PLANS OF CHINA
China appears to have abandoned its plans to gain an early advantage on Western carmakers by beating them to the market with mass-produced electric vehicles.
As China develops more and more as a nation the demand for cars is increasing at a huge rate. The Chinese government had initially intended to skip hybrid technology to reduce the country's reliance on oil, and to improve the air quality in highly polluted cities like Beijing.
Politicians in Beijing had set targets for one million "new energy" vehicles to be on the roads by 2015 and 5 million by 2020, but this could now include regular hybrid vehicles to help meet the targets which many now feel was highly unrealistic. This is despite the subsidy schemes being run in five Chinese cities with discounts of up to $9,370 for pure electric vehicles.
It seems the plans for high numbers of electric vehicles have been partly quashed for the same reasons demand is expected to increase slowly in the west, namely concerns over range and expense. Even Chinese carmaker BYD ("Build Your Dreams"), backed by Warren Buffett, is reported to have delayed plans to export its electric vehicles such as the e6.
Hybrids are faring even worse - in contrast to its success in the U.S. and Europe, Toyota sold only a single Prius last year, and electric car subsidies that extend to hybrid vehicles may be required to kick-start that market.
The focus now has moved from pure electric cars to "hybrids and all vehicles that can reduce fuel consumption". It seems that, as in the West, Chinese customers like to walk before they can run when it comes to disruptive technologies.
Chevrolet Volt
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt will soon be arriving at Chevrolet dealers nationwide as General Motors makes the plug-in hybrid electric car available to all fifty states before the end of this year.
But on year on from the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, what are the differences between the 2011 and 2012 models?
Here’s our list of things that you need to know about the revised 2012 Chevrolet Volt.
How it works
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is a range-extended plug-in hybrid. Using a small battery pack, it can operate for up to 35 miles in all-electric mode everywhere from city streets through to the freeway.
But when its battery pack is depleted, the Volt’s 1.4 liter gasoline engine kicks in, powering a generator capable of producing up to 55 kilowatts to run its 111kilowatt electric motor for a total range of 379 miles.
The Volt can also be run in ‘mountain mode’ -- allowing the driver to force the Volt to use both gasoline and battery power in situations when the car will be operating under heavy load for many miles.
As the 2012 Chevrolet Volt is a car which can operate from either electricity or gasoline, its battery pack is a lot smaller than all-electric cars like the 2012 Nissan Leaf.
At just 16 kilowatt-hours in size, the Volt’s battery pack can charge from empty in 10 hours or less using a standard 110-volt charging cord plugged into a domestic power outlet, or in around 4 hours using a suitable level 2 J1772 compliant charging station.
Pricing, options
At $39,995, the base-level 2012 Chevrolet Volt is over $1,000 cheaper than the base-level 2011 Volt -- but it has less standard features than its predecessor.
The Satellite navigation and DVD entertainment system featured as standard on the 2011 Volt is now offered as a $1,995 premium option for the 2012 Volt.
Also reduced on the 2012 Chevrolet Volt is the car’s OnStar coverage. Dropped to 3 years complimentary coverage from the 5 years offered with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, owners of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt will have to pay an additional $299 per year for the additional coverage.
So although the 2012 Volt has a lower base price and larger, more impressive options list than the year before anyone wanting a Volt with the same specifications as the previous year’s $41,000 base model will find themselves shelling out an shattering $43,083.
Although we’ve not driven the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, its driving experience will be identical to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
We’ve found the Volt to provide a very impressive driving experience thanks to excellent road manners and its T-shaped battery pack providing a very low center of gravity.
Cabin noise is noticeably quiet too -- both with and without the Volt’s range extending gasoline engine running. Part of that is down to the way in which the Volt’s engine works in range-extended mode. Rather than rise and fall with the speed of the car, it operates within a very narrow band of engine speeds -- making it easy for engineers at chevrolet to design acoustic dampening to keep noise minimal inside the cabin.
We also love the Volt’s “Low” setting on its “transmission selector”. Paired with the “Sport” power mode, it’s possible to drive the Chevrolet Volt without really even touching the brake pedal in what we lovingly title “The Volt’s Tesla Setting”.
Honda
Honda’s high-tech hydrogen fuel cell car, the FCX Clarity, which emits zero harmful emissions will be making a public debut at a UK's EcoVelocity low carbon motor festival in September.
Honda’s trio of environmentally-friendly hybrid cars – the Insight, CR-Z and Jazz Hybrid – will also be at EcoVelocity.
