Score one for diesel hybrids.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory got its hands on six hybrid vans that United Parcel Service is using, and after testing them nine ways from Sunday found diesel-electric technology improved fuel economy more than 28 percent. What’s more, it cost significantly less per mile to operate while delivering the same reliability and performance as conventional diesel vans.

The federal eggheads spent a year analyzing fuel economy, maintenance and vehicle performance data for six first-generation hybrid UPS vans developed by Eaton Corp. It’s no surprise a delivery service would be eager to give diesel-electric tech a try — UPS must spend money by the truckload on fuel — and the NREL joined UPS in putting the trucks through their paces in Phoenix.

So why’d they team up for the research?

Because the Eaton parallel hybrid system was developed in part under a $7.5 million, 33-month contract from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Heavy-Hybrid Propulsion System program. The feds like the technology because it increases fuel economy and reduces emissions, and they wanted to see what we got for the money.

“Having provided funding for the development of the Eaton hybrid system, DOE was eager to participate in testing the system in a commercial fleet,” Lee Slezak, manager of the advanced heavy-hybrid program, said in a statement. “Our goal is to help develop more efficient vehicle technologies and then document their on-road performance.”

The feds compared six diesel-hybrid vans to six diesel vans. According to the lab’s report, the hybrids delivered 28.9 percent better fuel economy, averaging 13.1 mpg to the diesels’ 10.2 mpg. Maintenance costs were about the same, but the diesels showed slightly better reliability — a factor the researchers chalk up to “troubleshooting and recalibration issues” associated with prototype components.

The hybrids were driven 15 percent fewer miles per day, which the feds attribute to the fact the diesel-electrics were assigned to urban routes where they made more stops per mile and spent more time at low speeds or idling. Overall, the hybrids delivered a 15 percent improvement in total cost per mile.

UPS is, as you’d expect, quite pleased with the results.

“NREL’s report on the performance of our hybrid delivery vehicles is helping make this type of energy-efficient vehicle a standard in the industry,” said Robert Hall, the company’s director of maintenance and engineering. He’s hoping the findings speed up market acceptance of the technology.

Eaton supplied the hybrid propulsion systems for the vans, which were manufactured by Freightliner. The system uses an Eaton automated transmission with an integrated motor-generator and lithium-ion batteries. The electric bits are mated to a four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz diesel engine — the same one used in the conventional vans.

UPS must like what it sees, because the delivery company just ordered another 200 Eaton hybrid vans.

SOURCE: Wired

Volkswagen keeps teasing us with diesel hybrids, and its latest flirtation is a sweet ultralight, ultra-aerodynamic diesel-electric that gets 70 mpg on the highway.

VW rolled into the Los Angeles Auto Show with the Up! Lite (and no, we don’t know why there’s an exclamation point in the name). The super-slick hatchback is the latest in VW’s Up! series, and though it’s just a concept, it looks like it could easily segue to production. It isn’t the most efficient concept we’ve seen from VW — that would be the radical Volkswagen L1 with a very impressive 170 mpg. But unlike the L1, the Up! Lite is something that could sell in big enough numbers to make producing it economically viable.

While the L1 is handsome car, it looks like an aircraft fuselage without wings and the tandem seating — not to mention tiny size — would make it a hard sell. But the Up! Lite concept looks like something you would see parked on any street, anywhere in the world. It’s an attractive hatchback that made us think of the Honda CRX.

The four-seater features a two-cylinder turbodiesel mated to an electric motor and Volkswagen’s very nice DSG seven-speed gearbox. It’s pretty much the same drivetrain in the L1 wrapped in a more practical package. Aerodynamics is the name of the game when maximizing fuel economy, and VW’s designers have sculpted a car with an aerodynamic drag figure of just 0.237. That makes it more slippery than the 2010 Toyota Prius. The Up! Lite is a tiny car — just 12.5 feet long, 4.5 feet tall and 5.2 feet wide.

CO2 emissions are equally small, just 65 g/km. VW also claims that the overall CO2 footprint makes it the world’s most environmentally friendly four-seater. They don’t call it the Up! Lite for nothing, either. Tipping the scales at just 695 kilograms, the latest VW show-stopper would make
Colin Chapman proud. It takes Chapman’s less-is-more ethos to a whole new level.

