Like General Motors' Chevrolet Volt, the Prius will have a gas engine backing up its electric powerplant. But the Volt will have the advantage:
The plug-in Prius will be able to roll 14.5 miles before the gas engine is needed while Volt should be able to go 40 miles on juice.
The Volt also uses a lithium-ion battery pack to power an electric motor for about 40 miles. After that a small gasoline engine recharges the battery but never runs the car.
Toyota is currently running a national print ad promoting the company’s future eco-friendly technologies. As you would expect, it pictures a Toyota Prius glistening by a tree-lined lake, and brags about the fuel and CO2 saved by hybrid technology. The ad copy says that Toyota’s current hybrids are “paving the way for the next generation of environmental vehicles.” And then these five words: “Like cars charged at home.”
Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the leases will be followed by retail sales. "We will see what happens in the field," Uchiyamada is quoted by Automotive News as saying. "We may have to adjust the number of batteries carried on board."
No pricing or details on availability yet.
The plug-in Prius will look nearly the same as the third-generation Prius launched earlier this year, with the same electric motor and 1.8-liter gasoline engine. The big difference will be the addition of lithium-ion batteries, not the nickel-metal hydride batteries that have always been at the heart of a Prius.
With less and less new models announced this time of the year, it’s the tuning houses around the globe that have kept the auto freaks entertained. Adding to the excitement is the Abt treatment for the latest Audi A5 Sportback.
Dubbed the AS5 kit for the A5 Sportback, the tuning includes a new front grille, rear wing insets, a rear skirt set and diamond cut edition wheels finished in high gloss (18, 19 and 20-inch sizes). Performance being a key for Abt, the engine has been modified to justify a thorough upgrade be it for the 2.0 TFSI variant or the range topping 3.0 TDI ABT Power S. That means that the 2.0 TFSI renders between 180 and 275hp, and 320Nm of torque, while the 3.0L puts out nothing less than 310hp and 610Nm of torque.
Audi e-tron
The most important development related to batteries for electric drives are lithium-ion cells. Numerous experts throughout the world are working on their further development for use in cars, with the primary objectives being to reduce weight and increase capacity and performance. Audi has also opted for this technology, both for use in a hybrid production vehicle, such as the upcoming Q5 hybrid, and in the e-tron test platform.
The requirement specification for the concept vehicle goes far beyond battery technology and the replacement of the combustion engine with an electric drive system, however. The Audi development engineers decided back in the concept phase to design practically every component and technology based on the new requirements of electric mobility. The interaction of all elements has a decisive influence on the factors efficiency, range and practicality.
A high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system
Audi presents the highlight of the IAA 2009: the e-tron, a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels, making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 230 kW (313 hp) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometers.
Drive System and Energy Supply
Four asynchronous motors with a total output of 230 kilowatts (313 hp) give the Audi e-tron the performance of a high-output sports car. The concept car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds if necessary, and goes from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The torque flows selectively to the wheels based on the driving situation and the condition of the road surface, resulting in outstanding traction and handling.
The top speed is limited to 200 km/h (124.27 mph), as the amount of energy required by the electric motors increases disproportionately to speed. The range in the NECD combined cycle is approximately 248 kilometers (154 miles). This good value is made possible by the integrated concept: technology specially configured for the electric drive system combined with state-of-the-art battery technology. The battery block has a total energy content of roughly 53 kilowatt hours, with the usable portion thereof restricted to 42.4 kWh in the interest of service life. Audi uses liquid cooling for the batteries.
The energy storage unit is charged with household current (230 volts, 16 amperes) via a cable and a plug. The socket is behind a cover at the back of the car. With the battery fully discharged, the charging time is between 6 and 8 hours. A high voltage (400 volts, 63 amperes) reduces this to just around 2.5 hours. The Audi engineers are working on a wireless solution to make charging more convenient. The inductive charging station, which can be placed in the garage at home or also in special parking garages, is activated automatically when the vehicle is docked. Such technology is already used today in a similar form to charge electric toothbrushes.
The battery is charged not only when the car is stationary, but also when it is in motion. The keyword here is recuperation. This form of energy recovery and return to the battery is already available today in a number of Audi production models. During braking, the alternator converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which it then feeds into the onboard electrical system.
The Audi e-tron, which is slowed by four lightweight ceramic brake discs, takes the next large step into the future. An electronic brake system makes it possible to tap into the recuperation potential of the electric motors. A hydraulic fixed-caliper brake is mounted on the front axle, with two novel electrically-actuated floating-caliper brakes mounted on the rear axle. These floating calipers are actuated not by any mechanical or hydraulic transfer elements, but rather by wire (“brake by wire”). In addition, this eliminates frictional losses due to residual slip when the brakes are not being applied.
This decoupling of the brake pedal enables the e-tron’s electric motors to convert all of the braking energy into electricity and recover it. The electromechanical brake system is only activated if greater deceleration is required. These control actions are unnoticeable to the driver, who feels only a predictable and constant pedal feel as with a hydraulic brake system.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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