Hybrids and electrics shine in the City of Light
REUTERS
The new electric concept vehicle Volage ultimate GT, designed by Sacha Lakic for Venturi Automobiles and French tyre supplier Michelin, at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile Oct. 2, 2008.
At least a dozen new hybrids and electric vehicles were announced or revealed around the world, many of them with solid near-term production plans.
This week's Paris Auto Salon, the first major international auto show of the season, was the focal point for several of those reveals, including the auto-show debut of the production Chevrolet Volt plug-in, and that of the long-awaited Honda Insight Concept.
The production version of the Volt, which was initially unveiled at GM's Centennial celebrations in Detroit last month, is the first example of what is being dubbed an EREV (extended-range electric vehicle).
Technically a series-hybrid, it uses a gasoline engine only to recharge an onboard battery pack when needed – not to drive the wheels directly. That role is reserved solely for an electric motor, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.
The Volt is scheduled for production late in 2010 as a 2011 model.
The new Insight, which revives the name of Honda's pioneering, two-seater hybrid, is a four-door sedan with a more conventional hybrid powertrain. Like Toyota's Prius, with which it is intended to compete, it is a ground-up hybrid with no non-hybrid counterpart.
Incorporating styling cues from the sleek Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle, the Insight is scheduled to go on sale in mid-year 2009.
Nissan chose Paris to unveil a pure electric vehicle concept called Nuvu. Fitting, perhaps, given that the mayor of Paris has a announced plans to blanket the city with a network of such small electric vehicles on a car-sharing basis.
Michelin and Monaco-based builder Venturi also revealed the Volage, an electric vehicle concept on which the two companies collaborated. Rather than a city commuter, however, it is a high-performing sports car – a genre in which Venturi is already well-experienced.
Among France's domestic automakers, Peugeot revealed a high-performing hybrid sedan concept that is said to produce 313 hp while emitting just 109 g/km of CO2. The European Union has set a CO2 target of just 120 g/km, on average, for 2012.
Hyundai joined the hybrid brigade in Paris with its Santa Fe Blue Hybrid SUV, which is destined for production – and which incorporates an advanced lithium polymer battery pack. The company has already announced that a production version of an Elantra hybrid, incorporating the same technology, will go on sale in Korea next summer.
Further upmarket, Daimler displayed its already announced Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid, which will challenge the Lexus LS 600Lh – currently the sole hybrid in the prestige car class – when it goes on sale here next fall.
It may have the distinction of being the first mass-produced vehicle to employ lithium-ion batteries.
Not waiting for Paris, Daimler's former partner Chrysler shocked the industry last week by revealing two plug-in hybrids of its own as well as a pure electric vehicle. All three vehicles are said to employ some variation of lithium-ion battery technology.
The plug-in hybrids, which employ technology similar in concept to that of the Chevrolet Volt, are derived from existing Chrysler minivan and Jeep Grand Cherokee models.
The Dodge EV is a sports car derived from a Lotus Europa. (The Tesla electric sports car is derived from a Lotus Elise.)
All of which means the hybrid/EV landscape is set to get not only very crowded but very interesting in the next year or two.
Especially considering that Toyota is expected to reveal an all-new Prius at the Detroit auto show in January of next year , and both Toyota and Ford have announced plans to introduce plug-in hybrids of their own in the 2010 time frame.
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