Under the hood, there’s a newly designed 0.8-liter TDI two-cylinder engine (the same one used in the L1 Concept) that puts out 38 kilowatts (51 horsepower). There’s also a 10-kilowatt (13.4-horsepower) electric motor that does all sort of interesting things. For one, it’s designed as a “pulse start module” that combines the jobs of starter, alternator and electric drive in one neat package. It also recovers kinetic energy via regenerative braking. The car isn’t very quick — zero to 60 comes and goes in 12 seconds — which is why VW says the Up! Lite is designed for city driving.

Speaking of that oomph, the engine and motor work together at certain times (say, during passing) and will combine their power for a total output of 48 kilowatts (64.3 horsepower). And at other times, like when you’re tooling around downtown, the Up! Lite will run without using the TDI engine at all. If you take your foot off the accelerator and start to coast, the engine shuts off. And over shorter distances, the electric motor will propel the car using energy stored in a lithium-ion battery. There’s even a stop-start system that shuts down the engine when you’re at a stoplight.

We know that’s all very nice, but the thing must be as safe as a soda can, right? Not so, says Volkswagen. It has an electronic stability-control system, is slathered in airbags and the four occupants are ensconced and cosseted by a highly innovative safety frame of aluminum, steel and carbon fiber.

Will VW build the Up! Lite, or something based on it? Who knows. At this point, we’d be happy with the diesel-electric Golf VW showed off awhile ago. It’s high-time VW jumped on the hybrid bandwagon.

SOURCE: Wired

German automakers Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are selling their newest “clean” diesel vehicles nationally, including in California—home of the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show—a state that, historically, with its air pollution regulations, has been hostile to diesel cars.

But even the auto companies with umlauts on their computer keyboards are making plug-in electrics and hybrids a major part of their U.S. future. The Germans keep plugging away to make their case for diesel to Americans. At the same time, BMW showed a hybrid, and Audi showed its fully electric e-Tron Concept at the LA show.

Speaking of plugging in, one of the biggest rivals to diesel in terms of grabbing the green spotlight is Chevrolet’s Volt extended-range electric plug-in, which we drove recently. The car promises to go around 40 miles on a charge before the gas-powered motor kicks in to power the battery.

At an estimated $40,000-plus before government tax credits whittle the price down, one wonders why GM wouldn’t consider opting to bring a diesel over from Europe. “A lot of it is marketing,” says independent marketing consultant Dennis Keene. “An extended-range electric is greener, cleaner and whiz-bang technology that could vault Chevrolet’s image ahead by light years if they pull it off, and a diesel Malibu that gets 40 mpg just isn’t going to do that.”

Chevrolet chief Brent Dewar agrees. “Diesel presents a big hurdle in terms of marketing to American consumers,” he says. Plus, “we [GM] aren’t convinced the cost of meeting future clean-air regulations is going to make diesel cars and light trucks too tough a business case to sustain,” Dewar says. GM had several separate events touting the Volt this week, including a panel to discuss electric infrastructure in California and the rest of the U.S. to support what Chevy hopes is an onslaught of interest in extended-range EVs and straight EVs.

Toyota has avoided diesels in the U.S. as well, instead focusing on plug-ins and hybrids. Toyota not only showed its Lexus LF-Ch hybrid concept, but also the plug-in Prius that will challenge the Volt for attention. When fully charged, the Prius is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of approximately 13 miles and will be capable of achieving highway speeds up to 60 mph in electric-only mode. The Lexus offering, in the meantime, is a slick, brawny-looking hatchback. Finally, Toyota put some styling mojo into a hybrid.

“One of the things hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles have going for them is that two behemoths like Chevrolet and Toyota are invested in making these vehicles successful and are spending big money to market them as the best technology,” says Peter Sullivan, a Los Angeles–based consultant specializing in green marketing. “What diesel has been in Europe, hybrids and EVs are in the U.S. And that train has left the station.”

Indeed, Chevrolet and Toyota seem to be in a cage match over which company seizes the plug-in-hybrid limelight. Toyota is putting 150 U.S. drivers into PHEVs starting early next year for real-world driving evaluation and, of course, social-networking fodder. That’s 50 more cars than GM is planning. The battle between automakers used to be about horsepower, and now it is kilowatt-hours and the number of vehicles you can get into the field with the Twitter and Facebook crowd.

