Electric smart not on-sale until 2012

Customers looking for an all-electric smart car will have to wait another three years to buy one. While trials of the car are scheduled to expand, company sources say consumer sales are not expected until 2012 at the earliest.

Smart is reluctant to speculate on prices when the cars finally hit showrooms. But privately sources acknowledge the fortwo ed will cost at least £15,000, twice as much as for the basic petrol model. Even then, it could cost more if government incentives are not put in place to encourage early adopters.

A fleet of 100 electric smart cars have been on trial in the UK since 2007. Coventry City Council and the Metropolitan Police are among those leasing the sodium-nickel-chloride powered cars at a monthly cost of £375. The trials have been part supported by Cenex, the body funded by the Department for Business and Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to support low carbon and fuel technologies in Britain.

Trials will no expand across Europe, starting with Berlin and Paris in 2009. These vehicles will be fitted with new lithium-ion batteries - rather than the UK trial's nickel chloride units - which will ultimately be fitted to consumer cars come 2012.

Small scale production of the electric fortwo should begin in 2010. The company says the vehicles will supply further trials in markets beyond Europe, rather than signalling the start of production for private customers.

Smart is not alone in trialling electric vehicles. Around 500 electric MINIs will be leased to corporate and private customers in California, New York and New Jersey from March 2009.

In October, the government announced a £100m package of measures over the next three years to boost the market for electric cars. These include support for further trials of cars and light commercial vehicles in the UK, as well as plans to boost re-charging networks.

Top 10 green cars are all diesels, Prius doesn't get a look-in

Diesels have topped a list of the most fuel efficient cars in the UK. The number one slot was awarded jointly to a Fiat Panda (pictured), Toyota Yaris and VW Polo, which all achieved 60+ miles per gallon in Which? magazine's tests. The poster boy of the green car movement, the Prius, didn't even make the top 10.

Which? copied the EU's standard mpg tests but added a simulated 15.5-mile motorway drive at an average 68mph, complete with acceleration and deacceleration. The magazine says its mpg figures are more accurate than the offical ones presented by car makers.

Every car in the top 10 list has a diesel engine. "Although diesel cars cost more than petrol cars, they will save drivers a packet if they cover lots of miles," the Which? Complete Guide to Greener Driving says.

The full report's on sale now at WH Smith, Borders, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda stores for £7. Below are the mag's top 10 cars for fuel economy.

Top 10 UK cars for fuel economy

1 with 60.1mpg
Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet (pictured)
Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D
VW Polo BlueMotion 1

4 -- 58.8mpg
Mini Clubman 1.6D Cooper

5 -- 57.7mpg
Audi A3 1.9 TDIe
Mazda2 1.4D
VW Golf BlueMotion:

8 -- 57.6mpg
Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi 90

9 -- 56.5mpg
Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet

10 -- 55.3mpg
Renault Modus 1.5 dci 86

Peugeot teases with 'Prologue…' next gen hybrid

French car maker Peugeot is revealing a "next generation hybrid" car at next month's 2008 Paris Motor Show. Judging from the photos, the 'Prologue…' is not the 'RC' coupe that Peugeot has already been teasing us with, and it's certainly not the 307-based diesel hybrid concept the firm has touted at previous shows. So what do we know?

Not a lot, yet. It produces 109g/km CO2 -- hardly spectacular even for today's tech, as the current Prius is on 104 -- and it's a 'strong hybrid'. In other words, it's capable of running solely on electric power for short distances. We also know the car's rated at 200bhp, and Peugeot claims its eco creds won't compromise decent performance.

For more on the Prologue… (yes, it has an ellipsis as part of its name), come back here on 2 October, when I'll be covering the Paris Motor Show with reams of live news and photos.

Renault parades Ondelios flax car

You can eat it, buy towels and bags made from it, but did you know you can make a car from flax? Renault thinks so, as today it unveiled the Ondelio, a new eco concept car partly made from flax.

The Ondelious is a 6-seater diesel hybrid that Renault says represents the "medium term future" of motoring. It'll be on show at next month's Paris Motor Show.

Renault claims the flax bodywork is there for "for greater recyclability." Flax is certainly a renewable resource -- unlike oil-based plastic -- but I'm sceptical it has great potential for recycling in the car industry.

A more credible eco claim is the use of carbon fibre and polycarbonate in the car's bodywork, which should reduce its weight and fuel consumption (like, say, the Axon).

Renault reckons the car will manage 120g/km CO2, thanks to its aerodynamic design, light body, low resistance tyres and stop-start technology that saves fuel when you stop at lights. 120g would be pretty impressive for a car this size.

