Subaru Hybrid Tourer

Subaru will be bringing their gull-winged Hybrid Tourer concept to the Tokyo Auto Show. The 2-liter, direct injected, turbocharged 'Horizontally-Opposed Boxer Engine' is mated to two electric motors for all wheel drive fun.

The two electric motors will be used in different situations as needed. The rear motor is used in acceleration situations and to run the vehicle at 'extremely low speeds' in all electric power. 

The front electric motor serves as a power generator and in accelerating uphiill, assisting the gas engine which does most of the powering.

Subaru has said they are planning on a hybrid vehicle, maybe as early as 2011, but are planning on licensing the hybrid synergy drive from Toyota. So it's unclear how much of what you see in the Tourer will show up in a production vehicle.

The gas engine shuts off when the vehicle comes to a stop, and regenerative braking helps to recharge the battery pack.  The lithium-ion battery pack is derived from the Subaru Stella EV which just launched in Japan.

Some Features of the Tourer

• The top of the dashboard is movable up and down to provide an optimal driving environment for the driver according to driving conditions.
• A flat floor in the rear seat was achieved even with the implementation of AWD, for improved use and movement inside the cabin.
• Specialized shielding is incorporated in the windshield to reduce eyestrain on the driver.
• New leather covering developed with superior breathability and a ventilation function is used in the seats for improved comfort and texture.
• Lineartronic, Subaru’s new generation automatic transmission, achieves further improvements in both fuel efficiency and driving performance by reinforcing parts for use with the high-power output of a turbo engine.
  

Specifications

• Length x Width x Height: 4,630 x 1,890 x 1,420mm
• Engine type: 2.0-liter Horizontally-Opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine
• Max output of Motor: 10kW (Front) / 20kW (Rear)
• Transmission type: Lineartronic
• Drive train: Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with 2 motors assist
• Battery type: Lithium-ion battery

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Toyota Targets 2012 for Plug-in Prius

Irv Miller told reporters at a conference in LA "The target is 2012 to be coming to market with them." He was speaking about plug-in Prius.

And so, now we know when we should expect a plug-in Prius in the US. That means the Chevy Volt will have been on the market for two years. More than likely, by 2012, we may even be expecting the second generation (production version) Volt.

That makes it very interesting for GM. A lead time of two years on your competitor is something that they are going to have to take advantage of.

Toyota is being cautious with anything like an EV. "We had a lot of people raising their hands for the RAV4 EV," Miller said. "As soon as we made them ready for sale, that line evaporated very quickly."

Which could be very bad for Nissan. Nissan is now trying to get 20,000 people signed up for their EV, the LEAF.

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Senator Kerry Introduces Green Taxis Act of 2009

Boston, New York and Seattle have all tried and failed to force their taxi fleets to go hybrid over the past couple of years. Each time, the local taxi fleet owners have challenged and beaten the local lawmakers ability to set rules about their fuel efficiency.

Fleet owners don't want to change over because hybrid taxis are more expensive to purchase.  Drivers like hybrid taxis because they have to pay for the gas, which allows them to make more even when the fleet owners are allowed to charge more for driving them.

Judges would tell the city officials their new rules would go against the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which allows the federal government to set fuel economy standards.

While states could petition for exemptions (see California et. al. working hard to do just that), local governments could not.

Senator Kerry (D-MA) has introduced a bill (on behalf of Boston) to ammend that law. The ammendment would allow local governments to set fuel efficiency standards for taxicabs.

The bill is being dubbed the Green Taxis Act of 2009. It is part of the overall climate change bill. It will allow local government would be allowed to set taxi fleet fuel efficiency based on their own needs and policies.

"This legislation will help empower cities and towns across the nation, including Boston, to improve air quality, lower carbon emissions, and save cab drivers and passengers money," Kerry said in a prepared statement. "We know we must reinvent the way America uses energy and once again Boston is leading the way."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino added "Hybrid taxis make sense for taxi drivers, for consumers, and for the health of all Bostonians."

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Hybrid Car Sales, September 2009

Despite the hangover affect from the end of Cash for Clunkers, despite the short supply also due to the Cash for Clunkers, despite the overall car market, despite the lower gas prices and despite the coming refresh in the Camry and Altima (due out this month), hybrid car sales remained stable when compared to last year.  Sales were down by 1.4% with 19,980 units sold in September, 2009.

