Hey…you can see the list…and choose…..but tell me why you buy this hybrid?
Toyota Prius
Honda Civid Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Mazda Tribute Hybrid
Lexus RX 400h
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Lexus LS 600h L
GMC Yukon Hybrid
Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
Dodge Durango Hybrid
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
GMC Sierra Hybrid
Engineers at GM are working on a new hybrid drivetrain they plan to install in the next-generation Opel Astra (current model pictured), scheduled to hit the streets in 2010. GM is working on its new E-Flex plug-in technology but is also planning to launch a new range of more conventional hybrid vehicles, where both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor drive the wheels.
The next Astra is a crucial model for GM as its launch in Europe will coincide with a launch in the U.S. where the car will be sold as a Saturn.
A GM engineer revealed the new car will be based on the latest version of the Delta FWD compact platform, which will eventually spawn 13 different models including a new baby saab.
The hybrid system GM will use for the Astra is a conventional two-mode hybrid, similar to the set-up used in the Toyota Prius. As for the E-Flex system, the GM insider said this won’t arrive on the market until the end of 2010, possibly in a production version of the Volt concept.
We’re hoping battery power is part of the general’s North American plans, but since the US is much more receptive to hybrids than Europe, the green powerplant makes too much sense not to duplicate here in the States.
Rather than go through all the associated development costs of building an electric car from the ground up, Cincinnati-based Advanced Mechanical Products (AMP) has decided to replace GM’s four-cylinder petrol engine in its Saturn Sky roadster with its own electric motor. This effectively turns the Saturn Sky roadster into an all-electric vehicle you can charge up at home.
Running on lithium phosphate batteries, the electric motor pushes the car to 60mph in 5.7 seconds but the trade-off is a lower top speed of 90mph. The car’s acceleration is significantly faster than the petrol Saturn Sky thanks to the electric motor’s ability to utilize maximum torque instantaneously but by the same token top speed is hampered in order to maximize driving range.
According to AMP, the car can be charged to give a range of 150 miles – significantly more than GM’s upcoming Volt which has been set a target of only 40 miles of electric-only driving. Production of the electric Saturn Sky will be limited to just 300 units and will set you back around $50,000 – about double the price of the base petrol model.
AMP now plans to carry out its engine-replacement approach in several other Saturn models, including sedan and SUV models.
Americans drove 12.2 billion miles fewer, or 4.7% less, in June than they did during June 2007, according to a report released Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
U.S. driving levels have decreased in every month since November 2007. From November to June, Americans drove 53.2 billion miles fewer than they did over the same period last year, the study of more than 4,000 highway traffic recorders showed.
The recent 8-month drop surpasses the total 49.3 billion-mile driving decline seen from 1971 to 1980, when an oil embargo, high inflation and recession took a toll. Of course, Americans also drove about one-third as many miles in 1971 as they do today.
“It’s interesting that in just a few months, we’ve surpassed an entire decade typified by oil shortages and driving declines,” said Doug Hecox, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation.
Driving declined as the price of gasoline continued to soar in June. Although gas prices have now fallen for 27-straight days to a national average below $3.80, at the end of June, U.S. drivers had to shell out a then-record average $4.086 for a gallon of gas, according to motorist group AAA.
June’s soaring fuel prices led to a nearly 2% drop in demand for gasoline vs. June 2007, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In the first quarter, Americans used 1.3% less gas than they did during the same period last year.
As a result, the Transportation Department said highways are not receiving enough revenue from the existing gas tax.
“We can’t afford to continue pinning our transportation network’s future to the gas tax,” said Mary Peters, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. “Advances in higher fuel-efficiency vehicles and alternative fuels are making the gas tax an even less sustainable support for funding roads, bridges and transit systems.”
Peters presented Congress with several measures for transportation reform in July, saying the government needs to move away from the 18.4 cents per gallon gasoline tax and 24.4 cents per gallon diesel tax. Congress plans to take up highway and transit legislation in 2009.
“It really makes little sense to try to upgrade our infrastructure using a revenue source as ineffective, unsustainable and unpopular as the fuel tax,” Peters said.
source CNNMoney
The Escape Hybrid has a 133-hp four-cylinder engine linked to a 70-kilowatt electric motor. The net result is 155 horsepower and acceleration similar to that of the V6, but with enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions. As a full hybrid, the Escape Hybrid can run only on electric power in low-load conditions.
