Toyota has officially rained on everyone’s parade by coming out and saying its youthful Scion brand won’t be receiving any hybrid models anytime soon. Rumors started kicking up that we could expect an electrified runabout from the Japanese automaker when Honda began making waves with its CR-Z, but Toyota says there’s one thing that’s stopping the company from taking the plunge on a battery-powered fuel saver: cost. In order to keep all of the brand’s products at below $20,000, Scion’s going to be skipping the hybrid craze.

We’re not entirely sold on that logic. While it’s true the Prius will hit your wallet for around $22,000, Toyota raised a few eyebrows with its FT-CH concept at the Detroit Auto Show. At its unveiling, Toyota said the car is intended to be a more affordable, more fun to drive dedicated hybrid. Sounds like a perfect Scion to us, but not to Scion VP Jack Hollis. While speaking with Ward’s Automotive, Hollis said his brand may consider hybrids in the future, but it will use a totally different platform.

That seems like a real shame to us. Getting young drivers in a hybrid could be the first step in creating a life-long dedication to more economical driving, but until the cost of hybrid technology takes a big dip, that’s not likely to happen.

If ever there was an SUV that begs for eco vandalism, it’s the Porsche Cayenne. The massive SUV is big for big’s sake. Though technically capable of tackling the challenges of the Trans-Siberian Rally, most Cayennes spend their time drinking their neighbor’s share of fuel and leaving more common motorists in the wake the behemoth’s sizeable carbon foot print. But according to Porsche, that may be about to change. The company says it plans to unveil the next-generation Cayenne at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and spear-heading the lineup is a new hybrid version of the bloated SUV.

We can expect concrete details as we get closer to the show, but for now we know the ute gets the majority of its power from a turbo 3.0-liter V6. Porsche rummaged around in the familial parts bin and plucked the engine straight from the delicious Audi S4. In that car, it’s capable of 325 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque, though so far Porsche isn’t saying exactly what the output will be in the Cayenne. An electric motor will add a bump in pep as well, and we’re guessing a start/stop function will help conserve fuel.

The good folk at Autocar were lucky enough to score some time behind the Cayenne S Hybrid Prototype’s wheel. According to them, the SUV feels just as fast as its standard internal combustion cousin. Does that mean Porsche will up the power in the standard version? It’s hard to tell just yet. We’ll keep you posted.

Source AutoblogGreen

Rumor has it Acura is finally taking a long hard look at the hybrid game. Honda’s luxury arm has been noticeably bereft of fuel-saving models, leaving the green market to rival Lexus. If the pesky whispers dusting up on the interwebs are to be believed, we could see a battery-laden Acura sometime soon. Even more surprising, the company is skipping the standard tactic of offsetting SUV fuel consumption with an electric motor. Instead of giving the MDX the electron treatment, rumors suggest the entry-level TSX sedan could be the first model to go hybrid.

Details are noticeably absent at the moment, leading us to take the whole thing with a grain of salt. Still, if true, odds are the hybrid TSX would benefit from Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist, or IMA. In that system, a thin pancake electric motor is situated between the engine and transmission. At low speeds, the motor can take over power duties, allowing the engine to cut cylinders or shut off all together. It can also add an extra punch when more power is needed for a pass.

At this point, it’s unclear which engine Acura would opt for, though a modified version of the current 2.4-liter four-cylinder is a possibility. In that configuration, power would likely sit close to the current 280 horsepower.

Source\ AllCarsElectric

The 2010 Tokyo Motor Show turned out to be a hot spot for green machines with a pulse. Even Toyota, a company known more for the bran-flake Prius than its sporting intentions, showed off some lean hardware. Chief among those was a collaboration with Gazoo Racing called the MR2 Sport Hybrid. Based on the last generation MR2 roadster – you know, the one that went out of production way back in 2007 – the car packs a number of changes to make it a worthwhile competitor on track.

For one, the company ditched the anemic 1.8-liter four-cylinder for a 3.3-liter V6 mounted mid-ship. Coupled to Toyota’s THSII hybrid system, the car is good for 392 horsepower. An electric motor spins the front wheels, making this MR2 officially all-wheel drive. All that grunt puts this topless wonder into the 4.5-second 0-60 mph range. But will Toyota build it? Not likely, at least not in the iteration you see here. A few rumors have been dusting up over the company’s desire to build a Honda CR-Z competitor, but the odds of an MR2 resurrection seem slim.

Toyota has officially said it would like to produce one million hybrids per year by 2011. That means we can expect to see quite a few new hybrid models in the company’s arsenal and soon. Whether or not a convertible, high-powered model like the MR2 Sport Hybrid is one of them remains to be seen. You know we’ve got our fingers crossed on this one.

The dust is finally settling from the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. More than ever before, manufacturers brought out there greenest hardware to tempt and tease. While there were plenty of econoboxes on hand to cure insomnia or induce coma, the show also offered up more than a few quick green machines. Which were the best? We’ve picked out ten that struck our fancy and arranged them in no particular order. Enjoy.

