrain for initial testing and demonstration before the end of 2010.

Raser says it plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in both GM and Ford models to accommodate the growing demand for clean vehicles that can capture available federal and state incentives designed to offset the additional cost of electrification.

With a backlog of over 10,000 soft orders for plug-in fleet vehicles already, Raser plans to begin limited delivery to other fleets for field testing as early as 2011. Raser also plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in popular SUV models in the near future.

PSA Secures EIB Loan for Plug-in Hybrids

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:58:22 +0000

PSA Peugeot Citroen has secured a €200m (US$259m) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to develop of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

According to French carmaker, the loan is designed to develop a new technology that will enable PSA Peugeot Citroen to maintain its lead in the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Five hundred PSA Peugeot Citroen employees are working on the project, which will be developed entirely in France, at the Velizy Technical Centre.

PSA plans to invest a total of 400 million euros in its efforts to develop diesel-electric plug-in hybrid technology for multi-purpose vehicles, half of which will be provided by the French carmaker itself.

The first version of the new technology is due to be unveiled in 2012 based on the Prologue concept (pictured above), PSA said in a statement on Thursday.

The loan was granted under the European Clean Transport Facility (ECTF) financing program.

PSA sees hybrid and electric vehicles accounting for around 20 percent of the world car market in 2020.

PSA plans to introduce two electric vehicles based on Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV in Europe later this year – the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-Zero.

Toyota to Rent out Plug-In Prius in Nagasaki Prefecture

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:02:01 +0000

Toyota Motor Co. announced Friday that it will begin renting its plug-in Prius hybrid vehicle in Nagasaki Prefecture in what will be the Japan’s first rental service for plug-in hybrids.

Two plug-in Prius hybrids will be available at a Toyota rental and leasing company in the city of Goto.

Rental fees will be 8,400 yen (US$95.73) for up to six hours, 9,450 yen for up to 12 hours, 11,550 yen for up to 24 hours, and 9,450 yen for each additional day.

The plug-in Prius hybrids are essentially the same as the current third-generation full hybrid Prius, but are equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged by plugging it into a standard 240-volt outlet.

The rechargeable battery technology gives plug-in Prius extended capabilities when it is driven in EV mode: capable of running for up to 12.5 miles solely on its electric motor – battery charge and road conditions permitting – at speeds up to 62mph, it can accomplish the great majority of typical urban journeys with zero fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. Prius Plug-in’s combined cycle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are 108.6mpg and 59g/km respectively.

Ampera Ends Longest Electric Drive with Energy to Spare

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:15:02 +0000

Luton based Vauxhall Motors gave the most persuasive demonstration yet of its new Ampera’s core strengths of ultra-low emissions and real-world usability when a prototype car traversed seven UK counties; its production version would have enough energy left to do the same again.

The Vauxhall Ampera prototype completed a 170-mile drive between Vauxhall’s plants at Luton, Bedfordshire, and Ellesmere Port, south of Liverpool.

Every mile covered by the Ampera E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) was electrically driven, yet on reaching Ellesmere, its range extender meant that it could travel still further. In full production guise, the Ampera would have made it back to Luton.

The Vauxhall Ampera shares its extended-range electric vehicle propulsion system with the US-made Chevrolet Volt.

The Ampera has a battery range of around 40 miles. It also has a 1.4 liter petrol engine, driving a generator, which produces power for the battery once the car has exceeded its battery-only range.

When the battery’s energy is depleted to a minimum state, a small petrol/E85-fuelled engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the electric drive unit, boosting range by a further 310 miles.

Toyota Launches Plug-In Prius Trial in London

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:21:44 +0000

Toyota launched its first trial of Prius plug-in hybrids in the UK today in collaboration with EDF Energy, as part of its plans to bring the car to market by the and of 2012.

A total of 20 Prius plug-in hybrids will begin operating in London in July 2010, leased to five businesses and public organizations.

This project is part of a global Toyota project involving 600 Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles that will also be deployed in Japan, the US, Canada and Australia.

The data from the project should shed light on driver attitudes and usage patterns to help design strategies for introducing plug-in hybrids and recharging technologies.

The Prius plug-in hybrids involved in the lease program are essentially the same as the current third-generation full hybrid Prius, but are equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged by plugging it into a standard 240-volt outlet. EDF Energy has identified appropriate plug, socket, wiring and cabling specifications to comply with BS7671 safety standards. The charging points incorporate a keypad that enables each user and vehicle to be identified when recharging takes place.

The rechargeable battery technology gives Prius Plug-in extended capabilities when it is driven in EV (electric vehicle) mode: capable of running for up to 12.5 miles solely on its electric motor – battery charge and road conditions permitting – at speeds up to 62mph, it can accomplish the great majority of typical urban journeys with zero fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. Prius Plug-in’s combined cycle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are 108.6mpg and 59g/km respectively.

Should the battery charge be used up in the course of a journey, Prius plug-in will seamlessly switch to power from its efficient 1.8-liter VVT-i gasoline engine, meaning the driver need suffer no “range anxiety” about the distance his or her car might manage.