Peugeot shows new 908 HY diesel-hybrid Le Mans racer!

In the current world of big time international endurance racing, two cars stand head and shoulders above the rest, the Audi R10 TDI and the Peugeot 908 HDi. Put these two Le Mans Prototype class 1 cars, both powered by 5.5L turbo diesel V12s, on a wide open track and nothing can run with them. With Formula 1 introducing hybrid kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in 2009 and the American Le Mans Series introducing a Green Challenge award, Peugeot has decided to take the next step with its program. The French manufacturer is using the last race of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Sliverstone to unveil a demonstrator called the 908 HY which may foreshadow the next generation of its Le Mans challenger. The 908 HY adds a 60 kW electric motor, a set of lithium ion battery packs and corresponding power electronics. The diesel hybrid system will allow the car to operate in electric-only mode in the pits, and get a power boost on the track thanks to recaptured kinetic energy. The current demonstrator has a net weight gain of 45 kg (99 lbs) compared to the standard car. Whether Peugeot runs a car based on this powertrain depends on the ACO, the organization that sets the rules for Le Mans.

New Honda City unveiled in Thailand - is this the look of the new Insight?

The new Honda Insight concept was teased last week in advance of the vehicle's unveiling at the Paris Motor Show next month. We don't know that the production version will look like, but it'll be similar in some ways to the concept and different in others. That's a cop out, sure, but what else is there to know? How about by taking a look at the 2009 Honda City, which was just unveiled in Thailand and is based on the Fit/Jazz. An anonymous poster wrote to Carscoop that, "We'll definitely see a variant of this in the US. It'll have a slightly different profile from the c-pillar back, be a hatchback and will be called the 'Insight.' Due at dealers in April..."

Last year, Honda became one of the first international automakers to take advantage of Thailand's financial aid packages to get more green cars built domestically. As to what the local vehicles might reveal about Honda's global line-up, go ahead and compare the two cars in high-resolution galleries below. Do you think that anonymous is right? Thanks to Rob for the tip.

Gallery: 2009 Honda City

Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid to launch in June 2009 in Europe

Mercedes-Benz hasn't publicly announced an official on-sale date yet for its first hybrid models beyond the first half of 2009. However, BusinessWeek is reporting that the S400 BlueHybrid will go on sale in Europe in June 2009. The big gas-electric luxury sedan is due to arrive on U.S. roads one year from now. The S400 will use a lithium-ion battery pack and will likely be the first from a major automaker to do so. With a current U.S. base price of $86,700 for an S550, it's not quite clear where the hybrid will fit in the U.S. lineup. The S400 will pair the 3.5L V6 that is not available in the U.S. S-Class with the Daimler/BMW mild hybrid system. BusinessWeek reports the system will command a premium of less than €10,000 (I should hope so, since that's almost what Lexus charges for the full hybrid system on the LS600h). On the plus side, the Mercedes should get significantly better fuel economy than the Lexus. Mercedes is claiming 29.8 mpg (U.S.) for the hybrid although it remains to be seen how it will fare on the EPA cycle.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Honda claims similarity between Insight and Prius a coincidence

Vehicle aerodynamics are a strange thing. While you can create perfect aerodynamic models using math, there is no ideal aerodynamic shape for a vehicle because there are so many variables - including style, which is constantly updated. Still, certain shapes are slipperier than others and the Toyota Prius' iconic egg-shaped look is quite good at moving through the air without disrupting things too much. So, is it that big a surprise that the new Honda Insight looks a lot like the Prius? According to Honda, the look is the result of making a vehicle with low drag, not one that takes on the Prius' style. Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky told the Detroit Free Press that, "It was done that way because it was the most aerodynamic design, and we were going for fuel economy." I'm inclined to believe Honda on this, but you can't dismiss the similarities. Take a look in the galleries below.

Economy cars, Prius score poorly in IIHS crash tests

There is a lot of stuff that needs to be considered when purchasing a car for its economy. Obviously, being AutoblogGreen and all, we are concerned with fuel efficiency. Still, a car's mileage or how green it actually may be aren't the only things to consider when it comes to choosing your next vehicle. For instance, when a car is involved in a low-speed accident, how much damage does it sustain? Why does this matter? Besides the obvious dollar amount you would have to spend on getting your car repaired, more damaged parts mean more junk that's sent off to be disposed of or recycled. So, with that in mind, how do economy cars compare?

Ford's latest Focus scores the highest by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, requiring minimal repairs both front and rear after head-on and offset crash tests. The Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Rabbit don't do so well. Neither does the Prius, which can surely keep you safe and save you in gas. As a demonstration, the IIHS made a few simple changes to the Prius' front bumper and greatly mitigated the damage caused by a small accident. Check past the break for a full rundown of all the cars tested.

