The FCX Clarity hydrogen car is now available for lease from participating Honda dealers for Southern California residents who live in Santa Monica, Torrence or Irvine.
The FCX Clarity lease runs at$600 per month which includes maintenance and insurance costs. Honda is currently limiting the lease to residents who have access to fueling service areas.
The 270 mile range car runs off a hydrogen fuel cell and is refillable at designated filling stations provided by Honda. Honda has also partnered with Plug Power Inc. to develop a Home Energy Station which is small enough to fit in the home owners garage.
A123Systems announce six initial certified partnerships that are authorized to install and convert the hybrid Toyota Prius to an plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The conversion is expected to increase the gas mileage of the Prius to over 100 MPG for the first 30 - 40 mile commute.
The L5 module, designed for the the 2004 - 2008 Toyota Prius, provides approximately 5 kWh of power and takes only 4.5 hours to recharge. The A123Systems L5 module runs $9995 which includes installation and a 3 year warranty.
One problem with hybrid vehicles today is the recharging system. It just takes too long to recharge your battery. Given, that the hybrid electric vehicle range is extended with an internal combustion engine, for a “true” electric car, fast recharging of low batteries is a necessity.
With a 5 minute recharge time, A123Systems M1 cells charge almost 20 times faster than traditional Lithium-Ion cells. Also, at 1/3 the weight, expect that the vehicle range will be extended. A123Systems uses nanoscale materials that are inexpensive, nontoxic and safer than Li Ion batteries.
GM is prototyping A123Systems’ batteries in their Saturn Green Line Vue plug-in hybrid SUVs and are expecting double the fuel efficiency.
Automotive pioneer ZAP (NYSE Arca:ZP and PCX:ZP) announced today that it will introduce the nation’s only production all-electric car at the New York International Auto Show, which runs from April 14-23 at The Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan, New York.
ZAP has entered into a manufacturing contract with a Chinese automaker to produce a unique car aimed at filling the need for a gas-free, all-electric cars that are practical and affordable. ZAP Chairman Gary Starr says that the XEBRA project is the offspring of more than three decades of thought and evolution in electric transportation and has been designed to meet the needs of today’s drivers.
“We designed the XEBRA to be unlike anything else on the market,†said Starr. “The use and purpose of electric vehicles is different than gas cars, so the wheel did need to be invented.â€
ZAP calls the new XEBRA a ‘City Car,’ a unique design suitable for urban, non-freeway driving. The car is ideal for households that want a fun, inexpensive vehicle for running errands around the city or for municipal and corporate fleet use. Unlike the hybrids currently on the market in the U.S., the ZAP car needs no gas at all—just plug into any conventional outlet. [PRWEB]
The redesigned 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid is debuting at dealerships nationwide with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $30,990.
The Accord Hybrid receives an extensive face lift for 2006 as well as a host of new features and enhancements, highlighted by a better emissions rating (now AT-PZEV/Tier-2 bin2, previously ULEV-2/Tier-2 bin5), new exterior and interior styling, a power moonroof and more.
Now in its second year, the Accord Hybrid gains the same improvements as all 2006 Accords and more exclusive features that help to further differentiate it from other Accord models. Additionally, several new standard features have been added including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and a temporary-use spare tire.
The Accord Hybrid utilizes Honda’s third-generation of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system in combination with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology to deliver high levels of fuel efficiency for a V6 engine - on par with a 4-cylinder mid-size sedan - along with highly responsive and powerful V6 performance. The 3.0-liter V6 engine with IMA is rated at 253 horsepower (SAE net rev. 8/04) and achieves an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 25/34 city/highway miles per gallon.
“We’ve listened to our customers and added the features they told us they wanted,†said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. “The Accord Hybrid is unique in that it delivers performance and environmental responsibility without compromising one for the other.â€
In keeping with Honda’s industry-leading “Safety for Everyone†initiative, all Accord Hybrids also come equipped with a comprehensive list of advanced safety features including dual-stage, dual-threshold driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, first and second row side curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes (ABS). Like all V6-equipped Accords, the Accord Hybrid receives Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) for the 2006 model year. [PRWEB]
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tagTRAX: honda accord hybrid | curtain airbags | honda | v6 engine
Vincentric’s Best Value in America™ awards were announced today, with hybrid vehicles leading the way. The Toyota Prius, along with the hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Highlander each won the Best Value in America™ award in their segment. In addition, Vincentric assigned Excellent Value ratings to the Mercury Mariner hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the Honda Insight. 
To determine Vincentric’s Best Value in America™, Vincentric analyzed over 1,800 different vehicle configurations and computed the cost to own and operate each vehicle. Eight different cost factors were calculated to determine overall Cost of Ownership: depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repairs.
Using a statistical model, the company identified the Best Value in Americaâ„¢ by measuring which vehicles have a lower than expected ownership cost given their market segment and price. The strong value of hybrids was clear when both a hybrid and non-hybrid version of the same vehicle were compared to other vehicles in the same segments. In those instances, the hybrid version had ownership costs that averaged 16.2% lower than a similarly priced competitor, while the non-hybrid version had ownership costs 7.9% lower.
