Research on Hybrid Cars Essay

I. Introduction: ? Overview Of The Project: This project is based on the latest technology in automobile (car) industry- HYBRID TECHNOLOGY. In this project we are going to discuss about the hybrid technology in cars, the impact of hybrid technology on Indian automobile (car) industry, the companies which have adopted and benefited through this technology and the findings & the conclusion. ? Hybrid Technology: A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Power sources include: ? On-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) ? Gasoline or Diesel fuel ? Hydrogen ? Compressed air ? Human powered e. g. pedaling or rowing ? Wind ? Compressed or liquefied natural gas ? Solar ? Coal, wood or other solid combustibles The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. ? HYBRID CARS: Hybrid cars are one among the promising types of new generation cars. In the present era, the motor vehicle industry is going through a transition phase, which is to meet the pace of the growing world. Cars are now become inevitable assistants for the travel and it is not uncommon to have 2 or 3 cars in a home. And, motor vehicles are now facing the next generation problems of the conventional cars. Moreover, many environmental and energy utilization issues are coming cross. Hybrid cars are developed with an intention to answer much of these questions, and the success of it in the road make it a favorite choice of many. Although any car, which has a combination of two different ideas can be called as a hybrid, but the cars, which combine two energy sources for its running is popularly named as hybrid car. To be simple, the conventional cars run on a single fuel source such as gasoline, petrol and diesel. The energy efficiency of the cars was insufficient to meet the future needs, in the highly energy depleting situation. The search for alternative resources is intensive and one of them, electric cars were a success, but its limitation was the inadequacy for a long drive and difficulty for frequent recharges. Hybrid cars were a better solution since it combines the benefits of both types of cars. Now, most of the hybrid cars use the engine that work in combination of gasoline and electricity. Hybrid cars are much appreciated by the experts because of its energy efficiency. As the car has two energy sources, the car will in effect, use up only reduced energy and the most beneficial attribute is that the batteries in the car for electrical transmission will be spontaneously charged, along with the working of the car. However, the success of the hybrid cars among the motorists relies on mainly on its performance on the road. Despite of the great fear, whether the new car could give out the performance as of a conventional car, hybrid car gave out adequate performance, with aid of its sophisticated technology and aerodynamic design. The utility of hybrid cars for the society was proved, when Government adopted particular measures for its promotion. Now, as part of its preferred usage, tax credits are available, which are changed yearly, according to the prevailing market conditions. Government was impressed with the two important advantages such as improved mileage and reduced tailpipe emissions, which can attribute low environmental pollution and reduced non renewable fuel consumption. Now many companies such as Toyota, Ford, Honda and Lexus are competing in the market of hybrid cars with their latest versions. Any how, a comparison of different models is advised before the purchase. Hybrid cars are thus the present phase of car industry. The advancements are going on continuously in its fuel selection and structure, to persist it to a future car, and motorists are looking forward to the best out of it. ? History of Hybrid Vehicles The history of hybrid cars dates back to the late 1800s and 1900s. In 1905, Mr. H Piper filed a patent for a gasoline engine-electric motor powertrain. According to him, the electric motor would augment a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in 10 seconds, much faster than the gasoline engines of that time. Ironically, when finally Mr. H Piper was granted the patent a few years later, normal engines were capable of producing the same kind of acceleration. Due to rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the popularity of a hybrid car slowly diminished untill again in the early to mid 1970s, the time of oil crisis. Many companies poured funds to build experimental Hybrid Electric Vehicles. But as the oil became available again, the surge for HEVs died down immediately. The Europeans and Japanese researching on reducing production costs and making HEVs more salable. Companies like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi came up with ways to reduce emissions and better the mileage. Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997 (in Japan and in 2000 in the US) which proved to be a huge success. Recent sales figures indicate that well over 300,000 units of Toyota Prius have been sold the world over justifying the concept of a clean family car. In 1999, Honda introduced its first production hybrid car, the Insight and then the Civic Hybrid in 2002. Ford came up with the first hybrid SUV, the Escape, which hit the road in 2004. Quick on their path are several other contestants such as Dodge with their hybrid pickup, the Ram, and chevrolet’s Silverado. ? How Hybrid Cars Work? Hybrid Cars integrate the power of the conventional gasoline engine with that of an electric motor. A high powered battery pack provides energy to the motor which itself gets recharged when the car is decelerating. This is called as regenerative braking. The gas engine can also assist the battery in recharging. This kills the need to plug the car to an external source of energy. As of now, there are two types of hybrid vehicles. In one type, the electric motor acts as a side-kick to the gas engine, assisting it whenever surplus power is needed. The electric motor alone is incapable of independently operating the vehicle. Honda’s Power Assist technology in its hybrids, Civic and Insight is an example. Such vehicles are termed as Mild Hybrids. In mild hybrids, the gasoline engine provides the main source of power, and the electric motor provides additional power whenever needed. The second type of hybrid can be termed as a Full Hybrid, where the gasoline engine and the electric motor can operate the vehicle saperately. In this type, the electric motor can drive the vehicle at lower speeds. In need of more speed, the gasoline engine kicks in. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape implement the same techonology. Be it mild hybrids or full hybrids, both are capable of providing lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. The Internal-Combustion Engines (both gasoline and diesel) installed in Hybrid cars are often smaller than those in normal cars for a simple reason that Hybrids have the electric motor for assistance. The motor can take care of city travel which poses stop and go conditions as well as power-consuming add-ons such as the A/C or power-windows and power-steering. At high speeds, the gasoline engine supplies power. This switching of power sources is computer controled and nothing needs to be manually done. Power to the electric motor comes from the battery-pack. Recharging of the battery is automatic and need not be done by external sources. When the car is in uniform motion or when it is decelerating, it generates power which charges the batteries which utilises the valuable kinetic energy. As with any other battery, the Hybrid car battery also has a limited life span. Auto makers however, put the battery life at around 200,000 miles which roughly comes around to 7-8 years, depending on the kind of travel it endures. Thus, It pays to take extra care of your vehicle and travel when necessary. ? Hybrid Car Technology: With the prices of gasoline and fuel always on the increase, car manufacturers have today found a new form of car technology that is fuel efficient and low in pollution. This technology is called the hybrid car technology where the cars have a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) found in the vehicle, along with some fuel propulsion source. Hybrid cars don’t produce much pollution and consumes minimal fuel; and its different propulsion systems have either common parts or systems. Hybrid cars are generally designated to vehicles running on a combination of petroleum and electricity. These vehicles are called hybrid-electric vehicles where electric cells are used to power electric engines, along with an internal combustion engine. The advantage of these cars is that they sort of extend their battery charge through the kinetic energy they catch in regenerative braking. Moreover when such cars cruise, or move on a small thrust, the combustion engine generates energy with the running of a second electric motor. This is done to either recharge the battery or to provide energy to the motor for driving the car. This is unlike the conventional electrical cars where they avail of their battery charge through external sources like the grid. Today, most of the hybrid cars run on either gasoline or diesel as their main energy source while there are some cases where other fuels like ethanol or plant based oils are used too. There are also some cars that use hydrogen fuel. Sometimes, hybrid cars are also referred to the cars that are flexible-fuel vehicles where they run on a combination of different fuels like gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel. The main reason people prefer to use hybrid cars is because of its hybrid technology of a combination of technologies. With this, a lot of gas fuel is saved which is of course, beneficial to the car buyer. With the passage of time, hybrid car technology has improved in the different hybrid cars. This is because with time, hybrid cars have also become popular and the manufacturers have been working on more means to make the car more feasible to the prospective car buyer. With hybrid car technology, the motion of the car is designed in such a way that the engines in these cars have a smaller size that is used when drifting and driving leisurely. It is usually the battery source that provides the additional power like going uphill or accelerating whenever needed. To couple things, when the hybrid car is stopped, the hybrid fuel engine gets switched off to run off the electric motor. Hybrid cars are built