Volkswagen, on the other hand, is the diesel leader in the U.S. with its TDI technology. About 40 percent of Jetta sales today are running diesel, and 90 percent of Jetta Sport Wagons are TDIs. But VW is grappling with an interest in hybrids too—unveiling a concept at this show that has the best of both worlds, according to the German automaker; diesel and hybrid. The Up Lite is a diesel hybrid capable of up to 70 mpg on the highway, with room for four adults. It’s powered by a 0.8-liter two-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine, and an electric motor that acts as the vehicle’s starter, alternator, and e-drive unit. “Hybrid technology is uniquely popular in the U.S., but we think there is definitely an opportunity to combine the best of our diesel technology with hybrid to set new standards in fuel economy,” says VW U.S. chief Stefan Jacoby.

Audi, along with sibling company Volkswagen, perhaps the biggest booster of diesel in the industry when it comes to marketing spending, showed the e-Tron electric sports car in North America for the first time, trying to prove it too is ready to play both sides of the green street. But the company is far from abandoning diesel. Audi this year funded an ad campaign to promote clean diesel as a flanker effort to the Q7 and A3 TDI launches. The campaign—whose tag line is “Diesel: It’s No Longer a Dirty Word”—has been aired on TV and the Web, specifically all over Facebook. “We have a great advantage in diesel technology that other automakers do not have,” says Audi executive director of powertrain Wolfgang Hatz. “We have enormous economies of scale for diesel, and the experience of selling it on multiple continents for decades.” The TDI moniker is 20 years old.

Is the campaign working? Audi is finding that 40 percent of its Q7 sales are TDI, above expectations of about 15 percent. Those are the kind of numbers that encourage Indian automaker Mahindra, which plans to enter the U.S. in 2010 with a midsize pickup offered with only a diesel engine. Mahindra is not represented at the Los Angeles show, and is not expected to be at the Detroit Auto Show either. “It could be they will stand out for being the first Indian brand and for having the uniqueness of an all-clean-diesel lineup,” says green marketing consultant Sullivan, “but they would definitely have an easier time of it if it was a hybrid.”

SOURCE: Popular Mechanics

The maker of some of the world’s safest vehicles will soon be the maker of one of the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicles. Volvo announced today plans to produce a plug-in hybrid vehicle that will be available in 2012.

“Most car journeys are short trips, for instance to and from work. We will be able to offer a product that fulfills this transportation need. In order to cover longer distances as well, the car will also be equipped with one of Volvo’s fuel-efficient diesel engines,” Volvo President and CEO Stephen Odell said in a press statement.

The new development will be a joint venture between Volvo and Swedish energy company Vattenfall. Volvo plans to create a plug-in version of an existing model rather than create a new one, and its charging systems will be developed and supplied by Vattenfall.

Volvo has previously stated its plans for a fleet of 10 plug-in hybrids. The Swedish car company did not name which of its existing cars will be the first to go plug-in, but last year Volvo road-tested the ReCharge Plug-in Hybrid, which is based on the C30 coupe platform and uses a diesel engine to power the lithium ion batteries.

A video on YouTube.com (posted by thecarfanatic.com) shows interviews with Volvo and Vattenhall executives explaining the partnership and features a diesel plug-in hybrid Volvo V70 that can travel up to 50 km (31 miles) on a single charge and be charged from a standard wall socket, which would cost Swedish owners approximately 3 euros per 100 kilometer (60 miles). Based on current currency exchange, that works out to approximately 7 cents per mile. The diesel engine uses 2 liters per 100 kilometer m (.5 gallon per 60 miles), according to the video.

Volvo also announced plans to debut three demonstration plug-in Volvo V70s this summer that will be used to gather information on customer driving habits and technology preferences. Vattenfall will be testing various concepts for high-speed home charging and developing a public charging and billing system infrastructure. The power company is also tasked with accelerating the vehicle’s charging time. The video shows a 8 kw battery being charged in 5 hours from a standard wall socket.

