Unlike many concept cars, that throw practicality out the window in an effort to achieve fuel economy or light weight, the Hungarian-designed Antro Solo manages to fit three adults while returning excellent fuel figures and highway speeds.

Built almost exclusively from carbon fiber composite materials, the Solo weighs in at just 270kg. Seating is arranged like that found in the McLaren F1: the driver sits in the center, flanked by a passenger on each side. The light weight and hybrid design allow it to achieve fuel efficiency between 1.5L and 2.0L/100km (117-157mpg US) while also attaining a top speed of 140km/h (87mph). The car derives its power from a series of technologies, including solar power, human power and a standard combustion-electric hybrid system. The combustion engine is a small flex-fuel unit capable of running on petrol or ethanol, but the engine is only designed to be required for the longest trips the Solo makes. Short trips, between 15km-25km, can be made on solar power alone, thanks to the large array of high-efficiency solar panels stretched across the vehicle’s roof. The pedals in front of each passenger can also be used to power the generator, which stores the power in the car’s batteries, helping to keep the car in electric-only mode, reports the AFP. Once the human power is tired out, or when driving alone, the combustion engine kicks in to move things along.

Already built in prototype form, the car was recently displayed at the Budapest Museum of Transport for press and public viewing. Volume production is planned to begin in 2012, with the price of the Solo to start around €12,000 (US$18,000). A larger model, called the Duo and offering room for six but otherwise essentially identical, could follow. There are even plans to make the Duo capable of being split into two Solos with just 10 minutes of work.

The overall package is an impressive but dauntingly difficult combination of technology, design and innovation. If the company can in fact pull off mass production within four years, while meeting the necessary safety standards and still achieving its performance and efficiency specifications, and coming it at the projected price figure, the car will be a runaway success. But there will be no shortage of hurdles to clear along the way.

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Toyota is about to pass another major milestone in the race to build the next-generation of hybrid vehicles with the announcement today that it will construct a new $192 million plant in Japan solely to manufacture batteries. The plant is being developed jointly with Matsushita Electric – the company behind Panasonic – and will be constructed in Shizuoka prefecture, in central Japan.

The plant will initially produce nickel-metal hydride batteries for Toyota’s current hybrid fleet as well as the next-generation Prius hybrid due at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Nikkei reports that a second battery plant will be built for newer lithium-ion batteries that will eventually make their way into Toyota’s new plug-in hybrid vehicle due at the end of the decade.

Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the first major carmaker with a lithium-ion powered hybrid vehicle when it launches a new S400 hybrid sedan next year, and GM is also hard at work readying its Volt plug-in hybrid for a 2010 launch. Earlier this month GM engineers reached a new milestone in testing, with initial prototypes of the car reaching the goal of 40 miles of electric-only driving.

Nissan which still hasn’t developed its own hybrid system for commercial sale, said it will have its original hybrid and electric vehicles by 2010 and announced a new its joint venture with NEC this week to start mass-producing

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Honda Civic Hybrid

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Just days after the announcement Tesla’s all-electric Roadster is to be sold in Europe comes confirmation rival niche sports carmaker Fisker Automotive will sell its Karma luxury plug-in hybrid saloon in Europe as well. Fisker appointed its first European importer today, Fisker Italia, and eventually hopes to sell up to 50% of its fleet in Europe.

Fisker plans to build up to 15,000 units of its new Karma in the short term and eventually plans to lift production up to 100,000 units annually. Unlike the Tesla Roadster, Fisker’s new Karma is still more than a year away from production but the carmaker already has plenty of orders for the car, which is expected to have a final price tag around the $80,000 mark.

“We are thrilled at the interest Fisker Automotive is receiving in North America and particularly abroad,” said Fisker Automotive Board Member and Director of Retail Development, Vic Doolan. “Fisker Italia is an elite international importer, and they demonstrate the resounding demand for ‘style without sacrifice’ we are receiving in both North American retail markets and abroad.”

If the Karma proves successful Fisker eventually hopes to launch a new model costing about half as much but such a car is still several years away. In fact, Fisker technology chief Alan Niedzwiecki has previously stated the carmaker has three new models in the works.

Another key difference between the Karma and Tesla Roadster is that Fisker’s car features a small petrol engine turning a generator to power the car’s lithium-ion battery pack, which in turn powers an electric motor used to drive the wheels. In this way, the car can travel up to 50 miles on electric power alone before the engine kicks in and starts charging the batteries.

(source: Motorauthority)

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Since Mitsubishi first introduced the i concept back in 2003 it has been the subject of much speculation. Would it come to America? Would it be sold in the U.K.? Is it even any good? And that’s just the gas version. The electric version, the i MiEV, has caused even more confabulation. Soon we will have our own opportunity to get up close and personal with these little machines when they make their North American debut at the New York International Auto show this coming week.

Hopefully, we’ll even get news from Mitsubishi about their plans for selling these cars in the U.S. I mean, they can’t just wave them under our noses and then whisk them away back to Japan. I think they’ve noticed that 42,000 people have put deposits down on a Smart ForTwo that gets the same mileage as the i but holds two fewer passengers for about the same price. I also think we’ll be paying close attention to what side of the car the steering wheel is on.

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