The hybrid tech inside is of the 'mild' variety, meaning it'll assist your diesel driving for fuel efficiency. You can't, however, run on 100 per cent electric alone. The lithium-ion battery recharges when you brake, and the car has electric motors front and back.

The Ondelios certainly looks nice for a concept car -- I'm a sucker for roof-hinge doors -- but the eco claims are a tad oversold. It's basically a luxury concept with decent fuel economy and okay performance of 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds.

My favourite 'eco' element is the promise of a Samsung multimedia gaming gadget for every passenger.

Maybe Renault didn't notice, but people already one iPhones and PSPs. If a son of the Ondelios ever sees the light of day, let's hope the Samsung gadgets are an optional extra.

Mercedes-Benz eco C-Class tells you when to shift gear

A new greener version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will tell drivers when to change gear to save fuel. Using a computer and display that informs drivers of the most efficient time to shift gear, the C 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Prime Edition hopes to maximise mileage from its efficient diesel engine.

The C 250 will cost 40,638 Euros (£32,330) and goes head-to-head with compact executive cars such as the BMW 3 Series 318d.

Mercedes-Benz says its car will manage 138g/km CO2: not bad, but not as good as the class-leading Beamer. Performance looks respectable, with a promised 0-60mph of 7 seconds.
The car will be available this autumn in a limited 5,000 run.

Volkswagen’s newest green car!

EcoFactor: Volkswagen’s most fuel efficient and cleanest version.

Volkswagen is known for producing some of the best cars in the world. The newest concept car to make its debut is the Golf BlueMotion, which is also known as the most fuel efficient and cleanest version of all. Apart from the stunning looks, this automobile is also extremely fuel efficient.

The fuel consumption on this car has been reduced by a full 0.6 litres compared to the original model. Similarly, CO2 emissions have been reduced from 135 g/km to 119 g/km. The car also has a 1.6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine that kicks out 105 horses along with the 184 lbs ft of torque which has already achieved recognition as an efficient engine at a low 2,000 rpm. To ensure that the TDI engine still gets enough cooling air, the Golf BlueMotion has an effective dual fan. The car also relies on light-running tires optimized for rolling resistance.

The base price of the Golf BlueMotion Trendline is 20,615 euros. Thus, purchasing the Golf BlueMotion pays off because of its reasonable price, high efficiency and most importantly, for being eco-friendly.

Dark Side:
The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion is wisely crafted, but the only minute drawback is that the car is still in the conceptual stage. The automobile will be available in the UK market in the coming months, but will take quite some time before it gets launched worldwide!

Via: The Scoop

Plug-in Prius lands on UK roads, details emerge

Today the UK caught up with France, Japan and the US with the launch of a year-long trial of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV). I've just returned from the Hyde Park launch event, where I chatted with the Toyoto and EDF folk behind the project. Here's the lowdown.

The car looks like today's Prius -- it's cosmetically identical aside from a plug socket on the right of the car -- but promises greater fuel economy. The Prius PHV's extended battery can be recharged with a mains socket at home and road-side charging stations on the go.

Toyota told the crowd of journos and politicos -- including the Conservative's Tim Yeo and Labour's John Hutton -- that the Prius PHV uses 60 per cent less petrol than a normal Prius on journeys under 25km.

The car can run for 6.2 miles on pure electric power and takes two hours to recharge. Toyota's chief hybrid architect, Koei Saga, said he didn't believe drivers would be willing to wait for a longer charge.

Toyota also explained a key difference between the PHV and the normal Prius: it can hit 60mph on electric power alone. That's up from 30mph on the current model.

Prius PHVs will be available in 2009 for company fleets, but Toyota was cagey when I spoke to them about an on-sale date for UK consumers. The best answer I could get was the car would be available within five years at the latest. Price is a closely guarded secret.

Toyota's Saga also talked about the Prius' future direction. He said battery management was the main area of R&D, and ruled out diesel hybrids in the short term because of the high price tag of a diesel hybrid. "In the long run", he added, "diesel hybrids are something we'd consider."
The Prius PHV trial is in conjuntion with 50 jammy staff at energy company EDF, who will see how the Prius PHV performs on UK roads. EDF said it'd try to include employees who have microgeneration technology at home, such as solar panels and wind turbines.

If you can't wait for Toyota to sell the official Prius PHV, you could contact Amberjac Projects which mods the vanilla Prius into a plug-in conversion. Or you could start saving for 2009's Honda Insight, which is being billed as the world's cheapest hybrid.

Photos: Prius PHV up-close and around London

Following the news about the UK's first ever plug-in petrol electric hybrid, here are some great Toyota photos of the car zooming around British roads. Discover how the charging process works and check out the road-side charging stations popping up in London and beyond.

