The CMT-380 serial hybrid sports car is built on a Factory Five Racing kit car platform.
(Credit: Capstone)In an unlikely alliance, Capstone, manufacturer of electricity-generating microturbines, and Electronic Arts Chief Creative Director Richard Hilleman have built a hybrid sports car for the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. The CMT-380 uses an electric power train with a range-extending diesel-fueled microturbine. A lithium polymer battery pack gives the CMT-380 80 miles of pure electric range, and the microturbine generates power for an additional 500 miles.
The car itself is built on a kit car platform, the Factory Five Racing GTM supercar. Capstone cites performance figures of 3.9 seconds to 60mph and a 150mph top speed. Impressively, the microturbine burns its fuel so cleanly that no catalytic converter or other exhaust treatment is needed for the car to meet California's Air Resources Board emissions requirements.
Not the first name that comes to mind in the automotive industry, Capstone has been making microturbines for stationary facilities and hybrid public transport vehicles since 1988. The microturbine in the CMT-380 is the company's smallest, generating 30 kilowatts. Capstone claims many benefits of its microturbine technology over an internal combustion engine, such as compact size, low maintenance, and efficient operation.
But forget buying your own CMT-380. Capstone says it may build a limited number based on interest at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but the car really serves as a demonstration of microturbine technology. Capstone will look for interest in the technology from automakers.
A Humvee made by American General.
(Credit: AM General)Lithium-ion battery manufacturer EnerDel has signed an 18-month, $1.29 million contract with the U.S. Army to design and test hybrid battery options for the Humvee.
Trying to power the iconic fuel-guzzling High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV aka Humvee) with a battery, may seem like trying to put out a fire with a garden hose. But a lithium-ion battery system can deliver a lot of power from a battery quickly, giving a truck like the Humvee the thrust it requires.
EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, will collaborate with the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) on four possible power systems that could be implemented in the XM1124 version of the Humvee.
The company, which specializes in battery cell chemistry as well as the electronics and battery system designs, said it already has two viable options. EnerDel has developed a lithium-tatinate system in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory that could accommodate the acceleration and hard braking required for such a powerful vehicle like the Humvee. It also has a lithium-manganese system that would give a vehicle extra-long range and allow electronics to be run off the battery for extended periods of time before needing to be recharged.
As part of the 18-month contract, EnerDel will also be involved in testing the systems under "extreme performance simulations." In addition to putting the test vehicles through the usual Humvee paces of wading through water and mountain climbing, there will also be an endurance test.
That will include seeing how a hybrid Humvee fares as a power plant for a field hospital or temporary military post. The requirement makes perfect sense given the ease with which a Humvee can be transported to hard-to-reach areas. One of its key features has always been that it could be dropped in to virtually any terrain by parachute.
A Humvee being parachuted out of a plane.
(Credit: AM General)The hybrid Humvee will also be more stealthy. Anyone who's had a close call with a Prius knows how dangerously silent hybrids can be in total battery mode. The hybrid version of the Humvee will have a powered-down "silent watch" mode that will allow it to run with its diesel generator off, reducing not only its noise, but also its thermal signature to avoid detection.
As always with major military project announcements, the company involved was quick to point out the down-the-road commercial application of its technology.
"In keeping with a long tradition, we also expect that innovations perfected here will have important benefits for the commercial markets," EnerDel President Rick Stanley said in a a statement.
There has already been interest in Raser Technologies' H3E, a plug-in hybrid version of a Hummer-branded SUV called the H3. While not truly a Hummer (the civilian version of the Humvee), the "Hummer-light" descendant has garnered the interest of even the most discerning Hummer enthusiasts.
So if EnerDel's batteries might be good enough to power a Hummvee, why haven't commercial automakers been knocking? They have actually. The company has signed research partnerships of varying commitment levels with Think Global, Fisker Automotive, Volvo, and Nissan. Its parent company, Ener1, is also working with U.S. utilities to develop smart grid storage units.
BOSTON--Ford Motor expects to manufacture as many as 2 million all-electric and gas-electric vehicles in the next 10 years, betting that rising oil prices and consumer interest will sustain a long-term transition to new technologies.
The company has set a goal of making 10 percent to 25 percent of its fleet "electrified" by 2020, which represents somewhere between 800,000 and 2 million cars, said Nancy Gioia at a media event here on Wednesday. Ford announced on Wednesday that Gioia will hold a newly created position of director of global electrification, which covers hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles.
Plug-in electric vehicles promise to offer a much lower cost-per-mile than gasoline cars and deliver substantial environmental benefits. But in the near term, hybrids will likely represent the largest volume in the mix of technologies, said Gioia at the event.
"We've finally demonstrated the technology, the life, the durability, the safety (of hybrids)--all of that has reached a comfort zone to make it viable. Now it's going to be affordability that will drive mass market adoption," she said.
