Hybrid Living

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, In The AutoblogGreen Garage

Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery

General Motors has had a checkered relationship with hybrids in the last few years. Through the 1990s they did a lot of development work in the area, particularly through the federally funded Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). Ultimately, Toyota and Honda were the first to actually bring hybrid electric drivetrains to market. GM eventually brought their first light duty hybrid system to market with the mild parallel hybrid that was offered on the Silverado and Sierra pickups for a couple of years. That was followed by the belt-alternator-starter system that debuted in late 2006 on the Saturn Vue. Neither of these systems could in any way be considered a commercial success although GM claims to have learned some real world lessons from them.

Late in 2007, GM finally launched production of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids, the company’s first “strong” or full hybrid systems offered on light duty vehicles. The hybrid full-size SUVs have been controversial among hybrid fans who are of course dubious about why GM is bothering to apply this technology to these big, heavy vehicles. Even with the hybrid system, the rear wheel drive Tahoe still only manages an EPA combined rating of 21 mpg, less than half of the 46 mpg that a Prius gets. There is, however, a method to the apparent madness which we’ll come back to. Previously we’ve had a couple of opportunities for short drives of the Tahoe hybrid at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. Now that we’ve had a chance to live with it for a week you can read all about it after the jump.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery

General Motors has had a checkered relationship with hybrids in the last few years. Through the 1990s they did a lot of development work in the area, particularly through the federally funded Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). Ultimately, Toyota and Honda were the first to actually bring hybrid electric drivetrains to market. GM eventually brought their first light duty hybrid system to market with the mild parallel hybrid that was offered on the Silverado and Sierra pickups for a couple of years. That was followed by the belt-alternator-starter system that debuted in late 2006 on the Saturn Vue. Neither of these systems could in any way be considered a commercial success although GM claims to have learned some real world lessons from them.

Late in 2007, GM finally launched production of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids, the company’s first “strong” or full hybrid systems offered on light duty vehicles. The hybrid full-size SUVs have been controversial among hybrid fans who are of course dubious about why GM is bothering to apply this technology to these big, heavy vehicles. Even with the hybrid system, the rear wheel drive Tahoe still only manages an EPA combined rating of 21 mpg, less than half of the 46 mpg that a Prius gets. There is, however, a method to the apparent madness which we’ll come back to. Previously we’ve had a couple of opportunities for short drives of the Tahoe hybrid at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. Now that we’ve had a chance to live with it for a week you can read all about it after the jump.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in

Tesla Roadster motor

One of our readers dropped us a note the other day with a very valid question about electric motors:

I’m a big fan of Autoblog Green. My wife and I both plan on buying 100% electric cars as soon as we can. My wife asked me why don’t the electric motors short out in the rain or when they get wet. I said “I don’t know” I’ll see if I can find out. Can you shed any light on the subject?

Well, yes, I can. Unlike consumer electronics devices, cars and trucks have to be designed to work in a much wider range of environments from -40F to 120F and in sand, rain, snow and anything else imaginable. In order for cars to work reliably, electronics and electrical components have to be specifically designed to seal out the elements. Connectors and housings have seals to keep out water and other stuff that doesn’t belong. Of course many and rubber and plastic parts often dry out and crack. To avoid this, special materials have been developed and these parts have to go through extensive durability testing to insure that they can last the life of the car. Testing occurs both in the lab and on the road in all conditions. This is just part of why it takes so long to develop and validate new cars. Trust us, all EV drivers are thankful it happens, even if the wait for new electric cars is so long.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Honda

While many other car-makers (with the notable exception of Toyota) are jumping on the lithium ion bandwagon for new hybrid models, Honda will stick with nickel metal hydride for now. Honda President Takeo Fukui told Automotive News that lithium ion batteries are not yet reliable or durable enough for high volume applications. When Honda debuts a new dedicated hybrid model early next year to take on the Prius, it will continue to use nickel metal hydride batteries.