Audi E-Tron

We’ll be honest with you, our favorite from the show has to be Audi’s latest take on the E-Tron. The company has shortened the whole platform to a sub-TT size and fitted the car with not one, but two electric motors. Those mills spin the rear wheels only, giving the car traditional rear-wheel drive handling characteristics. Range sits at around 155 miles, which is more than enough to take care of most drivers on a Monday through Friday basis. Unfortunately, charge time is a heady 11 hours, meaning you won’t be topping off the lithium-ion batteries in a jiffy. The good news is Audi has packed the E-Tron with 204 horsepower and a clamed 2,000 lb-ft of torque. Even better, the E-Tron will likely see production by 2012.

Revenge Verde

Let’s just be clear: the Verde strikes us as mostly vaporware, but that doesn’t stop it from looking damn fine. According to the builder, the car is based mostly on the Ford GT’s architecture, and while Revenge plans on offering a total of three different engines, the most eye-brow raising option is an HP2g V8 engine with around 400 horsepower. Now, if you’re buying what Revenge is selling, the car is supposed to get around 110 mpg. How? Part of the recipe includes an electricity-generating design inside of the engine. The system recharges special Brail batteries. Color us skeptical. Photo courtesy of Autoblog.

BMW ActiveE Concept

If you’ve had the chance to jump behind the wheel of the BMW 1-Series, you know there’s plenty to enjoy. The German manufacturer is hoping to be able to translate the car’s go-fast sprit into a new EV called the Active-E. The car has lithium-ion battery packs supplying juice to a 170 horsepower motor. Range is camped out at around 150 miles. The most exciting news surrounding this little coupe is the fact that BMW plans to roll out a large-scale test of the system this year. Expect 600 units to be on the street soon.

Fiat 500 EV

The Chrysler booth had a number of surprises up its sleeve, including an electrified Fiat 500. Buyers in Europe have been able to sink their teeth into the delicious 500 for over a year now, and have come to find the car provides a great mix of economical and fun driving. Now it looks like both Chrysler and Fiat are mulling an electric city car version. Details were surprisingly scarce on the car’s internals, range or top speed, but if this little EV becomes reality, it could give the MINI E a run for its penny-pinching money.

1899 La Jamais Contente

Sure, the La Jamais Contente isn’t a brand new model, but it’s as cool as an electric car can be and shows just how long engineers have been toying with the idea of electron propulsion. Built in 1899, this car was one of the first battery-powered beasts on the planet, and despite only packing a two-volt system was capable of scooting along faster than the rest of the internal combustion world. Its two electric motors propelled the car up to 62 mph. That’s plenty quick, especially when you consider most of the globe was still doing the A to B thing on horseback at the time. Photo courtesy of Autoblog.

Volvo C30 EV

Volvo’s getting closer than ever to putting its C30 EV through road trials. The car showed up in Detroit with a full interior and instrumentation, which is a far cry from the overly concepty version we saw at Frankfurt last year. Supposedly we can look forward to around 93 miles of gasoline-free motoring when fully charged, though top speed and acceleration are on par with most lichens. Look for 81 mph on the top end with 0-60 mph coming in a painful 11 seconds. Still, that’s not too bad for putting around town, and the car looks significantly better than the Prius or current-generation Insight.

Honda CR-Z

Honda finally unveiled the production version of its hotly-anticipated CR-Z sport hybrid. Unfortunately, it looks like the company has found out just how true the old cliché about devils and details is. While the design is as sharp as can be, the specs have left us and most of the rest of the world wanting. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine provides most of the pep, though an additional electric motor adds an extra push. Combined power sits at 122 horses and 128 torques, though fuel economy is a paltry 36 city/ 38 highway. Ouch. Will it handle as well as the hallowed CRX? Time will tell.

Toyota FT-CH Concept

What would happen if you gave the Prius a much-needed shot of testosterone? Odds are it would come out looking something like the FT-CH. Toyota’s latest concept is designed to be a dedicated hybrid, though there are still no details on what’s under the hood. Early estimates say the car will likely benefit from the same mechanicals as the Prius, if not with a smaller engine. Being a full 22 inches shorter than its bigger brother, we can expect quite a bit less weight, which may mean even better fuel economy.

Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept

Is Cadillac looking to dip a barge-sized toe into the hybrid game? Maybe. The company unveiled the XTS Platinum Concept – a car that should replace the Paleolithic DTS. Under the hood, there’s a 3.6-liter V6 coupled to a single electric motor. GM says the combined output sits at around 350 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque – pretty solid figures for a car this size. A lithium-ion battery pack supplies the power, but so far no one at Cadillac is willing to venture a guess on the fuel economy front. The XTS Platinum is clothed in a healthy dose of familial styling, which gets it points in our book, too.

VW NCC Hybrid Concept

The acronym is rarely embraced so readily as it is at auto shows. Volkswagen displayed the NCC, or New Compact Coupe, at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The car gets its power from a small 1.4-liter engine with both supercharging and turbocharging as well as an electric motor. The finished product puts out 177 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque all while returning a more than respectable 45 mpg. Power gets to the ground via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sounds like a blast to us.

