Automobz.com Unofficial Blog

There are talks about making the batteries more efficient and then there are talks about how everyone is vying for the spot of Mr. Environment. But can there be such an organisation that can mould everything into one? We have the hybrid cars that seem to be catching everyone’s eye and just as you are reading this and criticising (good or bad) the Toyota Prius, someone has bought one. There are those performance junkies who just cannot come to terms with the fact that they would have to compensate on so much just for the environment. What has the environment done for them anyway? The compromise is too huge and just takes away all the years of progression of the four wheeled companion of many. All those long hours spent trying to tweak the engine, drilling it even to add turbochargers and superchargers, then reshaping the body and the wing mirrors, all to get those extra legs from the horses. All those hours gone and just when we were getting the hang of it and making tyre manufacturers cringe as to what they need to come up with next to harness such ruthlessness subjected to their offerings. Now it’s all about efficiency and gaining that extra kilometer from the fuel so as to make it last just one more day, or maybe if we could make all the roads at an incline so that we could all just ride in neutral. But then you need to climb up a slope for the free fall. For that we have the oil conglomerates that are beginning to invest in many alternate fuel options and stake claim again. So organisations have many new additions lined up for the coming years for us to choose from. Swing out the drawing boards!
Before we start looking at the hybrids that are going to be on offer, it is sad to note that the benchmark has been the Toyota Prius, which in engineering and technological terms nothing to marvel about. Atleast for those who have had the sensation of a little horsepower tingle their backsides. Maybe in marketing and sales terms, the Prius does score but technologically there are many others that have surpassed it. From its inception people have tried to prove as to how it is not what it claims to be – Efficient and Eco friendly. Self proclaimed analysts have gone to the extent of comparing it with normal fuel guzzling cars and also its eco friendly nature to the life time of many heavy bodied SUVs. I would also like to join this elite group by a worthy mention of the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion that is claiming to be more fuel efficient and emits lesser carbon dioxide than the Toyota Prius. The 1.6L CRDi engine thrusts out 105hp and more importantly delivers 26 kmpl compared to the 19.5 kmpl from the Prius. On the green scale, this Golf emits 99g/km of CO2, whereas the claimed green friendly car emits 104 g/km.But then again, Toyota has not made any changes as the product is selling. The downside is that now it is going to create a lineage when Toyota is getting ready to launch the new Prius in 2010, which in all probability will answer these questions. You would find many such trivia seekers and anoraks explaining how it is not what people think it is and can keep going on about it and the only way you could probably shut them up is by showing the sales figures! The shortcomings of the Prius has created a new market that is emerging and going full steam ahead to beat the launch of the new Prius and fill in the gap. One that has caught the attention of many is the Chevrolet Volt, slated to be out in a couple of years. Shocking to many as the people that shut down the production of their hybrid project, after which the market fell right into the hands of Toyota and everything else is history. This time General Motors has gone all the way and the Volt that was showcased at the Detroit Motor Show this year and they are very serious about it, the main reason being the response that they are getting. By response I mean, 34,520 people and counting from 60 countries would by one if they could in August 2008 and why? It is because GM calls the Volt a plug in hybrid.
The Volt will run on Lithium ion batteries and the three cylinder E-Flex engine that can run on hydrogen, petrol, ethanol or biodiesel churns out 160hp. This fuel will not be used to turn the wheels but in turn charge the battery if and when the situation arises. This is the technology adopted in a nut shell but the long hours of testing involved in terms of weight reduction and optimizing the battery usage is something that is delaying production. GM has said that the battery combination has been the biggest hurdle that they are coming across, and they seemed to have found the right combination to achieve their target of 64 km per charge after which the fuel can charge the 53-kilowatt generator. The other hurdles would be the integration of the fuel system with the battery. The Volt’s on board computer will decide when the battery should shut down and the alternate fuel should be used. The battery has been designed to operate within a temperature range of 30 degrees to 80 degrees. If this limit is crossed, it shuts off automatically and switches to other options while maintaining optimum performance. The prototype was sluggish with AC on, dealing with long distances and steep climbs. GM has claimed to have overcome these issues. The fuel tank can hold up to 45 liters of fuel. The batteries can be completely charged in six and half hours. GM claims that the Volt will be able to touch 60mph in 8 to 8.5 seconds. The price of the Volt has not been revealed as yet but it has been made clear that it would be the one for the masses and produced in volumes.
General Motors that originally shut down operations and testing of its eco friendly car in 2000, after trying for 4 years citing the lack of demand for such a car at that point of time. Toyota on the other hand continued and created the market with the introduction of the Prius which has sold really well and also been the standard upon which forthcoming models are being worked upon. The coming years will see the Honda Insight Hybrid, the Ford Escape Plug In, Infiniti Hybrid and of course the new Prius and the Chevrolet Volt. The Tesla group has also proved that performance is not necessarily compromised when we speak about electric cars. But an integration of both will be one to look out for as something that can smother the fuel guzzlers. Yes, smother.