Toyota FT-EV Concept

Toyota announced that it will display the Toyota FT-EV concept on opening Media Day at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), confirming its plan to launch an urban commuter battery-electric vehicle (BEV) by 2012. This announcement, coupled with its compressed natural gas powered Camry Hybrid concept display at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, signal Toyota’s intention to broaden the scope of its advanced alternative-fuel vehicle development.
“Nowhere is this more important than with our industry’s duty and commitment to provide true sustainable mobility with vehicles that significantly reduce fuel consumption, our carbon footprint and overall greenhouse gases.”
The Toyota FT-EV concept shares its platform with the revolutionary-new Toyota iQ urban commuter vehicle. Toyota FT-EV concept imagines an urban dweller, driving up to 50 miles between home, work and other forms of public transportation, such as high-speed rail. Although BEVs and new smaller vehicles like the iQ will be a key component of Toyota’s sustainable mobility strategy, the conventional gas-electric hybrid, like the all new third-generation Prius, is considered Toyota’s long-term core powertrain technology.
Also, last year, Toyota announced that it would roll-out a large number of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) to global lease-fleet customers in 2010. Beginning in late 2009, Toyota will start global delivery of 500 Prius PHVs powered by lithium-ion batteries. The first-generation lithium-ion batteries powering these PHVs will be built on an assembly line at Toyota’s PEVE (Panasonic EV Energy Company, LTD) battery plant, a joint-venture production facility in which Toyota owns 60 percent equity. Lease-fleet customers will monitor the performance and durability of the first-generation lithium-ion battery, while offering real world feedback on how future customers might respond to the plug-in process.
“Future customers will have high expectations for these emerging technologies. This Prius PHV fleet program is a key first step in confirming how and when we might bring large numbers of plug-in hybrids to global markets,” said Miller.

toyota ft ev front side

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Honda Pilot

The Pilot’s unit body construction and fully independent suspension helped transform the SUV segment by enhancing ride quality, earning top crash safety ratings, creating more interior space and increasing fuel efficiency. The second generation of the Honda Pilot seeks to improve on the popular Honda SUV formula by adding more SUV-rugged aesthetics, more on-road refinement and enhancing interior functionality. Designed around the concept of an “intelligent adventure vehicle” with the practical needs of a family in mind, the eight-passenger Pilot provides bolder SUV styling, more clever and more accommodating interior packaging and advanced technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and convenience.

Body
The Honda Pilot is built on a crossover SUV platform that combines the safety, packaging and handling advantages of a car-based unit body design while still delivering the rugged versatility that mainstream consumers most frequently use in a SUV. The Pilot’s highly-rigid platform with isolated front and rear subframes provides the foundation for many of its refined attributes, including its outstanding handling agility, exceptional ride comfort, world-class safety performance and packaging efficiency. For 2009, the Pilot’s body integrates the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE®) body structure for enhanced frontal crash safety with vehicles of different bumper heights, along with the most extensive use of high strength steel in any Honda automotive product to date. Interior
The interior of the Honda Pilot is designed to provide a comfortable experience for all passengers in business class style. A rearview camera is standard on the Pilot EX-L and Pilot Touring models.

honda pilot

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Citroen DS3 Concept

The “Full Hybrid ” system combines a refined HDi DPFS diesel burning power plant with an electric motor mounted on the rear axle that enables the Citroen DS High Rider to combine the fuel efficiency and torque of an HDi diesel engine with the green benefits of a next generation ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) when running exclusively under electric power while in other situations, both propulsion sources combine to deliver the maximum amount of power with an excess of torque being transmitted to the rear wheels.

Citroen’s effort at premium hatchbackery went down rather well in the shape of the standard DS3, and we’d put good money on the hot hatch follow-up doing the same. The DS3 R is set to have 197bhp and 203lb ft of torque, so performance should be among the best in the class (bearing in mind the 154bhp version manages to hit 62mph in 7.1secs). We’d say a 0-60mpg sprint in the mid-sixes ought to be on the money.

he DS3 R is also designed to provide a sportier ride than its standard siblings, as well as sharper steering. Inside, the DS3 R has been given a make-over too, with bucket seats and big dials giving it the requisite hot hatch feel.

Citroen DS3

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