We just caught Honda's hybrid-only model that's designed to take on the Toyota Prius. The shape and packaging of this prototype is clearly Prius-inspired, although the overall size looks larger than Toyota's hybrid favorite. The test group consisted of a Toyota Prius, Honda's facelifted Civic Hybrid, and this prototype, which is sure to be considered the top of Honda's hybrid vehicle range.

Worst thing is, we don't even have a name for it, so feel free to tell us what you think they should call it in the comments below.

Exploding batteries: Remember the flaming plug-in Prius from a few weeks ago? No, that wasn't a manufacturer-sanctioned ride, but it still plainly shows the dangers inherent in releasing unproven technology. The fact that GM has yet to name a supplier for Volt's lithium-ion battery pack (though we hear it'll be either Continental or CPI) is another red flag for the power source.

Embarrassing show mishaps: GM needs a win...and they need it to be a clean win, both on the stage and showroom floor. No panels falling off, stalls, massive oil leaks, fires, or collapsing spokes-robots on stage. Asking engineers to work 18-hour days in an effort to ready bleeding-edge technology for debut at a huge, public event, all while holding their jobs over their heads, is a recipe for disaster.

Gas price crashes: Let's not forget November is rapidly creeping up on us. This is an election year. Don't be terribly surprised if gas prices suddenly fall to earth in a magical, ballot-influencing Bullworth-like fashion in September. The result would be GM touting Volt's amazing fuel economy at the same time Tahoes again start flying off dealer lots.

Are any of these outcomes probable? No. Possible? Yes. [Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

Auto Motor & Sport, by way of Motor Authority, reported yesterday on a joint effort between the energy departments of two august establishments of hybrid research — the United States' Argonne National Laboratory and Sweden's Lindholmen Science Park. The $37 million program will work on developing new plug-in hybrid technology. Also, a better meatball! [Motor Authority]

Ferrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo stressed in an interview with German mag Welt am Sonntag (World on Sunday) it was their goal to reach the emissions targets, but the car that emerges will still need be "fundamentally a Ferrari." We agree, and think that if anyone can pull it off, Ferrari can — when cost is essentially no object, a hybrid can be a fire-breathing, huge-torque road menace. And there's no reason to expect anything less from the prancing pony. [SMH.com]

Gas-Guzzler Trade-In Calculator Introduced by Edmunds.comSANTA MONICA, Calif. — June 30, 2008 — Should you dump the SUV for a gas-sipper? That's the question everyone is asking these days.

Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, helps consumers answer that question with today's release of its Gas-Guzzler Trade-In Calculator. The tool helps consumers determine the pay-back period and fuel savings associated with trading-in a fuel-thirsty vehicle for a more fuel-efficient one.

"Car buyers think they can save money by dumping their gas-guzzler and purchasing a gas-sipper," said Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor for Edmunds.com. "But when you look at the big picture — total cash out of pocket — a very different situation is often revealed."

A common example demonstrates the potential pitfalls of ditching that SUV: A consumer trades in a four-year old GMC Yukon, worth $13,483, for a new $21,647 Toyota Prius. The difference is $8,164. If the consumer drives 1,200 miles per month and gas costs $4.07 per gallon (national average), the monthly fuel savings will be $201.34. While this may seem attractive, it will take 41 months to pay back the additional cost of the Prius over the trade-in value of the Yukon.

The Gas-Guzzler Trade-In Calculator prompts users to select the vehicle they are considering and the vehicle they would sell or trade-in. The calculator automatically provides the Edmunds.com True Market Value® prices (the average price that people are currently paying for each vehicle), as well as the anticipated fuel mileage of the two vehicles. Consumers then input their monthly mileage and local gas price, and the calculator displays the monthly fuel savings, as well as the number of months to "break-even".

"Americans hate high gas prices," said Reed. "However, it's important to calm down and look closely at the dollars and cents. If people make a panicked car-buying decision they could lose thousands of dollars just to save hundreds of bucks at the pump."

[Source: Edmunds]

The tweak? Not putting enough gas in his Toyota Prius, according to our man Paul, who captured this hilarious spectacle in Silicon Valley's ritzy Los Gatos neighborhood. Even better, this occurred next to a Jazz/Wine festival where Lexus was showing off some of their own hybrid vehicles. In the end, it took eight people to move the battery-laden ride. Perhaps Toyota's green advertising is too convincing, or maybe a new walk-to-charge system is being tested.

Not surprisingly, technologies not readily available in the U.S. didn't fare well on the study. For example, clean diesel engines barely registered a blip, in large part because they're just entering the market. Said Mike Marshall, director of the study: "The mere fact that they'll be in the marketplace is going to raise the awareness level of clean diesel, and I think that will begin to crack some of these wrong perceptions of what diesel is today."

