Toyota Prius named Japan Car of the Year

The new Toyota Prius has clinched its first major award, voted Japan Car of the Year by a panel of distinguished motoring journalists and industry experts at the Tokyo motor show. The accolade is a formal acknowledgement of the advances Toyota has made with the third generation Prius, which delivers more power yet even better fuel efficiency and lower emissions from its full hybrid powertrain.

Prius’s advanced but eminently user-friendly technology is also winning the hearts and minds of its most important critics, drivers themselves. In Japan Prius has been the nation’s top selling new car for the past five months in a row – every month since the car first arrived in showrooms. And with more than 31,000 sales in September alone, new Prius last month accounted for almost 11 per cent of the entire new car market.

New Prius is also making a big impact with motorists here in the UK, with more than 4,000 customer orders received since its launch in August. In September its sales performance moved it up to become Toyota’s third best-seller, after Yaris and Auris.

Source: Toyota GB

Honda's future: small cars, no NSX or Euro Acura

Honda chief executive Takanobu Ito today spelled out his vision for the next decade at Honda to CAR Online. No successor to the NSX is under development, but there will be a smaller city car slotting under the Jazz in Honda's range. It will be launched in Asia at first, potentially following in the rest of the world.

Ito, who is also president of Honda R&D, said that the company had no firm plans for a pure battery electric vehicle at this stage – the onus is on hybrid petrol electric cars and fuel-cell models.

It will continue to develop diesels for Europe, but Ito admitted a project to build clean-fuel diesels for the US market had been cancelled. He also expressed regrets over pulling out of F1, but said it made sound business sense to pump the money saved back into developing eco technologies.

What next for Honda's hybrids?

Speaking to CAR at the 2009 Tokyo motor show, CEO Ito said that future Hondas would use one of two hybrid systems. Small cars of Civic size or below would use a single-motor part-electric system, whereas bigger hybrid cars would use two electric motors.

He also confirmed that future Honda road cars would use direct injection tech, and that his company was researching turbocharging. At present, forced induction is only used on turbodiesels, but Honda acknowledges that downsizing allowed by blown, smaller capacity engines will be key to lowering CO2 and emissions.

And what of the top end Hondas?

Ito ruled out any launch of the Acura brand in Europe, to challenge Lexus and the newly launched Infiniti. He also scotched rumours of a planned new-generation NSX, even a hybrid one.

Fuel-cell cars, like the FCX, will continue to be leased rather than sold outright – until Honda can mass develop the tech to be available at a more affordable price.

Source: CAR magazine

Toyota SAI Hybrid sedan: Prius' big brother revealed

Long-time Carscoop reader Marcus sent those revealing JDM brochure scans of the new Toyota SAI hybrid sedan that is due to make its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this week. Toyota's second dedicated hybrid model after the Prius is in essence a reshaped version of the Lexus HS 250h that was revealed at the 2009 Detroit Show in January and is already on sale in the U.S. and Japan.


The photos, some of which depict the Sai with original Toyota accessories from TRD and Modellista, show that the Prius' big brother gets a different nose treatment with unique headlight, grille, hood and bumper designs along with different tail lamps at the back.

The different shape of the rear side windows on the C-pillar of the car and the newly designed alloy wheels pretty much complete the list with the exterior styling changes over the Lexus HS 250h.

Inside, the Sai gets its own unique dashboard and instrument panel along with a new steering wheel similar in design to the one found on the latest generation Prius.

There are no official details yet, but it is believed that the Sai will use the same hybrid system as the Lexus HS 250h, combining a 2.4-liter Atkinson-cycle VVTi four-cylinder petrol engine with a nickel-metal-hydride 30kW (40hp) electric drive for a total output of 187 horsepower.

It is not known if Toyota will sell the Sai hybrid in other markets outside Japan.

Source: Carscoop

Honda makes breakthrough with carbon nanotube development

Honda has been working on a new technology that could lead to a breakthrough in vehicle development. Initial research by the firm, joined with scientists at Purdue University and the University of Louisville, has shown that microscopic carbon nanotubes may be capable of distributing electricty quicker and more efficiently.

The nanotubes may also be used to create a material that is at least as light as carbon fiber, but stronger than steel.

Researchers currently grow the carbon nanotubes on metal nanoparticles. The carbon nanotubes form "rolled honeycomb sheets with carbon atoms" at the ends. The initial research has shown that the nanotubes are 100,000 times thinner than strands of human hair. "When these tiny carbon nanotubes exhibit metallic conductivity they possess extraordinary strength compared to steel, higher electrical properties than copper, are as efficient in conducting heat as a diamond and are as light as cotton," according to a press release.

Honda forsees the new technology affecting the production of batteries, cables, fuel cells, and solar cells, which could lead to more efficient vehicles. They also believe the findings could lead to advancements in artificial muscles, robotics, and supercapacitors, to name a few.

"Our goal is not only the creation of new and better technologies and products, but to fulfill Honda's commitment to environment sustainability," wrote Honda Research Institute USA project director Dr. Hideaki Tsuru.

Source: WorldCarFans

Infiniti M35 Hybrid: First official photos

We've known it's coming, but here is the first look at Infiniti's new petrol electric exec: the M35 Hybrid. As signalled by the Essence concept car, Infiniti is keen to stress that its hybrid cars won't be just about saving pennies – they'll be fun to drive too. Sounds like a dig at sensible old Lexus to us.

The new Infiniti M35 Hybrid will be the upmarket Nissan arm's first hybrid in its 20 years of building exec rivals to the default Audis, BMWs and Mercedes. And since it doesn't yet sell any diesels, it'll also be its cleanest and most efficient.

Infiniti M35 Hybrid: the tech bit

This is a Nissan inhouse hybrid set-up. There are two clutches, positioned between the naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 and the electric motor, so both motors turn a single propshaft to the rear wheels.

The electric motor can drive the car at low speeds, or be used in tandem with the V6. As usual, it'll act as a generator and top up the lithium ion battery during braking or coasting.

When can I buy Infiniti's hybrid?

No prices or performance stats have been issued yet, but Infiniti says the M35 Hybrid will go on sale in spring 2011 – around a year after the M lands in showrooms.

Don't forget Infiniti will also launch a V6 turbodiesel next year. It'll probably offer the best economy/price mix for the larger new Infinitis.

Source: CAR magazine

Panasonic to use PC batteries to power cars

Japan's Panasonic Corp. has developed a technology that binds together standard lithium-ion battery cells used in laptop personal computers to power electric vehicles, taking aim at growing demand for green cars.

The company said that new technology will likely enable Panasonic to make electric car batteries at half the cost of lithium-ion batteries that are developed solely for electric cars, since it can use existing battery plants and production expertise.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s i-MiEV, the world's first mass-produced electric car, sells for 4.6 million yen ($51,000) before government subsidies due mainly to the high cost of its lithium-ion batteries.

Panasonic, which vies with Sony Corp. for the position as the world's largest consumer electronics maker, said it aims to commercialize the battery as early as in four years, but added it is too early to comment on sales targets. The newly developed batteries can also be used at home to store electricity generated by solar panels and fuel cells.

Source: Automotive News