ABG speaks with PowerGenix about NiZn batteries

We recently got on the phone with Dan Squiller from PowerGenix, a company which hopes to "revolutionize the battery industry" with its new nickel-zinc batteries. The firm's batteries will soon make an appearance in power tools and in lawn and garden machinery, with ebikes, scooters and consumer AA-sized units shipping shortly thereafter. Of course, the company also sees huge room for expansion in hybrid cars and has plans to sell its technology to a major manufacturing company in the near-term future.

What makes the company think its product is so good? Read on past the break for the story.

Chevy Tahoe hybrid gets put on the stretcher

It isn't uncommon to see full-frame rear-wheel drive vehicles stretched to within an inch of their lives by companies willing to rent them for a night out on the town in style. Usually, the chosen vehicles come from Lincoln or Cadillac, though a new trend has emerged where sport utility vehicles are chosen instead. We've seen plenty of Lincoln Navigators, Caddy Escalades and even Hummers get the stretch, but this is the first time we've seen a hybrid Tahoe undergo the taffy-like procedure. According to LimeLight Coachworks, it wasn't all that difficult to adapt the hybrid system and all of its high-voltage systems to limo duty, but they were very careful anyway. Good thing, nobody wants a few hundred volts of juice running through them on their prom night, even if they want to go green in the process. Apparently, the company considers this more than just a novelty as the fuel savings remained intact right on through the conversion.

Gallery: Tahoe Hybrid Limo

Source: LimeLight Coachworks via Jalopnik

Volt pics were put up by "human error"

Click above for more high-res shots of the Chevy Volt

Oops. It seems that the General wasn't quite ready to show the world its new Chevy Volt quite yet, and the pictures of the car with all the guys in the suits was nothing more than an accident. Maybe. Marty Padgett, editor of The Car Connection and the first person to notice the pics were up thinks that the Volt pics could have been GM playing a little game and teasing us with early shots. If true, that could help explain why the shots weren't studio shots of the car only, but who knows? We're not complaining, as it's nice to get an early sneak peek at the car we are most looking forward to in the next few years. For what it's worth, we expect to see the new Volt first hand when General Motors celebrates its first 100 years as an automaker later this month. You can bet we'll get some proper shots with nobody in the way.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter

Venture Vehicles has announced that they will develop a two passenger, three-wheeled vehicle powered by either a pure plug-in electric or plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain. Under the working name of VentureOne, the new vehicle is to be designed and built in California based on the existing Carver three-wheeler already available in Europe.

Even with its single front wheel and its narrow form, the VentureOne arguably has more in common with a conventional car than a motorcycle due to the fully enclosed cabin, upright seating position, steering wheel, foot pedals and gear stick. The vehicle is actually the same height and length as a MINI Cooper but the driver sits as high off the road as they would in a BMW 3-Seriers.

Despite the VentureOne's height and narrow body, it will be very stable while rounding bends due to its most astounding feature, the ability to tilt the driver and passenger over as it corners. Like a motorcycle, this means that there is no 'overturning torque' on the wheels and the resultant forces always pass through the centre-line of the vehicle. The Carver three-wheeler pioneered the unique tilting design which allows the front wheel and both in-line passengers tilt up to 45 degrees while cornering even as the rear two wheels, anchored by the motor, remain firmly on the ground.

Carver describes the corner tilting sensation as "You steer it like a car, but when cornering it banks like a motorcycle while you feel like you are flying a jetfighter. The thrill of this tilting capability combined with the handling of a sports car makes for an exhilarating driving experience unlike any other."

Clean Power Technologies still working on new steam-assisted cars

There have been a few companies which have been working on new applications of steam power for our automobiles, some of which are well known, such as BMW, and others just now coming out of the woodwork. One such company is Clean Power Technologies based in the U.K. One common thread from these new systems is that they all rely on waste heat from our tried-and-true internal combustion engines. CPT's technology uses the exhaust heat to generate its steam, and it has many uses from there. In early tests, the company powered half of a Mazda rotary engine with steam and the company is still investigating the possibility of a gas/steam hybrid, hoping to have something ready for production by 2011. Another possibility involves powering auxiliary systems such as air conditioning or refrigeration units with the steam power. CPT is working with Safeway stores in the U.S. to start testing this system shortly.