Source: CNET

Modern turbodiesel powertrains already match petrol-electric hybrids in fuel-economy and often outmatches them when it comes to driveability and performance, but a combination of the two separate technologies could provide a perfect blend of performance and economy. French auto giant PSA Peugeot-Citroen group is at the forefront of the technology, already previewing a number of concept vehicles packing diesel engines and electric motors under its Hymotion4 moniker.

The carmaker has now confirmed that its first diesel-electric hybrid will arrive on the market in 2011 in the upcoming Citroen DS5 – the third model in Citroen’s new premium range of cars, which will include a smaller DS3 and DS4.

Development is still in the early stages but PSA is confident of a “considerable fuel saving” and a drop of up to 35% in carbon dioxide emissions compared to a similar sized petrol model. The Hymotion4 system is offered with AWD capability, however, the design eliminates the associated heavy weight of AWD vehicles by using two powerplants in the car. By putting the diesel drivetrain up front, where it can drive the front wheels, and the electric motor at the rear, where it drives the rear wheels, PSA has eliminated the need for heavy and bulky transfer cases, driveshafts and differentials.

As for the DS5, which will debut the diesel-hybrid system, it is expected to be a premium hatch/crossover due for launch in 2011. Its styling will be influenced by the DS Inside Concept from last month’s Geneva Motor Show, though it will be significantly bigger than the show car.

SOURCE: Motor Authority

Volkswagen has confirmed that it will offer hybrid powertrain technology in Canada, under its new BlueMotionTechnologies brand. The company unveiled the new brand at the Vancouver International Auto Show.

“Despite a difficult economic climate, Volkswagen is well positioned with its lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles to weather the current storm and prosper in the future,” said John White, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada. “As such, Volkswagen has set out to become one of the world’s greenest automakers.”

Some of the company’s BlueMotionTechnologies already offered include direct-injection engines, dual-clutch gearboxes, and clean diesel engines. The new TDI Clean Diesel meets the most stringent emissions standards in North America and won the 2009 Green Car of the Year award from the Green Car Journal during the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Upcoming BlueMotionTechnologies will include start-stop engine idling, brake energy recuperation, clean diesel engines offered in future models such as the 2010 Golf, and the company’s first gasoline-electric hybrid, which it said it will bring to Canada in the near future.

SOURCE: Canadian Driver

Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world’s largest manufacturer of Coke products has ordered 185 diesel-electric and hybrid trucks from Kenworth Truck Company.

Kenworth Truck Company’s largest-ever order for diesel-electric and hybrid trucks includes 150 Kenworth T370 diesel-electric tractors and 35 T370 hybrid trucks. All of which are expected to be on the road in 2009 as part of the Coca-Cola Enterprises fleet.

The Kenworth T370 tractors are rated at 55,000 pounds Gross Combination Weight (GCW) and are, according to Kenworth, the largest hybrid delivery truck on the road in North America.

Coca-Cola Enterprises uses tractors as its standard bulk delivery truck for large deliveries, and plans to deploy the Kenworth hybrid tractors to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC.

The Kenworth T370 hybrid trucks (rated at 33,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight) will be deployed to Albuquerque, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus (OH), Jacksonville (FL), Knoxville, Las Vegas, Missoula, New Orleans, and Seattle. They join 120 Kenworth 12-bay hybrid delivery trucks already in the Coca-Cola Enterprises fleet.

Coca-Cola Enterprises has achieved increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions on its original order of 120 Kenworth T370 hybrid beverage delivery trucks deployed throughout the US and Canada last year. “The Kenworth hybrids are performing well, with a more than 30% improvement in both fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, compared to standard beverage delivery trucks,” said Gary Kapusta, the company’s vice president of indirect procurement.

SOURCE: Outsourced Logistics.com

Korean automaker SsangYong will debut a small crossover and a new implementation of its diesel hybrid technology at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. The crossover, an “almost production ready” version of the C200 that debuted in Paris last year, is styled by Giugiaro’s ItalDesign and will see dealers showrooms later this year.

It is similar in size, SsangYong claims, to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV, but longer than the VW Tiguan. The C200 relies on a 2.0-liter diesel that produces 175 hp with both six-speed manual and automatic transmissions expected as options.