Honda hopes to top 200,000 annual sales with its new hybrid model, a car that is expected to be priced below the current Civic hybrid. Honda has chosen to use a lithium battery in its FCX Clarity fuel cell car, but those will be very low volume initially and much more expensive. The continued use of nickel probably has as much to do with cost as anything else at this point. Given Honda’s price and volume targets, there is probably no lithium battery available right now to the meet the need. According to Fukui, the new model is being engineered to allow for a running change to lithium when the batteries do meet the company’s specifications.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, PSA, Citroen, Peugeot

Like Newteon, PSA Peugeot Citroen is eyeing the EV contract for La Poste. PSA is teaming up with Monaco-based Venturi Automobiles to produce battery-powered vans based on the Citroën Berlingo First and Peugeot Partner Origin for the French Post office. The partnership will produce a small batch of vans for a six month test program. Venturi has been developing high dollar electric sports cars and less expensive oddball buggies. For this project, Venturi will contribute a new compact electric powertrain that allows the motor, battery and electronics to be mounted underhood and give the delivery vans a 60-mile range. After the trial ends La Poste, will select a vendor to produce 500 electric mail vans.

[Source: Peugeot]
Venturi Automobiles, in Partnership With PSA Peugeot Citroën, Preselected in International EV Tender By La Poste
Venturi Automobiles and PSA Peugeot Citroën have joined forces to supply Citroën Berlingo First or Peugeot Partner Origin-type electric vans in response to a tender from the French Post Office, La Poste.
Issued in April 2007, the international tender initially involves the supply of a small number of test vehicles. Following a six-month trial period, during which the vehicles with be thoroughly tested, La Poste will select the supplier of 500 mail delivery vans.

As Venturi Automobiles’ partner, PSA Peugeot Citroën feels that this phase of real-world testing represents a valuable opportunity to fine-tune the technological solutions equipping these delivery vans, to align them seamlessly with La Poste’s expectations.

The Berlingo Citroen / Peugeot Partner will be tested with an entirely new power train proposed by Venturi. This extremely compact technology makes it possible to fit the electric motor, battery and other EV components inside the van’s engine compartment, in lieu of the internal combustion engine. This offers the major advantage of ensuring the same load volume and payload as in a conventional version.

The electric Berlingo/Partners will have a range of up to 100 kilometers, which is amply sufficient to cover their mail delivery routes.

PSA Peugeot Citroën will contribute its automotive expertise and experience, particularly in electric vehicles.

Venturi will provide its particularly compact and innovative powertrain solution, as well as its short-run production capabilities

The partnership will enable PSA Peugeot Citroën to relaunch its EV business, where it was a pioneer and European market leader, with nearly 10,000 vehicles sold. The Group believes that in the future, electric vehicles will play an important role in reducing automotive emissions, with sales being driven primarily by city delivery vans.

PSA Peugeot Citroën is the world’s leading manufacturer of low-emission vehicles. In 2007, it sold in Europe more than one million vehicles emitting less the 140g of CO2/km.
With operations in 150 countries through its Peugeot and Citroën marques, the Group employs more than 200,000 people around the world.

Since 2001, Venturi Automobiles has led a sustained innovation drive that has made it an undisputed leader in electric vehicles. Its expertise in the world’s most advanced EV technological solutions extends from city quad-bikes to high-performance sports cars.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Chrysler, Dodge

The second member of the Two-Mode hybrid partnership to bring a vehicle to the streets following GM’s launch of the Tahoe/Yukon hybrids will be Chrysler. The Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrids don’t actually go on sale to the the public until later this fall. However, the first “saleable” Aspen hybrid rolled silently off the assembly line at Chrysler’s Newark, DE assembly plant on the March 10. So-called saleable units are typically built many months ahead of retail sales and built from production intent parts on production units. These vehicles are generally kept for internal use including durability testing and final validation of hardware and software. These vehicles will also be used for early media drives that will likely take place this summer. The Chrysler hybrids are using the same hybrid transmission used by GM supplied from that company’s Baltimore transmission plant. The only difference is the case casting to allow it to interface with the Chrysler V-8 engine.

[Source: Red Letter Dodge]

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Filed under: Diesel, Porsche

Photographers hanging out in Arjeplog. Sweden have seen proof that Porsche is indeed working on a diesel powered Cayenne. When automakers are testing vehicles up in Northern Sweeden they generally fill the fuel tanks at public gas stations in town before heading out to the frozen lakes to do their testing. The Cayenne in question was witnessed being filled from one of the black diesel pumps and the distinctive sound of a compression ignition engine was clearly audible as it pulled away. The diesel Cayenne could debut in 2009 although Porsche has yet to officially even acknowledge its existence.

[Source: AutoExpress]

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Filed under: Etc.