One of the 40 public charging stations installed by EDF.

The charging cable looks very similar to the ones supplied with 100 per cent electric cars such as the G-Wiz and Mega City.

As you can see, the Elektrobay charging posts conceal a standard plug socket.

Like today's Prius, the plug-in version will be exempt from the London Congestion Charge.

This is the only real cosmetic difference between the Prius PHV and the standard Prius: a plug cover on the car's right-hand-side.

EDF claims the plug-in Prius will have lower carbon emissions than a normal petrol car in Britain, even though much of the fuel mix for UK electricity comes from carbon-dense coal rather than renewable energy.

Peugeot 888 future car is a concept done right: shape-shifting and green

The Peugeot 888 is billed as the "personal vehicle for the future Metropolis." For designer Oskar Johansen from Norway, that means a car with space for two with room for luggage, as well as a nifty shape-shifting body. On the highway, the Peugeot 888 stretches itself out flat so that it's stable and aerodynamic. In the city, however, it scrunches up for easier parking and taking up less of the road in general.

Just to make sure it'll fit in with the eco-minded future, the 888 is powered by electric motors in each of its wheels, runs off of an array of lithium-ion batteries stored in the trunk, which, in turn, is covered with solar panels.

Trident Iceni – A green speeding sports car for $150,000

Terms like “luxury” and “eco-friendly” seem to be getting along better these days as we see them coming under one roof to render the most opulent yet green alternatives. The Trident Iceni highlights the clever fusion of these two features. Designed and manufactured by Phil Bevan, it is empowered by a Duramax turbo diesel engine with 550 horsepower at 3800 rpm. This enables the Iceni to zoom off to over 200 miles per hour. Also it can cover 2,000 miles on a full-fueled tank. This green two-seater sports car can go from 0-60mph in less than 4 seconds and deliver up to 100mpg.

Eco-conscious folks who want to steer super cars but hate to damage their environment in turn can grab one of the 500 of the Iceni that will be produced. However allow me to warn you that the price tag of £75,000 ($150,000) can crash into your wallet if it isn’t beefy enough.

Via Dailymail

Green Tesla Roadster silently speeds up for $185,000

Dilemmas of escalating fuel prices as well as popularity of hybrid vehicles have lead to a demand for efficient eco cars that are at par with today’s gas guzzling vehicles. And Tesla Roadster has managed to prove that such green concept can work in real world scenarios too. Thankfully it also looks like a normal sports car and not like some strange cylindrical capsule or tear shaped pod. Powered with 185kw electric motor as well as a stack of batteries, this green speedy beast can zoom off from zero to 60 in just 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 125mph. Geared to charge within three hours it can run a range of 220 miles on each charge.

Virtually noiseless, you’ll need to double check to realize that its breathing when switched on. Boasting of fantastic acceleration, the lack of noise or gear changes makes it even more thrilling.
Sporting a not-so-pleasant tag of £92,000 ($185,000), about 1,100 have been ordered for US shores. While Europe will see about 250 of them early next year.
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Arnold Schwarzenegger are some of the celebs who will be seen behind this silent green speedy beast.

Via: Dailymail

South-west London adds 9 electric car chargers

Driving a G-Wiz across London gets easier tomorrow, thanks to a new network of charging points in the city's south-west. Nine road-side charging stations have been installed and will be available to electric car owners from 13 August 2008.

If you live in Richmond, Hammersmith & Fulham or any of the other eight boroughs listed here, you'll be able to recharge as much as you like in return for a £100 annual fee.

The new 'Eleketrobays' join the 36 central London ones already listed on the Newride website's EV charging map.

Only last month, the BBC's Panorama team reported that charging electric cars outside of London is virtually impossible, but the capital's growing charging infrastructure means it's fast becoming a mecca for EV drivers. Even my local borough of Lambeth is hoping to install four charging points in the coming months.

Add to that the tasty second generation of EVs arriving this autumn and in 2009, and electric cars are suddenly looking very attractive.

For a list of reasons you'd want to drive an EV in London -- from Congestion Charge exemption to free parking -- read our test of the best electric cars.

Environmentally friendly future of police cars

Huge gathering of Model Ts in Indiana marks centenary of iconic Ford
With a 28mph top speed, it is unlikely to be catching any criminals.

A real Gem: the Global Electric Motorcar is being trialled by Sussex Police

However, this electric police car can do 50 miles without being charged and could be the face of the future for community support officers.

Britain's latest police car may look like a golf buggy, but it is capable of doing 450 miles per gallon.

Made by Chrysler, the zero-emission all-electric Gem is being used by police in New York, Miami and Los Angeles but is now being tested by forces in this country.

