Exclusive Zeus makes the Honda Insight a little more appealing

Not impressed by the sportiness of your Honda Insight hybrid? Well, let Japan’s Exclusive Zeus help you out. The Japanese tuner is offering a body kit for the Insight that offers a lowered suspension, a new front apron, side skirts, a blacked out grille, a new rear apron and a diffuser.

You also get a set of new alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile tires.

No performance upgrades are being offered, so you’re stuck with your 98-hp 1.3L SOHC i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT transmission. However, you’ll probably still enjoy 40/43 mpg (city/highway).

Source: egmCarTech

Mitsubishi discloses what will come after i-MiEV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp will expand the lineup of its electric vehicles (EV).

Following the i-MiEV, which was launched in July 2009, the company is now planning to release an EV that is based on the platform of the i-MiEV and has a larger storage space for business use by 2012.

Subsequently, Mitsubishi Motors plans to introduce the "Global Small," a new platform of about 1.0-liter displacement, and make it support EVs in 2012 or 2013. Because the platform is larger than the i-MiEV, which is based on a light car, it is suited for vehicles to be sold outside Japan. It is a front-wheel-drive vehicle unlike the i-MiEV, a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.

Furthermore, Mitsubishi Motors intends to release a plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and motor to electrify cars with large-displacement engines in about 2013, defining them as advanced forms of the iMiEV. It will be mounted with a small-engine to charge the battery.

Source: Tech-On!

Nissan unveils contactless charging system for EVs

Nissan Motor Co Ltd disclosed that it is developing a contactless charging system for electric vehicles at its briefing session.

The company aims to employ the system for the "next generation" of its electric vehicle scheduled to be released in fiscal 2010.

This time, Nissan Motor equipped the "Hyper Mini," its electric vehicle launched in 2000, with the contactless charging system and had a demonstration of charging it. The system was developed by Nissan Motor and Showa Aircraft Industry Co Ltd. It is an electromagnetic induction type, which supplies electric power between a feeding coil and a receiving coil. The rated output is 10kW.

Nissan Motor is planing to offer the contactless charging system for the next-generation electric vehicle as an option. And it is considering a 3kW-class system for home use. As for the pricing, the company expects the vehicle-mounted system will be priced at several tens of thousands of yen.

Also, as a future challenge, Nissan Motor cited the need to establish a system that can ensure a high charging efficiency even when a feeding coil and a receiving coil are misaligned in a horizontal direction. Specifically, it aims to charge an electric vehicle when the two coils are misaligned as much as 100mm in a horizontal direction.

Source: Tech-On!

Nissan readies its Electric Vehicle platform

TOKYO (July 27, 2009) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today previewed its electric vehicle (EV) platform on a Tiida-based prototype to demonstrate the superior driving pleasure of a pure zero-emission vehicle. It also showcased a sophisticated EV-IT system developed to support electric driving 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).


The dedicated EV platform is comprised of a highly rigid body, high-performance motor, compact lithium-ion battery with high power output and energy capacity, delivering outstanding driving performance and safety, while offering a quiet and peaceful driving experience - a unique feature of a fully-electric drivetrain.

The in-house developed electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm for high response and powerful acceleration. Nissan's unique motor control also contributes to the vehicle's seamless acceleration.

The 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is placed under the vehicle floor for more efficient packaging, without compromising cabin or cargo space. The battery layout also allows smooth underfloor air-flow which helps reduce drag. Additionally, the regenerative brake system employed to recharge the battery during deceleration and braking extends the driving range to more than 160km*1 under a full charge.

High durability is achieved by employing an additional frame for the battery pack to significantly improve the rigidity of the platform. The combination of a high rigidity platform and electric powertrain minimizes vibration and external sounds to produce a quiet and pleasing drive.

＜EV-IT support function>
Nissan has developed an sophisticated IT system for its zero-emission EVs, connecting the vehicle's on-board transmitting unit to a global data center*2 to support EV driving 24 hours 7 days a week.

Usability and convenience for EV driving is achieved via the following:

Maximum range display

* With a simple touch of a button, the navigation map shows the driving radius within range under the current state of charge.
* The system can calculate if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination.

Update on charging stations

* The navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.
* Detailed information for each charging station will also be displayed.

