What: GM's most significant effort to date to move past gasoline.
When: Currently scheduled for the 2010 model year, but the estimated production date has shifted many times during development. GM now says the vehicle will go into full production in late in 2010.
Price Range: Pricing for the 2010 Chevrolet Volt has not been finalized. GM sources quote prices ranging from $30,000 to $47,000.
Preview Photo Gallery
GM Debuts 2010 Chevrolet Volt
General Motors turned 100 on September 16th of this year. Whether it makes it to 101 may depend on this car. The Chevy Volt could revolutionize the auto industry, providing a domestic, high-mileage alternative for American buyers -- and it's produced with the backing of one of the world's largest and oldest automakers.
General Motors needs the Volt to succeed. On its 95th anniversary, GM stock traded at $41.88 per share, and the Detroit giant claimed the title of world's largest automaker. In its 100th year, the value of a share of that stock fell to under $10 -- its lowest point since Dwight Eisenhower sat in the White House and Chevrolet sold Bel Airs and Nomads. Rumors of impending bankruptcy began to swirl in July. GM had concentrated its efforts on designing and building large SUVs and trucks; but with gas above $4 a gallon, consumers wanted smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
The automotive press considers the Volt a potentially revolutionary car, but uncertainty surrounds the project. In-depth magazine profiles have portrayed it as controversial within GM, and the press is as focused on how a major automaker operates -- both internal political battles and engineering challenges -- as it is on the car itself. Many of the engineers behind the famous, failed EV1 are working on the Volt.
If it succeeds, it will matter as a symbol as much as an actual product -- forcing millions to reconsider GM's image, and possibly lifting the perception of rest of the General's model lineup with it.
As the New York Times explains, "If the Volt succeeds, it could put the troubled company on a whole new path after 10 decades tethered to the internal-combustion engine. If it fails, it could drag G.M., and perhaps the entire struggling American auto industry, even further behind Asian competitors."
GM has begun to include the car in advertising, even though it is years from showrooms.
What the Auto Press is Saying:
"Battered by a deepening slump in sales and concerns about whether it can ride out the downturn, GM is counting on the Volt to break its costly association with gas-guzzling vehicles at a time when truck sales are tumbling and gas prices are near record levels." -- Reuters "Because it will have both an electric and a gasoline motor on board, the Volt will be a hybrid. But it will be like no hybrid on the road today. Existing hybrids are gasoline-powered cars, with an electric assist to improve the gas mileage. The Volt will be an electric-powered car, with a gasoline assist to increase the battery's range."-- Atlantic Monthly "The Volt will be a compact five-door hatch, built on the new global small-car architecture that will also underpin future versions of the Saturn Astra and Chevy Cobalt. ... Executed properly, the Volt could be a real game changer." -- Motor Trend "The Volt will...be one of the first plug-in hybrids offered from a major manufacturer. But it won't be alone long; others including Toyota and Honda are working on plug-in hybrids, while Nissan is promising a pure electric in the same 2010-2011 time frame as the Volt launch." -- Road and Track "A large display screen will likely be standard and allow owners to custom-tailor certain driving and charging parameters. For example, [Volt chief engineer Frank Weber] says you could plug in your car at home and then program it to charge, say five hours later, when off-peak power is cheapest. Sustainable materials are all over the place, from a recycled carpet to soy-based foam seats. ---Popular Mechanics
The Chevy Volt is midsize, series-hybrid car. GM prefers to refer to it as "an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle," or E-REV. The distinction from traditional hybrids is important. All of the hybrids you can buy today -- like the Toyota Prius -- are parallel hybrids. They are essentially gasoline-powered cars with an electric motor to boost their gas mileage. The Volt is the opposite. It is a series hybrid -- an electric car with a small gasoline engine to boost its range.
GM says the gasoline engine will do less work in the Volt than in any previous hybrid. The electric motor, engineers claim, will be able to power the car all the way to 100 miles per hour, for up to 40 miles. The gasoline engine is just a generator that kicks in to recharge the batteries when they are near empty.
The Volt seats four and is sized somewhere between the small Chevy Cobalt and midsize Chevy Malibu.
The initial Volt concept appeared on the auto show circuit in 2007, and the automotive press has been busy tracking the project's ups and downs ever since. Estimates of the Volt's price, production date, and fuel economy have shifted many times
How Does It Work?
The Chevy Volt will use a new powertrain that GM is referring to as the "E-Flex" system. It uses electricity to move the car at all times, and uses an engine as a generator to repenish its batteries. To charge it, owners will plug it into a standard household electrical outlet. When they drive the car, it will use only its electric motor, no matter what speed it is driven, until its battery has less than 30 percent of a full charge remaining.
