The RL sedan will be replaced by the RLX by next year and the latter was unwrapped by Honda during the recent auto show in New York. The RLX hybrid sedan has a 3.5L gas engine that works in combo with two electric motors depending on a pack of lithium ion battery. The setup gives out 370 horses while having a fuel mileage of 30 miles a gallon on highway and city driving combined.

The RLX will follow the refreshed RDX that will hit showrooms this month and the ILX sedan which will go on sale by next month as Honda pushes for a stronger share of the luxury segment against competition like the BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Daimler. Honda aims to have a 46% jump in the sales of Acura in the United States before the end of 2012.

While the Japanese car manufacturer makes V8s for their race cars, it avoids to use them on the light trucks and sedans under the Acura and Honda brands. The RLX will go head to head against tough competitions like the 7- and 5-Series of BMW, LS and GS models of Lexus, and the E-Class of Mercedes which has tag prices ranging from $47,000 to $71,000 for their base models.

Acura top execs boasts that the new hybrid vehicle will sport a super handling quality and an all wheel drive setup which will set the brand apart from other car manufacturers.

The sales of Acura in the Untied States had its peak back in 2005 when it delivered 209,610 units and dropped to 123,299 vehicles in 2011. Honda aims to achieve 180,000 vehicle sales this year.

A lower end version of the RLX will be sold as a FWD model that depends on a V6 powerplant. No information was released about the pricing of the different versions of the RLX.

There are 10 cars which are eligible for the grant for plug-in cars. Five of these cars are available since 2011 while the other half will be rolling out to showrooms this year. During the its first year of implementation, there were 1,052 registrations of vehicles eligible for the purchase assistance. The manufacturers of the vehicles are the one applying for the grant so there will be a lag between the registration and the application for the grant.

The purpose of the program is to help consumers purchase vehicles with ultra-low CO2 emissions which without the grant might not be affordable. The owner will also make most of the vehicle as these green vehicles have lower running cost.

The grant for plug-in vans qualify vehicles which pass certain and strict criteria with regard to emissions, safety, and performance. The application for the grant has been opened and manufacturers are encouraged to send in applications so their vans will be part of the assistance scheme. The government expects to release a list of vans which qualify for the grant in the near future.

The government of UK allocated around $614 million to push for the purchase of green cars and vans with very low emission. The funding includes around $123 million which will be used for research and vehicle development, roughly $46 million for infrastructures, and around $460 million for consumer incentives.

The UK has around 2,500 charging points installed thru efforts of the government and other private institutions. The private sector plants to put up 4,000 more charging stations around the United Kingdom by this year.

The news about a greener powerplant under the hood of the Mitsubishi under the hood of the eleventh generation Evo is not really new since this have been rumored leaking from the development team.

The CEO of Mitsubishi, Osamu Masuko, though did not give out a lot of details about the development of the sporty sedan but emphasized on the aim of the company to produce more fuel efficient cars and also lowering the emission of their car models.

The move of Mitsubishi to give the Evo XI a hybrid system is a big step. This is considering that the rally inspired cars are well love by sporting fans who are most likely not big fans of hybrid technologies.

The Evo X is schedule to end its run by 2013, and the next generation Evo with the diesel-hybrid setup to come after shortly.

Experts speculate that the Evolution XI may be able to blast from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds. And that the car will be having lesser carbon dioxide emission while doing that.

The Mitsubish Evo is not really big in the market of the brand in the United States with a very small niche market for rally ready four wheel drive vehicles. So the move to make it run on diesel from gas might actually drive away som fans who power and speed who do not want the 286 horsepower of the current Evolution to drop.

Mazda will make use of the 2.0L 4-cylinder SkyActiv G gasoline engine. The direct-injected powerplant has an initial numbers of 40 miles per gallon while crusing on the highway under the hood of the Mazda3. The engine gives out 155 horsepower and has a torque of 148 lb-ft.

