Mazda global premiere of Eco-Friendly and powerful next-gen ‘SKY-G’ and ‘SKY-D’ engines, and Sky-Drive automatic transmission at Tokyo Motor Show 2009

Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of its next-generation engine line-up and automatic transmissions at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, to be held from Saturday, October 24 through to Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Mazda will exhibit the ‘Mazda SKY-G’ direct-injection petrol engine, the ‘Mazda SKY-D’ clean diesel engine and the ‘Mazda SKY Drive’ high-efficiency automatic transmission. The Tokyo Motor Show, to be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, will also mark the Japan debut of the Kiyora concept car as an exhibit of Mazda’s next-generation environmental and safety technologies.

Mazda’s theme for the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show is “The Mazda SKY concept – Providing driving pleasure and environmental and safety features for all customers!” Under the headings of “Today,” “Tomorrow” and “The Future,” Mazda will display advanced technologies designed to improve the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally by 30 percent before 2015 compared to 2008 levels. This is one of the goals of Mazda’s long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom.

Mazda is committed to significantly improving the core aspects of its vehicles that affect performance – engines, transmissions, and lighter vehicle weight – in order to achieve elevated driving pleasure together with outstanding environmental and safety features. The Mazda SKY concept defines Mazda’s approach to developing next-generation powertrains that will significantly improve the eco-friendliness and dynamic performance of all Mazda vehicles. The SKY concept embodies Mazda’s desire to ensure an “everlasting blue sky” under which drivers will always be able to enjoy the pleasure of driving afforded by owning a Mazda. The concept also reflects the “sky’s the limit” aspirations of Mazda’s engineers as they employ unconventional thinking to achieve optimal performance in every vehicle that bears the Mazda nameplate.

Based on the SKY concept, Mazda’s “Technologies for Tomorrow” display at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show will include the next-generation direct-injection petrol Mazda SKY-G engine and the Mazda SKY-D clean diesel engine. Both offer improved eco-friendliness and torque thanks to optimised combustion efficiency. Mazda will also reveal its first next-generation automatic transmission, the Mazda SKY-Drive, which offers first-rate fuel economy and a direct driving performance feel.

The Mazda Kiyora, a next-generation compact concept car imbued with Mazda’s fun-to-drive character, will make its Japanese debut at the Tokyo show. Featuring the next-generation Mazda SKY concept powertrain technologies and comprehensive advancements in weight reduction, the Kiyora achieves outstanding fuel economy, estimated to be 3.1 l/100 km (under Japan’s 10-15 mode test cycle).

Alongside the SKY concept exhibits, Mazda will also feature a “Today’s Technologies” exhibit that includes i-stop, a unique idling stop system that was introduced with the all-new Mazda3 (Axela in Japan). “Future Technologies” will showcase the advanced Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, with its hydrogen-powered rotary engine, and various vehicle technologies under development as part of Mazda’s drive to realise an accident-free and safe motorised society.

The 41st Tokyo Motor Show press days will be October 21-22, with a special invitation day on October 23. The show will be open to the public from Saturday, October 24 through to Wednesday, November 4. Mazda will hold its press conference at 12:30 p.m. (JST) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

Source: Mazda

Test-driving the Nissan EV-02 electric car

Nissan invited us out to take a spin in its EV-02 electric car prototype. While we were there, Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan North America, chatted us up about Nissan's plans to bring a zero tailpipe emissions electric vehicle to American roads as early as 2010.

Like all automakers, Nissan is under pressure from government regulators to reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2050. While Perry stated that Nissan does have plans of bringing a hybrid vehicle to the market soon (potentially a plug-in), he also made it clear that Nissan views electric vehicles as the only way to meet emissions requirements. This is where the EV-02 comes in. The key, according to Perry, to making the promise of EV-02 a reality lies in the battery tech and the recharging infrastructure.

EV-02 uses a laminated lithium ion battery tech that crams twice the power and twice the range of more conventional lithium ion batteries into a package that's half the size and half the weight. The battery was developed by Nissan in partnership with semiconductor manufacturer NEC. Nissan will most likely use this same battery tech in its upcoming hybrid.