At that point, a small four-cylinder engine will turn on. That engine will not directly send power to the wheels -- instead, it will act as a generator, recharging the batteries.
According to GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, the Volt will use its GPS system to determine how long to run that engine. "The car will know how far you are from home," Lutz told reporters in September, "and it will only run the gas engine long enough to give you enough charge to get you home where you can actually plug it into the wall outlet. So the car will be smart enough to know where its home base is."
GM engineers estimate that the average driver will be able to travel 40 miles before the gasoline engine even ignites. But the range of the Volt under battery power alone will change based on how much weight it is carrying, how fast it is traveling, and other factors. The 40-mile figure is significant, however, because most Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. For many owners, the Volt would function as an electric car virtually all the time, using gasoline only when they took longer trips than they take on a typical day.
How Many Miles Per Gallon Will the Volt Travel?
This is a controversial question. Possible answers range from hundreds of miles per gallon at the most, to nearly the same mileage as a 2008 Toyota Prius at the least.
If the Volt were forced to pass current EPA tests, engineers estimate that it would be rated for 48 mpg -- about the same as a current Toyota Prius. That is true because the EPA's test requires hybrids to finish certain "cycles" of driving, in the city and on the highway, with their batteries carrying nearly a full charge. The Volt can do that with Prius-like numbers, according to GM engineers. But it isn't designed to work that way.
The Volt is designed to finish most drives with its batteries holding as little as 30 percent of a full charge. If the Volt is allowed to run the EPA's circuits that way, designers say, it can complete the tests using its gasoline engine less than 15 percent of the time -- and receive an MPG rating in the hundreds. That's closer to what the Volt driving experience will be like for most owners.
GM is supposedly negotiating with the EPA, trying to re-write the testing rules to more accurately reflect the capabilities of series hybrid cars.
How Will Its Performance Compare to Other Cars?
Performance figures for the Volt have not been released. Conflicting claims have been published by different media outlets. No one really knows what to expect until we are actually given the chance to drive the vehicle. But it seems unlikely that GM would bring it to market if it couldn't compete with similarly-sized models in the Chevrolet lineup.
Chevy claims that the Volt's electric motor produces the equivalent of 150 horsepower. The U.K.'s AutoCar has claimed the Volt weighs about 3,500 lbs -- more than 500 lbs over the weight of a comparable Prius, with only about 7 more horsepower to carry that extra weight.
However, electric-drive cars can accelerate quickly -- the lack of a traditional transmission means less power is lost on the way to the wheels than is true of standard internal combustion engines. That instant torque may help make up for the heavy weight.
Chevrolet claims the Volt has a top speed of 100 mph.
Theoretically, the Volt could handle quite nimbly. The primary challenge in balancing the handling of most cars is weight distribution -- near 50/50 weight distribution is the goal of every designer, but few reach it. The Volt's heavy, T-shaped battery, however, runs lengthwise underneath the floor of the car -- allowing engineers to balance weight carefully simply by placing the battery in the right location. GM Vehicle Line Director Tony Posawatz told CNN, "The center of gravity of the car, with the center battery pack, it's going to have real great ride and handling."
What Kind of Batteries Does It Use?
The Volt uses lithium-ion batteries. All current hybrids use Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. Li-ion cells are more efficient than the older batteries. They charge more quickly and hold more power for their weight. Americans are quite familiar with them, and most of us own a few -- they power most cell phones and laptop computers.
However, automotive engineers have been trying for years to make them work for cars, without much success. When built large enough to power a car, Li-ion cells tend to overheat quickly. GM engineers, working with Massachusetts-based battery developer A123 systems, claim to have produced a Li-ion cell that doesn't overheat.
Engineers from other companies have made similar claims. Nissan has built a Li-ion cell made of laminated sheets, while Mercedes-Benz claims to have developed one that is cooled by the car's climate control systems. But GM hasn't explained how it has solved the heat problem.
How Will It Charge?
Owners will plug the Volt into a standard household outlet to recharge its batteries. It can be plugged into either a standard 120-volt wall outlet, or into a 240-volt outlet like those used to power large appliances. Plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet, the Volt will recharge fully in about eight hours. Plugging the Volt into a 240-volt outlet cuts charging time to less than three hours.
The batteries can also be charged by the gasoline engine onboard the Volt, which will kick in when the battery charge is below 30 percent. As in other hybrids, regenerative braking will help to capture brake energy to recharge batteries as well.