The next SkyActiv technology that will be utilized for the Mazda3 will come as a choice between two transmissions. Consumers will have a choice between a 6-speed automatic or manual gearbox. The automatic transmissin is call the SkyActiv-Drive which combines CVT or continuously variable transmission with DCT or dual clutch transmission. The manual gearbox is labeled as the SkyActiv MT that follows the conventional gearbox design.

The new Mazda3, with the fuel saving technologies in place, will be 30% more efficient in terms of fuel economy than its older sibling, the 2011 Mazda3. Mazda fans will only have several months more to wait for the 2012 Mazda3 to hit the showrooms in the US and of course see if Mazda will try a bit of electrification.

SkyActive refers to the next gen of technologies by Mazda that may refer to their new design for the body, chassis, transmissions, and engines. These advancements give the new Mazda vehicles improvements in terms of aerodynamics, safety, and environmental performance.

The car company has described the V60 Plug-in Hybrid show-car version as close to production as it could be. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is said to emit virtually lower than 50 g/km of CO2 and has a fuel efficiency of 124 mpg. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid could run for up to 30 miles using electricity alone.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid will carry a D5 2.4-liter V5 turbodiesel engine. It boasts of 215 horsepower with a partner torque rate of 325 lb-ft. The turbocharged engine is attached to an automatic 6-speed transmission that gives power to V60 Plug-in Hybrid’s front wheels.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid also carries an electric motor with 60 horsepower and a battery lithium-ion component with 12 k Wh that gives power to the car’s rear wheels using the brand’s ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) system. This hybrid system that is employed in the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has been developed jointly with Vattenfall, a Swedish energy company.

The car company is confident in its claim that by the year 2012, they would be the first to manufacture this kind of hybrid car that is, obviously, a new breed when it comes to hybrid models.

TMC is proud to announce that their famous hybrid Toyota Pris has once again been hailed as the top-selling hybrid in Japan and is in its 14^th consecutive month of outselling all other car models in the Japan.  And so it seems that TMC is the sitting on a very comfortable lead when it comes to hybrid sales.  Still, TMC is in pursuit of introducing the hybrid models of their entire line up by the year 2020.  TMC also strives to reach their goal of selling over one million hybrid vehicles annually before this decade ends.

There are 8 Toyota hybrid passenger vehicles that are available in almost 80 regions and countries all over the world. In a press release, TMC mentioned that they are planning to expand their existing line up of hybrid fleets and getting more countries and regions to opt for their hybrid models.

TMC positions itself strongly in the environmental issues that plagued the world today.  The company works toward the wide use of hybrid vehicles by setting a goal of 1 million sales per year of hybrid vehicles in 2010s and launching more hybrid vehicles in 2020s.

Ernst and Young’s survey covered the globe with China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan as its respondents. For this survey, Young asked 1,000 vehicle owners about their willingness to purchase an alternative fuel vehicle within the next three years.

These surveys were done to help out Ernst and Young’s powertrain initiatives. The company plans to focus on business opportunities and issues which companies may face due to the development of eco-friendly alternative transportation solutions. The survey was also specifically designed to measure consumers’ interest and certain decision factors regarding the purchase of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

The survey also revealed important factors which displayed China’s purchasing attitude. For one, the lead factor that influences their purchase is saving money. This was followed by the car’s environmental impact (86%), the safety features (69%) and government incentives (60%). All seven countries who participated in the survey chose to buy EVs because of fuel saving opportunities.

According to the survey, consumers were also concerned about several things regarding the EV’s power supply (they’re not sports cars, are they?). The vehicle’s driving range was the top concern in China (73%), followed by the visibility of charging stations (69%), and the serviceability and reliability of the vehicle (64%) tied with safety (also at 64%).

Although U.S. consumers are not known to choose hatchbacks over sedans, Lexus is counting on fuel efficiency of their hybrid and its sporty handling to win over consumers to the side of the Lexus CT 200h. The 200h will only have the 2010 Mini Cooper and the A3 from Audi as its competitions.