The EV-02--and, by extension, the future electric vehicle it will inspire--features an SAE standard charging system that relocates the bulk of the recharging circuitry onboard to allow for simpler, universal charging stations. The charging station utilizes 220-volt power to recharge the EV from 0-100 percent in about 4 hours. The industry-standard charging station will need to be hard-wired to the grid, necessitating an electrician's installation. Nissan is working with the over 3,000 electric utilities providers nationwide to work out the details of how exactly in-home installations will work and at what cost to consumers.

According to Perry, electric vehicles are 60 percent cleaner than gasoline equivalents, even if the grid is 100 percent coal-fired. Since many grids are not completely coal-powered and will see more renewable power sources in the future, as government regulations put the green squeeze on utilities, that 60 percent will only get better.

The EV-02 can be charged at standard 110-volt outlets, but the charge time is considerably longer (about 14 hours) and Nissan sees this as a less-than-ideal emergency-only option. There is also a 480-volt rapid-charge option that can bring the battery up to 80 percent capacity in as little as 26 minutes. Nissan expects roadside service stations to adopt this more expensive--but much more convenient--offering, empowering drivers to take the EV-02 on longer trips. Home users are expected to stick with the 4-hour charging cycle, because of its low cost (about 90 cents per full charge) and low strain on the electrical grid.

Once fully charged, the EV-02 will run for an estimated 100 miles before depleting its battery. The EV-02 mule we tested was a retrofitted right-hand-drive Nissan Cube. The drivetrain was whisper quiet. Nissan tuned the mule for economy and restricted us to a closed course with a Nissan chaperone, so we weren't able shred the tires with instant-on torque. Still, we were quite impressed with the linear acceleration exhibited by the EV-02, and its willingness to move .

Nissan plans to offer a vehicle based on the technology present in the EV-02 within 18 months. The vehicle would be unique in design, compact, and 99-percent recyclable, including the batteries. Perry promised that the vehicle would come at no price premium (sitting somewhere in the $20 to 30,000 price range), seat five passengers, and be available with the full gamut of advanced safety features and premium amenities (including GPS, premium audio, cruise control, heated seats, etc.). The vehicle would be eligible for the $7,500 green car tax credit and, with an operating cost below $0.04 per mile, would be cheaper to run than a gasoline vehicle even if gas drops to $1.10 per gallon.

The sole compromise that Perry let slip is that the vehicles will be optimized for the climate in which they are sold, meaning EVs sold in cold climes will feature boosted heat and crippled air conditioning, with hot climates receiving the opposite treatment. This setup sounds a little weird, but we'll wait and see how it works out.

Nissan hopes a lower entry cost, lower operating cost, and immense green cred will create the perfect storm to push electric-vehicle adoption past that of hybrids and into the mainstream.

The vehicle will be available for purchase by the public in various U.S. markets as early as 2010, depending on the regional adoption of the charging infrastructure. Current partnerships include the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, parts of California (Sonoma County and the San Diego metro area) and the Tucson, Ariz. metro area.

Source: The Car Tech blog

Toyota maintains pace, broadens scope of advanced environmental technologies

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. today announced that it will display the Toyota FT-EV concept on opening Media Day at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), confirming its plan to launch an urban commuter battery-electric vehicle (BEV) by 2012. This announcement, coupled with its compressed natural gas powered Camry Hybrid concept display at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, signal Toyota’s intention to broaden the scope of its advanced alternative-fuel vehicle development.

“Now, more than ever, while we are so focused on the pressing issues of the moment, we cannot lose sight of our future,” said Irv Miller, TMS Group Vice President, Environmental and Public Affairs. “Nowhere is this more important than with our industry’s duty and commitment to provide true sustainable mobility with vehicles that significantly reduce fuel consumption, our carbon footprint and overall greenhouse gases.”

The FT-EV concept shares its platform with the revolutionary-new iQ urban commuter vehicle. Already a huge hit in Japan, the iQ is lightweight and seats four passengers in comfort and security, while delivering exceptional mileage, sporty performance, unique refinements and a fun, youthful image.

