Hybrid

Will a flywheel hybrid, replace the battery-powered version of the Audi R8? 1

This entry was posted in Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)
Will a flywheel hybrid, replace the battery-powered version of the Audi R8?

+Car and Driver Magazine is reporting that new +Audi International R&D boss Wolfgang Dürheimer has paused the development of the battery-powered R8 e-tron and may kill it entirely. 

Apparently the cost of the batteries needed to provide the combination of range and performance needed for the R8 remains way too high. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see the R8 BEV scuttled and instead replaced with an R8 e-tron quattro using the same flywheel hybrid system that served Audi so well this year in winning at Le Mans. Dürheimer was still in charge of R&D at Porsche when they developed the 911 GT3R hybrid with the flywheel system in 2010. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-fuel/hybrids/porsche-911-gt3r-hybrid-flywheel

Since the original 911 raced in 2010, the flywheel unit has been shrunk to half it's original size and weight and it could easily fit into the front luggage compartment along with the motors that drive the front wheels. In the hybrid 911 racer, fuel efficiency was boosted by 30%. 

In the 911, the flywheel could provide 163 hp of boost. Imagine combining that with the 350 hp, 4.2-liter diesel V8 from the A8 sedan and you could have a really high performance sports car that is also very efficient, and much more practical than a battery powered version would have been. 

Audi R8 e-tron Program on Hold, Could be Killed
For a car that debuted just three years ago and still isn’t available for public consumption, Audi’s R8 e-tron has a bit of history. Launched as the e-tron concept at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, we …

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2013 +Ford Motor Company Fusion Hybrid certified at 47 mpg city,highway and combined,…

This entry was posted in Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)
2013 +Ford Motor Company Fusion Hybrid certified at 47 mpg city,highway and combined, making it America's most efficient midsize sedan

At 47 MPG, 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is America’s Most Efficient Midsize Sedan « 2013 Ford Fusion Story
The all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is officially certified as America’s most fuel efficient midsize sedan with EPA estimates of 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined! That’s 4 mpg better than th…

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Back in April 2009, I had a chance to drive one of the first Chevy Volt powertrain… 12

This entry was posted in electric Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)
Back in April 2009, I had a chance to drive one of the first Chevy Volt powertrain mules with +Tony Posawatz at the +General Motors Tech Center.  Today, +Fisker Automotive announced that Tony was joining the company as its new CEO. 

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Ford's first production plug-in hybrid, the 2013 C-Max Energi now has an official…

This entry was posted in Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)
Ford's first production plug-in hybrid, the 2013 C-Max Energi now has an official price tag $33,745. Thanks to the larger lithium ion battery found in the C-Max, the Ford is eligible for an increased $3,750 federal tax credit allowing the final cost to undercut the Prius PHV with an effective price of $29,995 making it the least expensive plug-in hybrid in America. 

The debut of the C-Max Energi comes more than 4 years after Ford first began testing a fleet of plug-in Escapes. I had a chance to drive one of those prototypes way back in March 2008 http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/26/abg-first-impression-ford-escape-plug-in-hybrid-w-video/

2013 Ford C-Max Energi Priced at $33,745, Cheaper Than Prius Plug-In
It’s official: not only does the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi Plug-in hybrid travel further in all-electric mode than the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid, but it will cost less too. As Ford detailed last n…

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After a limited launch in just a handful of markets late last year, the Chevy Volt… 3

This entry was posted in cars electric Hybrid and tagged Google+ on by (updated 3426 days ago)

After a limited launch in just a handful of markets late last year, the Chevy Volt will be available nationwide by the end of this year.

The Volt is the world's first production electric vehicle with extended range capability but it's a very complex vehicle that may or may not be the best choice for everyone.

Throughout the development of the Volt from early 2007 to late 2010, I wrote about the technology and the people developing it for AutoblogGreen and Autoblog. I recently compiled those articles into an e-book called Recharging the Car. The book is now available at a reduced price on the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook and Apple iBooks stores. http://rechargingthecar.abuelsamid.com/

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Amazon.com: Recharging the Car eBook: Sam Abuelsamid: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: Recharging the Car eBook: Sam Abuelsamid: Kindle Store

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