SsangYong will also debut a diesel-powered hybrid variant of its Kyron SUV. The company claims its hybrid technology offers a fuel efficiency increase of 25% relative to vehicles in the same segment. Further advancements in the technology, SsangYong boasts, will offer a 30% fuel efficiency increase and “at least” a 50% drop in emissions.

The Seoul Motor Show begins April 3.

SOURCE: Truck Trend

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that a diesel-hybrid version of the upcoming E-Class is in the cards.

The new gas-engine E-Class will arrive this summer, while the new-generation E 350 BlueTec diesel is slated to come to Canada next March.

Joachim Lindau, head of overall vehicle testing at Mercedes-Benz AG, confirmed the hybrid plans at a press preview earlier this month for the 2010 E-Class, which will have the same 3.5-litre V-6 and 5.5-litre V-8 engines as the current model.

The upcoming diesel engine will be a new design that uses urea injection and a more potent exhaust emissions system; the AdBlue exhaust-scrubbing additive will need to be replenished at every oil change. No AdBlue fluid change, no squeaky-clean emissions — if the driver ignores warnings of low AdBlue levels, the car is programmed not to start.

That’s true of all Benz diesels with the latest BlueTec clean-diesel system. It was the only way Mercedes-Benz could assure American legislators that BlueTec drivers would continue to replenish the system, keeping emissions clean even as the vehicles age.

The new E350 3.0-litre V-6 BlueTec will offer 210 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, or about the same power as the current E320 diesel, which is rated at 9.0 L/100 km city and a miserly 6.1 on the highway. Like the rest of the E-Classes coming for 2010, Mercedes-Benz Canada is launching the diesel E with a visually aggressive AMG Sports package as standard equipment.

Details of the further-out diesel-hybrid E are still sketchy. Although Lindau confirmed that an E-Class diesel hybrid is in the works, neither timing nor engine size were discussed.

However, Germany’s DPA news service reported that a diesel-electric ML SUV would make 340 hp from its 3.0-litre V-6, while at least one online rumour had the ML diesel-hybrid on sale in North America by the end of this year.

Mercedes-Benz has shown various diesel-electrics at different auto shows over the last two years, including a diesel-hybrid S-Class, which produced 265 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque from a hybridized BlueTec V-6. A smaller four-cylinder diesel-hybrid engine was also previewed in the Vision GLK concept at last year’s Geneva auto show; it boasted some eye-popping numbers: 224 hp, 413 lb-ft of torque and an estimated average of 40 mpg — that’s 5.9 L/100 km.

‘Stunning’ sales numbers shock analyst

“Stunning is the only word I can think of,” said shell-shocked auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers in his review of February sales numbers in Canada, which showed that GM had lost its traditional top spot to Chrysler, even tumbling behind Ford.

He noted that GM had not lost the monthly sales race in this country since at least 1949, and perhaps even longer than that. “I suspect you have to go back to the early 1900s to find a month when GM was not at least in second place.”

The three Detroit Three subsidiaries were within 542 units of each other, so it was really a three-horse nose-hair finish that could have gone to any of them. But the historic significance remains: the largest car company in the country — by employees, dealers and vehicle owners, if not February new-vehicles sales — could no longer maintain its generations-long hold on the sales crown in Canada.

Chrysler seemed an unlikely candidate to depose the sales king, with its own serious financial issues well-documented in appeals by both companies for billions of bailout dollars to governments north and south of the border.

Toyota seemed to be the most threatening contender, noted DesRosiers, but it finished in fourth place in February.

The Detroit Three units collectively lost 37 per cent in sales, compared to a loss of 17 per cent for offshore-based auto makers.

In the United States, GM managed to retain its best-selling company title with sales of 127,296 vehicles, with Toyota coming in second at 109,583, followed by Ford and Chrysler.

Buick looking to adopt Opel platforms

The close vehicle-sharing relationship between Saturn and its German cousin Opel could be reflected in future Buicks, Autoweek magazine reported this week, although the models would more like cousins rather than identical twins.

Opel platforms are being looked at as the basis of future Buick sedans, Buick vice-president Susan Docherty said, although there could also easily be Buicks not sourced from any of its European divisions, such as the Enclave crossover or new LaCrosse sedan (called the Allure in Canada).

