Beautiful Honda FC Sport Concept Breaks Cover
November 19, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Honda have pulled off quite a coup and unveiled a brand new concept today at the LA show. Quite a surprise to see a design unvieled at a show with no ‘leaked’ images prior to the event and what a gorgeous design it is.
The FC Sport was made as a design exercise to show off the packaging flexibility that is possible with hydrogen fuel cells. Using the V-Flow fuel cell stack and electric drivetrain from the FCX Clarity, the FC Sport is a three-seat sports car. The stack and drive system are moved to the back of the car for a mid-’engine’ layout. The seating arrangement harks back to the legendary McLaren F1 supercar with the driver front and center and the two passengers sitting back and on either side. What a shame the car is only a styling concept. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long before the concept become a reality.
BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid: LA 2008
November 19, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The new BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid was shown in the USA for the first time today at the LA Auto Show. The 7-series hybrid uses the same mild hybrid system developed alongside Mercedes.
A 20 kW electric motor/generator is sandwiched between the engine and transmission. The motor provides start-stop and regenerative braking capability. A lithium ion battery pack stores the energy and when it’s not needed for electric boost, it provides energy for vehicle electrical systems thus reducing the parasitic loads on the engine.
The mild hybrid will be used with the 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that BMW uses in the standard 7-series. This will reportedly give about a 20 percent increase in mpg. The 7-series hybrid should be on sale world-wide from the second half of 2009.
7 Hot Hybrids at LA 2008
November 19, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Here is our line up of the seven hottest hybrids that will be on display at the LA Autoshow 2008. Hybrids will take center stage at 2008 show, which opens to the public on Nov. 21. Thirty hybrid models will be on display—revealing the diversity of options coming from all automakers now.
Here are seven or our favourite “alternative” vehicles, including clean diesel, natural gas, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Read more
Toyota Camry CNG Hybrid Concept: LA 2008
November 19, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Toyota Camry CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) Hybrid concept debuts this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. With a pair of tanks instead of a spare tyre, doable because of run-flat tyres, the CNG-fueled Camry Hybrid has a range of up to 250 miles.
The benefits are that compressed natural gas burns cleaner, emitting fewer particulate emissions than gasoline, and CNG is still a little cheaper per gallon than petrol in the US. The downside is that CNG must be stored in cylindrical containers, so the designers lose the flexibility of being able to shape the fuel tank to suit the car’s optimal packaging. CNG’s also less dense than gas, which means less overall power than a comparable, conventionally-powered car. The big one is the usual story when it comes to new liquid fuel options, finding a filling station! Toyota says there are around 1,000 CNG pumps in the USA, and most of them aren not open to the public. So this concept is likely to remain a concept especially with the T. Boone Pickens plan off the table for now.
