Cadillac Converj plug-in hybrid gets green light

When it comes to talk about GM’s future cars, the Chevrolet Volt gets all the attention. But the Volt isn’t the only extended-range electric vehicle General Motors has on its drawing boards, according to an article this week by the Detroit News.

According to the report, General Motors’s board decided to build the Cadillac Converj, a luxury coupe derived from the Volt. The company showed a concept of the Converj at last year’s Detroit Auto Show. Like the Volt, the Cadillac Converj will have batteries capable of driving 40 miles that will be charged from an electric socket. After that, small-displacement, four-cylinder gas engine will start to enable longer trips. It will undoubtedly offer luxury features unavailable in the Volt and sell at a higher price, allowing GM to accelerate the return on its investment in the Volt. The Volt is expected to sell for $40,000 and is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax rebate. The Converj could be expected to sell for significantly more. There was no target date announced.

A third version of the Volt, the Opel Ampera, is expected to be sold in Europe, starting in 2011.

—Eric Evarts 

Hybrid vehicles have higher pedestrian incidents

A recent report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that hybrid electric vehicles have a higher incidence rate of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes than do conventional vehicles in certain situations.

NHTSA looked at state-level crash files to compare crash rates on these two types of vehicle engines. Out of 8,387 hybrids 77 (or .9 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrains. Out of 559,703 conventional vehicles studied, 3,578 (or .6 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrians. In crashes involving bicyclists, 48 (or almost .6 percent) were involved in crashes with a hybrid vehicle whereas conventional vehicles were implicated in 1,862 (or .3 percent) of crashes.

The study (pdf) found that these incidences were more likely to occur in areas with low speed limits. The hybrids had a higher incidence—two times more likely to have a pedestrian crash—when they were slowing or stopping, backing up, or going in or out of a parking space. Most hybrids employ their electrical motors only at these situations, making these cars eerily quiet. However, there was no difference in rate of pedestrian crashes between these two vehicles when they were going straight.

In 2007, there were 70,000 pedestrians injured and 4,654 deaths due to crashes. A number of organizations, including the National Federation for the Blind, are pushing for legislation that would require all hybrid and electric vehicles to emit a sound. A number of car makers are looking into warning systems, as well.

In the meantime, hybrid drivers need to be aware of their stealthy approach and use extra vigilance and possibly look into installing a backup alert warning device or even a backup camera to be able to see pedestrians and bicyclists around their vehicle. Likewise, pedestrians need to be vigilant as electrified automobiles will become increasingly common.

For more on vehicle safety, see our safety guide and read "Quiet-running hybrids and electrics need audible backup alerts"

—Liza Barth 

2009 SEMA Show: Kustomizing the Toyota Prius

Back in the 1960s, long before marketing types had the option of simply ignoring spell check as has become the norm today, George Barris was known as King of the Kustomizers.
 
The King was the guy behind a number of designs recognizable to millions today, including many car-spotters who weren’t yet born when George and his team created them, such as the original Batmobile.
 
George is still in business, and he and his team chose SEMA to show their take on a Toyota Prius. The car was here last year, too, but what makes his Kustom more interesting is that Toyota is showing their own customized Prius this year, and it’s just down the hall. 
 
The Barris Kustom sports a trademark metalflake paint job, in this case a green and gold that could be, well, right out of the ‘60s. Toyota opted for a more subtle look, a pale metalflake blue that might indicate a corporate desire to not get too crazy with the Prius faithful. No harm, no foul.
 
Both opted for custom wheels, but where George went down the eighteen-inch chrome road with hubs painted green, Toyota chose clear plastic discs over their wheels for less drag. Toyota also fitted clear curved panels over the A pillars they say further reduce drag, but no information was offered as to how much drag these accessories reduced. Looking odd is just a bonus.
 
Those A-pillar panels probably wouldn’t have worked for George, because he added scissors front doors to his Prius. No information as to what those doors might do or not do for drag was offered, either.
 
But hey, they’re cool. And green. And metalflake.
 
Could hybrids be the next great frontier for hot rodders?
 

—Jim Travers

Also see from the 2009 SEMA show:
Better than expected, future looks greener
Tire testing and the transformation of the tire industry
Our favorite modified Chevrolet Camaros
New iPhone apps for auto diagnostics
World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976
All shades of green project cars
Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG
Hot rodders turning green
Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

Just In: Lexus HS 250h

Walk into a Lexus dealer with $39,000 to spend on a new sedan and you’ll find you have a surprisingly wide array of choices. That will buy you a Lexus IS 350, a compact rear-wheel drive sedan aimed squarely at the BMW 3 Series. Or, you could get Lexus’ top-selling sedan, the Camry-based ES 350, which is aimed directly at those buyers who used to drive Buicks.
 
Now there’s a third option: the hybrid-only Lexus HS 250h. Based on the Prius and the sold-overseas Toyota Avensis, the HS uses the Camry Hybrid’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder drivetrain. The HS appears to be aimed at Prius-shopping professionals who want something “nicer” that still gets excellent mileage. Cars like the aforementioned Camry Hybrid, the fun-to-drive Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid, or a diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI might fit that bill, but they don’t have the cachet of the Lexus name. (Vehicle links point to the model overview pages, where online subscribers can access road tests and ratings.)
 