Timer function

* The timer function enables the air-conditioner or battery charging to begin at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be pre-set while the vehicle is plugged-in to cool the cabin to a desirable temperature before driving begins, without taxing the vehicle's battery. Meanwhile, the battery charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from more favorable electricity rates.

EV remote control and monitoring function

* The driver can monitor the state-of-charge of the EV via an online website and a cellular phone. For example, when the battery is fully charged, a message alert is sent to the cellular phone. Additional remote control functions range from switching the charging system ON/OFF or setting the air-conditioner timer.

To be a leader in zero-emission mobility, Nissan is progressing its development for electric vehicles and the key components. The all-electric vehicle slated for launch in 2010 will have a unique design and body. Nissan plans to unveil the design of the production EV at its new Global Headquarters Opening in Yokohama on August 2nd. A Nissan Zero-emission Website （www.nissan-zeroemission.com) will also go live on Aug. 2nd.

Nissan has been addressing a wide range of actions under "Blue Citizenship" which represents the company's desire to protect the blue planet and to be a corporate citizen that can live symbiotically with people and society. These efforts range from such global issues as the environmental protection to contribution to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. Nissan continues promoting the development of zero-emission vehicles based on the "Blue Citizenship" spirit by introducing effective technologies, products and services into the market.

1. *1: US LA4 mode. Actual range may vary depending on driving style and conditions.
2. *2: Global data center: A globally common platform to provide identical telematics services via mobile network by connecting internet and vehicle IT system.

Source: Nissan

Nissan's hybrids seen as a step towards pure EVs

Nissan Motor Co. is developing a hybrid system that can be used to power smaller cars as an interim solution to improving mileage before pure electric cars can take over.

Executive Vice President Mitsuhiko Yamashita said Japan's No.3 automaker had made no final decision about actually offering small and mid-sized hybrid vehicles. The technology may be necessary for consumers who need fuel-efficient, all-purpose cars that have the same driving range as conventional gasoline or diesel cars, he said.

"The best option of course would be for zero-emission electric vehicles to cover all needs, but that's going to take a while," Yamashita, who heads research and development at Nissan, said at a Monday briefing on the automaker's latest vehicle technologies.

A mass rollout of hybrids would signal a major shift in strategy for Nissan, which has been looking to close the image gap in environmentally friendly technology with hybrid pioneers Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. by leading in the zero-emission electric vehicle field.

Lukewarm on hybrids

Despite the surging popularity of gasoline-electric hybrids in Japan, Nissan has remained lukewarm on the technology. The company has announced plans only to mount its internally developed hybrid system on low-volume, high-end cars such as the Fuga sedan and Infiniti models, starting next year.

Nissan has said it will seek to reduce its vehicles' overall carbon dioxide emissions mainly by making improvements to its engines and transmissions and by reducing vehicle weight.

The Nikkei business daily reported this month, however, that Nissan was planning to launch a hybrid version of its Serena minivan, its top-selling model in Japan, in 2011. Nissan has said it has no official plans beyond the debut of the luxury hybrids.

Nissan has long argued that zero-emission electric vehicles, while limited in range on one charge, are sufficient for everyday use. The company cites research that more than 80 percent of drivers travel less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) a day.

Source: Automotive News

Automotive Energy Supply Co. begins trial production of Li-Ion batteries

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., NEC Corporation, and its subsidiary NEC TOKIN Corporation, today announced that its joint-venture company - Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) - has begun trial production of advanced lithium-ion batteries for a wide range of automotive applications at its Zama Operations Center.

With start-up capacity at 13,000 units/year, AESC will gradually ramp up production to 65,000 units/year by 2010.

Having twice the energy density of conventional nickel-hydride batteries, AESC's lithium-ion batteries employ a compact module comprised of laminated-type cells, that contribute to more efficient packaging. The use of manganese-type electrode offers thermal stability and the laminated structure improves cooling, thus contributing to the battery's safety performance. The battery has undergone extreme durability tests demonstrating average runs of more than 100,000 km(*) in field tests.

AESC will produce the lithium-ion batteries for Nissan's electric vehicle to be introduced in the U.S. and Japan, as well as Nissan's original hybrid vehicle, in 2010.

AESC intends to mass produce and market its batteries to any interested automaker, with an aim to become a global leader of advanced battery products and services.

(*) Based on tests conducted on Nissan's hybrid vehicle.