Market Price: $27,445 - $29,215
$26,825 Hybrid Version 4WD
Engine:
The Camry Hybrid is a front-wheel drive four-door sedan that seats five passengers. Available in one well appointed trim it comes standard with Hybrid Synergy Drive, a combination electric motor/gasoline engine fitted with an efficient, continuously variable transmission. The standard warranty for hybrid-related components is 8 years/100,000 miles. A moonroof, navigation system, leather seats and heated front seats are optional. Standard safety features include stability and traction control, driver and front-passenger airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and side curtain airbags.
engine:
In the LA Auto Show you see the most important events presentations of the manufacturers of cars and in this occasion the German car manufacturer wants to offer the state of California, USA , the Cayenne Hybrid.
The engine is the same V6 3598 cc, adapted to a electric model, allowing go to a speed of 120km /h (approximately 74.56 MPH)
Porsche reports that U.S. style testing of Cayenne Hybrid prototypes returned a healthy 36 percent improvement in fuel economy.
Porsche is not ready to let anyone drive these prototypes, the hybrid technology on steering and handling cant verified, so just wait.
Use an automatic gearbox six marches, with tension on four wheels. (?) esta bien dicho eso?
This vehicle will bring the sale in 2010.
The Mercury Mariner Hybrid has a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine working in tandem with an electric motor and a continuously variable transmission or CVT. a CVT changes gear ratios in a continuous.
The hybrid power train in the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, derived from the Toyota Synergy system, is the best around. Route guidance and features on its navigation system are good, as is the number of sources feeding into the audio system. This car can be noisy when its gasoline engine is working hard, but it can drive at up to 25 mph on electric power only, in near total silence.
specifications
transmission 2 spd CVT w/OD
Fuel economy City 29.0 mpg
34.0 mpg
Fuel Economy Highway 27.0 mpg
30.0 mpg
Cadillac announced the world premiere of the Escalade Hybrid, the world’s first fuel-saving hybrid applied to a large luxury SUV. The Escalade hybrid will be a full hybrid using GM’s new dual mode hybrid technology. Early reports indicate that the hybrid Escalade will still use a V8 in the hybrid version, but it will be a more fuel economical version than the standard 6.2 liter unit.
The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid uses the exact same 2-Mode hybrid powertrain as both the Yukon and Tahoe hybrids.
The key to Escalade’s 2-Mode hybrid system is that the electric power used to propel the vehicle is generated by the hybrid system itself. When the brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system create electricity that is stored in the 300-volt battery. This stored energy is used to move the vehicle and the regenerative braking cycle is renewed.
The Escalade does not incorporate any weight-saving measures. It does incorporate Hybrid badges in the fender vents and “H” logos by the rear windows.
in the new Escalade you can see the giant “H Y B R I D” door decals are to make the display car stand out on the floor at the auto show down in Miami.
Based on the 
bi-fuel version (gasoline and hydrogen) (earlier post), the BMW Hydrogen 7 mono-fuel is equipped with a 6.0-liter V12 internal combustion engine (ICE) which has been engineered to run exclusively on hydrogen. The hydrogen storage system in the mono-fuel version is the same as in the bi-fuel version: a cryogenic tank that holds approximately 8 kg (17.6 lbs) of liquid hydrogen.
This car runs on liquid hydrogen, not gaseous hydrogen. There are only about 50 hydrogen fueling stations in the United States, and just a handful of those dispense liquid hydrogen. Even if you happen to have access to liquid hydrogen station, you’ll still face a number of other drawbacks and obstacles. First, the BMW Hydrogen 7 has a zero-to-60 time of almost 10 seconds, which is about 45 percent slower than a conventional 7 Series with a V-12. Trunk space has been cut in half to make way for the bulky hydrogen fuel tank.
Speaking of the tank, it’s more accurate to think of it as a giant thermos, because the temperature of hydrogen must drop down to about 400 degrees below zero Fahrenheit before reaching a liquid state. If that chilly temperature is not maintained, then you face the problem known as “boil off,” a process which is difficult to avoid. When the car is not in use—for as little as one day—the liquid hydrogen begins boiling off. Half the fuel is gone in eight days time. Therefore, this car is actually more efficient on the road than in parked in a garage.
The driver is able to switch from hydrogen to gasoline mode manually by pressing a button on the multifunction steering wheel. Because engine power and torque remain exactly the same regardless of the mode of operation, switching from one mode to another has no effect on the driving behavior and performance of the BMW Hydrogen 7.
The control system in BMW Hydrogen 7 gives priority to the use of hydrogen. And, should one of the two types of fuel be fully consumed, the system will automatically switch over to the other type of fuel in the interest of secure, ongoing supply.
For now, the problems of the Hydrogen 7 belong to very short list of people. BMW has leased a limited number to high-profile individuals interested in touting the green attributes of hydrogen fuel.