So, was Bob Lutz right, or was it just bad luck? Just as I picked up a new Mazda MX-5 to drive for a few days following the Vernal Equinox, it has started to snow (and snow, and snow). We’ve actually had more snow this winter than I can recall in quite a few years. Getting 4-5 more inches of the stuff the day after the official start of Spring doesn’t help the argument. However, regardless of what might be happening around here on any given day, (and getting snow on Easter is not at all unusual in Michigan) the preponderance of the evidence still seems to point to the fact that something is definitely happening to our planet. Earth itself will ultimately survive – as it has before – following numerous mass extinctions. The planet is not in peril. Humans and the plant and animal species that we depend on for survival, on the other hand, are. The planet will go on and new species will crop up for several billion more years after we’re long gone until the sun decides to pack it in. But if we want to stretch out our time here, we need to be a lot more thoughtful about how we utilize natural resources. Was Lutz right? It probably doesn’t really matter. The problems we face with collapsing fish stocks and energy supplies are of far more immediate concern anyway.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, New York Auto Show

About a month ago Hybrid Technologies sent out press release that they were slashing the price of their electric vehicle conversions. For some time now, they have been offering up MINI Coopers, Chrysler PT Cruisers and even Crossfires among others. The flaw in the plan however was the pricing. There have been questions about actual performance and how many vehicles the company has actually delivered. The one independent test that we are aware was a battery powered Chrysler PT Cruiser the company provided for testing as a New York City Taxi. That one ended badly after only a few months in service when the car was unable to approach the claimed range and it performed poorly in cold weather. Well, some of the staff from Hybrid Technologies were on hand with a few of their vehicles at the New York Auto Show this week and I managed to get answers (sort of) to a few questions. Their MINI conversion is now priced at $57,500 and they have built two prototypes for testing. However, to date none have been ordered by potential customers. As for their latest offering, a converted Toyota Yaris called Liv Wise, priced a slightly more reasonable $39,500, HT claims to have gotten fifteen serious inquiries and they are attempting to firm up the first order. Once an order is confirmed they will deliver a car within four months. So apparently people are looking for actual demonstrated capability at an affordable price when it comes to electric vehicles and conversions of existing cars may not be the way to get there.

[Source: Hybrid Technologies]

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Filed under: Ethanol, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, New York Auto Show

Click the Saleen S5S Raptor

A quarter century after Steve Saleen started building heavily modified high performance Ford Mustangs, the company that still bears his name, if not his direct involvement, unveiled a new concept car at the New York Auto Show. The S5S Raptor is the second ground-up design from Saleen following the S7R that debuted several years ago. The Raptor is the first car from Saleen specifically designed to run on ethanol. During the presentation CEO Paul Wilbur emphasized the use of cellulosic E85, which several cars in the American Le Mans Series are running this season. The Raptor is powered by a new supercharged 5.0L V-8 that produces 650hp when running on biofuel. Saleen is following many other high performance tuners and builders in switching to E85. It allows them to tune the engines for higher performance without having to use expensive high octane racing gasoline blends. The Raptor is currently a concept, but Saleen is evaluating potential customer interest before deciding whether to proceed with production. If Saleen does proceed it could be available within two years at approximately $185,000.

[Source: Saleen]

SALEEN REVEALS SUPERCAR CONCEPT THE “S5S RAPTOR” AT THE
NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

New York, NY (March 20, 2008) – Saleen’s all new concept vehicle, the S5S Raptor made its world debut today on the floor of New York City’s Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center. The S5S Raptor unveiling comes amidst several other Saleen announcements including a partnership with Dan Gurney, Rockstar Games and the integration of several first time seen ASC products, featured on two existing Saleen vehicles.

“We are extremely proud of the Raptor. It is the car that enthusiasts are waiting for America to produce and Saleen is just the company to answer that call,” said Paul Wilbur, Saleen President and CEO.

The S5S Raptor represents the first ground up vehicle to be conceived by the new Saleen management team and the most extensive demonstration of the combined capabilities of Saleen engineering and the ASC creative team.

“The Raptor is just a glimpse of things to come from Saleen,” says Chief Technical Officer, Chris Theodore. “Our company is unique in that we have the experience and knowledge behind some of the most exciting performance vehicles built over the past 20 years. Beyond the S7 Supercar, our team members have been involved in the Viper, Prowler, Ford GT, and the products of Chrysler SRT and Ford’s SVT performance groups. These ‘lessons learned’ are evident in the Raptor concept and we will continue to build upon them as the company evolves.”