The 2011 CT 200h will use a new platform that has a MacPherson struts in front and a trailing arm and double wishbone on the rear. This is just one aspect to fulfill their commitment to provide a sporty ride experience combined with superior handling for the CT 200h.

The hybrid system under its hood will be the same as the 1.8L 2010 Prius from Toyota. The HS 250h has a more powerful engine with a 2.5L displacement. The 200h can run on pure electricity just for about a mile while cruising at around 28 mph.

Aside from the Normal, Eco, and EV modes, the CT 200h will have a Sport mode that will give the driver faster response in terms of steering and the throttle.

The project will first focus on providing commercial vehicles running on pure electricity. Ford’s participation in the project will allow a small fleet of Ford Transits to be converted by Smith Electric to run on electric engines.

The converted trucks will do a test phase in Germany. Seven of the Ford Transits will be running routes for delivery services. Two units will be serving as a shuttle service. Another Transit will be use by Cologne as a public transport service.

Ford will do the technical maintenance of the vehicles which will primarily run on the city streets. During the period of the project, the proponents will be taking down notes to see how customers find their experience of running a commercial EV.

A local energy company will also participate in the project to look into the charging infrastructure which will be very vital in the future. They will dig deep to find the requirements so they can provide technical solutions to the possible problems and demands of customers.

The City of Cologne has been studying the possibility of injecting e-mobility solutions and see its effects on the quality of air, noise level, and safety in the city streets. This is great news for those who live here. With many new ways to get around, it’s a good method of improving the transport infrastructure of any particular location. Whether you work for RAC car insurance or you’re often found taking the bus – even if you’re someone who has mobility difficulties, seeing somewhere like Cologne implement solutions for transport problems is heartening. It improves not only the transport, but the quality of life in Cologne as a whole.

The University of Duisburg-Essen provides the manpower to help with the scientific needs and knowledge base for the project.

Here’s the press release from Ford & Smith Electric:

PRESS RELEASE 

FORD OF EUROPE PUTS ITS SECOND EUROPEAN BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEST FLEET ON THE ROAD

Cologne, February 22, 2010 – Ford of Europe is stepping up its development of e-mobility solutions with participation in the colognE-mobil project now underway in Germany.

The colognE-mobil project will initially emphasise commercial vehicle application of pure electric powertrains, and Ford’s participation furthers the company’s commitment to accelerate the introduction of electric powertrains for a broad range of vehicles.

The German project will complement Ford’s involvement in the UK Government’s “Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles” demonstration initiative, which is focused on the evaluation of electric passenger cars.

colognE-mobil project partners and objectives.

The objective of the colognE-mobil project is to widen the scope for e-mobility solutions in German cities.

In the project’s first phase, Ford will provide ten Ford Transits into which UK-based Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) will install their pure battery-electric powertrains. SEV has been marketing this vehicle as the Smith Edison for UK and European operators since 2007.

Ford and SEV will build seven Transit panel vans for delivery service companies, two Transit buses for shuttle services and one Transit chassis-cab that will be used by the public service department of Cologne. Later in the project, a number of Ford Focus BEVs will add to the range of vehicles tested.
Ford is responsible for the technical maintenance and service of the vehicles which will be primarily used in urban areas, and will evaluate customer experiences throughout the project period.

Local energy provider RheinEnergie AG will install the necessary charging infrastructure and will supply CO2-neutral electrical power provided by renewable energy sources. Furthermore, their focus will be on studying customer requirements and technical solutions to enable electrical power fueling for individual mobility solutions.

The integration of e-mobility solutions within Cologne’s traffic infrastructure is the topic being researched by the City of Cologne as a partner in this project. Effects on the local air quality and noise targets, as well as on traffic safety, are areas the city is particularly interested in.