It’s no surprise that Ford is aiming its upcoming 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids directly at the Camry Hybrid, but what does get our attention is Ford’s claim today that its sedan hybrids will best the Camry Hybrid’s city mileage by 5 mpg. That would put the Fusion and Milan hybrids’ city rating at 38 mpg. While no number was given for highway mileage, Ford says it beats the Camry Hybrid there as well. The Camry Hybrid gets 34 mpg on the highway.
The full reveal of the Fusion and Milan hybrids will have to wait until closer to the Los Angles auto show, but Ford disclosed these interesting tidbits at a powertrain discussion today for the new midsize sedans. We also got a good look at the non-hybrid 2010 Ford Fusion, pictured above, with more information on that coming in a later post.
The Fusion and Milan hybrids will be Ford’s first use of hybrid technology outside the Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrids. Battery technology has improved since Ford launched those compact SUV hybrids, and the sedans will use a smaller, more efficient hybrid traction battery. Ford says the Fusion and Milan hybrids will be able to cruise at speeds up to 47 mph on electric power alone. Additionally, the Fusion and Milan will be the first Ford hybrids to use an electric air-conditioning compressor to save engine load; previous compressors were belt-driven by the engine.
2010 Lexus RX photos emerge on the web Thursday, October 30th, 2008
Although we supposed to see the 2010 Lexus RX SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, someone ruined the manufacturer’s plans and revealed the new brochure with the next generation of the RX. As you can see the front of the Lexus RX has borrowed some of the design lines from the luxury LS but the resemblance stops here.
The 2010 Lexus RX is an new vehicle with a fresh design especially developed to fight with its rivals and will be available in two versions, the RX350 and the hybrid RX400h. Unfortunately these are the only details available but as soon as we will find out something new we will let you know! More photos after the jump!
2010 Nissan EV - First Drive Review Nissan plans to unkill the electric car.
BY AARON ROBINSON December 2008
When it comes to green cars, the popular play these days is the Hail Mary, a long, high toss down the field for maximum-efficiency yardage and maximum brand polishing. Cost: irrelevant. Production: atomic-level, to hold down inevitable initial losses.
Every automaker has a slightly different attack plan. Toyota has a new and improved Prius coming next year. Honda has a hyperexotic FCX hydrogen fuel-cell car as well as a new Insight, a Prius-fighting hybrid that will appear next year. And GM will unplug its Volt plug-in hybrid in 2010, the same year Nissan plans to debut a pure electric vehicle for the Japanese market with global sales perhaps by 2012.
GM may have killed the electric car, but Nissan plans to defibrillate the corpse with a battery-powered commuter that is cheaper, longer lasting, and more practical. Blandly called the Nissan EV as of this moment, the car’s size, look, price, range, and volume are still secret—or unknown. But Nissan did allow us to briefly sample an 80-kilowatt (107 horsepower) prototype with a 100-mile range at a test track by Tokyo Bay, near Yokohama.
Based on the Japanese-market Nissan Cube [C/D, October 2008], the EV fits all its electrical gear below the floor. There is no transmission other than a single reduction gear. The EV accelerates with a whisper, rapidly attaining a freeway pace while emitting just the soft whine of goose-stepping electrons. Regenerative braking adds urgency to the stops and helps stretch the range. Engineers are considering some sort of artificial noisemaker to alert pedestrians in Japan’s teeming cities.
This EV prototype weighs 660 pounds more than a stock 2600-pound Cube and looks nothing, we’re told, like the future production EV. The real EV will be longer and lower to better cheat the wind, and have four conventional doors and possibly a hatchback in a body made of both steel and aluminum. According to Nissan design director Shiro Nakamura, as of August the company was still debating whether the car should resemble other Nissans or depart with its own what-Mother-Earth-would-drive motif. We vote for the latter.
These days, battery technology is more vital to automakers than launch codes are to presidents, so the company was somewhat vague about its breakthroughs. The EV’s anticipated 100-mile range depends on advanced lithium-ion batteries from Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, a new joint venture between Nissan and NEC.
To double power density while making the battery box flatter, Nissan uses cells of laminated polymer sheets instead of cylindrical batteries. Heat equals power-sapping resistance, and flat laminated sheets cool better, the company says. “Nanodispersion” technology more evenly disperses microscopic globules of conductive material in the sheets, which also cuts resistance. Careful management of each individual cell ensures the batteries should retain 80 percent of their capacity after seven years or 50,000 miles, which is a more realistic mileage figure for Japanese drivers than for Americans.
Nissan says the production car should exceed 80 kW. No doubt it hopes that the EV’s green halo exceeds measurement.