The Gem - or Global Electric Motorcar - was unveiled in Brighton and is being trialled by Sussex Police for use by neighbourhood police teams, in an attempt cut down on pollution problems as officers patrol the streets.

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It has a plug socket like a kettle's in the nose of the front bonnet and can be plugged into any mains outlet to be charged.

The down side is the car can only go 50 miles before batteries need recharging while the top speed of 28mph means it is unlikely to catch many fleeing criminals or take part in any high-speed chases with a bicycle let alone a car.

But with diesel costing £6.50 per gallon, the same spent on electricity will run the fibre-glass car for 450 miles.

The Gem costs £12,500 and will be evaluated before Sussex Police decided whether to buy them.

Gem already offers a number of models in the US used by a number of government agencies as well as hotels, universities and medical campuses.

Sales have increased by 10-30 per cent in the last year, primarily thanks to high fuel prices

Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi Duratorq Diesel Review

If you're looking for a trusted and familiar green car that won't involve altering your driving style or habits, this small family diesel has your name stamped all over it. Ford has taken the UK's best-selling car, tweaked it to the max for efficiency and put it into production at an affordable price. The result is the ECOnetic.

The ECOnetic is aimed firmly at anyone interested in ecological and economic matters, clocking in with a best-in-class carbon rating of 115g of CO2 per kilometre. According to government rankings, that's as good as small family diesels get. The only small family cars that beat it are two petrol hybrids, Toyota Prius and Honda's Civic Hybrid.

There's ample space in the back and boot. The boot easily took a large folded pram, for example

We certainly found the car to be miserly with fuel. For a long time, the fuel gauge needle appeared glued to full, and while we didn't manage the theoretical maximum 65.6mpg we did manage to get 55.6. That's better than the real world mpg figure of 52 that What Car? magazine found for the Prius. The economy and big fuel tank also means you can go a long way without visiting a petrol station. We got all the way from London to Cornwall and half-way back before needing a top-up.

The ECOnetic, it's clear, is greener than some of the greenest cars you can buy. It is worth pointing out, however, that its diesel engine will be creating more local air pollution (nitrous oxides and particulates) than a petrol hybrid. Whether that bothers you depends on your priorities on climate change and local air quality.

For the record, Ford says it achieved the ECOnetic's efficiency three ways. They all involve reducing friction -- it's 10mm lower at the front than a normal Focus, uses a low-viscosity BP engine oil and has lower-friction tyres.

You don't notice any of this in the driving experience, however. This thing drives and handles like a normal Focus, which is A Good Thing. Acceleration's nippy enough on the flat, steering is smooth and responsive at all the right times and the car's happiest on the motorway. Unlike VW's super-efficient Bluemotion Polo diesel, the gearing isn't unusual here, so there's no learning curve.

The only whinge we do have is the ECOnetic's performance on hills. We frequently found ourselves in a lower gear than we'd usually employ on gentle gradients. It's worth noting the engine, like most diesels, is also noisy -- even inside the cabin.

For the money, you get a plush and solidly built interior

And what about that cabin? For the money, it's a plush and solidly built interior, mixing standard mod cons with practicality. You get Bluetooth hands-free calling, voice control (which is actually a bit rubbish) and a parking distance sensor at the rear. On the practical side, there's a handy total of three cig charging sockets around the carry box behind the gear stick and ample space in the back and boot. The boot easily took a large folded pram, for example.

Looking at Ford's green and ethical track record overall, the company stands up quite well. The car-maker publishes a report that's comprehensive and impressive in the data it publishes, even by automotive standards. Ford has no investments in unethical businesses that we're aware of.
This is a very good car which, unlike Ford's previous explicitly green efforts -- Flexible Fuel Vehicle, we're looking at you -- has genuine mass appeal. And at £16,050, it's a few grand cheaper than the Civic Hybrid and the Prius. Even with diesel's price closing on petrol's, the ECOnetic is high on value for money as well as low on carbon.

Contact: Ford
Telephone: +44 (0)127 725 2183

Mercedes A-Class gets stop-start (finally)

Following hot on the exhaust of Citroen and BMW, Mercedes is jumping on the stop-start bandwagon. The luxury car maker's new A150 and A170 compact cars will come equipped with 'ECO start-stop', a spot of technical wizardry that automatically stops and restarts the engine when you flick into neutral.

Like Citroen's C3, all the technology is invisible and you won’t have to panic about restarting the engine when the traffic lights go green. Elsewhere on the car, tweaks to the diesel engine, aerodynamics and weight knock the A150's overall CO2 emissions per kilometre down 12 per cent on the old version.