lighter and are designed more aerodynamically for better speed. And its tires are usually stiffer and have a higher inflation so that the drag of the car is reduced. So it can be seen that with hybrid car technology, a car has become more efficient. Though the rates of these cars may initially be a bit high, they are very much worth it in the long run during its lifespan. ? Hybrid Car Pro and Cons. The pros and cons of hybrid car is one of the widely discussed topics since hybrid car is a trend among the new generation vehicles. Hybrid car is the type of car, which utilizes two different energy sources to meet the energy requirement. Even though the hybrid technology was prevailing for many purposes such as train engines and submarines, its well-liked use among the people was begun only with the incorporation of the idea in the motor vehicles. Hybrid car became soon accepted among the customers, however, its increased popularity arise the need for a cross analysis since it is a fact that every factor will have two sides. ? Pros of Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid cars carry with them a bundle of advantages. o Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas-powered engine which results into lower emissions and better mileage. o Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal ga-powered vehicles, if not better. o Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any traditional car and they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). o There are purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). o Hybrids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. o Hybrids provide a better mileage. o The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. o Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. o o Special warranties are provided for the battery pack, the electric motor other costly items. o Hybrids help reduce the dependency on fossil fuels which directely affects fuel prices. Hybrid cars are often refereed to as the ‘car of the era’. The unique advantages of the hybrid car will be sole basis for such recognition in the market. The motor industry was always in the effort to develop most beneficial model and the disadvantages of the conventional model might be the triggering factor for the formation of advantageous models. Usually, anything to be considered as advantageous will make benefit only to its owner, and to the maximum, the family of the owner. The specialty of the hybrid car enhances in this situation since its advantages can attribute benefit to not only the owner or his family, but to the entire society, nation and the mankind. The advantages of the hybrid car start right from its difference in the basic pattern. Hybrid car is type of car that utilizes two energy sources for its movement. The popular hybrid cars in the market are manufactured in such a manner to combine the benefits of an internal combustion engine and electrical motor. The shortening level of gasoline in the world as it is a non-renewable energy was the major drawback of the conventional cars, which was rectified in the electrical cars, but it also had its own disadvantages. The advantage of the hybrid car is that it can rectify the complaints in the both systems and balances the use of electrical energy and gasoline engine, in their optimum levels. In the hybrid car, the electrical energy is used while starting up of the car and its low speed ranges, which will help to impart a check to the tail pipe emissions. As the automobiles is increasing, world is at the threat of toxic pollutants and global warming, due to their exhaust ingredients. The decrease in the tail pipe emission will be a great advantage for the environment as well as the society. However, gasoline engine will take up the transmission, when the speed goes up since, it is essential to attribute the pace for the drive. While the traffic stops and steep slopes the electrical energy will be again activated, which will help to reduce the gasoline utilization. The aerodynamic design, lighter materials and smoother tyre will help for better energy consumption. The striking technological advantage of the hybrid car is that the energy loss, while braking is re-channeled for the electrical battery charging, called as regenerative braking, and a separate energy for battery charging is not required. The advantages of the hybrid car are multifaceted since it attributes economical, technical and economical benefits. Despite of the owner, the country as well as, is benefited from the gasoline saving as the oil prices are steeping very high, and its effects the country’s whole economy. This advantage is also a benefit to the customer as government has decided to give reductions and tax credits for the hybrid car buying. In addition to Federal exemption certain states also provide local exemptions to promote the use of hybrid car. Hybrid car is thus an advantageous car, which helps to over come much of the crisis related to the motor world. ? Disdvantages Of Hybrid Cars Hybrid cars, though useful, have some disadvantages. The point to be noted here is that the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. o High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions. o More weight due