2010 Dodge Demon by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
2010 Dodge Demon Review and Prices 2. 2010 Dodge Demon Pictures 3. 2010 Dodge Demon Preliminary Specifications 4. See all Featured Car Articles articles 2010 Dodge Demon Review and Prices
<>pThe Dodge Demon is a concept car that forecasts a possible low-priced two-seat convertible to compete with the Pontiac Solstice, Mazda MX-5 and other four-cylinder roadsters. See more pictures of Dodge cars.Consumer Guide's Impressions of the 2010 Dodge Demon
Dodge does a devilish little sports-car concept that could reach showrooms in 2010, and the latest word from Chrysler is that the production version will be front drive.
What We Know About the 2010 Dodge Demon
The Dodge Demon Concept is a "compact, nimble 'roadster with attitude'" and "an attainable dream car," according to its maker. To us, it was Chrysler's answer to the Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5, Pontiac Solstice, and Saturn Sky. In early 2008, Chrysler announced the production version will use a front-wheel-drive chassis sourced from Chinese automaker Chery, so the Demon's sporting pretensions may be in question.
As you've probably heard, former owner Mercedes-Benz sold a majority in Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. So it is not a complete surprise that the Demon's mission may have changed along with ownership of the company. Assuming a best-case outcome, the general view is that your local Dodge Boys could be selling Demons by model-year 2010.
The 2010 Dodge Demon bowed in concept-car form at the 2007 Geneva Auto Salon in Switzerland, which observers took as a sign that the Demon would spearhead a major Dodge sales push into overseas markets, where the brand is largely unknown.
Chrysler has lately been trying to increase its non-U.S. business, no surprise given recent sales reverses at home. It's not hard to imagine the Demon introducing Dodge as a sporty "performance" brand to Europe, as well as to fast-growing markets like China.
The 2010 Dodge Demon would be a "halo" vehicle to spark sales of mainstream fare like the compact Caliber hatchback and Avenger sedan. All of which explains why the Demon concept looks so realistic and producible compared to your average pie-in-the-sky show car.
Styling of the 2010 Dodge Demon borrows cues from the hulking V-10 Dodge Viper and would likely carry over with little change from the Demon concept. Ditto dimensions, which are very close to those of the Pontiac Solstice.
The Dodge Demon Concept used a 172-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. At this point it is unclear if the 2010 Dodge Demon will use an engine that is part of the U.S.-built Global Alliance family shared with Mitsubishi and Hyundai, or an engine sourced from Chery.
The Dodge Demon Concept sported 19-inch wheels, which could be a bit much for a showroom model. Expect 17s to be standard, with 18s optional.
Other concept features would likely survive with little or no alteration. These include the semi-retro cockpit design heavy on brushed-metal trim (or facsimiles); a manual-folding cloth top that hides beneath a hard cover just behind the cockpit; and a stubby rollbar behind each seat to protect occupants in case of a flip.
The rest of the 2010 Dodge Demon package will hinge on marketing decisions based heavily on competitors' pricing, but standards should include modern must-haves such as antilock disc brakes, traction control, and seat-mounted torso side airbags. We also wouldn't rule out a turbocharged Demon as a year-two addition with standard stability control, performance-tuned suspension and special trim.
One thing that might be changed is the name, a point missed entirely by press reports we've seen. Perhaps the writers are too young to remember, but Dodge used Demon way back in 1971-72 for its version of the popular compact Plymouth Duster, complete with logo decals of a cute little cartoon devil. It was all innocent fun, Dodge thought, but some people thought otherwise and wrote nasty letters, enough that Dodge adopted the prosaic Dart Sport handle. Such are the perils of modern automotive marketing.
2010 Mazda 3 Revealed - and Praised Posted: Oct. 09, 2008 10:10 a.m.
An automaker's small cars have never been more important than they are now. In a depressed car market, small, fuel-efficient cars are nearly the only thing actually selling. With that in mind, Mazda has revealed the next edition of its small Mazda3 to the press, and early reviews are quite positive.
The 2010 Mazda3 will make its first public appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19. Motor Trend had an early look at the car, and calls it, "a scaled-down sports sedan, with a large grinning front grille that sits below a pair of sharp, angular headlamps flanked by two air intakes and a set of fog lamps." They also note that the next 3 "is supposed to weigh significantly less than the current Mazda3 -- the result of a corporate policy to reduce weight in the Japanese automaker's lineup, thereby increasing efficiency as well as the driving experience."
Kicking Tires says "The 2010 Mazda3 will come with either a 2.0 or 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine but no other specs were released."
Mazda has also developed a 2.2-liter common-rail diesel engine. That one is certainly destined for overseas markets, but with more manufacturers bringing diesels stateside, we may see it as well.