That's not a bad improvement. Despite the step in the right direction, however, the A150 still comes out at 139g CO2 per kilometre. That's well above the new discounted bands for vehicle excise duty and above the EU's green target of 130g CO2 by 2012.

Mercedes is also keen to tell us it's looking at the overall eco lifecycle impact of the A-Class series, rather than just high MPG and low CO2. As such, its new cars will be the first to carry the ISO 14062 badge. Yes, I had to look it up too. Officially, it means Merc has been "integrating environmental aspects into product design and development." The overall ISO 14000 eco management standards are well respected, so this move's definitely worth a thumbs-up.

To buy a new A150 and A170, put spring 2009 in your recycled diary.

Porsche Panamera to start at $127k, hybrid version to produce 300-hp

The Porsche Panamera will arrive in dealerships later next year and will be offered with three different engine choices. The base V6 models will start at $127,000 while the V8 turbo all-wheel-drive model will start at $198,000. The Panamera Hybrid will arrive in 2011.

According to German magazine AutoBild, the base 2010 Porsche Panamera will be powered by a 3.6 liter V6. That will be followed by a 4.8 liter V8 producing 405-hp and a turbocharged version that will produce 520-hp. The engines will be available with Porsche’s new optional PDK dual-clutch gearbox.

AutoBild sources said that the hybrid Panamera will be powered by a 300-hp V6 gasoline engine with a 100-hp electric motor. Sources also say that a V10 from the Carrera GT as well as a V12 TDI from Audi R8 concepts may be available if there is enough demand.

A 3.6-liter V6 is due in 2010, followed by the hybrid in 2011. Also available, should customers demand it, is the high-output V10 from the Carrera GT, as well as Audi’s potent V12 TDI.

Source: InsideLine

Top 10 cheap green cars

One of the few good green things to come out of Alistair Darling's Budget was his shake-up of vehicle excise duty -- better known as road tax -- to penalise gas guzzling cars. The new rules mean that when you buy a new car in 2010 which emits more than 130g of CO2 per kilometre you'll get stung with a 'first year rate' charge -- ranging from a minimum of £115 for a BMW 3 Series E90 right up to £950 for a Porsche Cayman S.

Obviously the way to beat the budget is to buy a greener car, but what if you don't have £20,000 to lay down on a Toyota Prius, much less a whopping £80K for a Lexus hybrid? Worry not -- we've hunted down ten great motors that won't maul the planet or your wallet

All the cars on our list emit 130g of CO2 or less per kilometre -- dodging that new first year rate -- and our chosen few range from £17,100 at the upper limit down to £10,500 at the bottom, covering the spectrum of car sizes. We've deliberately left out electric cars, which are only really suitable for city living. If you're in the market for one, though, check out our electric cars roundup.

In no particular order, here are our top affordable eco machines.


1: SEAT Ibiza, 1.4 TDI 80PS Ecomotive, diesel (pictured above)

CO2 (g/km): 99

Price: £11,000

SEAT's probably not the first name you think of when it comes to green cars, but this three-door supermini's both cheap to buy and cheap to run.

2: Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, 1.4 TDI 80PS

CO2: 99

Price: £11,995

This little diesel has all the solid German build quality you'd expect, plus an incredibly economic engine that'll make the man at the garage a distant stranger.

3: Honda Civic Hybrid 1.4 IMA ES

CO2: 109

Price: £16,300

As the cheapest hybrid in the UK, the Honda Civic Hybrid is a good, small family alternative to the Prius -- so long as you can stomach automatic transmission.

4: Renault Megane Sport Hatch 1.5 dCi 86 Expression 3 door

CO2: 117

Price: £13,000

Like Citroen, Renault's one of the unsung French brands which has been doing a huge amount to cut emissions across its range. This small family car is a particularly economic example.

5: Citroen C3 1.6HDi

CO2: 118

Price: £13,000

The Citroen C3 is an efficient, straightforward car with a big boot and not quite enough legroom at the back.

6: Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi

CO2: 115

Price: £15,800

This is a brand new version of Britain's most popular car. It's incredibly fuel-efficient and, if it's similar to the Ford bioethanol Focus we reviewed, will make for a good reliable drive.

7: Renault New Laguna Hatch dCi 110

CO2: 130

Price: £17,100

As it emits 130g of CO2 per kilometre the Laguna is just on the borderline of being a greener option, and it's also on the pricey side. But it has some of the best green creds you'll get for a car of this size.

8: Skoda Fabia Estate1.4 TDI PD 80PS

CO2: 109

Price: £13,100

No more funny jokes about Skodas. This one is big and clever -- not to mention as cheap and green as estate cars come.