They don’t have the HS’s price tag, either. Our car is an HS 250h Premium, which gets you a wood and leather trimmed interior, power seats and steering wheel adjustment, and 18-inch wheels. A bunch of piddly little options (spoiler, glass breakage sensors, remote start, a cargo net and trunk mat, and all-weather mats) added a whopping $1,094, bringing the total with destination to $38,939.
 
We’ll let you know if the HS lives up to Lexus’ standards of quiet refinement as we put miles on our test car.
 
—Tom Mutchler

The Business of Plugging In: Hybrids or battery-only electric cars?

Whatever you've heard about the electric car, it is plug-in hybrids that will lead the way. That's the emerging consensus from  the wide-ranging “The Business of Plugging In” conference in Detroit this week. As automotive, technology, and policy experts share their perspectives at this industry event, there is much agreement that plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are a necessary intermediate step on the road to pure battery-electric cars. Plug-in hybrids have one obvious advantage over other purely electric cars and some that aren’t so obvious. (See our test of the converted Prius plug-in.)

The obvious advantage is that plug-in hybrids have an internal combustion engine that eliminates concerns about electric cars’ limited range. You can drive a plug-in hybrid anywhere gasoline is available—even places without recharging stations.
 
The best-known plug-in hybrid coming down the road is the Chevrolet Volt. This sedan uses a large 16-kWh battery pack, and GM claims a 40-mile driving range on electric power alone. And it has a gasoline engine  that acts as a generator to provide electricity to drive the electric motor for longer trips. The farther you drive it without plugging in, the more of the time you’re likely to run on plain old-fashioned gasoline, even though that engine does not send its power directly to the wheels. 
 
Range anxiety
A study by the Japanese Ministry of Transport showed that when a fleet of electric-car drivers had only one charging station to use, they were only comfortable using just half their cars’ range. When a second station was installed at the end of those existing trips, drivers went farther and used virtually all of their cars’ range. But they almost never charged at the second station. It was important for them to know it was there just in case they needed it.
 
That leads to the second benefit of plug-in hybrids over pure battery-electric vehicles: They don’t necessarily require any additional infrastructure. One of the big debates in the electric-vehicle community is whether electric vehicles will necessitate some costly new infrastructure, such as a nationwide network of high-voltage charging or battery-swap stations, or whether home recharging facilities will be all that’s needed.
 
One of the main advantages of any electric car, plug-in or pure battery, is that they can recharge when power demand is low and the grid is underutilized, such as at night. But as the Japanese case showed, that won’t be enough if people are afraid they won’t be able to get a recharge in a pinch. 
 
Another benefit of the plug-in hybrid is that their expected popularity--and a growing population of drivers wanting to maximize the miles they travel on electricity alone--will provide an incentive for companies (or municipalities) to build charging stations ahead of pure EVs going mainstream.
 
Plug-ins aren’t stopping several automakers from rolling forward with all-electric cars. BMW is already leasing the Mini-E, electric car, Ford plans to roll out all-electric versions of the Transit Connect minivan and Focus small car next spring, and Nissan plans to introduce the all-electric Leaf in Japan next fall.
 
Now automakers have the flexibility to meet it by selling relatively few electric cars, or greater numbers of plug-in hybrids. Automakers can also trade in credits they’ve earned for building PZEV (ultra-clean) gasoline cars and other forms of electric vehicle before the regulations take effect. The mandate starts phasing in between 2011 and 2014. Those next few crucial years will give us a better idea whether plug-in hybrids or pure electric vehicles are more likely to earn space in consumers’ garages anytime soon.

—Eric Evarts

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.

Sneak peek: 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid

Infiniti has announced plans to add a hybrid to the M line for the 2012 model year. In what will be Infiniti’s first production hybrid vehicle, the M35 Hybrid will be based on the redesigned 2011 M, and it will join the M37 and M56 six- and eight-cylinder models. Infiniti’s entry into the hybrid market will help the company better compete against Lexus in the premium hybrid market, as well as bolster the company’s green image

The hybrid system will use a twin clutch installed between the naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine and single electric motor. The battery pack is a laminated lithium-ion design that Infiniti claims will offer twice the power as a same-sized, traditional Nickel-Metal-Hydride pack. Nissan is hedging its bets on Li-Ion technology with its partnership with NEC, the Renault-Nissan agreement with Better Place, and the upcoming Nissan Leaf pure EV. Details on driving range and performance will be announced closer to its on-sale date.

The current M is one of our top-rated luxury sedans with a powerful engine, agile handling and comfortable ride. We look forward to testing the redesigned 2011 model when it goes on sale in the spring of 2010. The M35 hybrid will hit dealerships a year later.

—Liza Barth  

Video showdown: Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius

Some comparisons seem inevitable. Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. Windows, and now, Insight vs. Prius.
 