The U.K.'s AutoCar has driven several prototypes of the car around the coast of Iceland, and reports, "it's clear that the next Mazda 3 will be a big improvement over the current car." They add, "the revamped 3 still delivers the sensation of being a more compact, handy and pointable car than is common in this class," and note that the gasoline-powered engine they drove (they don't tell us whether it was the 2.0 or the 2.5) "feels broad shouldered and bigger than its quoted capacity." The diesel engine, meanwhile, is "a major leap forward" from Mazda's previous efforts.
The sedan model will be introduced first, Edmunds Inside Line reports, with a five-door hatchback "to be revealed in line with Mazda's global sales schedule."
Research the best small cars with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews.
2010 Saturn Aura / Opel Insignia
First official look at the future of GM’s mid-size car lineup.
BY JENS MEINERS
Details are emerging on the Opel Insignia, which is essentially the next-generation 2010 Saturn Aura for North America. The Insignia replaces the Vectra in the Opel lineup and will be the first model from GM’s new Global Midsize Vehicle Architecture (formerly known as Epsilon), giving us a clear look at GM’s future mid-size car lineup.
In an unusual move, Opel and Vauxhall (the badge-engineered British sister brand) are touting the Insignia with official pictures and information in advance of the official unveiling scheduled to take place at the London auto show on July 22.
Opel needs to create some buzz, what with the stylish new Ford Mondeo grabbing customers from the current Vectra which has seen its sales plummet. In North America, GM has been tight-lipped about the pending Insignia, as the current Aura is still relatively fresh, sales are decent, and the Saturn has a more modern look than the more-dated Vectra upon which it was based.
The Insignia is a global vehicle, styled and engineered in Rüsselsheim, Germany, with the Aura and the U.S. market in mind—and as such is more portly than its predecessor. Besides the sedan pictured in our gallery, there will be an Insignia hatchback—as that is a popular body style in Europe and it is growing on North Americans—but the hatch may not make it stateside. In early 2010, an Insignia station wagon will be added, but we do not expect an Aura wagon. GM is trying to jump-start the dormant U.S. wagon market with its cool, upcoming Cadillac CTS wagon. The Signum, Opel’s Vectra-based and Malibu Maxx–like attempt at a roomier family and executive car, won’t get a successor.
We are pleased to see virtually no trace of the old Vectra in the sporty and rakish styling of the new Insignia, with a blade line that runs from the front doors to the rear and wraps around the rear bumper. The V-shaped hood recalls the upscale Opel Senator and Monza models from the late 1970s.
European pedestrian protection regulation requires more space between the sheetmetal and engine, and thus the Insignia/Aura is nine inches longer than the Vectra it replaces, at 190 inches, but the wheelbase grew less than two inches. Judging from mildly disguised prototypes spotted negotiating Swiss mountain passes this spring, the design team around Mark Adams, GM Europe's design chief, has successfully concealed those protruding overhangs.
Hybrid Dodge Ram Coming in 2010 Posted: Apr. 16, 2008 09:04 a.m.
Reuters reports, "Chrysler LLC plans to roll out a hybrid version of its Dodge Ram pickup truck in 2010 that is similar to two SUVs it is launching this year, the automaker's product development chief said on Monday." Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen hybrids are on the way this summer. "The Ram would have a similar drive system to the Durango and Aspen SUV hybrids, which use nickel metal hydride batteries and have larger engines that are capable of operating on four cylinders at highway speeds up to 70 miles per hour to improve fuel economy, he said."
According to Motor Trend, the Ram will feature a "the UConnect system that will allow drivers to wirelessly connect their Bluetooth-enabled phones to their car's audio system -- much like Ford's SYNC unit."
EcoGeek comments, "After several years of Hybrid SUV dominance by European and Japanese auto companies, it’s encouraging to see some signs of a fight back from US manufacturers. Let’s hope this healthy competition extends to smaller, more affordable cars soon."
And that may be exactly the problem Chrysler faces. Honda and Toyota have won tremendous market success selling hybrids of small cars. GM, on the other hand, has focused its hybrid efforts on its biggest fuel guzzlers -- trucks and SUVs -- and can't seem to sell them. Is Chrysler following GM into a costly mistake?
Research hybrids you can buy today with U.S. News' rankings and reviews of hybrid cars and hybrid SUVs.
2010 Honda Insight Review and Prices by Chris Poole Inside This Article
2010 Honda Insight Review and Prices 2. 2010 Honda Insight Specifications 3. See all Future Cars articles
The 2010 Honda Insight (concept shown) takes some styling cues from Honda's FCX Clarity fuel-cell car.
Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2010 Honda Insight The green-car race is on, and Honda is readying three new entries. First up: a small, low-cost “dedicated hybrid” that reprises the Insight name and could give the Toyota Prius a run for your money at purchase time and at the gas pump.What We Know About the 2010 Honda Insight
It didn't appear in public until October 2nd at the Paris International Auto Show, but Honda’s promised low-cost “dedicated hybrid” car is coming into focus. The company confirmed the new model’s broad outlines in a late-May press briefing that gives us just enough detail to make good guesses about the specifics that are due to be released later this year.
The 2010 Honda Insight is due to start production early in calendar 2010 and should reach U.S. dealers by spring with a hoped-for starting price of less than $20,000. That compares with $22,600 for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan, now the only gasoline/electric vehicle in the brand’s portfolio. The new Insight will be built alongside the Civic at Honda’s Suzuka plant in Japan, but on a specific (“dedicated”) platform shared with no other current Honda vehicle. In this way--and perhaps others, too--the 2010 Honda Insight mimics the top-selling Toyota Prius. However, Honda says it will also add a hybrid patterned on the sporty 2007 CR-Z concept coupe, as well as a gas/electric version of its Fit subcompact. Timing on these hasn’t been announced, but sources forecast the CR-Z by model-year 2012, the hybrid Fit by 2015.
Company officials say the 2010 Honda Insight will be a 5-passenger 4-door hatchback looking somewhat like the wedge-shaped FCX Clarity, the hydrogen-fuel-cell midsize sedan that’s now being leased to a handful of select Southern California consumers. The front-wheel-drive Insight will be smaller than Clarity, likely falling in the compact-car class. Our estimated dimensions are based in part on sightings of test prototypes based on the Honda Airwave, a compact high-body wagon not sold in the U.S.
The 2010 Honda Insight will use a lighter, simpler new version of the Civic Hybrid’s basic Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) drive system. Unlike other hybrid setups, notably Toyota’s, IMA uses a battery-powered electric motor only to assist the gasoline engine; the car does not run on electricity alone except in certain low-speed situations. Company talk of “significant” weight and cost reductions suggests the Hybrid’s IMA will have either a 3-cylinder engine or a small 4-cylinder with displacement of 1.0-1.3 liters. The engine, like the platform hosting it, should also be specific to the 2010 Honda Insight. Ditto the expected continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The motor and battery pack should also be exclusive, Honda-engineered components designed for maximum efficiency with minimum space, weight, and cost. The batteries, which reportedly tuck beneath the cargo floor, will be conventional nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH), not the more-advanced lithium-ion (LI) type. Honda believes LI batteries are not yet ready for mass-market cars because of their cost and concerns about overheating. That means the 2010 Honda Insight will not have plug-in capability like the 2011 Chevrolet Volt or the LI-powered Prius expected by 2012.
Demand for hybrids and other “green” vehicles is fast gaining momentum, especially in the U.S., and Honda clearly wants a big piece of this expanding pie. That explains reported heavy investment in the 2010 Honda Insight project, which includes expansion of the Suzuka plant (from 70,000 vehicles a year to around 250,000) and setting up new facilities to produce the electric motor and related components. Though Toyota is likely to remain far ahead of Honda in hybrid-vehicle sales, Japan’s number-two says it’s not in a race, only continuing its drive to make cars more environmentally responsible. In that regard, Honda touts its many years of pioneering low-emissions technology--and for being named “greenest automaker” by the Union of Concerned Scientists four years in a row (2004-07).
Still, the 2010 Honda Insight is no mere image-polishing exercise. As financial analyst Koichi Ogawa pointed out in a recent Reuters report: “When you say ‘hybrid,’ the image that really comes to mind is Prius. Honda is very dependent on the U.S. market, which is shifting towards things like hybrids, and for survival having a hybrid (model) is essential.” So, despite all the high-minded spin that will doubtless surround it, the 2010 Honda Insight is as much about earning greenbacks as greening-up the planet.
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid / Mercury Milan Hybrid - Car News Ford claims Camry hybrid–beating fuel economy for its pair of mid-size misers.
BY DAVID GLUCKMAN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENDA PRIDDY & CO. AND THE MANUFACTURER
Alongside a lineup of refreshed Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans, the Blue Oval has revealed details on the hybrid versions of the mid-size pair.
The hybrid system is similar to that used in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids—which themselves use licensed technology from Toyota—although some significant improvements have been made. The gas-powered side of the equation is the same 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, which produces 155 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque on its own. Several packaging improvements have been made, most notable being a revised nickel-metal-hydride battery that takes up 30 percent less space while also providing 20 percent more power. The cars’ regenerative brakes, a staple technology for hybrids, are said to reclaim up to 94 percent of available kinetic energy.