The Raptor is a two seat mid-engine super car that competes in size and style with core offerings from the most notable of Italian exotic car makes, but with a segment leading 650hp and 630 lb-ft of torque provided by a Saleen 5.0L Supercharged Engine – the source of the “S5S” designation. Unlike its competitors, the Raptor is designed to digest cellulosic ethanol. “This is the same ethanol formula,” states Wilbur, “that is the official fuel of the 2008 American Le Mans Race Series and the IRL.” The higher octane rating of E85 results in more power. It is a combination that will send the Raptor screaming to 60 mph in a g-force generating 3.2 seconds. With ethanol power, the car is both mean and clean!

Saleen’s use of cellulosic ethanol is right for us for two reasons:
· It maintains consistency with our racing heritage, as many of the racing formats (IRL, American Lemans, etc) are now adopting ethanol as the racing fuel of choice.
· It also helps our environment through cleaner tailpipe emissions as well as reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil.

While Saleen is a small, specialty vehicle maker, we share in the responsibility to do what we can to support our environment, without compromising on our brand values.

Compromise does not enter into the conversation at all. The Raptor’s hand-built 5.0L cubic inch engine with its patented twin-screw supercharger delivers its 650 horses at 6300 rpm and hits max torque at just 4400 RPM. This power sits on call beneath the knob of a close ratio 6-speed manual, or optional paddle shifting sequential gearbox. It’s a combination that send Raptor’s rigid aluminum chassis screaming to a top speed of over 200 mph.

As power is nothing without control, the double wishbone suspension and rack and-pinion steering of the S5S is augmented by ABS traction control and stability control systems. The brake system features 15-inch (381 mm) front rotors with 6 piston calipers, and 13-inch (308 mm) rear rotors with dual piston calipers for maximum stopping power. Road holding traction is provided by the 275/35 ZR20 and 315/35/ZR20 Pirelli Rosso tires that wrap the 20″ forged aluminum front and rear wheels respectively. The unique black-diamond and carbon fiber finish on the wheels make them as stunning as they are strong.

“We spent a great deal of time on the design of the Raptor,” says Marques McCammon, General Manager of Saleen Automotive. “The vehicle’s bold shoulders are reflective of an aggressive American attitude, reminiscent of Can-Am race car styling cues, but delivered with modern sophistication. If you see a little Chaparral or McLaren design influence in this car, you are right.”

The aesthetics for the Raptor were developed by ASC Creative Services, America’s largest independent automotive design firm. “This vehicle was an aggressively compressed program that combined the traditional methods ofthree-dimensional clay sculpting with sophisticated digital modeling tools,” said Steve Nowicki, ASC Creative Services Director. “The vehicle is distinctive in a way that I think the world is going to love. The primary designer on this program was Dave Byron, a CCS graduate and passionate member of ASC’s Design team”.

Raptor’s unique sun flair yellow paint accentuates the cars beautiful body forms. The interior of the car can be illuminated by the sun or the city lights through the solar-tented scenic roof that covers the cockpit. Detailing is transformed from mere aluminum on the vehicles wheels and exhaust by their black-diamond powder coat finish.

“In all the S5S Raptor is a work of art aimed to take your breath away,” said McCammon. “It is aggressive and sexy at the same time.”

According to Saleen executives, the S5S Raptor could enter the market in as little as two years, and should it go forward, it would carry a base price of approximately $185,000 MSRP.

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Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, HUMMER

During a first drive event for the new HUMMER H3T in Moab, Utah, Mike Levine of PickupTruck.com got confirmation of an engine change coming to the H3 lineup. When the H3 debuted it was saddled with the 3.7L inline five cylinder from the Chevy Colorado pickup it was derived from. Unfortunately, that engine struggled mightily with the H3′s 4,700lb mass. That meant it worked hard all the time and got notoriously lousy fuel economy. When a V-8 engine option was added last year, it got the same fuel economy as the five because it wasn’t working so hard.

At the Detroit Auto Show HUMMER showed the HX concept with a flex-fuel version of GM’s direct injection 3.6L V-6. Thanks to Mike, we now know that engine will move into the H3. Although Mike wasn’t given a timeline, GM has previously said that all HUMMERs would be biofuel capable by 2010. The DI V-6 is both more powerful and more fuel efficient than the five cylinder, meaning it doesn’t have to strain as hard and with cellulosic ethanol hopefully coming on stream in the next few year, the ethanol option should get more palatable as well. Now if most of the people who drive these things could just come to grips with the fact that they don’t actually need such a vehicle in the first place we’d be all set.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

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