Even if Opel is eventually sold, as GM is trying to do, the company will likely keep an alliance with any potential buyer to keep the currently planned platforms in place, an unnamed source told the magazine.

Docherty also noted that, as Pontiac’s lineup is slimmed down, Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers will receive more sedans to keep the channel “well-rounded” with four-doors and crossovers.

Electric Tesla Roadster coming to Canada

The Tesla Roadster is coming to Canada by the end of this year, the company said this month; Canadian orders are being taken for deliveries expected in the fourth quarter.

At first, the cars will come from regional centres in New York and Seattle that will be up and running by mid-year, the company said. But it hopes to establish Canadian dealers in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, likely at some point after Tesla has something more to offer than the slinky little two-seat sports car.

Getting enthusiasts and, soon after, the general public excited about electric cars was probably the Tesla Roadster’s greatest accomplishment, as the Lotus Europa-shaped convertible’s sizzling 0-96 km/h time of 3.9 seconds helped garner the little car tons of media exposure.

Canada could be a showcase country for Tesla, because the majority of electricity across the country is from renewable resources, the company said. “An EV recharged from the current Canadian grid, on average, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 85 per cent compared to an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle,” according to the release announcing Canadian sales, with about 80 per cent in Ontario coming from hydro or nuclear sources.

“In hydro-dominant British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba, the reduction would be an impressive 98 per cent.”

The cars cost $109,000 (U.S.), and although a Canadian price has not yet been confirmed, it will reflect “exchange rates at that time (of delivery).”

SOURCE: Globe Auto

Citroen has revealed plans to fit a diesel hybrid powertain to the second model in its new DS sub-brand, the C4-sized Citroen DS5 family hatch.

“Hybrid technology takes centre stage for us now in anticipation of the development of a hybrid diesel powertrain, which will be available in the DS5 from 2011,” said a Citroen statement.

Citroen showcased its hybrid diesel technology in the Citroen C4 WRC HYbrid 4 concept, the world’s first hybrid rally car, which can run entirely on electric power on road sections between stages.

The C4 WRC HYbrid 4 concept was on display at the recent Geneva motor show as part of a showcase of Citroen’s hybrid abilities.

SOURCE: AutoCar UK

Since the beginning of the Hybrid race, most of the focus has been put on gasoline electrics and finding ways to improve them. Others have also been researched but many of them, for the most part, have remained out of the spotlight. One such example is the diesel hybrid drivetrain. While some have discussed its feasibility, most pass right over it and move to something else. Thankfully, Infinity has decided to design their own diesel electric hybrid and hopefully move it into production.

Unveiled at a few days ago at the Geneva Motor Show, the Infinity Essence Concept could be among the first vehicles to be equipped with a diesel electric drivetrain. Currently, the concept is hiding a 3.7 liter turbocharged V6 under the hood but, according to a Lexus spokeswoman, their priority for the European market is to put a vehicle into production that is powered by a V6 diesel hybrid drivetrain.

While a diesel hybrid system will most likely be more efficient than its petroleum counterpart, it will also be more expensive to build and therefore have a higher price off the lot. One can argue it will pay for itself much more quickly, but until fuel estimates are released that will remain unknown.

Nissan is confident that if they do more forward with a diesel hybrid drivetrain, people will be interested. “Customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment.” according to the spokeswoman.

If the concept does see production, Nissan plans on releasing it as early as next year.

SOURCE: InventorSpot

Purchasers of certain Kenworth medium duty diesel-electric hybrid trucks in the United States are eligible for a tax credit of up to $12,000, under a qualified hybrid motor vehicle credit available from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service recently certified the tax credit eligibility of Kenworth T370 Class 7 and Kenworth T270 Class 6 hybrid trucks in both pickup and delivery and utility boom applications, when equipped with a PACCAR PX-6 engine and an Eaton(R) diesel-electric hybrid power system. The T370 qualifies for a $12,000 credit, the maximum for Class 7 hybrids. The T270 qualifies for a $6,000 credit, the maximum for Class 6 hybrids. The credit applies to Kenworth hybrid trucks built this year.

“These federal tax credits provide important support to customers interested in purchasing Kenworth medium duty hybrid trucks,” said Gary Moore, Kenworth assistant general manager for marketing and sales.