These new hybrids also claim to reach up to 47 mph using electric power alone, which is pretty unbelievable; most hybrids on sale today, including Toyota’s Prius, cap EV-mode speed at 25 mph or so. What’s more, Ford expects the new hybrids to beat the Toyota Camry hybrid by 5 mpg in the city, while also bettering its highway numbers. (The Camry hybrid is rated at 33 city and 34 highway.) All of this fuel aversion will allow a 700-mile city range for the hybrid duo, says Ford.
It all sounds quite good, but we hear the new tech won’t allow the company to both price the vehicles competitively and make anything near a profit, making these green sedans little more than environmentally friendly loss leaders.
Ch-check Out How Green You Are
Ford has collaborated with design consultant group Ideo to create a new system to monitor fuel economy and other information. The system, clumsily dubbed SmartGauge with EcoGuide, is a reconfigurable gauge cluster made up of a large, centrally located analog speedometer flanked by two 4.3-inch LCD displays. Four default layouts can be chosen as a basis of customization, from a bare-bones look at vital vehicle stats to an information-laden view designed for—and with the help of—hypermilers. Why Ford wants to promote the dangerous driving techniques involved with hypermiling, we’re not sure.
The SmartGauge displays are bright and easy to read, but we do worry that this is another step toward total driver distraction. One such distraction is a display featuring a tree branch grows more leaves as the vehicle is driven in what’s determined to be environmentally friendly manner. Drive like a hooligan, though, and you’ll kill the tree. This hokey, literal interpretation of efficient driving can be turned off or substituted for a more useful gauge, but we look forward to wiping out whole forests once we drive the car.
Although SmartGauge’s grass-and-sky theme looks similar to Windows Vista, Ford says the system was developed entirely in-house and will not communicate with Microsoft’s SYNC system. SmartGauge also will not display navigation information on vehicles so equipped, which sounds sort of not-so-smart to us.
The 2010 Fusion and Milan hybrids will be fully revealed—wearing the nonhybrid cars’ new exterior and interior styling, of course—at this year’s Los Angeles auto show.
2010 Toyota Prius Review and Prices by Chris Poole
The 2010 Toyota Prius Review and Prices 2. 2010 Toyota Prius Preliminary Specifications 3. See all Future Cars articles
The 2010 Toyota Prius will likely add plug-in capability during calendar-year 2011. The 2008 Prius PHEV prototype is shown here.
Consumer Guide's Impressions of the 2010 Toyota Prius
The world's top-selling hybrid vehicle is redesigned for even higher mpg, plus more room and performance. A shift to U.S. production should reduce delivery times, though not prices.
What We Know About the 2010 Toyota Prius
Big changes are in store for the poster car of gas-saving, eco-friendly hybrid power. First, a redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius is set to premiere at the January 2010 Detroit Auto Show alongside two new "dedicated hybrid" Toyota cars (see "Notable Feature" below for more on those). Then, sometime in calendar 2010, the Prius is expected to be available for the first time with advanced lithium-ion (LI) batteries. These pack more juice into less space than the nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) cells used in most hybrids to date, thus extending the car's electric-only driving range. Their adoption opens the door to adding plug-in capability for even greater volts-only range, and that's expected by calendar 2011.
Last but definitely not least, Toyota says it will build the Prius starting in late 2010 at a new factory now rising in Blue Springs, Mississippi, near Tupelo in the northeast part of the state. Toyota had slated this plant to turn out Highlander crossover SUVs, but abruptly changed plans in the face of soaring energy prices and a cratering U.S. truck market. On top of that, today's three Prius factories--two in Japan, one in China--can't keep up with soaring global demand for the hybrid icon, especially in the U.S., where calendar-2008 sales are actually down as a result. The Mississippi plant should fix that. It will also help Toyota toward its global goal of selling at least a million hybrid vehicles a year by early next decade. That compares with just over a million worldwide Prius sales since the car's Japan-market debut nearly 12 years ago.
The 2010 Toyota Prius is said to be a scaled-up version of today's sloped-roof 4-door hatchback sedan. One company source describes it as "Prius-esque, but a bit bigger and more solid-looking." Reports indicate the car will grow 3-4 inches longer overall, perhaps 2-3 inches longer in wheelbase, and about an inch wider, but will be no taller and not much heavier. And hold onto your credit cards: A second Prius model is expected to appear after the new hatchback goes on sale, likely within 12 months. It's rumored to be a "wagon" or "minivan" style that could resemble the recent Hybrid X concept and will be about the same size as the hatchback.