Source: Nissan

Toyota to build Auris hybrid in UK, paper says

Toyota plans to produce a gasoline-electric version of its Auris hatchback at its British factory around 2012, in what would mark its first locally produced hybrid car in Europe, an industry daily said. However, this contradicts Autocar's claims that the Auris hybrid will be launched this autumn (earlier post).

The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun said that The Auris was due for a full remodeling around 2012, and Toyota would offer a hybrid version for production and sale locally in Europe,

A spokeswoman said Toyota could not comment on future product plans.

The Auris was Toyota's third-best-selling model in Europe during the first five months of this year after the Yaris and Aygo subcompact models.

Days after taking the helm at the company founded by his grandfather, President Akio Toyoda said last month that the world's biggest automaker would be more selective in utilizing its resources, dropping a strategy of becoming a full-line maker in all regions.

One example of that was to focus on offering hybrid vehicles in Europe, Toyoda said, implying that it may drop a plan it shelved earlier to cooperate with affiliate Isuzu to beef up its diesel line-up for Europe.

Toyota builds most of its hybrid vehicles in Japan, but also produces a small number of Prius cars in China and the Camry hybrid in Kentucky. It has already announced plans to also begin production of the Camry hybrid in Thailand and Australia, and the Prius in Mississippi.

Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year within the next few years and has said it would offer the hybrid option on all of its models around 2020.

Source: Automotive News Europe

5-Nation survey by Electric Vehicle backer shows strong consumer interest in EVs

"The problem with surveys, as countless political polls have shown, is that people often tell the survey takers what they think they want to hear - or give an answer they think makes them look best - then go out and do whatever it is they want to do, even if it is diametrically opposed to what they said for the survey.

But that's why there are margins of error and why, even when the polls are off by a big margin, they can still serve as signposts, showing the direction in which the public is traveling even if unable to pick out the exact road.

That's why people with products or candidates to push and ideas or ideals to sell keep commissioning polls and surveys.

The green crowd is no different and the latest, being released right now, is from Better Place, the California-based firm promoting a global EV charging and battery exchange system.

Understanding - no dummies they - that chargers and battery swap systems aren't worth much without electric vehicles that use batteries that need to be charged or swapped, Better Place commissioned Paris-based global market research firm Ipsos to find out if there is much market potential for electric vehicles.

The poll was taken in five countries during March and April, when gasoline prices were relatively low all over the world - not the best of conditions for EVS, which tend to be more costly that gasoline vehicles and can't be justified on a purely economic basis unless gas prices are very high.

Survey takers in the U.S, Israel and Denmark, the greater Toronto area of Canada, and the Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney areas of Australia, asked more than 8,000 people whether they would consider cars and trucks that ran on something other than gasoline for their next purchase and how interested they were in electric cars for their next vehicle.

The U.S. came in dead last, with 30 percent of respondents expressing interest in an electric car for their next vehicle purchase. (Last, but that's still almost one in three while many analysts don't see EVs taking more than 15 per cent of the U.S. market in the next decade or so.)

In Israel, where oil independence is a critical and immediate concern and Better Place has a well-publicized contract with the national government to install a network of chargers and battery swap stations to serve a car being built by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, 57 percent of respondents said they would consider an EV for their next car and almost half of them (28 percent of all respondents) percent said they would consider nothing but an EV.

In the other countries, 40 percent of respondents in Denmark, 39 percent in Australia, and 35 percent in Canada's greater Toronto area said "yes" when asked if they would consider other than a gasoline vehicle for their next purchase.

The information provided late Sunday by Better Place didn't include and data on whether the respondents were given a price or price range to consider - something that likely would have a big impact of willingness to buy an EV, as it would in any auto purchase consideration.

And its only fair to point out that in addition to Israel, Better Place has a national contract in Denmark, and regional agreements in Australia and Canada, so the idea of EVs has been highly promoted in those countries over the past year

Better Place also is working with several state and cities in the U.S. to foster interest in its idea that swapping batteries would make driving an EV as easy as driving a gasoline car: There would no longer be any range anxiety if consumers knew they could have the nearly depleted battery pack in their EVs replaced with a full charged pack in a matter of a few minutes.

That's not a flaw in the survey, but it does suggest that lots of media and political talk about the vehicles and incentives to get them on the road isn't going to hurt people's perceptions.

Better Place, says the survey shows that there's strong consumer interest in EVs in many countries now and that even in the gasoline-addicted U.S., "nearly one in three ... car buyers are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle for their next car."