9: Peugot 207 SW, 1.6 HDi

CO2: 119-123

Price: £13,900

Another big but green option. According to Autoexpress it's a little dear, but it has everything you could want in an estate.

10: SMART Fortwo Cabrio

CO2: 113

Price: £10,500

With their heavier frames for safety and structure, it's surprising any open-top cars made this list. But we can fully recommend this Smart, since it emits so little CO2 and only costs mite over £10K.

You can see more low CO2 cars by class on the government's Best on CO2 site. Or head on over to our Transport reviews to brain up on the latest, greatest green cars.

5 Best Selling Green Cars

Fuel prices have gone through the roof and, some analysts predict, are threatening to reach heights as high as $7 a gallon. Car makers are working hard to make fuel-efficient cars and technology is here to help them achieve their goals which are composed mainly of efficient engines and acceptable emissions. Discussed here are 5 popular cars that have proven that cars won't stop selling because of the rising crude oil prices or strict emission norms set by governments and authorities.

1) Honda Civic GX

The Honda Civic GX was the Japanese company's response to offer the best technology to combat air pollution and rising Crude Oil prices. Resting under the bonnet is the cleanest Internal combustion ever made. The natural gas powered Civic GX is very firm when it comes to hugging trees, thanks to the near zero emissions from its engine.

Talk about safety, and it gets a bit more interesting. The Civic GX hasn't shed any of the safety features that its gasoline engine variant boasts of. All the safety features, dual front airbags, front passenger's side impact airbag, ABS and Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering Body structure TM (ACE TM), come standard, so there is no compromise on the safety aspect.

CNG is a safe fuel as in the event of a leak, the gas would dissipate into air rather than how gasoline drips and collects under the car. CNG has a higher Octane rating than conventional gasoline thereby allowing the engine to operate at a higher compression ratio which results in elevated efficiency.

Maintenance is cheap as carbon deposits in the engine are not present which is not the same condition observed with gasoline fueled engines. As a result, oil change is required only once every 10,000 miles. Costly overhauling jobs are avoided because of carbon deposits' absence.

The Civic GX was not a car that happened due to the success of the conventional Civic. It was in fact built and developed alongside its petrol sibling to offer customers a car that was easy on their wallet and on the environment. One of its renowned accolades was the prestigious Motor Trend Car of year award in 2006.

2) Toyota Prius

One million Toyota Priuses have been sold so far since its birth back in Japan in 1997. Sold in 40 countries, the Prius was Toyota's answer to Global warming and increasing Crude Oil prices. It claims to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle sold in the U.S.A. It is also the second least C02 (Responsible for climate change) emitting vehicle in the U.K. Sounds very green!

It all started in 1994 when Toyota decided to produce a vehicle that would serve dual purposes - Cheap to run and easy on the environment. They decided the best manner to approach both the hassles was by developing hybrid technology. Some of the key aspects of the vehicle are discussed briefly:

*A smart choice of engine - The engine is operated on Atkinson cycle principle instead of the conventional Otto cycle. The engine also shuts off during traffic stops and the various accessories like the the air conditioner, which would normally run on the engine's power, are instead powered by a battery pack. The engine is used both to propel the vehicle and to recharge the batteries. Due to the assistance provided by the batteries, the engine could be downsized and tuned for fewer emissions and better fuel economy.

*Two electric motor/generators- Used to start the engine and provides counter torque for the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The motor-generators is one unit but plays two roles. It acts like a starter motor to rev the engine up to life and acts as a generator to convert the kinetic energy of the rolling wheels into electrical energy at the battery.

*A nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack providing voltage for propelling the vehicle, which is supplied by Japan's Panasonic. To increase battery life, the batteries are charged only to about 50% of the maximum capacity.

*Regenerative braking is used using motor-generators, which converts kinetic energy of motion into electrical energy that is stored in the battery. Wear on brake pads reduce and the battery also gets charged this way, doing away with plugs or wires that an electric car would usually have.

*An aerodynamically favorable shape gives the Prius a Cd value of 0.26, which is prolific. The Kammback design helps the cause along with lower rolling-resistance tires.

*Light weight materials are in used in the construction of the body and some parts.

*Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) is the heart of the car processing the inputs and producing equivalent outputs.

The Prius achieved 5 maximum stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests in 2004. It has won several awards in the past for its technology, design and environment-friendly operation.