Regardless of model, the 2010 Toyota Prius reportedly gets a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine of similar design to the current 1.5-liter unit. An apparent response to some customers' request for zippier performance, the replacement engine is rumored to make 100 horsepower versus 75. Combined gas/electric horsepower is whispered at 160, up from 110. There's been no carping about Prius' electric Hybrid Synergy Drive, but we understand Toyota has re-engineered the system to be lighter, more compact, and more powerful despite launching the new model with conventional NiMH batteries. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) will remain mandatory, but will doubtless be re-engineered, too.
Despite the added power, the 2010 Toyota Prius is expected to achieve even higher fuel-economy ratings than the current model, which would be good news for consumers, if true. One source estimates a 10-percent overall improvement that would bump the EPA city number from 48 mpg to at least 50. As with all hybrids, however, real-world economy should remain somewhat lower than advertised.
We haven't heard much yet about other underskin components, but here, too, the 2010 Toyota Prius should see mainly evolutionary changes, most likely geared to improving fuel-efficiency. Other features should carry over as well, including ABS, front and curtain side airbags, and options such as a navigation system and keyless entry/starting. Toyota has confirmed one new item: a roof-mounted solar-cell array to power accessories like the climate system, thus conserving battery power. Supplied by Kyocera Corporation, it's expected to be a limited-production option reserved for top-trim models.
In all, the 2010 Toyota Prius shapes up as another case of tweaking a successful product to make it even more so, bolstered by new attractions like that second body style. In fact, there's talk of Prius eventually becoming a separate model line like Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand. Well, Toyota is the acknowledged "green car" leader by far, thanks to the current Prius, so why not? With the way things are going, this sure is a good time to do it.
The 2010 Toyota Prius may be sold alongside a smaller hybrid model, perhaps based on the 1/X concept, which is pictured here.
A Notable Feature of the 2010 Toyota Prius
Besides the redesigned 2010 Prius, Toyota confirms two more "dedicated hybrid" cars, one for the Toyota franchise, the other for the premium Lexus brand. "Dedicated" here means that these models, like the Prius, are unique designs that do not share platforms with other Toyotas. Details remain closely guarded, but company officials say both yet-to-be-named cars will be "totally new." They may not be sisters, though, as there's talk of a smaller-than-Prius hybrid with a 2-cylinder gas engine, perhaps modeled on the recent 1/X concept, and a larger newbie with a 2.0- to 3.0-liter gas engine. Toyota should have more to say at next January's Detroit Auto Show, so stay tuned.
Buying Advice for the 2010 Toyota Prius
Toyota clearly intends to maintain its hybrid-vehicle leadership in terms of technology, image, and sales; hence the many changes coming for Prius. But other automakers will be challenging the Japanese juggernaut with new hybrids of their own. The most talked-about is the Chevrolet Volt, still on track for a 2011-model debut with LI batteries, plug-in capability, and a small gasoline engine that charges the batteries instead of turning the wheels directly. GM will also be adding more-conventional hybrid cars in the next couple of years. Ditto Ford, Hyundai, and Nissan. And then there's Honda, which is readying a new compact sedan for 2010 with hopes of boosting its yearly worldwide hybrid sales past the half-million mark. Because Honda's hybrid drive is simpler and less costly than Toyota's system, the new gas/electric Honda could cost a bit less than a new base Prius.
Smart shoppers will want to read up on all these newcomers before heading to the showrooms, not to mention non-hybrid vehicles that offer similar real-world fuel economy for less money. Consumer Guide can help you decide, both here online and in the pages of our Car and Truck Test magazines, available at better bookstores near you.
2010 Toyota Prius Release Date: A firm date likely awaits the Detroit premiere, but we'd guess that sales will start by late summer of 2010 and perhaps as early as next spring.
2010 Toyota Prius First Test Drive: The above timing suggests media previews would be held in March or April of 2010.
2010 Toyota Prius Prices: Some sources thought the 2010 Toyota Prius would base-price $1,000 or so above the 2008 model--call it just over $23,000. But that was before the announcement of the new Mississippi production site, which would presumably hold the line on manufacturing costs versus imports from Japan, owing to the dollar's weakness against the yen. The shift to U.S. production might even be good for a small price cut. On the other hand, today's Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid midsize sedan uses a good deal of Japanese-sourced componentry (mostly for the powertrain), so the American-made Prius conceivably could, too. But no one outside Toyota knows for sure, and any cost savings from U.S. production could easily be used to pad standard content and thus the sticker price to maintain per-sale profit margins. A murky situation to say the least, and one that must await specifics from Toyota. Until then, the rumored $1,000 hike seems reasonable to us, all things considered.