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LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., EV/Plug-in, Audi, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, LA Auto Show, Green Daily

Mazda Souga Concept from LA Design Challenge 2009 - Click above for high-res image gallery

This year's iteration of the annual Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show asks the question: How will a new generation of drivers age 16-23 - raised with cell phones, web cams and online communities - emotionally connect to the automobile in 2030? We don't know the answer either, but at least six designers from some of the world's top automakers decided to give it a go with their own ideas. if you thought the Aptera was futuristic, check these out.

First up are the eSpira and eOra from Audi, which are controlled by thought and by the minutest adjustments to the pilot's body. Next we have the General Motors Car Hero... yes, the name is borrowed from the popular Guitar Hero line of games and the car, as you might imagine, "turns driving into gaming." What happens when the inevitable "Game Over" comes at the end? Moving along, we come to the Honda Helix, a shape-shifting vehicle that borrows actual DNA from its owner. Yuck, we don't want to be a car, we want to drive a car.

Which brings us to the Mazda Souga, easily our favorite out of this crop of concepts. This vision for the future would have each owner design his own car for the low price of $2,000 while paying an additional monthly usage fee that also covers the price of electricity to power the Souga.

Nissan's vision for the future includes cars that get their power from an electrically-charged roadway called the GRID, and the vowel-challenged V2G UNLMTD is quickly hacked into an OFF-GRID transportation device by the next breed of young hackers. Lastly, we have the Toyota Link. According to Toyota, future college students will have nearly no income and will rely on mass transit vehicles like the Link that allow them to interact via their various social networks on their daily commutes. Sounds boring to us, but what do we know?

Be sure to check out all six designs in our high-res image gallery below and hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: LA Design Challenge]

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LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda designers talk about EV concepts from Tokyo

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show

Honda EV-N Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda made a pretty big splash at the Tokyo Motor Show a few weeks back by showing off a number of eco-friendly concepts, though many of them were decidedly short on actual details. The automaker finally seems ready to talk a bit about the EV-N, EV-Cub, EV-MONPAL and U3-X and how they fit into its vision for the future. According to the automaker:

The EV-Cub is a nimble, approachable motorcycle that invites people to enjoy riding on a daily basis. EV-N is a cute but very promising car that suggests the possibility of true friendship between person and automobile. EV-Monpal is a helpful and friendly vehicle that assists people with special needs. The U3-X operates in harmony with people and suggests a future full of wonder. Designed to be enjoyable to ride, pleasant just to have around and easy to imagine in the scenes of one's life, these products create a picture of a future that's bright, and are kind both to people and to the environment.

Sounds all warm and fuzzy, no? We happen to be particularly fond of the cute-as-a-button EV-N and the EV-Cub, which takes Honda's original nonthreatening two-wheeler and readies it for duty in today's environmentally-conscious society. Click here for the full story from Honda.

[Source: Honda]

Honda designers talk about EV concepts from Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Insight wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:12:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Honda, Japan

2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here in the United States, there are more Car of the Year Awards than you can shake a stick at, and apparently that's also the case in Japan. Just last week at the Tokyo Motor Show, the 2010 Toyota Prius won top honors in the 30th annual Japan Car of the Year voting. Now, Honda has sent out a notice that its revived Insight has won the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year.

According to Honda, there were three chief reasons the Insight won the award:

The strategy of affordable pricing Honda used in marketing the hybrid Insight
The Insight's balance of driving performance and environmental performance
The balance of performance and fuel economy at cruising and higher speeds offered by Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), Honda's original hybrid system

Any affordable vehicle that manages great fuel economy will be winner in the eyes of many, so it's not terribly surprising that the Insight took home this trophy. Still, sales results indicate that the Toyota Prius is still firmly entrenched as the number one hybrid to the majority of consumers around the world.

Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight

[Source: Honda]

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REPORT: Honda plans a return to larger hybrids

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Honda

2009 Honda Skydeck Concept - Click above for hi-res image gallery

To put it mildly, sales of the Honda Accord Hybrid never quite set the world on fire. Regardless, Japan's Second Largest Automaker is reportedly hard at work developing its proprietary Integrated Motor Assist hybrid platform so that it can once again be used to power larger vehicles like the Accord.