[Source: Channel 4]

Honda to debut Prius-fighter concept this Thursday

If there's one vehicle that's leading the pack for "Car of the Future, Today," it's the Toyota Prius. The world's most popular hybrid will have it's own plug-in version sooner than expected, but the competition isn't waiting to try and take its hybrid crown. Honda's "Prius fighter" has been talked about for what seems like ages (spy shots here) and we're getting awfully close to seeing the real deal. We already know it'll look something like the fuel cell-driven FCX Clarity, but details beyond that are scarce. We had been told the reveal would happen at the Paris Motor Show next month, but word from Honda is that we'll now see it in just 48 hours when the concept version is revealed on Thursday, Sept. 4th. After that we can view the concept in person at the Paris show, and then the production version is expect to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

Honda will begin selling the car early next year and word is that it will be affordable. While the official MSRP is still a long way off, Honda's UK environmental manager John Kingston told Just-Auto (sub. req'd) that it should not cost more than "traditional cars from rival manufacturers." Hybrid premium, what hybrid premium? On the technical front, the size of the car's revised Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system has been reduced and the lighter powerplant will help push up its MPG numbers. What those are remains a mystery, but Honda is expecting to sell around 200,000 of these puppies a year, with half of those being bought in the U.S. Sounds good, now can we just see the thing already?

Bosch-Samsung JV, SB LiMotive Co. Ltd officially starts operations

On Monday September 1, SB Li Motive Co. officially went into business with the goal of producing automotive grade lithium ion batteries by 2011. The company is a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI. Samsung SDI already has experience with consumer electronics batteries and Bosch will work with the Korean company to develop batteries suitable for hybrid and electric vehicles. Bosch is already producing electric drive motors that will be used in the new Mercedes-BMW mild hybrid system that launches in 2009. Getting into the battery business will give the German supplier a product to replace systems like fuel injection and exhaust after-treatment that will eventually be supplanted in the migration to electrically driven vehicles.

Free hybrid alert: win a Lexus RX 400h SUV for a year

How can you win a free Lexus hybrid? Easy. Well, it's easy to enter the contest, anyway.

If you're in the UK, just visit a Lexus dealer next weekend (September 6 and 7) and ask for a test drive. Lexus' dealers will be glad to show you the GS 450h, the LS 600h and, of course, the RX 400h. After the ride you can put your name into the running for a prize drawing for a gratis "365-day test drive" in a Lexus RX 400h (terms and conditions apply). What does that mean in simple English? You can win a RX 400h free for one year. I doubt you'll be to put some police decals on it, but that would add some fun.

General Motors opens new powertrain engineering center that will create E-Flex

On Friday GM officially kicked off use of its new Powertrain Engineering Development Center in Pontiac MI. The new $463 million facility includes 120 dynamometer test cells for exercising all manner of new drivetrains. Among those cells 20 are specifically dedicated to testing motors for electric and hybrid drive systems. Others are split among fueled and non-fueled cells for testing gas, diesel, and flex-fuel engines and transmissions respectively. A new quick connect pallet system allows technicians to assemble a test configuration outside the cell and then have it installed and running within 20 minutes. The photo above showse a technician connecting the 1.4L engine and generator combination that will serve as the Chevy Volt range extender.

Veken makes hybrid scooters for U.S. market

Updated with new URL for Veken Scooters

While we patiently (or not so patiently...) await the arrival of hybrid scooters from Piaggio, a Chinese firm has stepped up to the plate and beaten the Italians to the punch. Veken USA has created what it refers to as the VK-M50, and we hope it eventually gets a better name. It's the technology we are most interested in, and the 49cc gasoline engine coupled to a 500 Watt motor certainly delivers with up to an estimated 220 miles per gallon. The 36 volts of juice are provided by a lithium polymer battery that is good for up to 18 miles per hour, at which time the small gas engine kicks in to power the machine up to speeds of near 40 miles per hour and charges the battery. Obviously, this setup would return its highest fuel efficiency at lower speeds, but even at their top speeds, most 50cc scooter return excellent fuel mileage. The VK-50 has a suggested price of $2,799.

The company's website can be found here, but the specifications for the hybrid scooter have since been revised. We've had a look at the latest copy of their brochure, which is available in the pictures below.

VIDEO: Ford F-150 hybrid pick up truck gets 41 mpg

Pick up trucks seem to be vehicles that are ripe for fuel economy improvements. GM didn't do so bad with 40 percent city-driving gains made with their Silverado dual-mode hybrid but it's a far cry from what Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies (HEVT) has achieved with an ordinary Ford F-150. The Progressive X-Prize entrant has taken the plug-in path and produced a prototype that can go 15 miles on only electricity, get 41 mpg over a 30 mile distance and 21 mpg after that. Considering the vehicle they started with only got 16 mpg, we're impressed. Their alterations also give the truck more low-speed torque, V2G capability and 120V power availability. Pretty sweet!