Cumulative sales are down by 18% for the year.   Despite the Fusion, Milan, and GM hybrid models establishing themselves, and along with the introduction of the new Insight, Prius sales have still be depressed in comparison.  That puts a damper on the overall market for the year.  Again, hybrid sales are leading the overall vehicle marketplace, but that still means they are going to be down for the year.

Monthly Sales		September 2008		September 2009		% Change
Make	Model	N	%	N	%
Chrysler	Aspen/Durango	0	0.0	0	0	0
Ford	Escape/Mariner	990	5.0	878	4.5	-11.3
Ford	Fusion/Milan	0	0.0	1,260	6.4	0.0
GM	Escalade	91	0.5	189	1.0	107.7
GM	Silverado/Sierra	0	0.0	120	0.6	0.0
GM	Tahoe/Yukon	1,010	5.1	426	2.2	-57.8
Honda	Accord	0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0
Honda	Civic	2,020	10.1	152	0.8	-92.5
Honda	Insight	0	0.0	1,746	8.9	0.0
Nissan	Altima	470	2.4	345	1.8	-26.6
Toyota	Camry	2,785	13.9	872	4.4	-68.7
Toyota	GS 450h	29	0.1	38	0.2	31.0
Toyota	HS 250h	0	0.0	1,242	6.3	0.0
Toyota	Highlander	921	4.6	269	1.4	-70.8
Toyota	LS600hL	47	0.2	12	0.1	-74.5
Toyota	Prius	10,873	54.4	10,984	55.8	1.0
Toyota	RX 400h	744	3.7	1,168	5.9	57.0
Total		19,980		19,701		-1.4

Cumulative Sales		Cumulative 2008		Cumulative 2009		% Change
Make	Model	N	%	N	%
Chrysler	Aspen/Durango	0	0	0	0.0	0.0
Ford	Escape/Mariner	16,181	6.2	13,414	6.3	-17.1
Ford	Fusion/Milan	4,070	1.6	12,602	5.9	209.6
GM	Escalade	357	0.1	1,410	0.7	295.0
GM	Silverado/Sierra	300	0.1	996	0.5	232.0
GM	Tahoe/Yukon	2,730	1.0	3,856	1.8	41.2
Honda	Accord	193	0.1	1	0.0	-99.5
Honda	Civic	23,258	8.9	14,166	6.6	-39.1
Honda	Insight	4,041	1.5	15,791	7.4	290.8
Nissan	Altima	7,392	2.8	7,713	3.6	4.3
Toyota	Camry	37,369	14.3	18,502	8.6	-50.5
Toyota	GS 450h	577	0.2	339	0.2	-41.2
Toyota	HS 250h	1,242	0.5	1,785	0.8	43.7
Toyota	Highlander	15,720	6.0	8,635	4.0	-45.1
Toyota	LS600hL	748	0.3	207	0.1	-72.3
Toyota	Prius	135,062	51.5	104,794	48.9	-22.4
Toyota	RX 400h	12,852	4.9	10,089	4.7	-21.5
Total		262,092		214,300		-18.2

Camry, Highlander, and Altima sales were way down this September compared to last September.  But that was most likely due to the refresh of those models in October.  Although there were no major changes to the models, consumers probably opted to wait until until October to buy.  We'll have to wait and see if that's true.

Prius sales were up slightly, and Insight sales were strong, which made up for most of the losses from other models. 
It's hard to judge how much sales were affected by short supply due to the Cash for Clunkers program.  Gas prices were also down a little bit this much, which is usually very indicative of how hybrid sales will go.

It should be noted that hybrid car sales were down by 13% from 2007, as the recession and the limitation on Prius sales put a real damper on the month.

Compared to last month, sales were way down, but comparing to August is usually an indication of seasonal changes.  You just have to examine the sales charts over the years to see how month-to-month changes can be drastic.

Related:
Hybrid Car Sales, September 2008
Hybrid Car Sales, August 2009

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Suzuki Swift Plug-in Hybrid

Suzuki will be presenting the Swift plug-in hybrid at the Tokyo Auto Show.  The Swift is not available in the US.

The plug-in is an electric range extended vehicle (E-REV), which drives on all electric power for a given range powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.  After the battery gets low, the small 660cc gas engine recharges the battery pack until you can get back to a plug.