# 1997–98 Car of the Year Japan
# 2003 Scientific American named Toyota Motor Corporation as "Business Leader of the Year" ("Scientific American 50"; December, 2003) for its singular accomplishment in the commercialization of affordable hybrid cars.
# Motor Trend Car of the Year 2004
# Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 2004.
# North American Car of the Year award for 2004. Nominated in 2001.
# International Engine of the Year for 2004.
# "Best Engineered Vehicle for 2004" by SAE's Automotive Engineering International magazine.
# 2005 European Car of the Year.
# 2006 EnerGuide Award
# 2006 Intellichoice Best Overall Value of the Year, Midsize
# 2007 Intellichoice Best in Class Winner :Best Retained Value, Lowest Fuel, Lowest Operating Costs, Lowest Ownership Costs
# Swiss government named Toyota Prius the world's greenest car in a draft study of over 6,000 cars

3) Honda Civic Hybrid

This is Honda's hybrid answer. The Honda Civic hybrid showcases Honda's renewed commitment to Hybrid technology and gives drivers a environmentally friendly car without any compromise on style, performance or comfort.

Honda's Hybrid system is called Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). Developed in 1999 it was first launched in the 2 seat-er Honda Insight which gave an idea of how advanced it was - 83 miles per gallon on a combined cycle.

Hybrid is the combination of a petrol engine with an electric motor. The electric motor is coupled to a powerful battery. The electric motor helps the engine by giving it a boost during acceleration and solely runs the car at idle to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. The battery that powers the electric motor charges itself up with regenerative energy from deceleration and braking. A regenerative brake is a mechanism that reduces vehicle speed by converting some of its kinetic energy into electrical energy. A brake pedal sensor sends a signal to the car's computer, activating systems whenever the driver applies the brake. This allows braking energy from the wheels to be stored as electrical energy in the high voltage battery for future use. Therefore the car never needs to be recharged from an external power supply. This regenerative brake assistance also extends the life of the brakes and their components as it reduces its workload appreciably.

The majority of the hybrid cars available in the market today aren't that good looking. And nobody wants to drive around in a car that looks like a deflated football. Honda engineers have taken note and engineered the components to enhance looks and more importantly, help achieve their primary targets.

The elegant styling combines a sweeping roof-line, a sharply raked windscreen and short overhangs that contribute to the vehicle's advanced mono-form profile. Superior aerodynamics is achieved by ultra-tight body panels that fit firmly around the monocoque frame. A chin spoiler and a lip spoiler are also designated to aid the aerodynamics by reducing turbulence beneath and behind the car. The low-drag alloy wheels are made specifically for the Civic Hybrid so to enhance the looks and reduce excess weight while the opposable windscreen wipers serve both styling and efficient cleaning purposes.

The fuel tank is made from an innovative six-layer polyethylene composite material that blocks fuel evaporation and saves weight. The front sub-frame which accommodates the engine and transmission is produced from hydro-formed elements for increased strength and rigidity. Special rubber floating mounts minimize the level of road and engine NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) entering the passenger cabin.

But it's not all about the looks. Honda's new IMA system gives out more power than a conventional 1.6-litre engine (115PS), but only uses the same amount of fuel as a 1.1-litre car. There's no ambiguous starting procedure or complicated operating system – it looks and drives like a modern, stylish saloon with a top speed of 115mph. The Civic Hybrid's engine took top honors for three successive years at International Engine of the Year "1 litre to 1.4 litre" size category award from 2002 through 2004 and the "Best Fuel Economy" category for 2003 and 2004.

The Civic hybrid is one of the safest cars in its class. It is equipped with ABS and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) to achieve decent stability and high braking performance. Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) assists the driver in maintaining maximum possible control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying braking either to the right or left wheels accordingly while controlling the throttle and brake systems simultaneously.

The Civic Hybrid uses multiple "load paths" to limit penetration of the car's structure by absorbing more of the crash energy if it encounters a collision. Whatever energy gets through is mitigated by the car's eight standard air bags. The Civic Hybrid has earned top safety rankings from NHTSA and IIHS. To help reduce pedestrian injuries in the event of a collision, the Civic Hybrid's bonnet and wing areas are designed to deform if contacted by the head of an adult or child pedestrian. Energy-absorbing collapsible bonnet supports, wiper arms and wing mounts are designed to allow a degree of deformation in an impact making this car very safe to travel in.

4) Nissan Altima Hybrid

Nissan's contestant in the world of hybrid sedans is the Altima Hybrid. Straight away, the Altima catches your eye with distinct body creases, wide hips, tapered roof-line, T-shaped front grille, and indented wheel-well arches.

A modified version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system finds its place in the Altima Hybrid. The result is proven technology and components from Toyota that meets Nissan's refined 2.5-liter engine. The five-passenger Altima Hybrid sedan is the most fuel-efficient Nissan ever, frugal even than the smallest car in the Nissan range.

The Altima Hybrid power-train is combined to Nissan's QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and standard electronically controlled CVT with an advanced electric drive motor/generator that maximizes fuel economy and produces low tailpipe emissions. The car is rated as an Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) and suffers almost no evaporative losses.