New Focus Revealed Today

Ford revealed the new 2011 Ford Focus today in Detroit. The next-generation Ford Focus compact is finally going to be released around the world as roughly the same car. Until 3 years ago, we were still driving the MK1 Focus here in the states while Europe got a new design. The Focus has been one of the best handling cars in its class for a while, and with this global launch comes a redesign of its multi-link rear suspension and subframe. Many luxury cars now include a Dynamic Cornering Control system. The new Focus will apply those technologies for this front-wheel-drive compact. The system should provide better handling balance and less understeer. There’s also a new electric power assist steering system which should provide more feedback for better control and actually improves mileage. In addition, the Focus’ interior is expected to be greatly improved. The Focus will get the optional MyFord Touch control system from the Lincoln MKX and an interior brimming with luxuries like an 8-inch screen.

We’re attracted by the excellent handling of the Focus line, and our next question is what are the engine options? Ford says it will be powered by a new 2.0L direct-injected I4, or a likely optional 1.6L Turbo EcoBoost engine or the upcoming 2.0L EcoBoost. The normally aspirated engine will make about 155hp and be equipped with a start-stop feature which shuts the car off when at a stop. Another engine option we’ll see is a Lithium-ion battery electric motor with a range of about 100 miles. Ford is clearly concerned with mileage as one of the most interesting features is as the Focus climbs in speed, and less air is needed by the radiator, shutters in front of the radiator close, chanelling more air around the car which improves aerodynamics.

We’re excited about the new Focus. It shows Ford is taking the initiative to offer a better-built compact car with improved mileage without compromising handling. I’ll try to avoid hurling insults at the styling, as the Focus is growing and maturing, the new Fiesta needs to assume a more exciting younger market for Ford.

Tommy Kaira 2010 Insight

Aftermarket car tuning is roughly a $250 million industry. After all, who wants to drive around in a stock silver prius when you can have one with carbon fiber bits and 18″ rims? Toyota and Honda have amazing engineers working for them, but their hands are still tied somewhat by the corporate bureaucracy. The result for economy cars is usually watered down and bland in order to cut costs. It comes to no surprise then that aftermarket tuners would eventually get their hands on hybrids. Tommy Kaira, legendary Japanese tuner just released his tuned Prius and Insight. Performance is beefier, the weight is lighter, and the aerodynamics are improved. Improvements are good. I’d give you specific numbers, but I can’t read Japanese.

Some people might scowl at the thought of tuning a car with a 0-60 time of 10 seconds, but this represents an increasingly widespread acceptance of a fundamental shift in the auto industry. Nearly every manufacturer is going to be producing hybrids and little green boxes with extraordinary research and development budgets, but they still need aftermarket tuners to set the standards of performance for them. Hopefully tunes like this will put the fun-factor back into motoring and we won’t all need to be driving 98 horsepower city cars, eating tofu, and picketing animal research facilities.

As The Boss once said, you can’t start a fire without a spark. The newest creation from Eko Vehicles may not be the sexiest two-wheeled beast to hit the streets, but according to the company, the ET-210 is the world’s first production hybrid motorcycle. Let’s just go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt on the “motorcycle” portion of that claim. Here’s the good stuff: Eko Vehicles claims the bike is good for 280 mpg thanks to a 70cc engine and small electric motor.

Supposedly that one-two combo is good for performance similar to a 120cc bike, though Eko Vehicles has limited the top speed to a leisurely 40 mph. If you think that’s good enough to get you to work on time, it gets better – the ET-210 hits the wallet at just $855. Unfortunately, it’s only for sale in India.

Now we just have to be patient enough for Eko to come out with something we would actually ride. And race.

Source\ Autopia

Reports were all over the internet last week of a potential debut for a hybrid power train from Ferrari. The rumors indicate that the system will debut at the Geneva auto show in the early part of next year and will mimic the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that was so disruptive in the world of Formula 1 this year.

For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of KERS, a lithium ion battery is paired with an electric motor connected with the rear transaxle, allowing for an additional boost in power and for energy recovery during braking. According to a story from Italian auto magazine Quattroroute Ferrari would pair the system with the V12 599 GTB Fiorano pictured above.

It should also be mentioned that Autocar has declared a contrary opinion, stating that the Ferrari hybrid system will use small electric motors placed within the front wheels to assist with braking and handling.

Time will tell if all of the conjecture will turn out to be true, but I certainly hope that the Quattroroute folks turn out to be correct.

In 2007 Toyota won the Tokkachi endurance race in Japan using a hybrid race car based on the company’s legendary Supra. To put it bluntly, the Supra HV-R GT made history, giving validity to the idea of an alternative power train in a racing application. Powered by a 4.5 liter V8 putting out 473 hp combined with a brake energy regeneration and drive system, which routed power to a 150 kW motor linked to a quick-charging capacitor. This motor drove two independent motors integrated into the front wheels. If it sounds complex, that’s because it was.

But the real news is that last week, we got word that Toyota is mulling a return for the HV-R GT, in spirit at least, as it is planning on building a new car that integrates a refined version of the technology for a renewed assault on the GT1 class at LeMans. Autocar is predicting that it will be at least 2012 before we see the new race car/team make its appearance, as Toyota will need to return to profitability before taking such a project forward.

Stay tuned.