Hybrid Car Rundown

Tokyo January 25, 2004; Chris Betros writing for Japan Today filed this report on the state of Hybrid vehicles

If "hybrid" isn't already the buzzword in the auto industry, it will be in 2004. Toyota, Honda and Subaru are all coming out with hybrid cars and used the North American Auto Show in Detroit this month to do plenty of grandstanding. However, while the Japanese manufacturers are counting on the fuel-efficient, gas-electric cars, their American competitors like Ford and GM see the fuel-saving technology as being more suitable for trucks.

Hybrid cars switch between a gasoline or diesel engine and an electric motor to deliver the best mileage. Fuel-cell cars are widely viewed as the most promising pollution-free vehicles for the future because they are powered by electricity generated through the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and they emit only water. Hybrids use a starter-generator that shuts the engine off at stoplights, improving fuel economy from anywhere between 15-30 percent, say automotive engineers.

Domestic affairs Toyota is leading the Japanese charge. It has been promoting hybrid technology by adopting it in its vehicles and is even transferring it to other carmakers. At the Detroit show, Toyota won the 2004 North American Car of the Year award for the latest version of its Prius, the world's first commercially mass-produced hybrid car. The Prius combines a gasoline engine and electric motor powered by batteries to propel the car. It hit the road in 1997 and its second-generation model was launched in September in Japan and in mid-October in the United States.

The latest hybrid models from Toyota are two SUVs-RX 400h and the Highlander. The RX 400h combines sub-eight second zero-to-sixty acceleration with fuel-efficiency equivalent to the current average for a four-cylinder compact sedan. It will also be rated Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV), one of the most stringent emissions ratings in the industry. Toyota says the new RX 400h will become the premium model in the RX series, redefining the midsize luxury SUV market while raising awareness and acceptance of hybrid gas-electric vehicles among luxury car and SUV buyers.

The Highlander is the world's first seven-passenger hybrid SUV. Like the Prius, the 3.3-liter V6-equipped Highlander is powered by a new version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain. The system was specifically developed to meet the load-carrying requirements of a mid-size SUV. It features a larger-capacity battery that will deliver nearly double the power of the battery in the Prius. An all-new high-speed electric motor will operate at twice the speed and deliver more than twice the power as the motor in the Prius.

To enhance safety and all-weather capability, the Highlander has a Vehicle Dynamic Management (VDM) system. Monitoring a variety of sensors, the system is capable of anticipating pending vehicle stability problems and then correcting the situation with a combination of braking and throttle control. Inside, the Highlander features three rows of seats that will include rear privacy glass and a rear heater system. "Walk-in" steps and a second-row sliding seat make it easy to enter and exit the third row. The third-row seat also folds completely flat into the floor to create added cargo space.

Their own Accord Not to be outdone by Toyota, later this year Honda Motor Co will introduce a hybrid version of its popular Accord as its third hybrid car following the Civic and Insight models. Using a Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), the hybrid can achieve fuel economy on a par with the compact Civic. A V6 engine with VCM runs on all six cylinders during acceleration, yet uses only three cylinders when cruising. Meanwhile, Subaru has unveiled its roadster, the B9SC. Unlike most hybrids, the B9SC uses a gasoline engine only at highway cruising speeds, when it gets its best mileage. And what about Nissan? Chief executive Carlos Ghosn remains unconvinced, telling media in Detroit that he feels the technology is still too expensive to be profitable or a good value for buyers. However, not to be left behind, he said Nissan would market a hybrid version of its Altima in 2006.