While clean diesel is already chosen by a majority of European buyers, it remains to be seen whether economies of scale allow it to be implemented in the States at a lower price premium than that found on hybrids; new offerings from VW, Mercedes, and even Honda in the next 12 months should provide some insight into diesel pricing strategy. Additionally, as hybrid sales numbers rise, the same economies of scale should allow prices to fall. But, for either to happen, first some folks have to pony up the premium. Chicken, meet egg.
[Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

The new system integrates a 447 kW-capable, sodium-based battery from the GE locomotive division in place of the dissipative resistor system which previously was used to dump the heat of braking. Instead of wasting all that energy, the battery stores it up and uses it to get the mini-mountain moving again later. The truly brilliant thing about this program? GE is getting government bucks from the US Department of Energy to do it! [GE Research via Edmunds]

First off, there was an overall drop in vehicle sales in the United States — that's obviously going to affect sales of the largest fuel-suckers first, but the current economic situation affects anyone looking to buy right now, even in the hybrid marketplace. But the biggest factor isn't the issue of demand, it's supply. Toyota decided to only create about 175,000 Prii a year and is sticking to that number — mostly because their suppliers don't have the ability to quickly add capacity. That means despite the increase in demand, there just aren't any more to buy. The Camry Hybrid's seen a sales drop as well, because of this same supplier issue.

Comically, the biggest winner for the month were Saturn's hybrids — the Vue crossover and Auru sedan. Aura sales were up an astonishing 800%! Obviously since the Vue is a larger vehicle, it only saw a month-to-month increase of 750%. Unfortunately, due to some of their own serious supply issues, like battery leakage problems, 800% only translates to total monthly sales of 36 and 750% only translates to another limp volume number. Again, a supply issue.

Other hybrids also did reasonably well, including a 100.6% month-over-month increase in sales for the Nissan Altima Hybrid and a 3.5% year-over-year increase for the Civic Hybrid. But given that hybrid sales in the US for 2008 total only 155,958 vehicles, minor fluctuations make a big impact on monthly results. Overall, although hybrid sales are up 4.5% compared to the first five months of 2007, if neither Toyota or GM are able to get their supplier issues licked, we're not expecting it to start raining hybrids anytime soon. [WSJ, HybridCars.com]

Congress is currently evaluating a bill that would establish minimum sound levels for all vehicles and potentially make these two Stanford students very, very rich. Or at least the Chinese company that makes a knock-off version for a fifth the price. [NewScientist]

While we already knew we'd see a hybrid version of the 2009 Ford Fusion — a fellow member of the threesome of Ford's CD3-platformed mid-size econoboxes — we didn't know anything about a Lincoln version running on both gas and electricity. We mean, it could just be comparing the fuel economy of the traditional MKZ with that of a hybrid, but this seems like something Ford would do in their attempt to move Lincoln from being seen as the Pinocchio of entry-level luxury into a real live luxury-loving boy. So it's not totally unsurprising considering how locked-at-the-lips the Ford and Lincoln brands have become as of late when it comes to product. Only Mercury appears to be the odd man out.. Oh, sorry Mercury, did we hit a sore spot on that one?

Anyway, although the prototype is heavily disguised at the front and rear — we're told to expect more of a 2009 Lincoln MKS-like grille beneath all the straps and leather. The rear end's also supposedly getting more of a wrap-around rear taillight — which we're told is to be emblematic of the new "bold" design language. Hey, wait a second — we thought it was Ford making all of those "Bold Moves." Whatever — we think it's a good thing for Lincoln, especially if Ford ever hopes to let the mid-size emerge as anything other than "the expensive Fusion."

Photo Credit: Dan Leathers

We don't blame the car companies for making them, as it is a nice way to move cars at a premium and start to inch that CAFE up to levels they were able to achieve in the 1980's. And we don't necessarily blame people for buying them, as we all want to do our part. But is the cost difference so great that it wouldn't be better to just buy a Geo Metro or beater Brat and just keep up proper maintenance on a current vehicle? Are hybrids merely Band-Aids that are too small and too expensive? Or are hybrids a clever way to maintain our precious resources and reduce city emissions?

This isn't the only major hybrid vehicle forthcoming from the automaker. In addition to the hybrid Fit and Civic hybrid, the company plans to release a low-emission race car and a Prius-challening vehicle. Though it may be a silent killer, we look forward to the happy face the Fit will put on mechanized death, and at a reported premium of only $2,000. [Source: AutoNews (Subs. Req.)]

UPS "Green Fleet" to Expand with 200 Hybrid Electrics in Addition to 300 Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles

ATLANTA, May 13, 2008 - UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) - the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company - in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.

The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative fuel fleet - already the largest such private fleet in the United States - will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.

"Alternative fuel research and development is just one of the ways that UPS is mitigating climate change risks," said Bob Stoffel, UPS's corporate sustainability officer. "We also are focused on aggressive conservation programs and improving network efficiency to cut fuel use."