The battery pack runs down the center center of the car and the electric motor can produce 55kW, while the gas engine can produce 40 kW.

The small K-car (mini-car or 660cc) is targeted at city commuters and shoppers.  But really, not a lot of details are floating around, yet.  The all electric range, size of the battery pack, etc...

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2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Nissan announced some details on their 2010 Altima sedan including the hybrid model. Starting October 5th, the 2010 model year will be available at Nissan dealerships.

The hybrid Altima comes with the QR25 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine with continously variable transmission (CVT) mated to electric drive motor. The overall hybrid system is the hybrid synergy drive from Toyota.

The Altima Hybrid is rated to be an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), while still providing 198 hp. The overall fuel economy stands up well to comparison at 35 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.

The Altima sedan is getting a estyled hood, grille and front bumper, new wheel designs, and standard Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). Nissan is also revising the interior fabric and finishers, new exterior colors and revised option package content.

A new available premium audio packages includes a Bose® AM/FM audio system with nine speakers, 4.3-inch color display, USB port with iPod® connectivity, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, MP3/WMA CD-ROM playback, XM® Satellite Radio (XM® subscription required, sold separately) and RearView Monitor.

You can also get the next-generation Nissan Hard Drive Navigation System with 6.5-inch VGA color touch-screen display (replaces the 4.3-inch display), 9.3GB Music Box for music storage and playback, advanced map data including speed limit advisories, Zagat restaurant guide, XM NavTraffic® and XM NavWeather® (XM® subscription required, sold separately), Bluetooth® Streaming Audio, DVD player and an RCA input for auxiliary audio/video connectivity.

The 2010 Altima's Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP) are:

2010 Altima Sedan        Engine/Transmission     M.S.R.P.
    -----------------        -------------------     --------
    Altima Sedan 2.5 S       2.5L I4 CVT             $19,900 USD
    Altima Sedan 2.5 S       2.5L I4 CVT             $21,840 USD
    Altima Sedan 3.5 SR      3.5L V6 CVT             $24,520 USD


    2010 Altima Coupe        Engine/Transmission     M.S.R.P.
    -----------------        -------------------     --------
    Altima Coupe 2.5 S       2.5L I4 6MT             $22,440 USD
    Altima Coupe 2.5 S       2.5L I4 CVT             $22,940 USD
    Altima Coupe 3.5 SR      3.5L V6 CVT             $27,270 USD
    Altima Coupe 3.5 SR      3.5L V6 6MT             $29,600 USD


    2010 Altima Hybrid       Engine/Transmission     M.S.R.P.
    ------------------       -------------------     --------
    Altima HEV               2.5L I4 eCVT            $26,780 USD

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Nissan Wants to Know if You Are Interested in the LEAF

Nearly 22,000 people have already contacted Nissan about the LEAF, the new zero-emissions all electric vehicle which will be for sale in 2010.

If you want to know more about the LEAF, you can opt-in. People who wish to participate in the reservation program can visit www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car. Details about the program and pricing are being finalized.

Opting in will give Nissan permission to send you updates and information about the LEAF. The updates will include when the LEAF is available either for test drives or to take home. You will also get updates on Nissan's zero-emission activities and 'how to become plug-ready.'

You won't be able to actually reserve the LEAF until spring 2010.

Of those who have already shown an interest in the LEAF, 70% already line in the markets where Nissan will introduce their electric vehicle (EV) LEAF. Metro areas with the strongest consumer responses are San Diego, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Los Angeles - all of which are among the first markets where LEAF will be available globally.

Tour of the major launch markets will begin after Tokyo Auto Show debut, starting in LA.

45% of those who have contacted Nissan are interested in owning and electric vehicle in the next 2-3 years. 90% indicate they drove less than 100 miles daily. 75% come from two-car households.

Although the LEAF will be produced in Japan at first and imported into the US, the factory in Smyrna, TN will begin production sometime in 2012.

"The groundswell of interest, especially from people in our initial launch markets, demonstrates to us the importance of a reservation system," said Carlos Tavares, head of Nissan's operations in North, Central and South America. "Our goal is to confirm at least 20,000 reservations for Nissan LEAF by the time we deliver the world's first mass-market zero-emission car in late 2010."

"We'll continue to reach out to this enthusiastic and rapidly growing group as we approach launch," said Tavares.

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