to battery packs. o Some states charge additional fees for registration. o In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. o They have a complicated system which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. o Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. o Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts. II. INDUSTRY PROFILE: ? HYBRID TECHNOLOGY IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE (CAR) INDUSTRY: ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AN OVERVIEW: The manufacturing of automobiles commenced in India 60 years ago, since then, the journey of the Indian Automotive industry can be classified into three main phases. Touching upon them briefly: The first phase till mid 1980s could be termed as one of protection for the Indian automotive industry. There were restrictions on the manufacturing and import of automobiles and the Indian automobile market was a seller’s market. The second phase, post 1991, could be termed as a phase of liberalization as the Indian automotive market was the beneficiary of the opening up of India’s economy. This phase was marked by the entry of foreign automobile players and increase in the availability of automotive financing. The Indian automotive market became a buyer’s market during this phase. Coinciding with the second wave of liberalization, the third phase from early 2000 till date could be termed as a phase of globalization of the Indian automotive industry. This phase has been marked by the removal of most import controls, entry of many more foreign players in the Indian automotive market and Indian companies gaining a global identity and acquiring foreign companies. The year 2008 is an important year for the Indian automobile industry. Today, the Indian automobile industry is ranked first in the world in the production of three wheelers, second in the production of two wheelers, fourth in the production of commercial vehicles and ninth in the production of passenger vehicles. With a production of nearly 10. 8 million vehicles in FY07-08, the Indian automotive industry has shown an outstanding resilience after the last down cycle about a decade back. In the last few years, the Indian automotive industry has grown at a healthy rate by reducing costs and improving efficiency. With its new found confidence, it has gone beyond the shores of India and is creating a noteworthy footprint in different geographies in the world. The Indian automotive market with a healthy growth rate of 13% in the last 7 years was a source of attraction to many foreign automobile companies whose entry in the Indian market not only increased competition, but also raised customer expectations about product quality and reliability. This forced the Indian companies to introduce new and interesting products and innovation has now become a noteable feature of the Indian automotive industry. The innovation story of the Indian automotive industry would not be complete without mentioning the NANO, which has evoked worldwide interest, curiosity and confidence in the competency of Indian talent. It has not only brought the automobile industry, but also India into focus. The NANO and other similar products have the potential to change the paradigm of the automotive industry worldwide. To maintain a high rate of growth, retain the attractiveness of the Indian market and to further enhance competitiveness in the market place, the Indian automotive industry has been working in a collaborative manner with the government and has drafted an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16. Some of the key initiatives which have been pursued as per the Automotive Mission Plan include: †¢ Establishment of National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure development Project (NATRIP) †¢ Initiatives for creation and fulfillment of automotive demand †¢ Initiatives towards the betterment of society and the environment, and †¢ Initiatives to become a catalyst for generating an additional 25 million jobs. In the last five years, sales in various segments of the Indian automobile market have grown at a healthy rate of 15% to 27 %. This growth provided encouragement to various players and nearly Rs 78,000 crores of investment has been planned, out of which more than 50% has already been committed. However, today the Indian automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges. On one hand, demand is shrinking because of the lack of availability of consumer finance, high interest rates and the high cost of fuel, and on the other, cost of input materials has witnessed massive increases. e. g. in the last two years, steel price has increased by almost 40%, copper prices are up by 45%, natural rubber has risen by 40% . The impact of steel price increase alone on various segments of automobiles is quite significant. These factors are having a catastrophic impact on the bottom line of the Indian automotive industry and are resulting in withdrawal, scaling down or deferment of capital investment which would hurt the objectives of the Automotive Mission Plan in the long run. Two other long term challenges are faced by the Indian automotive industry. The first one is climate change due to global warming which would have an impact on