A Human Powered Hybrid Car

HUMANCAR INC. creates a car that doesnot require gas,generates its own electricity,and may charge power back to the grid. The vehicle seats four and generates power through a system of hand cranks. Yes, hand cranks.The next big thing in hybrid vehicles does not come from the likes of Toyota or General Motors. Instead, it comes from Charles Samuel Greenwood. Greenwood has been working on a human-powered vehicle concept for decades, and all of his hard work is coming together in the form of the HumanCar Imagine_ PS.
Don't think that a hand-cranked vehicle would be marketable only as a neighborhood vehicle with a limited top speed. However, the HumanCar has surprising potential--a top speed of 30 mph going uphill and 60 mph on a flat surface. All of this can be achieved via human power and nothing else.
As an exercise-enabled vehicle, it is possible for one, two, three or four people to operate the bi-directional human-power interface. Alternatively, a single operator may operate the vehicle in electric power mode only – or any combination of human and electric power may be employed.

This zero-emissions vehicle is not only better for the environment; it improves the driver's health thanks to the workout you get while driving it. The human health aspect was part of Greenwood's decision to build and ultimately refine this concept.

"It was 1968. Traffic was at a complete standstill, again, on a busy boulevard in what is now known as the Silicon Valley," Greenwood wrote. "Sitting within their cars were many commuters who were overweight and out of shape, breathing unhealthy exhaust fumes. As a young engineer working at my first job at a research and development laboratory for a major corporation, it seemed intuitively that there must be a better way to move people around than this."

And with that, the concept for the HumanCar Imagine PS was born. The vehicle is street legal as a low-mass vehicle and is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) compatible. Greenwood plans to bring the vehicle to market next year but is already taking reservations on his website. A $50 fully refundable, no-questions-asked reservation fee will put you on the list for a $15,500 HumanCar Imagine PS.

The Ferrari Story

New generation Lancer EVO becomes hybrid!

It is not excluded that new generation Mitsubishi Lancer EVO will be hybrid. Yes-yes, cult Japanese super cars can receive a hybrid power-plant – so assures the British magazine Autocar.

According to Autocar, new generation Lancer EVO will receive same about hybrid installation, as well as at concept Mitsubishi PX-MiEV which Japanese have prepared for a motor show in Tokyo. Its feature is that accumulators there can be recharged from the usual electric socket connection. Besides, thanks to powerful accumulators the car can go an order of 50 km exclusively in an electric mode that will allow to save fuel seriously.

However, experts already now speak about a lack hybrid Lancer EVO – because of accumulators the weight of the car will seriously increase that, most likely, will affect roadability. But on the other hand, thanks to electromotors the twisting moment will seriously grow. Besides, do not forget that on designers Mitsubishi now experts in marketing actively press. And the last assure that hybrid super cars will be on sale in the USA better, than petrol.

New S-class- most economic Mercedes-Benz!

The Mercedes-Benz will bring to Frankfurt the most economic S-class in the history which is called S 500 Plug-in Hybrid. Yes, for now this car only concept but what – the huge car spends for each 100 km of a way only 3,2 l of gasoline! Ponder only – the expense of a huge S-class makes only 3,2 l Certainly, this car is put in action not by a standard internal combustion engine. As it is possible to understand from the name, before us a hybrid, and with modern litievo-ionic batteries which can be recharged from the usual electric socket connection. Thanks to it the car is capable to pass in a city about 30 km, using exclusively the electric power (capacity of the electromotor makes 60 h.p.). When accumulators will be discharged, action will be entered by petrol motor V6 in volume of 3,5 l.



Thus, despite the ridiculous expense in 3,2 l, S 500 Plug-in Hybrid possesses rather decent dynamics. The maximum speed of the car is limited at level of 250 km/h, and time of speedup from 0 to 100 km/h occupies all 5,5 sec! Here that the electromotor with its huge twisting moment means!

Bavarian hybrids

Company BMW will present on a motor show in Frankfurt serial versions of hybrid versions crossover BMW X6 and sedan BMW 7 series. Both cars are equipped by the hybrid power-plants consisting of petrol motor V8 in volume of 4,4 litre and the electric motor — one at "seven" and two at X6. Total capacity BMW X6 ActiveHybrid makes 478 h.p. As a result a crossover is capable to be dispersed to "hundred" for 5,6 seconds! And here total engine power BMW 7 series ActiveHybrid makes 459 h.p., and dispersal to 100 km/h occupies from a sedan 4.9 seconds. Thus a hybrid crossover more economically the serial petrol colleagues on 15 %, and "seven" — on 20 %.

Peugeot RCZ

Peugeot has presented photos of new sports coupe RCZ. This model constructed on platform Peugeot 308, will receive the landing formula 2+2. Last moment is important – in Europe buyers of cars, even a coupe, last years more and more attention give practicalities. And consequently two additional seats superfluous will not be – economical Frenchmen should estimate it. If to compare Peugeot RCZ to the primogenitor it is possible to notice that at a coupe the centre of gravity began to be more low on 40 mm in comparison with a hatchback is should be reflected in roadability positively.

Under cowl Peugeot RCZ which official premiere is planned to Frankfurt, there will be a 1,6-litre petrol motor with a turbo-supercharging which gives out 200 h.p. This capacity should suffice to be accelerated from a place to 100 km/h for 7,6 sec. Besides, serial cars will have more modest units – petrol in volume 1,6 l without forced aspiration (156 h.p.) and a 2,0-litre diesel engine (163 h.p.). And still it is necessary to notice that in Frankfurt it will be shown not only petrol version Peugeot RCZ, but also hybrid. It will receive name RCZ HYbrid4.

Lexus prepares compact hybrid CT

And without that the rather numerous family of hybrids Toyota and Lexus will shortly replenish with the next model. The conceptual sample of a new compact hatchback will present company Lexus. Display of this model under name CT will take place in September on a motor show in Frankfurt.

Now about a novelty only informal information is known. It is informed that hybrid Lexus CT will be issued in versions CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h. The base variant of model (CT 200h) will receive the 1,8-litre 136-strong motor, the same by which hybrid Toyota Prius is equipped. Version CT 300 will equip, presumably, with a hybrid drive gear of model Lexus HS 250 (2,4 — the litre petrol motor and the electric motor which as a result give about 189 h.p.). The Top version of model Lexus CT 400h equipped, most likely, with the electromotor and the petrol V-shaped six-cylinder motor. However the information - listed above it while the opinions not confirmed with the Japanese motor-car manufacturer which state foreign automobile editions.



Anyhow, it is necessary to wait for the official information from the motor-car manufacturer, and then — and a debut of the conceptual version new Lexus CT. A pre-series variant of model, possibly, it will be possible to see in 2010 at autoexhibition in Geneva. Probably, in the middle of the next year the hybrid leaves on the world markets where will enter a competition with Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series.

BMW will present a hybrid of 7th series and X6 in Frankfurt

Company BMW has confirmed officially that the ActiveHybrids-version of 7th series, and also X6 will be presented in September of this year on autoshow in Frankfurt. Though it was not informed, expected the exact information that both hybrids will receive the small electric motor developing capacity of 20 h.p. and a twisting moment of 210 Nanometers.

The motor will be built in the module of transmission and also will carry out a generator and starter role. The electric motor will eat from small lithium-ionic of the battery with function of additional charge from recuperative system of braking (Brake Energy Regeneration), providing electric power also all systems of the car when, during deactivation of the 4.4-litre 8-cylinder engine. It is expected that the seventh series will save on the average 15 % of fuel thanks to a hybrid drive gear while for X6 this size will increase to 20 percent.

Source: worldcarfans.com