A demo of a Ford Focus, done with Magna, that runs on batteries alone. Ford plans to introduce the car in 2011.
(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)
Infiniti's first hybrid will be the 2012 M35.
(Credit: Infiniti)Nissan/Infiniti has so far only dabbled in hybrids, choosing to buy technology from Toyota for the Nissan Altima Hybrid. The company is really attempting to leap past that technology by going straight to electric vehicles, with the Nissan Leaf. But the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid must have lit a fire under someone at Infiniti, because the company just announced the Infiniti M35 Hybrid.
The M35 Hybrid will use a mild hybrid system.
(Credit: Infiniti)With a V-6 engine mated to what sounds like a mild hybrid system, the car will be aimed more at performance than maximum fuel economy. Infiniti describes the hybrid system, which was built in-house, as combining twin clutches and an electric motor on the propeller shaft coming out of the engine. This arrangement allows the electric motor to provide extra boost to the rear wheels and, according to Infiniti, drive the car under only electric power under certain circumstances.
Honda says the same of its mild hybrid system, but we've never actually noticed pure electric drive power in any Honda hybrid. Infiniti is using the same laminated lithium ion batteries in the Infiniti Hybrid as will be used in the Nissan Leaf.
The Infiniti M35 Hybrid will come out in 2011 as a 2012 model.
This V70 model is a research vehicle for Volvo to develop a plug-in hybrid power train.
(Credit: Volvo)Jumping in on a growing trend among automakers, Volvo announced that it will offer a plug-in hybrid car as early as 2012. Although a picture of a V70 plug-in hybrid concept was included with the announcement, Volvo hasn't confirmed which model it would use for this technology. In the past, the company has also shown a C30 concept with a plug-in hybrid power train.
But Volvo did specify the type of power train it would use for the car. The announcement describes a parallel hybrid, meaning drive power is provided by electric motors, an internal combustion engine, or both. Volvo would use a diesel engine with the capability to run on synthetic fuel in this application. The car would be designed to run under electric power for about 30 miles, making it suitable for city errands and commutes, after which the diesel engine would kick in. Volvo says the total range of the vehicle will be 745 miles.
European environmental regulations give Volvo ample incentive to develop the car. Under European emissions testing, the car would produce under 50 grams of CO2 per kilometer. At that level, some European countries will offer buyers a 5,000 euro discount on the price of the car, according to Volvo.
Volvo also seeks to allay fears that the electricity used to charge up the batteries in these cars will make an excessive impact on the grid. The company points out that a medium-size wind power station could provide the electricity required for 1,000 to 2,000 plug-in hybrids. Drivers would benefit from lower operating costs, as the amount of electricity used to drive the car over a mile costs significantly less than the diesel fuel that would run it over the same distance.
The Fisker Karma at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in August.
(Credit: Fisker Automotive)Fisker Automotive has been awarded $528.7 million in U.S. Department of Energy loans to develop a more affordable plug-in hybrid for U.S. production.
The hybrid car start-up company is indeed developing a $39,000 plug-in hybrid electric car, as CNET News predicted last week.
Fisker currently refers to the mystery car as "Project Nina."
The majority of the funds, which were awarded from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, will be put toward developing and building production facilities for the Nina car in the U.S.
Nina's development and production will employ an estimated 5,000 U.S. workers counting indirect jobs from suppliers as well as direct Fisker employment, the company said Tuesday.
Fisker recently introduced the Karma, a luxury hybrid sedan that sells for about $87,900. A small portion of the Department of Energy funds will go toward further developing production facilities for the Karma in the U.S.
The Nina plug-in electric hybrid price of $39,000, is the estimate after government rebates are factored in to the price. While that price point would not be considered "affordable" to the average U.S. car buyer, it is an affordable price for plug-in hybrids and electric cars, which are not yet produced in large volume. Tesla's Model S electric sedan, in comparison, costs an estimated $50,000 to $56,400 after rebates. Tesla was awarded $465 million in loans from the same Department of Energy fund in June to build production facilities for the Model S.
Using the federal loans, Fisker hopes to produce 100,000 "Nina" cars annually in the U.S. starting in 2012. And while the cars will carry made-in-the-U.S.A. bragging rights, Fisker hopes to sell many of the cars elsewhere too.
"A significant percentage will be exported, helping to balance the U.S. trade deficit," Fisker said.
From Lotus Engineering, the consulting arm of the automaker, comes a concept for an engine to be used as a range extender on series hybrid cars. The new design maximizes efficiency for an engine that will only function as a generator.
This three cylinder engine would work as a generator in series hybrid cars.
