Toyota Motor Europe (TME) reported half-year sales of 578,400 vehicles across the region, up 3.3% year-on-year and registering a 5.3% market share. Hybrids drove the strong performance between January and June 2019, with total hybrid sales of 303,400 units (+18% year-on-year), or 52% of the total. The first half of... Read more →

Three months since the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London, results of a year-long trial in the capital suggest that plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) commercial vehicles could present the most practical, readily available option for businesses trying to meet clean-air targets in cities. The trial—supported by a... Read more →

In a briefing in Tokyo last week, Honda Motor outlined its direction of technology development toward its 2030 Vision. A key element therein is the development of zero-carbon technologies. Honda said that because powertrain requirements differ from region to region and are becoming further diversified depending on infrastructure, regulations and... Read more →

UK new car registrations declined for a fourth consecutive month in June, with year-on-year demand falling by -4.9% to 223,421 units, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 1,269,245 new cars joined British roads in the first half of the year, down... Read more →

Audi’s sporty top model of the Q family, the SQ8 TDI SUV coupé, features a biturbo V8 TDI diesel that delivers 435 metric hp, 900 NN·mm (663.8 lb-ft) of torque, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.8 seconds. 4.0-liter V8 TDI Biturbo engine with electric powered... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä’s hybrid power module solution, the Wärtsilä HY, is now fully operational on the Vilja, an escort tug owned by the Swedish port of Luleå. The tug was built at Gondan Shipbuilders in Asturias, Spain and was delivered in the end of June 2019 following successful completion... Read more →

ZF is launching a product offensive for hybrid and electric vehicles, active chassis systems, integrated safety, and automated driving. The Group will showcase its next-generation mobility solutions at the forthcoming IAA. ZF is pursuing two directions in electromobility. It is laying the foundation for a new breed of battery-electric vehicles... Read more →

BMW Group sales of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles decreased 22.6% in June 2019 vs. June 2018. Model changeover has limited the current BMW Group electrified lineup to five models including the BMW i3, BMW i8 and i8 Roadster, BMW 530e, and MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Plug-in... Read more →

Continental has been developing cost-effective 48-volt electrification, which can be used with both gasoline and diesel engines for number of years. In the run-up to IAA 2019, Continental Powertrain is now presenting a 48-volt high-power drive system with 30 kW, enabling a full-hybrid vehicle. Conventional full-hybrid vehicle would normally use... Read more →

Audi’s updated Q7 SUV will have the company’s 48V mild-hybrid system (MHEV) as standard. In customer operation, this technology can reduce consumption by up to 0.7 liters per 100 kilometers. Its central component, the belt alternator starter (BAS), powers a 48-volt main electrical system in which a compact lithium-ion battery... Read more →

Registrations of pure electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars totalled 94,000 units in 18 European markets in May 2019, counting for 7.1% of the total volume, up from 5.3% in May 2018, according to figures from JATO Dynamics. The majority of registrations came from hybrid vehicles, but the growth was... Read more →

Daher, Airbus and Safran are partnering for the design and development of the wing-mounted EcoPulse distributed hybrid propulsion demonstrator with a maiden flight scheduled in 2022. Based on Daher’s TBM platform, this project, kick-started by CORAC (the French Civil Aviation Research Council) with support from DGAC (the French Civil Aviation... Read more →

Emissions Analytics, a leading independent specialist for the scientific measurement of real-world emissions, suggests that mass adoption of hybrid vehicles, rather than low-volume take-up of full BEVs, is the most effective solution to cutting CO2 now and also in meeting 2030 emission targets. Of all electrification strategies, full BEVs currently... Read more →

The new generation BMW 3 Series Touring will offer the first plug-in hybrid drive system for one of BMW’s Touring models. The BMW eDrive technology in the BMW 330e Touring comprises a four-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic transmission. The new BMW 3 Series... Read more →

HELLA, the lighting and electronics expert, develops and manufactures products that support all stages of automotive electrification. With its new Dual Voltage Battery Management System and PowerPack 48 Volt products, the company is now one of the first on the market to offer innovative battery module solutions for mild-hybrid vehicles.... Read more →

Audi is launching the fourth generation of the A6 allroad quattro on European markets with a choice of three V6 TDI 3.0-liter engines. The 3.0 TDI is available in three output ratings. The first produces 170 kW (231 PS) and – from 1,750 to 3,250 rpm – 500 N·m (368.8... Read more →

Audi is launching the fourth generation of the A6 allroad quattro on European markets with a choice of three V6 TDI 3.0-liter engines. The 3.0 TDI is available in three output ratings. The first produces 170 kW (231 PS) and – from 1,750 to 3,250 rpm – 500 N·m (368.8... Read more →