Toyota’s FT-EV concept imagines an urban dweller, driving up to 50 miles between home, work and other forms of public transportation, such as high-speed rail. Although, for now, the FT-EV remains a pure concept, it represents a natural pairing of product strategies.

“Last summer’s four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future,” said Miller. “We must address the inevitability of peak oil by developing vehicles powered by alternatives to liquid-oil fuel, as well as new concepts, like the iQ, that are lighter in weight and smaller in size. This kind of vehicle, electrified or not, is where our industry must focus its creativity.”

Although BEVs and new smaller vehicles like the iQ will be a key component of Toyota’s sustainable mobility strategy, the conventional gas-electric hybrid, like the all new third-generation Prius, is considered Toyota’s long-term core powertrain technology.

Last year, Toyota announced that it planned to sell one million gas-electric hybrids per year sometime during the early 2010s. To accomplish this, Toyota will launch as many as 10 new hybrid models by the early 2010s, in various global markets. The new third-generation Toyota Prius and all new Lexus HS250h, both debuting in Detroit, are the first two examples of that effort.

Also, last year, Toyota announced that it would roll-out a large number of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) to global lease-fleet customers in 2010. That schedule has been moved up.

Beginning in late 2009, Toyota will start global delivery of 500 Prius PHVs powered by lithium-ion batteries. Of these initial vehicles, 150 will be placed with U.S. lease-fleet customers.

The first-generation lithium-ion batteries powering these PHVs will be built on an assembly line at Toyota’s PEVE (Panasonic EV Energy Company, LTD) battery plant, a joint-venture production facility in which Toyota owns 60 percent equity. During its development, the new Prius was designed and engineered to package either the lithium-ion battery pack with plug-in capability, or the nickel-metal hydride battery for the conventional gas-electric system.

The 500 PHVs arriving globally in late 2009 will be used for market and engineering analysis. Lease–fleet customers will monitor the performance and durability of the first-generation lithium-ion battery, while offering real world feedback on how future customers might respond to the plug-in process.

“Future customers will have high expectations for these emerging technologies. This Prius PHV fleet program is a key first step in confirming how and when we might bring large numbers of plug-in hybrids to global markets,” said Miller.

Source: Toyota USA Newsroom

Toyota to debut EV concept at 2009 Detroit Auto Show

A Spartan press release accompanied by a teaser photo is all that Toyotas has revealed about its new battery-powered electric vehicle FT-EV concept car that will make its world premiere at the forthcoming Detroit auto show in mid-January. If ever there was a one-button press release, this is it: "Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. will display a battery electric vehicle concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. This display marks the world debut of this concept vehicle."

Source: Carscoop

Honda FC Sport Design Study suggests hydrogen sports car future

Honda today revealed the Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

"The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport's low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercar standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver's left and right side.

The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiators for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle's racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sports fuel cell technology in much the same way that a "naked bike" motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport's clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle's unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure theme is carried through to the body construction where exterior panels are intended to use plant-derived bio-plastics.

The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, in Pasadena, California, developed the FC Sport design study with the primary objective of using existing fuel cell technology as the basis for an ultimate Honda sports car. Designer Jason Wilbur led the design efforts. Honda R&D Americas, Inc. began its operations in California in 1975 with local market research activities and has steadily grown its capabilities over the past 33 years to include all aspects of new vehicle design and development. Recent development efforts include trend-setting products such as the Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, Element, Civic Coupe and Civic Si.

In 2008, the company opened two new design centers in Southern California: the Acura Design Studio (Torrance), for the research and design of new Acura products; and the Advanced Design Studio (Pasadena), for the exploration and development of advanced design themes for both Honda and Acura.

The company operates 11 major R&D facilities in North America, including a full vehicle development center in Raymond, Ohio, and three design studios in Southern California. Honda R&D designers, engineers and support personnel are engaged in the development of Honda and Acura automobiles, powersports products, and power equipment for North America and global markets. The company's main centers of operation include the Los Angeles Center (Torrance, California), responsible for market research, concept development and styling design; the Ohio Center (Raymond, Ohio), responsible for complete product development, testing, and support of North American supplier and manufacturing operations; and a dynamic test facility in Cantil, California.

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Source: Honda U.S. Press & Media Center