all. Contribution of carbon dioxide emissions giving rise to global warming by various sectors are – Public Electricity and Heat Production: 53% Manufacturing Industries & Construction21% Internal transportation (Road,rail,air)12% Others14% (Source: International Energy Agency-2005 Report based on 2001 data for India) Reduction in carbon dioxide emission would require a holistic and an integrated approach. However, the automotive industry is aware of its 10% contribution and is conscious and determined to pursue initiatives to reduce the same. This could be implemented by adopting an integrated and a partnership approach. Some of the initiatives that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions include introduction of new and more fuel efficient vehicles, a mandatory inspection and maintenance regime, the removal of old vehicles as they contribute to a larger portion of carbon dioxide emissions, efficient traffic management, use of alternative fuels like CNG, LPG, bio-diesel etc and the introduction of electric vehicles / hybrid. The second challenge which the Indian automotive industry is facing today is in attracting and nurturing talented manpower not only for the creation of better and reliable products but also for servicing and maintenance throughout the life cycle of the product. More than 60% of the additional 25 million jobs that is projected to get created as per the Automotive Mission Plan, would be in the skilled category. ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: [pic] ? WHY HYBRIDS IN INDIA: [pic] [pic] [pic] CONCLUSION: [pic] III. COMPANIES PROFILE: Hybrid technology has become a latest trend in the automotive industry. There are a number of companies which have adopted this technology. The list of the companies which have launched their hybrid vehicles are: ? TATA ? Hyundai ? Honda ? Mahindra & Mahindra ? Ford ? Toyota ? BMW ? Nissan Motors A brief profile of these companies and their hybrid car versions are discussed in the following pages: [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea’s largest and the world’s fifth largest automaker in terms of units sold per year. Headquartered in Seoul, Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1. 6 million units annually. The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized ‘H’, is said to be symbolic of two people (the company and customer) shaking hands. In 1998, after a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10. 5 percent stake for $900 million. Hyundai has invested in manufacturing plants in the North America, China, Pakistan, India, and Turkey as well as research and development centers in Europe, North America, and Japan. In 2004, Hyundai Motor Company had $57. 2 billion in sales in South Korea making it the country’s second largest corporation, or chaebol. Worldwide sales in 2005 reached 2,533,695 units, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. Hyundai has set as its 2006 target worldwide sales of 2. 7 million units (excluding exports of CKD kits). Hyundai motor vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. After a recent survey of global automotive sales by Automotive News, Hyundai is now the tenth largest automaker in the world in 2007. [5] Hyundai Motor Company’s brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. Brand value estimated at $4. 5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. ? HYBRIDS IN HYUNDAI: Hyundai plans to begin producing hybrid electric vehicles in 2009. The Avante will be the first vehicle to be produced. Since 2004, Hyundai has supplied about 3,000 hybrid versions of its Getz and Accent small cars to government fleets as part of a testing program. The automaker cites a lack of local tax benefits for purchasing hybrids as a barrier to its hybrid development program. But Hyundai expects the tax situation to change in 2009. The new hybrid electric Sonata will make its debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2008. Hyundai expects to release it in the U. S. market in 2010, featuring lithium-ion battery technology ? HYUNDAI HYBRIDS IN INDIA: Hyundai is getting increasingly aggressive these days. If Genesis sedan assault wasnt enough, Hyundai is now seriously looking at another Japanese stronghold, the Hybrids. The company is planning to go full steam in developing its own hybrid technology. The company will start off with the hybrid variants of Accent, Sonata and Avante sedan while the research and development center in India will be given the go ahead to develop the technology for small cars. Currently, Hyundai provides Verna (Accent) hybrid models to government agencies as pilot projects. The plan is to expand the line-up to mid-sized sedans and beyond for mass production, starting from 2009. Seok San Jang, a senior vice president for Hyundai’s international business operations saysâ€Å"We have been slow in the field so far but have aggressive plans given the fact that high oil prices have made hybrids almost a necessity now. From next year, we will sell hybrid cars in Korea and by 2010 we will be selling them all over the world, India is our hub for small cars and hybrids for smaller cars will also eventually come from there. † ? HYUNDAI HYBRID MODELS: |[pic] |[pic] | |HYUNDAI ACCENT |HYUNDAI