Kenworth’s goal is to enhance fuel economy by up to 30 percent in pickup and delivery applications and up to 50 percent in utility operations. The Kenworth hybrids feature a PACCAR PX-6 engine, integral transmission-mounted motor/generator, frame-mounted 340-volt battery pack, and dedicated power management system. Advanced powertrain controls monitor driving conditions and automatically select the ideal power mode, smoothly switching among electric only, combined diesel and electric, and diesel only power modes. Electricity generated through regenerative braking is stored and used for acceleration, assisting the diesel engine. The hybrid system is monitored through a dash display. As the power requirements for different driving conditions change, the screen constantly updates the driver on system status.

SOURCE: Truck.net

Those of us who have been following the enthusiasm surrounding hybrids and alternative fuels have wondered how this move away from typical gas-powered engines is going to affect trucks and SUVs. After all, it’s often the case that when a vehicle gains fuel economy, it loses power and capability, and for people who tow, that’s an absolute deal-breaker. So how can trucks take advantage of hybrid technology without losing the ability to tug a trailer?

The current answer is to use a stouter gas/electric hybrid system. When done right, it improves fuel economy in the city without sacrificing capability. However, there’s another way to use this technology, which could improve towing capacity and would do it with better highway fuel-economy numbers than a regular hybrid: a diesel/electric system. With this combination, the electric motors could power a vehicle at low speed and assist in power around town, using regenerative braking to recharge the batteries. Then on freeways and at higher speeds, the diesel engine would take over, providing the torque truck guys need and the excellent fuel economy diesel fans have come to expect. Clearly, if it were that easy, this system would already exist on every full-size truck and SUV. But there are some hurdles that have to be overcome, the biggest one being cost. Diesel engines are already pricey to produce, as are hybrid systems. Having both in the same vehicle could prove prohibitively expensive.

Believe it or not, research and development of diesel/electric hybrids is already taking place, but it isn’t in the automakers’ R&D centers; it’s happening on school campuses. For several years, General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored a competition known as Challenge X. The third such event included student teams from 17 universities who were given the task of designing and building a new-at-the-time hybrid 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, the goals being reduced emissions and, hopefully, improved fuel economy. Entries included hydrogen power, plug-ins, ethanol, ethanol/hydrogen, reformulated gasoline, B20, and regular diesel. After coming up with proposals, the schools that were accepted into the event spent a year working on computer simulations, then each school received its project SUV. Keys in hand, the students had two years to make the theoretical a reality.

We had the opportunity to drive the contest-winning entry from Mississippi State University, which uses a combination of an electric motor and diesel power. What made this vehicle stand out for the judges was its 48-percent increase in fuel economy over stock, how close it is to being production-ready, and that it’s stout enough to handle cross-country jaunts (the guys put more than 15,000 miles on their vehicle, which is more than the next four teams did combined).

And we can tell you that it’s real, uses already existing parts, and realistically provides what it claims.

Delivering main power for this vehicle is a 1.9-liter turbodiesel inline-four, which came from GM’s Vauxhall division, as did the six-speed manual transmission. During the contest, it ran on B20 soybean-based biodiesel, but during our week with the Equinox, we filled it with ULSD and it ran just as well. The packaging of the I-4 is considerably smaller than that of the standard 3.4-liter V-6, making room in the engine bay for other necessary components. MSU integrated a 67-kilowatt electric motor into the powertrain and redesigned the rear suspension to accommodate the added weight. In this through-the-road parallel hybrid, the Equinox runs on mostly electric power at low speed (we never got it to run solely on electric power). At higher speed, though, it serves as a gradual power boost, with a smooth but noticeable transition from electric to diesel power. The engine and battery pack put out a total of 240 horsepower and approximately 230 pound-feet of torque, compared with the stock 185 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. And, compared with the OE setup, it gets about 35 mpg combined and has gotten as much as 40-plus mpg on the highway.

Graphics aside, this Equinox looks essentially the same as a stock 2005 model. It uses run-flats, which are heavier than the stock tires, but not needing a spare made room in and below the cargo area. There’s a kill-switch on the outside of the vehicle and another on the driver’s side near the instrument cluster, but those are typical precautions with any project vehicle. The interior is somewhat stock, but a monitoring system is built into a nav screen in the center stack.

