At the final round of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Silverstone on Saturday, September 13, Peugeot Sport presented an electric-hybrid version of its 908 HDi FAP diesel race car equipped with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) similar to the one that’s being developed for Formula 1 cars. The 908HY was presented in a new silver-grey livery giving us a foretaste of what Peugeot’s next endurance racer could look like although its use will depend on the regulations that will govern LMP 1 cars from 2009.The system comprises three key elements: a 60 kW gear-driven electric motor generator that replace the conventional starter motor, a set of 600 lithium-ion cells divided into 10 battery packs and an electronic power converter controlling the flow of energy between the batteries and the motor-generator. The 908 HDi HY can be powered in three different modes including electric-only when in pit-lane, only with the 5.5 liter V12 700 HP diesel engine or a combination of the two. Continued

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We’re no strangers to Chinese automaker BYD and its upcoming models of electric and hybrid cars. What’s new is the claim that BYD is going to start selling the world’s cheapest hybrid, with prices starting at just ¥100,000 (RNB) which is around $14,000 U.S. The model will be called BYD F3DM, with DB standing for Dual Mode, once it reaches the showrooms. BYD also announced a potential full EV version of the F3. The all-electric F6 is, however, still set to production. Specifications for this model haven’t been released, although it’s known that the car will be available with a different array of powertrains. We’re still waiting for information on when the car will be actually on sale

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Beyond hybrid technology going mainstream in high volume passenger cars, talk is spilling over into the arena of high performance cars. With recent ventures such as Gumpert’s Apollo Hybrid Nürburgring racer, an assortment of specialty manufacturers and even motorsports granddaddy, Formula One, talking about it, the latest admission comes from Ferrari’s President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo in an interview with German mag Welt am Sonntag by stating the world famous sports car maker will have a hybrid powered vehicle ready for the market around 2015.

In parallel with the research and development going on with Formula One’s Kinetic Energy Recycling System (KERS), which is an brake energy regeneration system, the work being done will influence the development of a new Ferrari that uses an alternative energy source.

Despite a probable backlash from Ferrari purists, this isn’t the first time Ferrari has looked towards greener pastures. In the beginning of 2008 Ferrari debuted the E85 powered F430 Spider Bio Fuel Concept in Detroit with the announcement that their goal is to reduce emissions by 40% by 2012.

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British Royal PRINCE CHARLES has joined the celebrity craze of ‘going green’ by powering his car collection on eco-friendly fuels.
The Prince of Wales, who owns a bevy of high-powered vehicles, has turned his 38-year-old Aston Martin into a hybrid, fuelling its engine with surplus English wine.
The royal’s other vehicles, including Jaguars, an Audi and Range Rovers, are powered using bio-diesel made from cooking oil.
In an effort to reduce his carbon footprint, the eco-conscious prince has managed to slash his carbon dioxide emissions by 18 per cent.
Charles’ chief aide Sir Michael Peat says, “Charles only travelled two or three hundred miles a year in the Aston but he wanted it to be environmentally-friendly. It just happened that our bio-ethanol supplier makes the fuel from surplus English wine.”

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The federal government offers tax incentives that can save consumers thousands of dollars when they purchase gas-sipping hybrid vehicles. But buyer beware: The three most popular hybrids sold in America either no longer qualify for the tax break or are about to see it reduced sharply.

On Tuesday, the tax credit on the No. 3-selling Honda Civic hybrid will be cut in half, from $1,050 to $525. It will disappear altogether at the end of the year. The credit on the top-selling Toyota Prius, once $3,150, and the No. 2 Toyota Camry hybrid, vanished last fall.

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The Detroit 3 have been berated from every direction for failing to anticipate the growth in sales of fuel-efficient vehicles, and now the trio are engaged in an uphill battle to reclaim market share largely lost to foreign rivals that offer a range of compact models and advanced hybrids. Catching up is proving to be arduous for the American automakers, and right now only Ford appears to be headed in the right direction.
GM and Chrysler are both focusing on offering hybrid SUV’s as a compromise between utility and efficiency, but so far customers aren’t biting. GM has only sold around 1,100 units of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids since January - well under their goal of 12,000 units per year. Toyota, meanwhile, has managed to sell 64,000 units of its hybrid Prius over the same period.

Chrysler is also looking to hybrids as the brand’s savior, considering that sales of Chrysler’s big SUVs have dropped by 22% this year. Going by GM’s lack of success with similar products, Chrysler also faces a long road to gaining customer appeal for its hybrid SUV’s, which are planned for release this fall.

While Chrysler and GM are betting on hybrid SUVs bringing consumers back to the large car market, Ford has stated that they are not considering such a model. Speaking with the New York Times, a Blue Oval spokesman explained that customers downgrading from fuel-hungry SUVs would likely prefer a crossover or premium compact vehicle as opposed to a hybrid utility.

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wo separate reports out of Australia say that Holden is looking to maximize the Commodore’s fuel efficiency in an effort to stoke sales. Both stories quote General Motor’s Asia-Pacific vice president, Nick Reilly, but the separate reports, while sharing a common theme, come to decidedly different conclusions about how the General plans to proceed.

The first story from the Sydney Morning Herald (thanks Patrick!) cites Reilly as saying that Holden is looking into hybrid technology to power the Commodore. “[It] could be one of the first hybrids that you will see,” but Reilly insists that a gasoline-electric Commodore is still a few years out.

The second report comes courtesy of Drive.com.au, who also spoke with Reilly and asked if a four-cylinder version of the Commodore was in the cards. “It makes a lot of sense,” Reilly said, “and therefore we’re probably looking at it, but I can’t tell you when.” While that’s far from a confirmation that a turbocharged four is on the way, it coincides with earlier reports that the new Camaro, which shares its platform with the Commodore, might benefit from the same 260 hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter found in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline.

Both stories are somewhat devoid of hard details, but despite that, it may be proof that General Motors’ operations Down Under are willing to look at a variety of solutions to address the Commodore’s slipping sales.

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