GETZ | [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Tata Motors Limited, formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company), is a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company. Part of the Tata Group, and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles. The OICA ranked it as the world’s 20th largest automaker, based on figures for 2006. Tata Motors was established in 1945, when the company began manufacturing locomotives. The company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG, which ended in 1969. Tata Motors was listed on the NYSE in 2004, and by 2005 it was ranked among the top 10 corporations in India with an annual revenue exceeding INR 320 billion. In 2004, it bought Daewoo’s truck manufacturing unit, now known as Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, in South Korea. It also, acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera SA, giving it controlling rights in the company. Tata Motors launched their much awaited Tata Nano, noted for its Rs 100,000 price-tag, in January 2008. In March 2008, it finalised a deal with Ford Motor Company to acquire their British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business, which also includes the Rover, Daimler and Lanchester brand names. The purchase was completed on 2 June 2008 Tata Motors has its manufacturing base in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune. ? HYBRIDS IN TATA The world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano, may also turn out to be world’s cheapest hybrid version as well. Tata Motors intends to offer micro-hybrid version of Tata Nano with micro-hybrid technology that allows the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 10 percent. According to a leading Indian news channel, Bosch shall provide the micro-hybrid technology to Nano also known as Start-Stop System. This system allows the engine to automatically turn off when the vehicle is not moving. This additional technology may cost another Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 to the overall cost but this technology is definitely the cheapest hybrid technology most suitable for the world’s cheapest car. Most of the countries around the world are getting stricter with fuel consumption and emission norms including Europe and the US. This micro-hybrid technology can b deployed to the vehicles at much lower cost than full hybrid systems. The micro-hybrid technology will also be available in diesel and electric variants of Nano. [pic] TATA NANO [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), (English: Bavarian Motor Works) is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916. It also produces motorcycles, is the owner of the MINI brand and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ? HYBRIDS IN BMW: ? BMW H6 ACTIVE HYBRID: BMW ActiveHybrid is a particular highlight of BMW EfficientDynamics, BMW’s trendsetting development strategy for today’s world. Introducing this technology, BMW is taking the next step in the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. BMW ActiveHybrid is based on a modular concept following the strategy of â€Å"Best of Hybrid† to integrate the most appropriate, optimum components in each case in different concepts. The concept is running a new BMW drivetrain that integrates the batteries, electronics systems and power inverter all within the transmission. Compared with the non-hybrid model, the new Active Hybrid is said to improve fuel-economy by up to 20%. The two-mode hybrid system, co-developed with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, uses twin electric motors which can either be used to boost acceleration, charge the batteries or as a generator to mutually power each other. The two-mode active transmission is based on an ECVT electrical continuously variable transmission. The two operating modes, one of which has been optimised for low, the other for high speeds, are supplemented by fixed transmission ratios. Fitting in with BMW’s new EfficientDynamics focus, the modular hybrid system can be easily adapted to other models and should make its way across more cars in coming years. [pic] BMW X6 ACTIVE HYBRID ? BMW DIESEL X5 HYBRID VERSION: BMW will be presenting a new eco-friendly concept touting the latest in EfficientDynamics technology at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. BMW has given a preview of the upcoming concept, a twin-turbo diesel X5 with a hybrid system. As has been the trend in Europe of late, carmakers are developing ultra-efficient hybrid models by combining frugal diesel engines with electric powertrains. BMW X5 SUV is fitted with a 2. 0L turbodiesel and the carmaker’s mild ActiveHybrid technology plus an eight-speed automatic gearbox and even roof-mounted solar panels. All of these technologies combine to deliver the best fuel economy and lowest emissions of any fullsize SUV currently on sale. The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics delivers 43. 5mpg on the combined cycle and just 172g/km of CO2 emissions. Despite its green credentials, the X5 ActiveHybrid is no slouch. Output from the diesel stands at 204hp and 400Nm of torque, and the hybrid systems adds a further 20hp and 210Nm of torque under acceleration.