(Credit: Lotus)Series hybrid cars, such as the upcoming Chevy Volt, use electric motors to drive the wheels, with electricity sourced from a battery pack and generator. This type of car operates as a pure electric vehicle up to the maximum range afforded by its batteries, typically under 100 miles with current technology. To go further, an onboard generator produces electricity to drive the motors. Although some concepts have used fuel cells to generate this additional electricity, the first production series hybrid car will likely use a small gasoline engine.
Lotus points out that most engines proposed for series hybrid cars are existing car engines retuned for electricity generation. The Lotus engine has been designed from the ground-up for its purpose. The design was greatly simplified by casting the engine block, cylinder heads, and exhaust manifold as one piece, making production less costly and eliminating the need for some parts, such as the head gasket, which require regular maintenance.
The three cylinder engine displaces 1.2-liters and only uses two valves per cylinder, actuated by a belt-driven single overhead cam. The design includes a generator directly coupled to the engine. The engine can operate in two modes, with outputs of 15 kilowatts or 35 kilowatts. Lotus doesn't mention fuel consumption, a number that wouldn't be particularly relevant anyway without information what sort of car it would be mounted in.
The Chevy Volt may be the most exciting car coming from General Motors, but costs remain a barrier to wide-scale adoption, according to Bob Lutz, the company's vice chairman and design guru.
During a Web chat last week, Lutz said gasoline prices will need to go significantly higher in the U.S. before the car can become "generalized." His comments were reported on Thursday by GM-Volt.com, a site not affiliated with GM.
"The Volt technology is very exciting, but costs will have to come down before it can become generalized, and U.S. fuel prices will have to rise to world levels, meaning $5 or $6 per gallon," Lutz said. That was in response to a question about GM's plans to use the Volt power train, called Voltec, with other vehicles.
The first edition of the Volt, due late next year, will deliver a jump in fuel economy, offering over 100 miles per gallon. The car runs 40 miles on a large lithium ion battery and then uses a gasoline engine for longer trips.
GM executives have said before that this first-generation technology will be expensive--unconfirmed reports have put the price at about $40,000 before federal tax credits for plug-in electric vehicles.
The company is already working on bringing the costs down--particularly for the battery components--for the follow-on editions, according to the company.
Several automakers are betting on plug-in electric vehicles, which will start to come to market over the next year. This week's Frankfurt Motor Show showcased several electric and gas-electric concept cars.
Studies have shown that electric cars are less polluting than gasoline cars, particularly if vehicles are charged at off-peak times. They also allow more people to "fuel up" with a domestic source of energy.
But the high costs of battery components and range limitations of all-electric cars mean that plug-in electric vehicles will remain a small slice of the overall market, according to experts.
The Boston Consulting Group earlier this year released an analysis that predicted electric vehicles are likely to have 3 percent market share in 2020, compared to a projected 20 percent share for hybrid-electric vehicles.
An executive from Toyota, which has sold more than 2 million hybrid Priuses, said this week that it will take until 2020 before electric vehicles will be suitable for the "mass market."
BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept uses a gas engine and three electric motors.
(Credit: CNET)
Japanese automakers pioneered hybrid cars, but German companies have been slow to join in. At the Frankfurt auto show, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche showed off their latest efforts, a mix of research and production vehicles. Most of these cars don't stint on the power, merely using hybrid systems to boost efficiency without shooting for stellar fuel economy.
Volkswagen also comes in with a hybrid concept in its quest to build a car that will only burn one liter of fuel over 100 kilometers. And Lexus shows off a luxury compact concept with a full hybrid power train as a way of testing the waters in the European market.
The Fisker Karma at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in August.
(Credit: Fisker Automotive)American start-up Fisker Automotive may be about to unveil the first truly affordable plug-in hybrid for the U.S. market.
Ray Lane, managing partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, told an audience at the Always On Going Green conference in Sausalito, Calif., on Tuesday that there could be a big announcement within the next week about a $39,000 plug-in hybrid. Though he would not say who, he mentioned that it was a car for the U.S. market and that it was not strictly electric, according to a report from Cleantech Group.
While Kleiner Perkins has investments in several transportation start-ups such as Think Global and EEStor, the likely company from its repertoire to make such an announcement would be Fisker Automotive.
Fisker has already unveiled the Karma, a four-door luxury plug-in car that can go from 0-62 mph in 6 seconds, and has a maximum speed of 125 mph. But Fisker has set the tentative price for the car at $87,900, making it not much cheaper than Tesla's Roadster sports car.
Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker also told CNET in an exclusive May 2008 interview that advances in battery and software technology would allow his company to offer a $40,000 plug-in car in about four or five years.
Perhaps that day has come sooner than the founder was willing to let on at the time.
But it may not be as soon as others have speculated. Fisker's European press office sent out an e-mail on Monday informing journalists the company has canceled a press conference originally scheduled for this week at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