We'd go a little easy on the hard numbers - we're not confident that even 1 in 10 new vehicle buyers would grab an EV when finally there are some available (although we think the number will grow, considerably, as more models and more charging facilities are introduced, increasing usability and decreasing cost).

Vehicle price, the cost and availability of other fuels and the availability of public chargers and some sort of fast-charging or battery exchange system(s) all will have an impact on the market and on people's willingness to put their money where their mounts were now.

But we're also comfortable that the Better Place-Ipsos EV study does show that people increasingly are aware of the national energy security and environmental benefits of electric vehicles and that is something worth shouting from the parapets.

If the study's numbers are proven to be right, then great. Kudos. We'll be the first to stand up and cheer.

If a little optimistic - as people are wont to be when being asked about their beliefs - then, well, whatever else it does, or doesn't, do, the Better Place-Ipsos study shows that that as awareness of EVs grows, so does acceptance.

It shows that that there's enough interest in electric vehicles to encourage auto companies old and new to get some into the market, and soon.

And that's great, too."

Source: Green Car Advisor

Honda to begin sales of two more hybrid models in 2010 (ハイブリッドモデル2車種を2010年に発売)

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to begin sales in Japan of the CR-Z sporty hybrid model in February 2010 and Fit Hybrid before the end of 2010. By combining these two models with the currently available Insight and Civic Hybrid, Honda will further enhance its lineup of compact hybrid models, which leverage the unique characteristics of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), including compact size, lightweight and high efficiency. In addition, Honda is currently developing a new hybrid system which is intended to be installed on mid- to large-size vehicles.

Honda also announced that, in addition to the No. 1 line at its Suzuka Factory, the production of Insight also began on Suzuka's No. 3 line in mid-June 2009, leveraging Honda's flexible production system.

In order to continue contributing to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions, Honda will continue to focus on research and development of technologies which improve fuel-efficiency and strive to deliver products with improved environmental performance to as many customers as possible by making such products more accessible to all people.

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Text in Japanese

　Hondaは、スポーツハイブリッド「CR-Z」を2010年2月より、「フィット」のハイブリッドモデルを2010年中に、日本国内で販売開始する。 「インサイト」「シビック ハイブリッド」と合わせて、小型・軽量・高効率を追求したHonda独自のIMA（インテグレーテッド・モーター・アシスト）の特性を活かしたスモールハ イブリッドモデルのラインアップをさらに拡充する。
　これに加え、中・大型車への搭載を視野に入れた、新しいハイブリッドシステムも開発中である。

　また、「インサイト」については、Hondaのフレキシブルな生産システムを活用し、6月中旬より、従来の鈴鹿製作所の第1ラインに加え、第3ラインにおける生産も開始した。

　Hondaは、今後も地球規模でのCO2排出量削減に寄与するため、燃費向上技術の研究開発に注力し、より環境性能に優れた製品を、もっと身近に、ひとりでも多くの方へ提供していく。
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Source: Honda Media Website

Lexus HS Hybrid pulls in 1,500 preorders in Japan

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. has received about 1,500 preorders for its Lexus HS hybrid car in Japan, roughly three times more than the firm’s monthly sales target.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s new Prius hybrid, released in May, has been selling extremely well. The car is so popular, in fact, that delivery now takes eight months after placing an order. Given this, some eager customers may switch their existing orders to the Lexus HS.

About 90% of orders for the Lexus RX, released in April, are for hybrid models, highlighting the surging popularity of such green vehicles.

In the US, hybrid versions of the Lexus RX represented 7.2% of all RX models in June. The 2010 Lexus HS 250h will be available in the US later this summer.

Source: Green Car Congress

Suzuki focus on hybrid, EV development includes continued GM collaboration

Suzuki Motors, which makes fuel-efficient small cars but is desperately in need of a hybrid or other advanced technology car to help it break out of the niche-car mold, reportedly is focusing its R&D dollars and efforts on alternatively fueled vehicles now.

The company has restructured its research and development division with one unit working on electric vehicles, another on hybrids in collaboration with longtime partner General Motors Corp., and a third on Suzuki-developed hybrids and conventional gasoline engines.

Analysts at IHS Global Insight said that Suzuki has just $1.1 billion to spend on R&D (we're sounding like Congress - just $1.1 billion) in the '09-10 fiscal year and might not be able to keep up the three-pronged approach for very long.

