Toyota Reaches 6 Million Hybrid Milestone Since It Launched the Original Prius in 1997

Japanese giant Toyota said it has sold more than 6 million hybrid vehicles since it launched the first such vehicle in 1997. Cumulative global sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles as of December 31, 2013 reached 6.072 million units, with the latest million-unit milestone achieved in the fastest time yet, only nine months.

In August 1997 in Japan, Toyota launched the Coaster Hybrid EV, with the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle, the Prius, arriving in December that year. Since then, Toyota has consistently developed its hybrid vehicle lineup.

As of January 2014, Toyota sells 24 hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid model in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world. And the hybrid expansion is set to continue. Within the next two years, Toyota plans to launch a total of 15 new hybrid vehicles worldwide, including the new Harrier Hybrid in Japan on January 15, and the new Highlander Hybrid in the United States in the near future.

Furthermore, Toyota says it will expand availability of its hybrid vehicles in countries and regions around the globe.

According to Toyota, the 6 million hybrid vehicles sold since 1997 have helped reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 41 million tons that than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. The company also estimates that its hybrids have saved approximately 15 million kiloliters (3.96 billion gallons) of gasoline compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size.

By Dan Mihalascu

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U.S. Sales of EVs and Plug-In Hybrids Up 84 Percent, Diesels Rise 10 Percent in 2013

U.S. sales of full electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles rose 84 percent in 2013 to more than 96,000, boosted by price cuts and new model launches, according to a report from the Detroit News citing data obtained from Wards Auto. Automakers sold nearly 49,000 plug-in hybrids, up 27 percent over 2012, and 47,600 electric vehicles – up 241 percent compared to last year. For comparison, in 2011 U.S. consumers bought 18,000 EVs.

Traditional hybrid sales rose by a more moderate rate of 15.3 percent to 489,413 units, making 2013 the best-ever year for hybrid vehicle sales. The lion’s share went to Toyota, with its hybrids making up 60 percent of all hybrid sales. Diesel sales also increased 10 percent to nearly 450,000 in 2013.

The spectacular increase in sales of electrified vehicles was due to the fact that nearly all automakers cut prices significantly last year. An exception was Tesla Motors, which saw increased demand for its Model S sedan, with about 18,800 units being sold in 2013.

Nissan also saw increased sales for its Leaf EV by 130 percent to 22,610 units. Sales have jumped since the carmaker dropped the base price by 18 percent, to $28,800 for the 2013 model year. Nissan also increased cargo room and added an on-board charger that reduces electric charging times by 50 percent.

Sales of the Chevrolet Volt fell 1.6 percent in 2013 to 23,094, despite GM cutting the base price by $5,000 in August, while sales of Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid fell 5.2 percent to 12,088.

Ford, which has reduced the price of the Focus EV by $4,000 for the 2014 model year, only sold about 1,500 units in the first 11 months of 2013.

By Dan Mihalascu

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BYD Launches New Qin PHEV in China, Goes from 0-100km/h in 5.9 Sec, Coming to Europe

BYD Auto, the Chinese carmaker backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, has officially launched its new Qin plug-in hybrid sedan in China, with the company stating that it plans to offer the car in other markets around the world, including Europe from early 2015, albeit with a different name.

Initially offered in a limited quantity of 100 cars for real-life testing purposes, the Qin is now available for regular order with prices in China, prior to any EV subsidies, ranging from €23,725 to €26,225 (£19,645 to £21,715 or US$32,435 to US$35,840).

The dual mode Qin sedan links a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to a pair of electric motors, which all together, deliver a combined output of 299hp (223kW) and peak torque of 440 Nm (324 lb-ft).

BYD says it can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) in an impressive 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 185km/h (115 mph) with a claimed overall fuel consumption of as low as 1.6 l/100km (177mpg UK or 147mpg US), obviously with the use of the batteries. In its latest production outfit, the Qin can be driven in pure electric mode for up to 70km (44 miles).

Other highlights include four driving functions – EV+ECO, EV+SPORT, HEV+ECO and HEV+SPORT modes, a standard 12.1-inch TFT instrument panel, smart key system and BYD’s remote driving facility, which according to the automaker, "allows the car to be maneuvered remotely at very low speed from the outside of the vehicle where permissible".

Standard safety features for the Chinese-market model include Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Electric Park Brake, ISO-FIX mounting points for child safety seats, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Control Deceleration Parking and 12 air bags.

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Insecure BMW Tries to Sell Us the i8 Hybrid on Looks and Performance

The i8 is a strange car for BMW in that it’s a hybrid and mid-engined, yet it also promises to offer the same qualities that buyers of their cars expect, like sports car performance and looks, plus a dash of the futuristic. All of that with claimed low fuel bills.

However, BMW has seemed insecure about both it and the i3 ever since they were revealed, and all their literature and videos put out have been kind of aggressive in bringing the message that it is a real sports car that looks good across to the audience. It just happens to also be efficient and a hybrid…

The two videos posted below are no exceptions and in the one about performance, it (the i8) gets personified as a she.