UPS's "green fleet" operates in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has traveled nearly 144 million miles since 2000. The fleet includes electric, hybrid electric, CNG, liquefied natural gas and propane-powered vehicles. The company also is continuing work with the Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.

"UPS has been utilizing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years and is clearly the industry leader in hybrid electric and CNG vehicle purchases," said Robert Hall, director of UPS's ground fleet. "At UPS, it's very important to us to demonstrate our commitment with action, which is why we have the largest private 'green' fleet in the industry. And both CNG and HEV vehicles provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions, which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment."

The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. The 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.

The HEV's hybrid power system allows UPS to save on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allow electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.

The HEVs also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy produced in stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking produces dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.

The 300 CNG vehicles will be deployed later this year and join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the United States. CNG vehicles run on natural gas, a cost-effective, clean-burning and readily available fuel. These vehicles are expected to yield a 20 percent reduction in emissions over the cleanest diesel engines available today.

The CNG/HEV vehicle order follows the April 2008 deployment of 167 new CNG vehicles in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon, Fresno and Sacramento. In addition, UPS added 50 next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in May 2007.

The chassis for the CNG and HEV trucks are being purchased from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, with Eaton Corporation supplying the hybrid power system for the HEVs. The truck bodies are identical externally to the signature-brown trucks that now comprise the UPS fleet with additional script markings that will identify them as CNG and HEV vehicles.

To his credit, McCartney apparently wasn't aware that this was how it was going to get there and will be "horrified" as soon as he finds out. Even the company that provided the freight handling of the car was surprised, saying "Everyone was shocked. The carbon footprint was enormous." This goes to show, everything with Paul McCartney is better when Wings aren't involved. (h/t to Jack K)) [Telegraph]

Apparently the Naturmobile's on-board horse walks on a treadmill which is connected to a generator, creating juice for the batteries and the electric motor. Cruising speed is probably around 10-15 MPH, but the top speed is claimed to be a wind-blistering 50 MPH! That's actually not bad, compared to most traditional electric cars. And while something like an It-amino has to be recharged every few yards, the Naturmobile can go for as long as your horse is alive healthy! Still not impressed? Check out all the potential variants: taxi, van, bus, the possibilities are endless! Why, you could even sway out the horses for more exotic powerplants like unicorns, ligers, or velociraptors. Though the transparent body will probably prevent the use of enslaved humans, which is a good thing. No word on the Naturmobile's planned trip around the world, but we'd love to take a test drive if they come passin' through our way.
[fleethorse.net via autoblog.nl, Gizmodo]

Not to mention the weight of that soft top and the other necessary pieces probably has to do a number on mileage as well. Most importantly, while the idea of a hybrid convertible doesn't necessarily have to be a bad idea, it doesn't suit the Prius. This is more like a roofless car than a convertible. This is the automotive equivalent of asking Fall Out Boy to guest on your hip hop album. [Winding Road via eGMCarTech]

Our first introduction to Kleiner Perkins and the world of electric vehicles came with their investment in EEstor, a company based in Texas working on an electric battery for ZENN Motors. Unfortunately, the Canadian governor is making it hard for ZENN to sell cars in Canada. So as of now, things aren't looking great, though battery development continues.

Most recently, Kleiner Perkins came up with relation to the Fisker Karma Luxury Hybrid, which is a vehicle that piqued our interest due to its attractive proportions and relatively low price tag of $80K. Though the company has yet to experience the usual electric car delays, it is dealing with an incredible amount of litigation in the Fisker-Tesla girl fight. Will this delay production of the car? Maybe, maybe not.

Speaking of production delays, what about the Tesla roadster? Everyone was so excited about it but it has been delayed thanks to transmission problems, lawsuits, et cetera. Yes, they claim they're shipping production units now, but not only is it in low volumes, it's not even enough to fulfill the backlog of orders. Did we mention Tesla is backed by Kleiner Perkin's VC rivals at Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

And don't get us started on the 2011/2012/201X Chevy Volt. An ongoing development that is being backed by an OEM — thus it relies not-so-much on VC dollars so much as R&D dollars. When will we see a production version of that particular vehicle? Your guess is as good as GM's word.

But hey, a 65 mph-capable electric car with potentially a 110-mile range for $25K, which Th!nk is offering, doesn't sound bad. Excuse our skepticism, but we'll believe it when we see it clear all the hurdles and successfully market itself to the tens of thousands of consumer they're planning to reach. Do we want cars like this to succeed? Yes. Electric cars, hybrid cars, biodiesel cars... whatever. Is it good, then, that firms are putting up the bank for these projects? Yes. We're just glad it isn't our money.