The fourth project partner is the University of Duisburg-Essen, which is providing scientific support and knowledge for the project. The University’s scientists will use the data collected to create simulations that scale-up the results of the Cologne project to apply to the whole region of North-Rhine Westphalia.

All partners are looking at the reliability of the batteries, characteristics of charging and discharging cycles for daily-used battery electric vehicles, customer acceptance of BEVs and the charging technology and traffic safety.

The electric Ford Transit

The Smith Edison is a pure battery-electric vehicle based on the Ford Transit, and for the colognE-mobil project, vehicles provided by Ford will be converted by Smith Electric Vehicles, a Tanfield Group company, based in Washington, UK.

Since 2007, Tanfield have sold battery-electric versions of the Ford Transit medium commercial chassis directly to fleet customers in the UK and selected European countries, making it the ideal choice for the German project.

The state-of-the-art 40kWh lithium-ion battery pack, rechargeable via standard 32amp single phase mains socket within 8 hours, powers a 90 kW electric motor, which delivers its torque via a single speed transmission to the rear wheels. With a range of up to 160 km and top speed of 80 km/h, urban areas are the perfect habitat for the silent Ford Transit-based Smith Edison.

The colognE-mobil project is partly funded by the German government and the government of the Federal state of North-Rhine-Westphalia. Within the framework of “The Federal Government’s National Development Plan for Electric Mobility.” the project is part of the model region Rhine-Ruhr, one of eight sample regions in Germany. The government has the ambitious target to get one million electric vehicles on German roads by 2020.

UK ‘Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles’ demonstration initiative

In the UK a consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy and Strathclyde University are preparing later this year to run a fleet of zero emissions prototype Ford Focus BEVs.

The vehicles will be used by both the energy company and a number of evaluation drivers based in Hillingdon, Middlesex from mid-2010. This new BEV demonstration fleet is being created partly with public funding from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. The research programme aims to test the technology’s suitability for potential future application in Ford’s European passenger car range.

The Focus BEV prototypes used for the UK programme are based on the current European Ford Focus and will use a new all-electric powertrain, provided by strategic supplier Magna. This technology is based on that being developed for Ford’s next-generation global C-car architecture and which will be launched as the Focus Electric in North America in 2011.

Under the skin of the Ford Focus prototypes is a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery pack with the capacity of 23kWh and a chassis-mounted 100-kilowatt permanent-magnet electric traction motor. The BEV will have a range of up to120 km (75 miles) and a top speed of up to 136 km/h (85 mph). Charging the batteries will take between 6-8 hours using a standard 230 volt grid.

The S500 PHEV is another step towards the goal of Mercedes Benz to achieve their goal of mobility with zero emissions. The car relies on a V6 gas engine that works in combination with a 44kW electric motor which can output 60 horsepower. The system depends on lithium ion batteries that can store as much as 10kWh of energy.

The hybrid set up works well with the overall configuration of the vehicle. The Vision S500 can go from 0 to 100 km/h in a matter of 5.5 seconds. Despite the power and the speed, the S500 can still give you an excellent fuel mileage of 73.5 mpg. The 74 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer add to the other great numbers the car gives consumers.

The Vision S500 PHEV may take a while before we see it rolling out of the Mercedes Benz dealerships. The car manufacturer though promises the public that their engineers are crunching the numbers to make the car fit for long distance and everyday driving. The features are very ideal and the top executives of Benz see the car joining the S- Class releases of the near future.

The technology used for this PHEV might well be used for the other vehicles of the Mercedes Benz fleet. This is very feasible because of the compact components which will allow the car maker to package it with their other products.

The Vision S500 PHEV can run for 30 km on electric power alone. The range is very ideal for city driving. Just imagine the effects when cars roam the streets without any emission. The car makes use of the combustion engine in tandem with the electric motors when more power is needed during high speed driving and when dealing with inclines.

The Vision definitely gives us a glimpse of the future.