Also, they chose a black car  that’s not all that well lit for this presentation, in order to hide the weird shapes that immediately pop out on white examples

Scroll down and expect facts, figures and epithets to be thrown your way, in the hopes that you’re one of the people who really do want to spend all that money on an i8. It even has a flashy key if you’re still not bent on sealing the deal.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Driving 700 Miles in India in a Range Rover Hybrid Is not as Bad as You'd Think

To demonstrate the capabilities of the new Range Rover Hybrid, Land Rover took three prototypes on a 53-day 10,000-mile expedition from the factory in Solihull, UK, to Mumbai in India where parent company Tata Motors is based.

The carmaker invited journalists along the Silk Trail expedition, with the following video filmed by Auto Express during the last leg – a 700-mile (1,126-km) trip through India.

So how is it like to drive the world’s second most-populous country? According to Mat Watson, you have to keep the eyes wide open as potential hazards can come from virtually anywhere.

Although traffic is chaotic, driving in India in a Range Rover is an interesting experience as you’ll find out from the video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Study Forecasts Continued Domination of Gasoline-Powered Vehicles Through 2040

Despite the fact that studies tend to get less accurate the further away into the future they aim to predict, this one seems realistic to me, given the current state of the car market in the US. The Detroit News quotes information put out by the Energy Information Administration that reads that “gasoline-powered vehicles will continue to dominate the market through 2040.”

The report announces a notable rise in all vehicles’ efficiency – the jump will be made from 2012’s average of 21.5 mpg to 37.2 mpg by 2040. By that time, it’s also expected that the overall energy consumption for everything that is included in the transport sector will also go down by 4 percent – this seems insignificant, given just how many billions are being poured into green tech development nowadays…

Also falling by 4 percent will be the number of gas-powered vehicles. Currently making up 82 percent of all vehicles on US roads, it’s expected to drop to 78 percent by the aforementioned year. We will apparently be more into micro-hybrids “and other advanced fuel technologies” – 42 percent of all vehicles.

However, the study doesn’t really see full hybrids making a big enough impact, and their share of the total market will rise from today’s 3 percent to 5 percent; popularity of diesels will double from today’s 2 percent share.

All of this is put into context by the expected rise in the price of gasoline too, from today’s $3.28 per gallon to around $3.90, while diesel is also expected to become more dear, at $4.73 per gallon, up from the current $3.87.

Keep in mind, again, that this is not actual information, but mere predictions based on the (downward) trend exhibited by the industry and the politicians who govern what it can and can’t do.

By Andrei Nedelea

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BMW Explains the Design of the i8 in New Video

There is no question that the BMW i8 is one of the most unique designs to come out from Bavaria in the past decade. Its concept car looks make it impossible to ignore on the street.

The long wheelbase, short overhangs, sweeping roofline and strong surfaces give the BMW i8 a dynamic stance. There are so many intricate design elements that it will probably take owners quite a while to discover each and every one of them once they take delivery of their i8.

Details like the scissor doors with hidden handles and different layers of materials used both inside and out make the BMW i8 look like nothing else on the road today.

I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of the BMW i3’s styling, but when it comes to the BMW i's range-topping model, it’s hard to find an angle from which the car looks awkward. Check it out for yourself in the official BMW video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Lexus Targets Business Customers with New Edition of GS 300h in Europe

Just so it makes its intentions clear from the get go, Lexus has launched a new trim version of the latest GS 300h named the Business Edition in Europe. Set to go on sale on January 11, the hybrid model is aimed towards European business owners who usually opt for diesel-powered executive sedans sporting a roundel, a star or four rings on their hood.

In Germany, the new GS 300h Business Edition starts at €49,400 (equal to about $63,400) with Lexus offering a lease program from €483 (~$660) per month including service and wear parts.

Based on the entry-level model, the Business Edition comes equipped with a hard-drive navigation system with a 12.3-inch Monitor and Lexus Connected Services, a premium audio system, DVD player and rear view camera with a monitor, among other features.

The new GS 300h sports a 178hp (181PS) 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors pushing out a total of 220hp (223PS), returning a combined fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km (50 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 109 g /km.

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Jeep Looking into Hybrid-Powered Models

It looks like it won’t be very long before Jeep will start offering hybrid-powered models. While the off-road specialist brand has relied so far on traditional technology to make sure its vehicles can handle serious off-roading, stricter emission regulations will force it to adopt some form of electric assistance in the future.

“We are absolutely looking at different things in that field and we are very active behind the scenes in the development of these systems and how it fits into our profile,” Chrysler’s Asia-Pacific product planning manager, Steve Bartoli, told Australia’s Drive.

“With greenhouse gas and regulatory constraints around the world, it is definitely pushing our hand in that way but we haven’t made any decisions on that and we’re not ready to talk about that,” the executive added.

According to Bartoli, the biggest challenge is the reliability of electric motors and the range of battery packs under difficult conditions. “These are very complex and expensive systems, not just for us to develop but also for the consumers. Not only that, but range is a very important issue and we need to make sure how we can fit that into our systems because you don’t want to be stuck in a creek in an electric Jeep that is going nowhere,” he said.

However, Jeep is aware of the potential benefits of hybridisation and is evaluating new ways of integrating hybrid power specifically for serious four-wheel drive applications.

By Dan Mihalascu

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