The FCX Clarity is quite simply the world’s first production fuel cell car. It’s not a concept or experimental prototype, but a fully-certified vehicle built on a factory line like any other model.
The clever bit is that driving it, using all of its 432km range and even filling it up with hydrogen is just as easy as owning any other Honda.
The two car marques will work as equal partners to co-develop a hybrid system for the larger, rear-wheel drive vehicles, to increase their fuel efficiency.
Toyota is the global lead in hybrid sales, including the best-selling Prius hybrid car, and was named the world’s “greenest brand” by Interbrand earlier this year. Ford is one of the leading sellers of pickup trucks, predominantly sold in the US and Canada.
The range of hybrid trucks will be available by 2020. Details about the cost and scope of the collaboration have yet to be confirmed.
Toyota’s vice president for research and development, Takeshi Uchiyamada, says that the creation of the hybrids will help both companies meet the strict US fuel economy standards that are set to be enforced in the coming years and reduce the time it would have taken to design the system alone.
Ford’s head of product development, Derrick Kuzak, says: “This agreement brings together the capability of two global leaders in hybrid vehicles and hybrid technology to develop a better solution more quickly and affordably.”
The firms have also agreed to work on a standard set of practices for in-car phone, navigation and entertainment systems.
Ford recently announced its move further towards on board digital services, by scrapping CD players in its latest Focus range in a bid to shift to an “all digital in car entertainment offering”.
It is an electric car that generates its electricity on board using compressed hydrogen as an energy carrier and emits only water vapour from its tailpipe.
Everything You Need To Know About Buying A Hybrid Car!!
Buying from a range of the latest hybrids is a decision you should think carefully about, do not just jump head first into a purchase for the environmental and long-term financial benefits. These cars do require maintenance, and you need to ensure that you know the basics of looking after your hybrid vehicle, in addition to the contact details of a specialist mechanic who can source key components should they ever need replacing. Due to the complex engineering within the car, it’s common for additional cooling systems to be installed in most models, ensuring that the engine doesn’t overheat while the regenerative braking process occurs.
You should also know that by looking after your car, you will be able to get the best mpg performance possible. The power you can achieve from the vehicle depends on the size of the battery, and how charged the battery remains during your daily commute. If the cells are close to being drained on a regular basis, or always remain fully charged, it’s probable you won’t be getting the most out of your hybrid, performance wise.
Next up, make sure you consider the car’s price in relation to the specs it boasts. Usually, the more expensive the car, the better the battery that you’ll receive, but this isn't necessarily the case. There have been some excellent hybrids recommended in the motoring press that are incidentally among the cheapest vehicles in the range. This just goes to show that you don’t have to be flash with the cash to care about the environment and take action.
This leads us onto what you should know next: the science of how the hybrid car works; somewhat more complex than what you’d expect from standard family estate cars. With some of the leading models in the market, it isn’t necessary for you to plug the car into an charging terminal, although this technology is expected to boost the all-electric mileage that a hybrid can achieve. The main piece of technology which has been pioneered, the most important development since Ferdinand Porsche conceived the first gas-electric hybrid, is regenerative braking. The concept is simple: a simple solution to the mild frustration of engineers that valuable energy is usually lost when the brakes are applied on a car. Now though, with hybrid vehicles, this kinetic energy can be conserved as electricity in batteries for the future. In general, it’s very hard to find a car that has been so meticulously researched and precisely engineered, that is, unless you’re looking for a sports car with about three miles to the gallon.
Your hybrid car will reduce emissions in two ways, being practically silent while on the roads and without pumping dangerous exhaust fumes into the environment that endangers our health and that of the planet. All of this can be done in comfort, and the designs of some of the latest cars to be released in the next year.
Remember: you shouldn’t be concerned about having to replace the battery in the near future. Tests by the US government on some of the batteries installed within hybrid cars found that 160,000 miles was achievable on average, with some proud hybrid owners attaining 200,000 miles because the vehicle is constantly on the road, a piece of equipment integral to their productivity.
You shouldn’t give a second thought about getting a hybrid if you’re in the city, as these cars were made for such environments with heavy congestion, where continuous starting and stopping is the norm. Meanwhile, if your job demands travelling up and down the country in short spaces of time, you may consider the practicalities of having the electric component of your car. It will only be able to serve you well and save you fuel for the very first leg of your journey in most cases.