BMW Group sales of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles decreased 29.7 percent in May 2019 vs. May 2018. Model changeover has limited the current BMW Group electrified lineup in the US to five models including the BMW i3, BMW i8 and i8 Roadster, BMW 530e, and MINI Countryman plug-in... Read more →

Kiel-Toshiba Railway Europe GmbH (TRG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solution (TISS), Toshiba Group’s core group in the infrastructure business, will showcase Toshiba’s modular diesel electric hybrid locomotives at Transport Logistic 2019 this week. Furthermore, TRG will showcase its Toshiba HDB 800 locomotive demonstrator in pantograph... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz will further expand the GLE model range with the introduction of the V8-powered Mercedes-Benz GLE 580 4MATIC. The GLE is the first SUV in the Mercedes-Benz line up to introduce the new E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL 48-volt active suspension system. The GLE 580 4MATIC features an electrified V8 biturbo gasoline... Read more →

The Audi Q5 55 TFSI e quattro with 270 kW (367 hp) system output (combined fuel consumption: 2.4 – 2.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 53 – 46 g/km) is the first of the new plug-in models from Audi. The new drive concept comprises a 2.0 TFSI, a four-cylinder, turbocharged... Read more →

The eighth-generation of the bestselling Volkswagen Golf bestseller will feature a 48V mild hybrid electric drive system. In 2018, Volkswagen announced at the Vienna Motor Symposium that it would make the innovative low-voltage concept accessible to a broad public. The Group is now delivering on its promise and bringing the... Read more →

Audi is offering the revamped A4 with many engine options equipped with 12V and 48V mild-hybrid systems (MHEV). This also applies to the Audi S4 TDI (combined fuel consumption 6.3 – 6.2 l/100 km (37.3 - 37.9 US mpg); combined CO2 emissions 166 – 163 g/km (267.2 – 262.3 g/mi),... Read more →

Opel presented the new all-wheel drive PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) version of the Grandland X. Topping Opel’s SUV offer (that also comprises the Crossland X and the Mokka X), the Grandland X Hybrid4 combines the power of a 1.6 turbocharged gasoline engine and two electric motors for a system... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Waterloo (Canada), with a colleague in Sweden, have used a power management strategy greatly to extend the durability of onboard fuel cells in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle: an increase of 1.8, 4.8 and 6.9 times, respectively, for an urban, highway and a combined urban-highway... Read more →

France-based Silicon Mobility announced the availability of OLEA APP INVERTER HE—a high efficiency inverter and electric motor control application. The new inverter is optimized for the OLEA FPCU (Field Programmable Control Unit) which increases the range of hybrid and electric vehicles up to 20% with the same battery capacity. The... Read more →

Hyundai Motor is introducing connectivity and design enhancements for the new IONIQ in Europe. As of its launch in 2016, IONIQ was the world’s first car planned from the start to offer three electrified powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric. New Hyundai IONIQ Electric The new IONIQ features advanced Blue... Read more →

The 2020 Range Rover is now available in the UK with a 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine in a Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) powertrain designed to bring enhanced efficiency to the range with fuel economy of 9.3l/100km (25.3 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 212g/km (NEDC equivalent combined).... Read more →

The European car market registered its seventh consecutive month of decline in March 2019, according to figures from JATO Dynamics. Ongoing political and economic uncertainty, including lack of clarity around Brexit, alongside consumer preoccupation with diesel bans in cities, meant that overall demand continued to decline. Last month, 19 of... Read more →

A new study carried out by University College Dublin (UCD) academics has found that under typical Irish commuting conditions, the Toyota Prius IV (fourth-generation) hybrid (earlier post) drives in zero emissions mode (ZEV) for significantly more than half (62%) of the time and more than 40% (40.4%) of the distance... Read more →

Toyota introduced the next-generation three-row 2020 Highlander SUV at the New York International Auto Show. Arriving in Toyota dealerships in winter, the Highlander gasoline model will arrive in December 2019 and the Highlander Hybrid will make its way to customers in February 2020. Just as the first RAV4 launched the... Read more →

For the first time, the Audi S5 Coupé/Sportback has a V6 diesel under the hood. The 3.0 TDI engine in the S5 Coupé and the S5 Sportback produces 255 kW (347 hp) and delivers up to 700 N·m (516.3 lb-ft) of torque between 2,500 and 3,100 rpm. An electric powered... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced that the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, has achieved sales of 200,000 units worldwide since its launch in 2013. Since making its debut in Japan, the Outlander PHEV has been rolled out to more than 50 countries across the world. It... Read more →

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) sold 279,000 vehicles in the first three months of 2019, achieving a hybrid electric vehicle mix in excess of 50%—one year ahead of plan. With a year-on-year rise of 14%, hybrid models helped TME maintain sales in Q1 2019 in a declining market, pushing up TME... Read more →

