Hybrid Cars, Fuel Cell Cars, Green Cars Galore
By John O'Dell May 21, 2008 It's turning into a banner year for hybrid and other green car news.After all the Honda hoopla this morning, word leaks out that Toyota will debut the next-generation Prius, expected to be longer, lower and more powerful, but not radically different-looking, at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show with a sales launch slated for later in the year.
If that's not enough, Toyota's luxury marque, Lexus, is believed to be considering two new hybrids of its own, one of them a premium-priced version of that new Prius, the other a midsize crossover utility vehicle.
Edmunds.com's Inside Line has the details.
We think its great news -- although our aching keyboarding fingers wish it had been spaced out a bit. Between them, Toyota and Honda will be adding four new gas-electric hybrids to the market in just a few years, and will be updating two others, the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Prius. The new model of the world's best-selling hybrid is often called the 2009 Prius but now, we hear, will actually be sold as a 2010 model.
GM is planning several new hybrids of its own, including a plug-in version of the Saturn Vue SUV and two-mode hybrid model of its Silverado and Sierra pickups.
In a category all its own, there's the Chevy Volt, which GM now says should go into production in November, 2010.
A series hybrid that always runs in all-electric mode, although with a small gas engine generating power when needed, the Volt will be a global game-changer if it is successfully launched and doesn’t implode because of unforeseen battery, powertrain or quality problems.
Nissan, formerly a foe of hybrids and electrics, now says it sees them as the future and has big plans for multiple electric models in 2012 and beyond.
Honda is about to start leasing a handful of its futuristic FXC Clarity fuel-cell electric cars and GM already is leasing a few hundred Equinox SUV fuel-cell models.
Ford is testing a plug-in hybrid version of its successful Escape hybrid SUV; Toyota plans to start leasing or selling plug-in Priuses to fleet operators n 2010 with retail sales to follow at an unannounced date; Mitsubishi and Subaru are testing small battery-electric cars and Audi, VW and BMW all have said they now have battery-electrics in their planning portfolios.
Tesla Motors has begun producing its $100,000 battery-electric roadster and insists it is moving ahead with plans for a more affordable plug-in hybrid sedan and an electric compact car. Fisker Autmotiove says it is on track for a late 2009 launch of its own plug-in hybrid sports coupe.
Norway's Think plans to being its plastic-bodies 65 mph electric City car to the U.S. next year.
Just about every automaker has plans for clean diesels and despite a slumping economy there's some big money--although not enough -- chasing sane investments in biofuels.
And the list grows on.
We don't know what, if any, of all this will come to fruition, or if enough will get accomplished quickly enough to stave off eco-disaster.
But at least, for reasons right and wrong, there's movement.
A few years ago, it was hard to get anyone to listen when you wanted to talk about green cars.
Now it's hard to get 'em to let you stop.
John O'Dell, Senor Editor.
LEAVE A COMMENT