“Hybrids benefited from three main factorsâ€, stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. “First was their strong fuel economy ratings, resulting in lower fuel costs for these vehicles. Second was their strong residual values due to high demand, resulting in lower depreciation costs. And third was the federal tax credit that went into effect this year. This combination of factors creates extremely strong value for consumers.â€
Including the Prius and Highlander hybrid, Toyota had eleven Best Value in Americaâ„¢ awards, with Honda also faring well with six winners. [PRWEB]
tagTRAX: hybrid vehicles | hybrid version | highlander hybrid | toyota prius | lexus rx400h
FEV Engine Technology is developing a number of fuel-saving technologies that balance fuel economy improvement, increase performance and drivability, and produce excellent noise, vibration and harshness characteristics.
Emerging concepts that lead to improved fuel economy include gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engines, advanced valve deactivation and variable-valve timing, says Gary Rogers, president and chief executive officer of FEV.
Rogers commented on FEV’s opportunities at the 11th annual Ward’s 10 Best Engines awards luncheon, where the winning technologies were introduced. FEV is a gold sponsor of the event.
Variable-valve lift systems, camless electro-mechanical valve trains, and various hybrid configurations also offer options for automakers, he notes.
Other FEV initiatives include reducing friction and lubrication power losses in engines; optimizing cooling system controls; developing new vehicle-calibration equipment, and creating new transmissions.
“Although this award is called ‘Ward’s Top 10 Engines,’ it really reflects something quite different and perhaps, more important,†Rogers says. “While all of the engines receiving awards this year are technically superior engines, the evaluation process is one that is heavily weighted toward judging the quality of the powertrain integration and calibration.
“Market-specific attributes such as drivability, vehicle acceleration, passing power, the ‘corporate sound’ and the perceived enjoyment of the driving experience, tend to be unique to the local market in which the vehicle is sold, as opposed to pure performance attributes such as power or torque.
“This year’s award winners are the manufacturers that ‘hit a home run’ with vehicle homologations that are targeted for the North American market – and that’s much more challenging than simply hitting power and torque targets,†according to Rogers.
Many of the engines that competed in the contest feature advanced fuel-saving devices. For example, GDI engines have become the state-of-the-art production technology that can both improve fuel economy and vehicle performance.
“Last year, we saw a GDI engine – the Audi 3.2-liter FSI – recognized in the Ward’s best engine list,†Rogers notes. “Since then, more manufacturers have introduced GDI engines with great success.â€
Some markets have special requirements, he says. “Due to the historically higher fuel prices in Europe and Japan, some of these technologies have been developed for those markets. Consumer demand is now shifting the priorities in North America and those technologies are coming here in the next few years.â€
Diesel engines shouldn’t be overlooked either as they have gained wide acceptance in Europe. Recent sales successes of diesel-powered passenger vehicles in the United States indicate that greater acceptance is anticipated.
“The diesel engine’s strong low-end torque makes it ideal for the vehicle sizes and driving conditions in North America,†Rogers says.
Environmental objections to diesel engines will be greatly reduced with the pending introduction of particulate filters, low-sulfur fuel, and nitrous oxide (NOx) aftertreatment systems, Rogers notes. The greatest challenge is that advanced diesel engines cost more than advanced gasoline engines. They are much less expensive, however, than hybrid electric systems.
tagTRAX: gary rogers | fev | rogers | fuel economy improvement | vehicle calibration
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Travelling with unrestrained pets in the car can be dangerous, so Honda have created a concept car to make driving safer for both dogs and owners.
The car is called the “Wow†– officially standing for “Wonderful Openhearted Wagon†but also having the association of bow-wow.
There are specially designed seating areas in the car that are safe for dogs and which can be converted to normal, comfortable seating for passengers. Instead of a glove box, it has a compartment that a small to medium size dog can comfortably sit or lie in.
It has wooden floors instead of the normal carpet, as well as easy to clean seats so it doesn’t matter how wet and muddy the dog gets whilst out on its walk.
Rebecca Pearson from Duck2water Car Insurance says car will be a hit with dog owners:
“22% of our customers have dogs. When we asked them how often they took their dog in the car, 70% of them reported that they did at least once a week. With so many dogs – and not just dogs, also cats, goats, sheep and other animals – being chauffered around, there is probably quite a big demand for this kind of car in the UK.â€
[PRWEB Nov 12, 2005]
Gas prices are reaching all-time highs and drivers are infuriated. Are hybrid cars the answer to this economic crisis? [PRWEB Sep 23, 2005]
Connaught Motor Co. Ltd. announced yesterday that it has achieved significant new investment for the production of its breakthrough Type D V-10 Hybrid Sports Coupe. Connaught also plans to license their hybrid technology for use in other mass-market vehicle models beginning in 2006. [PRWEB Aug 29, 2005]