Toyota launched its completely redesigned RAV4 in Japan. The new RAV4 features the first Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD system, which enables precise and stable steering by adopting a torque vectoring mechanism, which independently distributes torque to the left and right rear wheels according to driving conditions in addition to the... Read more →

The new Audi S6 and S7 models in Europe are making their entrance with a torquey V6 TDI engine. For the first time, Audi has combined an electric-powered compressor (EPC) with a 48-volt primary electrical system. The pairing of an electric compressor with a 48-volt primary electrical system takes the... Read more →

In a paper being presented at WCX SAE World Congress Experience in Detroit this week, a team from MIT is proposing the use of a flex-fuel gasoline-alcohol engine approach for a series-hybrid powertrain for long-haul Class 8 trucks. In this approach the engine would provide comparable (or possibly greater) efficiency... Read more →

In addition to the 2.0-liter CRDi 48V diesel powertrain introduced in the New Tucson in 2018, Hyundai Motor has now combined its efficient and responsive 48V mild hybrid technology with the 100 kW/136-PS 1.6-liter CRDi diesel engine. The technology comprises a 48-volt battery, a Mild Hybrid Starter Generator (MHSG) and... Read more →

Geely Auto Group (Geely) has selected Ricardo to assist with the development—right through to production implementation—of a new advanced transmission for range-extended plug-in hybrid vehicles. Key requirements for the transmission are high efficiency and competitive cost for high volume A and B-segment products. The approach taken is highly collaborative and... Read more →

The fuel cell plug-in hybrid Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL (combined hydrogen consumption: 0.34 kg/100 km, combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km, combined power consumption: 13.7 kWh/100 km) has successfully passed its 360° environmental check. The results have been verified by the TÜV Süd technical service. The environmental check is based on an... Read more →

Toyota announced that it will grant royalty-free licenses on nearly 24,000 patents it holds (including some pending applications) for vehicle electrification-related technologies. Also, Toyota will provide fee-based technical support to other manufacturers developing and selling electrified vehicles when they use Toyota’s motors, batteries, PCUs, control ECUs, and other vehicle electrification... Read more →

Ford has revealed the 2020 Escape; the small SUV will make its first public appearance at the New York International Auto Show. Escape, which debuted the world’s first hybrid SUV in 2005, brings back two hybrid choices for 2020—a standard hybrid and a plug-in variant—and introduces technologies ranging from drive... Read more →

Ricardo Software announced major updates to its proprietary suite of computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation and analysis products. Now available for download by customers, Ricardo Software’s 2019.1 release provides significant enhancements in integration and functionality across the full product range, helping to enable cleaner and more fuel-efficient products to be brought... Read more →

At a Ford “Go Further” experience in Amsterdam on 2 April, Ford will unveil Fiesta and Focus EcoBoost Hybrid models for Europe. The Fiesta EcoBoost Hybrid and Focus EcoBoost Hybrid will feature a mild-hybrid architecture with a belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG) replacing the standard alternator, enabling recovery and storage of... Read more →

At Auto Shanghai 2019 in April, BMW Brilliance Automotive will present the new edition of the BMW X1 xDrive25Le. The compact Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) developed exclusively for the Chinese automotive market with extended wheelbase and plug-in drive now achieves an electrically powered range of up to 110 kilometers (68... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation have agreed to begin considering concrete collaboration in new fields. Toyota and Suzuki have been considering the concrete details of such collaboration since having concluded a memorandum of understanding toward business partnership in February 2017. (Earlier post.) Toyota and Suzuki, in addition to... Read more →

XL delivered 154 hybrid electric (HEV) GMC Savana Cargo vans to the California Vanpool Authority (also known as CalVans) to improve the fuel efficiency and sustainability of its agriculture transportation fleet. According to the company, the order represents the largest single hybrid electric van deployment in California to date. The... Read more →

United European Car Carriers (UECC), jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines, has signed a contract for the construction of two new generation PCTC (Pure Car And Truck Carrier) with China Ship Building Trading Co., Ltd and Jiangnan Shipyard Group Co. Ltd. The vessels will be... Read more →

From 2017 to 2018, PEV sales doubled in North America, and sales in Europe and China increased 39% and 77%, respectively, according to a new report from Navigant Research. In 2019, multiple deployments of long-range battery EVs (BEVs) in crossover classes, as well as Tesla reaching full-scale production on the... Read more →

SEAT, a member of the Volkswagen Group, presented two concept cars for the first time globally at the GenevaMotor show: the el-Born, its first 100% electric vehicle based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform (earlier post), and the CUPRA Formentor, a high-performance plug-in hybrid CUV with CUPRA DNA which is... Read more →