Anyone who enjoys shifting gears would love this AWD Equinox–it’s just like driving anything else with three pedals. Acceleration is fairly quick, but the added weight of the new components ensured that it wasn’t as spry at the track as the stock Equinox.

Also, the hybrid system’s batteries heated up during multiple track runs, putting them into a safe mode to prevent them from self-destructing. That made the vehicle essentially run in limp mode, and despite MSU’s 7.5-second 0-to-60 time, our guys got a 9.2-second time out of it. But considering the extra weight and smaller engine, that its slow time was only 0.1-second slower than the stock Equinox, that ain’t bad. Behind the wheel, the most noticeable difference between this and a typical small SUV is that the brakes, likely because of the regen system, are somewhat grabby. Braking from 60 required 131 feet, three feet less than the stock model.

More work and polishing would need to happen before this type of vehicle could make it into dealer showrooms, but it’s encouraging to know that viable diesel/electric hybrid technology exists, and that it can work using components from GM’s parts bin.

The teams that participated in Challenge X proved there are plenty of talented engineers in our colleges and universities. If anyone can make it work for mass production, they can. The next university-based event, called EcoCAR, will offer a new set of challenges for the teams. Visit www.ecocarchallenge.org for more information about EcoCAR and to read about the other competitors from Challenge X.

SOURCE: Truck Trend

The luxury fantasy comes complete with lithium ion batteries and Louis Vuitton luggage designed specifically for the Infiniti Essence.

Nissan unveiled the Infiniti Essence concept car at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday signaling its intention to produce the first vehicle to combine hybrid and diesel technologies. The vehicle itself is typical car show eye candy: a sleek high-horsepower turbocharged two-seater that will never go into production.

Buy an Infiniti Essence diesel-hybrid. Get Louis Vuitton luggage for free.

The luxury fantasy comes complete with lithium ion batteries and Louis Vuitton luggage designed specifically for the Infiniti Essence. (Apparently, Nissan overlooked the need for adequate trunk space in the low-slung performance hybrid—and had to create tailor-made baggage with a roll-out shelf.) Such ostentation seems out of touch with tough economic times—until you consider the high-mpg potential of a diesel hybrid.

The combination of a hybrid system, an efficient diesel engine, and an aerodynamic design could make the Toyota Prius seem like a gas-guzzler. In Europe, where diesels represent half of the car market, the idea of diesel-hybrids [1] gets repeatedly paraded out at car shows—but the problem is cost. Hybrids are more expensive than conventional cars. Diesels are also more expensive. And a diesel-hybrid adds cost upon cost beyond practicality.
Infiniti Essence concept Infiniti Essence concept

The Infiniti Essence signals Nissan’s interest in a performance hybrid, and in combining diesel and hybrid technology for the luxury market.

A Nissan spokeswoman told Reuters [2]: “Customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment.” She said Nissan plans to launch a production version of the car with a V6 diesel hybrid system. The company gave no indication of the car’s price or any timetable for production.

SOURCE: Hybrid Cars

Nissan Motor Co unveiled on Tuesday a concept car under its Infiniti luxury brand that it plans to adapt for production as a hybrid car twinned with a diesel engine for the European market next year.

Japan’s third biggest automaker unveiled the Essence concept, a sporty coupe equipped with luggage in the trunk custom-designed by Louis Vuitton, at the week-long Geneva International Motor Show which opened on Tuesday.

The concept car is fitted with Nissan’s proprietary hybrid system that twins a 3.7-litre, turbocharged V6 petrol engine.

But a Nissan spokeswoman said Nissan’s priority for the European market was to launch a production version of the car with a V6 diesel hybrid system in what could be one of the world’s first cars to hybridise a diesel engine.

Nissan gave no indication of the car’s price range. A diesel hybrid would theoretically be more fuel-efficient than a petrol hybrid but is more expensive to build.

“Customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment,” the spokeswoman said.

Toyota Motor Corp’s Lexus luxury brand is also due to unveil a new hybrid car, the RX450h, at the Geneva show.

SOURCE: Reuters