They say the system can also be scaled for F-250s and F-350s. Heck, they're even working on slapping it into a school bus! This isn't just some shade-tree contraption either but rather the product of an early-stage technology venture developed under the watchful eye of Professor Ali Emadi at the Illinois Institute of Technology. HEVT has just unveiled their creation at the Plug-In 2008 Conference and Exposition in San Jose but if you couldn't make it to that event, we have not only a super video, but also a detailed press release after the jump.

Ford F-150 hybrid pick up truck gets 41 mpg

Pick up trucks seem to be vehicles that are ripe for fuel economy improvements. GM didn't do so bad with 40 percent city-driving gains made with their Silverado dual-mode hybrid but it's a far cry from what Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies (HEVT) has achieved with an ordinary Ford F-150. The Progressive X-Prize entrant has taken the plug-in path and produced a prototype that can go 15 miles on only electricity, get 41 mpg over a 30 mile distance and 21 mpg after that. Considering the vehicle they started with only got 16 mpg, we're impressed. Their alterations also give the truck more low-speed torque, V2G capability and 120V power availability. Pretty sweet!

They say the system can also be scaled for F-250s and F-350s. Heck, they're even working on slapping it into a school bus! This isn't just some shade-tree contraption either but rather the product of an early-stage technology venture developed under the watchful eye of Professor Ali Emadi at the Illinois Institute of Technology. HEVT has just unveiled their creation at the Plug-In 2008 Conference and Exposition in San Jose but if you couldn't make it to that event, we have not only a super video, but also a detailed press release after the jump.

Hybrid pioneer Toyota may not have F1 hybrid ready in time for 2009

Toyota may have lead the way to mass-market hybrid vehicles with its Prius, but that institutional knowledge is apparently not helping it on the Formula One circuit. While Toyota reportedly spends more money on its F1 program than any other team (and perhaps several small countries) it has yet to win a race after 6 years of trying and now they seem to be behind in developing a hybrid system for the racers. Starting in 2009, F1 teams will be able to use a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) to provide regenerative braking and an on demand performance boost. Toyota F1 boss John Howett has told AutoSport magazine in Britain that his team are unlikely to be ready to run its KERS system from the beginning of the 2009 season. Toyota are not the only team having issues with the development, Red Bull and BMW have both had testing incidents with KERS. F1 teams will have to learn to deal with high voltage batteries and also ensure that they can actually gain performance even with the added weight and complexity.

Ghosn: EVs will be profitable from the start, no range extenders

Carlos Ghosn has some harsh-sounding words for alternative vehicles which still use some form of oil for their operation -- think current hybrids and future extended-range electric vehicles. "I want a pure electric car. I don't want a range extender. I don't want another hybrid. It's not going to be zero emissions in certain conditions. It's going to be zero emissions." Sounds like Ghosn is taking a little shot at today's hybrids like the Toyota Prius and even Nissan's own Altima, which uses technology licensed from Toyota. Also under fire from the Nissan chief would be the next generation of green cars like the Chevy Volt. Intriguingly, Ghosn also claims that Nissan's electric vehicles will be profitable right from the get go, unlike many other impending alternatives... again, the Volt.

Another interesting tidbit revealed by Nissan's head honcho is the fact that the EV's his company sells in America will have the ability to travel 100 miles before being depleted, while Europeans will only require half that range.

Google invests $2.75 million in Aptera, ActaCell

Click above for more images of the Aptera Typ1 e

Way back in September of 2006, Google.org, the philanthropic part of the Internet giant, announced that it would be investing in PHEVs. The following year, Google followed that bit of news up by launching its RechargeIT initiative which would begin investing in some for-profit manufacturers in an effort to see these fuel-saving products make it to market as quickly as possible. The first two investments from RechargeIT have now officially been announced, and at least one of the companies benefiting from the $2.75 million investment should be well known to our readers: Aptera.

We've been covering the futuristic new vehicle since it was first introduced, and its exciting to see the project mature to the point where people, in California at least, are anxiously awaiting the first electric Apteras to be delivered. This financing should only help matters as the company works to get its electric and hybrid vehicles to customers as quickly as possible.

The other company receiving some funding is known as ActaCell and is based in Austin, Texas. Based at the University of Texas, Actacel is hard at work refining its lithium ion battery technology with the goal of producing low cost, high output cells while retaining a high degree of safety. A tall order for sure, though one that could be made easier with its newfound cash outlay. We've pasted ActaCell's press release after the break. Thanks for the tip, Karen!