The Altima Hybrid utilizes regenerative braking technology to recharge the hybrid system's batteries. In the event of braking, a generator places resistance on the drive-shaft converting kinetic energy into electrical energy which is sent to the battery. Altima Hybrid's Regenerative Cooperative Brake System calculates braking force generated by brake pedal operation and controls the energy exchange operation.

The advanced energy drive system manipulates between the gasoline-powered 4-cylinder and the emissions-free electric motor – allowing Altima Hybrid to operate entirely on electric power like an electric car, and majority of electric-only usage comes in city driving. If extra performance is needed when on the highway, the gasoline engine comes to life almost immediately and adds power as per requirement. Due to all the hustling and swapping, the Altima Hybrid has a fuel economy estimated at 35 mpg City and 33 mpg Highway by the EPA.

To process power efficiently and smartly and to provide smooth acceleration and cruising, the Altima's hybrid system-specific eCVT is present, which works in sync with the Hybrid Vehicle-Electric Control Unit (HV-ECU), determines whether the motor or the engine or a combination of both would drive the wheels.

The electric motor churns out high torque at low rpm, a characteristic that is used well during the acceleration of the car from a standstill without using any of the engine's power. This stage is a fuel efficiency killer and hence the motor has got this area well covered contributing to the car's high gas mileage.

The engine on the latest Altima has been tweaked for better performance. A larger intake manifold, increased compression ratio and reduced friction characteristics are the improvements over the previous version. Other than that, the engine features continuously variable valve timing, modular engine design, micro-finished crank journals and cam lobes, molybdenum-coated lightweight pistons and electronically controlled throttle, making it fuel efficient and less polluting without upsetting performance.

Just like in any other hybrid car, a digital output on the speedometer displays which power source the car is running on to give the driver all the information he needs.

Nissan has taken serious efforts to make this car safe and hence all safety equipment comes standard which includes six air bags, front-seat active head restraints to reduce whiplash injuries, as well as stability control and traction control.

Altima Hybrid has been certified to meet California emissions requirements and is sold in places that have adopted California emissions regulations: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. These eight places are among the important markets for hybrid vehicles.

Nissan states that it "will continue to develop hybrid vehicles not only as means of complying with environmental legislation but as key technology to deliver new value to customers."

5) Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is the hybrid variant of the popular Camry sedan. Introduced in 2006, the Camry Hybrid sells in large volumes making up 15 percent on the total Camry sales. The Camry combines comfort, power and gas mileage with the use of hybrid technology.

The Camry uses Toyota's advanced HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) system which also features on the Prius and the Nissan Altima. The first bit of the Camry's Hybrid drive-train is a 2.4 liter, four pot gasoline engine which produces a peak power of 147 horsepower. The second half is a high-powered electric motor and a 244-volt battery pack which delivers 45 hp. The battery pack contains 34 nickel metal hydride modules, each of which contains six 1.2-volt cells.

Send all that through a continuously variable transmission, it totals to 192 horsepower, 34 more than the standard Camry. More power is always accompanied with good acceleration figures which is evident in the the Camry Hybrid as 0 – 60 comes up in 8.9 seconds, nearly a second faster than the other hybrid model in the Toyota arsenal, the Toyota Prius.

An interesting story during the development stages was on the location of the extra electronics. The engineers wanted to avoid spoiling the spaciousness of the car and after endless trials and suggestions, the area behind the rear seat was chosen to accommodate the battery module, monitoring unit, system main relay, service plug, and DC-DC converter as a single mainframe.

Some of the notable features in the Camry Hybrid include an "ECO" button that reduces energy sapped by the Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (HVAC) system and under certain conditions. As the HVAC depends on the energy produced by the engine, it is one of the biggest burdens resulting in increased fuel consumption. This technology helps in that aspect by reducing the load.

Safety wise, the Camry hybrid earned a five-star safety rating in the tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for frontal crashes for both driver and passenger. It also received a five stars safety for side impact crashes for driver and passenger.

Just like in the case of the Prius, Toyota have made the Camry aerodynamic. The drag reducing wheel spats and under-body pans help the cause giving the car a Cd value of 0.27.

The Camry Hybrid arrives with a big list of standard features. These include a tire-pressure monitor system, halogen headlamps with automatic on/off, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, an eight-way-adjustable power driver's seat, a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat, 16-inch aluminum wheels, heated outside rear-view mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control heating and air conditioning with a Plasmacluster(TM) ionizer, micro dust and pollen filter.

In 2007, the Camry Hybrid was judged Car of the Year in the Family Sedan (over $30k) category by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).