Source: Green Car Advisor

Kosutasu Car News page launched!

Following the "日本緑車。Japanese Green Cars" and the "本田 自動車ニュースです。Honda Automotive News" blogs, I decided to create a new blog where I can express my personal thoughts, likes and dislikes about new cars. There are a lot of websites and blogs covering the automotive industry with a lot of information, but I wanted to create a blog where I can share my passion about cars that I find exciting and ground breaking.

I hope you will find my new blog interesting and I would really enjoy if you would share your thoughts with me!

Click HERE to visit Kosutasu Car News page

Renault-Nissan plans 4 lithium-ion battery plants in Europe

The Renault-Nissan alliance plans to build up to four factories in Europe over the coming years to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

"In Europe, we haven't made the final decisions, but we will soon," said Colin Dodge, Nissan's executive vice president for the Africa, Middle East, India and Europe region.

Localizing battery production will be a key element of Renault-Nissan's plans to launch electric vehicles across Europe starting in 2011, Dodge said during a zero-emission mobility workshop at Nissan's European headquarters here.

Last month, Nissan opened its first battery plant in Japan and announced it would start producing batteries in the U.S. state of Tennessee in 2010.

Nissan executives say CEO Carlos Ghosn will unveil the company's first purpose-built electric vehicle in early August in Tokyo.

Nissan will launch this new electric vehicle in 2011 in markets such as Portugal, Denmark, Israel, the United States and Japan. The car's global launch will follow in 2012, Dodge said.

Renault plans to begin selling electric vehicles in 2011, although its initial efforts will focus on zero-emission versions of a mid-sized sedan and light commercial vehicle originally designed for internal combustion engines.

Renault's first all-new electric vehicles are expected to go on the market in late-2011 and 2012.

Site selection

Dodge said that Nissan would prefer to produce its 250kg lithium-ion battery packs close to its vehicle assembly sites -- the carmaker has factories in the U.K. and Spain -- but insists that logistics costs linked to production at remote sites can be surmounted.

"The logistics cost of transport will actually be pretty low when compared with the long-term cost and depreciation of the battery," he said.

Renault has already indicated plans to build electric vehicles in France.

Portugal has made a very strong commitment toward the launch of zero-emission vehicles, including purchase-price subsidies for individual buyers and state funding for a planned charging network.

Nissan executives told Automotive News Europe that governments that offer generous funding and assistance with the electric car launch may benefit in the form of battery production sites.

Production target

Nissan and joint venture partner NEC have spent 80 million euros on their battery factory in Japan.

The Automotive Energy Supply Corp. plant is initially expected to produce 13,000 lithium-ion battery packs a year. The plant has the installed capacity to make 65,000 units annually.

Dodge sees the 65,000-unit capacity figure as a minimum target for all planned battery plants.

"It's not like a car plant, where you need 300,000 to 500,000 units annually," Dodge said. "Battery factories can be economically efficient in the 65,000 to 130,000 range,"

Source: Automotive News

Japan may add noise to quiet hybrid cars for safety

Japan's near-silent hybrid cars have been called dangerous by the vision-impaired and some users, prompting a government review on whether to add a noise-making device, according to an official.

The petrol-electric vehicles, which in recent months have become the country's top-selling autos, hum along almost soundlessly when they are switched from fuel to battery mode.

"We have received opinions from automobile users and vision-impaired people that they feel hybrid vehicles are dangerous," a transport ministry official said.

"Blind people depend on sounds when they walk, but there are no engine sounds from hybrid vehicles when running at low speed" and on the electric motor, he said.

The ministry has launched a panel of scholars, vision-impaired groups, consumers, police and the automobile industry to discuss the matter.

"They decided to consider introducing a sound-making function" in petrol-electric hybrids when the 13-member panel held its first meeting Thursday, the official said.

They have not decided on what kind of sound should be used, only that it should induce a response of caution, he said.

"On the other hand, we should pay attention to residents (along roads) as hybrids are excellent in reducing noise," the official added.

The panel is expected to draw up a report by the end of the year. Its proposal will be discussed at the ministry's committee on automobile safety before it could be drafted into legislation.

Toyota Motor launched the world's most popular hybrid, the Prius, in 1997.