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
 
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.

But focusing on price or a few isolated features certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as our video shows.

See the full Honda Insight and Toyota Prius road tests, along with ratings, in their model overviews (available to online subscribers.)

—Tom Mutchler

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Lexus and Toyota electric cars

Toyota Motor Company was among the many automakers introducing shocking new electric concept cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Just as we highlighted examples from Audi and Volkswagen earlier today, we want to shine the spotlight on these concepts.

Lexus LF-Ch
The compact, sporty LF-Ch concept vehicle has a striking exterior and makes for a promising overall package. More extroverted than the HS 250h on sale now, the LF-Ch explores a potential styling direction for Lexus. Certain to appeal more overseas in hatchback-friendly nations, the LF-Ch could succeed in the States with its “look at me, I’m different” appearance—a characteristic that has been key to the appeal and success of the second- and third-generation Prius. 

Lexus alludes to the LF-Ch being powered by its “latest generation” technology, suggesting the 147-horsepower four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain in the HS 250h. Being a true show vehicle, however, this LF-Ch has no powertrain at all. It is what is known as a “pusher,” rolled on the display to generate excitement and elicit consumer feedback. Think it would sell here in the United States? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
 
Toyota Plug-in Prius
Toyota showed its long-awaited homegrown plug-in Prius, which will be sold in small numbers to fleet customers in the U.S. next year. The plug-in Prius will use a 4.5 kwh lithium-ion battery pack to give the car about a 12.5-mile electric range. The car can go up to 60 mph on electric power, though that would reduce the range.
 
Toyota officially says it will bypass lithium-ion for a new battery technology it says will have better performance, but the company will test lithium-ion in real world conditions with this car.  Toyota’s subsidiary, Panasonic EV Energy, makes the lithium batteries. (Read our test of the previous-generation Toyota Prius we had converted to a plug-in.)

—Jeff Bartlett and Eric Evarts

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section

GM pulls the plug on Buick plug-in hybrid

General Motors has again delayed its upcoming hybrid. Initially, it was slated to be a new full-hybrid version of the Saturn Vue, using a smaller, lighter version of the two-mode hybrid system. It was also originally supposed to be GM’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, potentially preceding the Chevrolet Volt by about a month.

When the company declared bankruptcy this summer, it abandoned its Saturn division and announced that the two-mode, plug-in Vue would become a Buick—a move that would delay its introduction by as much as a year. (Read: "Preview: Buick plug-in hybrid SUV.")

Now GM says the car was not well received in a preview of upcoming models. Consumers and media writers apparently told the company the car didn’t have “the premium characteristics customers have come to expect from Buick.”
 
Now the company says it will cancel the model, and apply the hybrid powertrain to another unspecified model.
 
Whenever, and whatever that is, we’re eager to sample it. We were impressed with the two-mode hybrid system when we tested it in the Chevrolet Tahoe in 2007. It boosted the Tahoe’s fuel economy by almost 36 percent. Unfortunately, we found basic Tahoe features and underpinnings uncompetitive with other full-sized SUVs.
 

Meanwhile, we like the Chevrolet Malibu. But when we tested the Malibu Hybrid, we were unimpressed with its rudimentary hybrid system; it yielded a mere 8 percent improvement in fuel economy over the basic four-cylinder Malibu—and none on the highway.

So, how will the new plug-in eventually measure up? We look forward to finding out, and before then, discovering what vehicle will receive the orphaned powertrain.

—Eric Evarts

Coming soon: hybrid versions of the BMW X6 and 7

BMW has announced two new hybrid vehicles headed to production that will blend fuel efficiency and performance. The BMW ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7 will both be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

The X6, a four-passenger sporty SUV will be powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 gas engine producing 400 hp and two electric motors delivering 91 and 86 hp each. Maximum output is 480 hp. The hybrid can run entirely on electric power up to a speed of 37 mph for 1.6 miles. The electric motor receives power through a battery pack positioned under the floor of the trunk. BMW claims acceleration will reach 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. EPA numbers are not yet available, but the European test cycle shows improvement of 20% versus the gas version, which currently gets an EPA rating of 15 mpg city and 20 highway. The X6 will reach dealers at the end of 2009.

The ActiveHybrid 7 will have an upgraded twin-turbo direct injection V8 engine with an electric motor and 8-speed automatic transmission. Combined power is 455 hp, 55 more than the conventional 750i. Like the X6, the 7’s electric motor receives power through a lithium-ion battery and also mounted under the trunk floor. Preliminary acceleration figures are 4.8 seconds from 0-60 mph. Fuel economy is expected to be 15% better than the 750i, which gets 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway mileage. Unlike the new Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid, which is the least expensive S-Class entry, the 7 flagship is expected to command an additional premium over the typical, roughly $90,000 of a regular750Li.

Both BMWs will also use a start/stop function to maximize efficiency, but the air conditioning and ventilation system run on electric power, so the A/C can keep pumping when the gas engine stops.

The ActiveHybrid 7 will hit showrooms in the Spring of 2010.

—Liza Barth