If you want an electric car for the city, full hybrids like the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid can be driven in a way that they provide mostly electric power. While we're not huge fans of these hybrids in spirited driving, you can stretch a gallon of gas pretty far in slow city commuting. That's something.

[Photo: Th!nk]

The new motor is a 3.3-liter V8 fitted with twin turbos. Combined with a 100kW electric motor, the car has 630 HP readily available. The juice for the electric motor is charged up by regenerative braking technology. We're not sure what Gumpert's plans are for any possible road version of this setup, but we bet even Al Gore would want one.
[World Car Fans]

With Ferdinand at the wheel, the four motor car was a race winner and reached speeds of 37 mph. He would go on to add an on-board generator to another car to provide unlimited range and also predate the Chevy Volt by about 100 years. [CNNMoney] [Porsche]

The gasoline engine wasn't your typical internal-combustion mill, but rather a jet-tastic gas-turbine engine. That spinning turbine would wind up an electric generator, which would charge up the batteries. The juice stored in the batteries would be used by electric motors that sent power to the wheels. So this setup is actually more like the proposed system of the Chevy Volt, rather than a modern Toyota hybrid.
[via Japanese Nostalgic Car, Image Credit: Toyota]

One goal of The Connected Bus is to show that public transportation isn't just for the poor, as the stereotypes often conclude. Including Wi-Fi and other gadgets provides the bus riders with a more desirable experience. Included on each individual screen on The Connected Bus is information like bus schedules, routes, times, advertising and even a "green meter," which is a cheesy schtick to show the environmental impact from the bus at any given time.

It's a pretty smart idea by MUNI and CISCO. We'd be more likely to take a bus chock full of gadgets, what about you? [The Connected Bus via TH]

"I can say 100 percent that Toyota received absolutely no support — no money, no grants — from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius..."

And why not, as Press noted the inherent unfairness of competition from Toyota in the hybrid game, saying

"...the Japanese government paid for 100% of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius."

Here's what the giant railroad concern has to say, about their engagement with National Alternative Fuel Autos Month, which is April :

"Union Pacific Railroad is the largest automotive carrier west of the Mississippi River," said Julie Krehbiel, vice president and general manager - Autos at Union Pacific. "During National Alternative Fuel Autos Month we want to drive awareness of Union Pacific's role in delivering greener vehicles and fuel to market."

Drive awareness? Sounds more like coat-tailing to us, or at best shameless flack opportunism. Hey, bully for Union Pacific if they're picking up business as energy-usage consciousness evolves in the USA. Just don't make it sound like there's some sort of higher ecological ethic at play. Still, we'll look forward to further releases during National Organic Avocado Month and on Take Your Compost Pile to Work Week. [Union Pacific]

The study also found that 58% of gamers plan on purchasing a new car within the next 12 months and 36% of this demographic intends to buy a hybrid, which seems a little high. Not surprisingly, gamers are willing to pay extra for iPod dock capability, GPS and what they call "surround sound." We have some issues with the way the questions were asked but can believe the results. [BusinessWeek]

The VW is capable of driving either totally on electric or diesel power (or obviously a combination of both). A stop/start system shuts down the engine when sitting in city traffic. And to further charge the batteries there is a regenerative braking system. [Auto Bild via German Car Blog]

A Rankine unit basically turns your engine into a sustainable steam engine. The engine heats compressed water, therefore producing steam that turns a generator. See? Simple. If only the Doc and Marty had had a Rankine system in Back to the Future III... [Green Car Congress]

Yep, word on the street interwebs is the case is being made for a 2-mode hybrid version of the new Camaro. The extra hybrid hardware will certainly add a premium to the price tag, but that concern is outweighed by the General's need to meet new CAFE standards.
[via The Car Connection]

While the hybrid reminds us of the epic horror of the AMC Pacer and the electric car looks nothing like the upcoming Tesla roadster, we have to give it to the books writers for their accuracy. Take a look at the super huge version here for all the thrilling details as well as a peek at the semi truck of the future. [via Pointless Museum]

Johnson Controls is a supplier of automotive batteries and Saft is a big manufacturer of nickel-cad and lithium-ion batteries, so together they are the perfect couple to produce lithium-ion batteries for electrics and hybrids. Will the creation of this plant increase the production speed or lower costs of electrics and hybrids? Not likely, but at least someone out there is trying to get the ball rolling. [Financial Times via Autopia]

V2Green is developing a type of two-way communication technology that links the hybrid with a power plant to better manage vehicle charging. Basically it will give the power plant control over how much juice your hybrid should be getting. So if you need a quick recharge during a "peak hour," good freaking luck, the power company is going to strike that down real quick.

The technology will reportedly save money on charging vehicles, but at the cost of convenience, perhaps. Not necessarily a good thing in an unfamiliar area for many consumers. Stay tuned for our follow-up report, set to go live in early 2013. [Autopia]