A cheaper, revamped Prius, rolled out in Japan in late May, has been a huge hit, drawing orders for 200,000 units, according to Toyota. It recently became the best-selling car in Japan's domestic market.

Source: AFP via Google

Toyota to start commercial production of plug-in hybrids in 2012

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to begin commercial production in 2012 of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Output for the first year is estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 units.

The plug-ins will use Li-ion batteries produced by Toyota’s joint venture with Panasonic Corp., Panasonic EV Energy Co. (PEVE). PEVE provides the NiMH packs for current Toyota hybrids. The report suggests that the 2012 plug-in hybrids will have an all-electric range of 20-30km (12-18 miles).

Through economies of scale, Toyota hopes to sell its new plug-in hybrids at a price comparable to Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s i-MiEV electric car, which is slated to debut later this month with a price tag of 4.59 million yen [about US$47,700].

Toyota foresees demand for its plug-in hybrids from not only businesses, but also consumers. And it plans to sell them in overseas markets as well, such as the US, Europe and Asia.

In June, Toyota announced that it will begin leasing approximately 200 plug-in versions of its third-generation Prius equipped with lithium-ion battery packs in Japan starting at the end of this year (earlier post). This will be the first time a lithium-ion battery is to be employed in a Toyota vehicle for propulsion.

Source: Green Car Congress

Insight sales down 25% since 2010 Prius release

It looks like the new Honda Insight is in for some hard times, sales-wise. Honda sales figures for June show that Insight sales dropped 25% from 2,780 units in May to 2,079 units in June. Over the same period the Prius' sales have risen from 10,091 units to 12,998. It's hard not to point out that the Prius' increase from May to June was greater than the number of Insights sold in June.

At this rate, it's going to be tough for Honda to reach their 90,000 sales goal by the end of the first model year.

Launched in April with great initial reviews, the Insight has been a tough sell with dealerships already offering discounts to move them off the lot. Reviewers have also come out considerably negative against the Insight including benchmark Consumer Reports who found it "the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time."

Source: PriusChat

Recycling of new Toyota Prius (batteries included)

Long before the first new Prius reached the showroom, Toyota had plans in place to ensure that when the car reaches the end of its useful life it can be disposed of in an environmentally responsible fashion.

When its driving duties are done, more than 85 per cent of new Prius’s can be recycled and more than 95 per cent of its materials can be recovered in a process that only accounts for a tiny proportion (approximately two per cent) of its full lifecycle CO2 emissions.

Special attention has been paid to the efficient recycling of new Prius’s high voltage nickel-metalhydride battery with a new process that allows 95 per cent of the battery components to be recovered for re-use with near-zero emissions.

At the vehicle’s end-of-life, the battery is removed at an authorised Prius service centre. Toyota has appointed authorised waste management companies in each country where the car is sold, which are responsible for transporting the batteries to one of three European Final Treatment Companies (FTCs): SNAP, Accurec and Umicore.

The recovery process begins with the removal of the battery’s outer casing, which itself can be re-used in steel making processes. All the wires and electronic parts are sent to a specialist recovery company, while the power cells themselves are recycled using an induction-based vacuum thermal system.

This is an evolution of the traditional waste heat treatment process, but it consumes less energy, is almost emissions-free and is highly secure. The cells are put into a sealed container from which all air is removed, significantly reducing internal pressure. The container is then heated to 800°C. When the temperature reaches 400°C all organic materials break down into a mixture of oil and water, which is sent on to a licensed water treatment company for processing. The power cells are then exposed to hydrogen, which helps break the oxides down into metals.

What is left after the process is a highly concentrated nickel alloy which can be re-used as a raw material in the production of new batteries. All the other metallic elements recovered can be used in the manufacture of stainless or other specialist steels.

Source: Toyota GB Media Website

Official Honda newsletter: CR-Z to be available for sale end 2010

TOVA member WongKN provided the following information regarding the launch of Honda's sports hybrid CR-Z (CR-ZX according to Japanese Best Car magazine):

"The latest issue of Honda Malaysia's 'With Dreams' newsletter has a feature on the CR-Z. Inside, it quotes a speech by the Honda Motor Co. Ltd. CEO in December 2008 that says that the CR-Z will be 'available for purchase by the end of 2010'. This suggests that the original target of a JDM launch at this year's Tokyo Motor Show has been cancelled and postphoned."

Source: Vtec.net