To make it all work out, Honda is adding an extra electric motor to the mix for a total of two, both of which will be more powerful than the single pancake motor used in the current Insight and Civic Hybrid. Also on the menu is a lithium ion battery pack to replace the current nickel metal hydride unit, with added capacity to allow for electric-only operation.

Word on the street (or at least the Nikkei daily newspaper in Japan) is that Honda might place this next-gen hybrid powertrain in a minivan sometime in 2011 or so. Before that, though, we can look forward to the launch of Honda's sporty CR-Z hybrid hatchback. It's important to have your priorities straight, right?

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

REPORT: Honda plans a return to larger hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why - and how - the production CR-Z was changed from the concept

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Honda

Honda global design director Nobuki Ebisawa - click above for high res image gallery

For the first time in its history, Honda invited a select group of North American media to visit its design studio this week after the Tokyo Motor Show. While we didn't get to see any secret new cars, we did get to sit down for a chat with Nobuki Ebisawa, general manager of global design for Honda. Among other things, we discussed the design of the new CR-Z hybrid sport coupe.

At the show, Honda unveiled an updated concept version of the CR-Z that is a very thinly veiled version of the production model that will debut at the Detroit show in January. That car remained on the show floor while the original 2007 concept was on display in the studio along with two quarter scale clay models of the original concept and the 2009 car. The original proposal model and the production car were both the work of Motoaki Minowa while the actual concept that was built in 2007 was produced by Makoto Iwaki. Read on to learn more about what changed from concept to concept to the upcoming production model.

[Source: Honda]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Tokyo 2009: Honda rolls out the EV-Cub, we pray for a production model

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, On Two Wheels, Tokyo Motor Show

Honda EV-Cub Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

You meet the greenest people on a Honda. Well, maybe not quite yet... but the World's Largest Motorcycle Manufacturer has signaled its intent to usher in a new era of electrically-powered two-wheelers, and a modern-day Cub seems like an excellent way to do just that.

Honda is showing a conceptual electric Cub as we speak at the Tokyo Motor Show, but strangely isn't letting out very much information about the machine. We know there's an electric motor powering each wheel and some kind of battery pack sitting in between somewhere in the frame rails, but that's about it.

Regardless of how little we know about the EV-Cub, it's a concept we wholeheartedly approve of. We're big fans of the original gas-powered 50cc model, which has been known to return well over 200 miles per gallon in daily use, and a thoroughly modern drivetrain seems like a fitting way to inject some new life into the old Cub. See our high-res image gallery of live shots below.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Tokyo 2009: Honda rolls out the EV-Cub, we pray for a production model originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweight assist devices

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show, First Drive

Jim Kenzie of the Toronto Star tries out the U3-X - click above for high res-image gallery

If there is one thing people love, it's personal mobility. After all, what other species regularly harness other creatures for the sole purpose of getting around. The auto industry is all about personal mobility. Since the dawn of the car in the late 19th century, it has been adopted world-wide as one of the preferred means of getting around.

Mobility, of course, is about a lot more than just driving. Just moving around is important and when people find themselves unable to move or having difficulty, It plays havoc with the psyche. As populations in many countries get older, reduced mobility is an increasing problem. A number of automakers are researching ways to expand mobility beyond the automobile and the result is projects like GM's Puma and Toyota's Winglet. Honda, too, is studying the problem and while we were in Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda took us to their R&D center to check out a few of their recent projects. Read on for a first hand account of what we saw.

Gallery: Honda mobility devices

Continue reading Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweight assist devices

Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweight assist devices originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda CEO: People will embrace fuel cells when they realize battery limits

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show

Here at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda introduced its first plug-in vehicle concept in many years in the shape of the EV-N. However, during the press conference, new CEO Takanobu Ito shared the main stage with only two cars, the FCX Clarity and the new CR-Z concept. The EV-N and a plug-in Cub scooter were off on a smaller side stage. During a Q&A session with media this evening, Ito explained the company's strategy on electric vehicles.

According to Ito, who assumed the top post at the company last June, hydrogen fuel cells are still the best long term strategy for vehicles. The only reason Honda is developing a plug-in vehicle right now is to meet California zero-emission vehicle mandates coming up in about five years. Because there appears to be little movement on establishing additional hydrogen filling stations in the U.S. right now, the company would be unable to meet the standards with a fuel cell vehicle. Thus a small urban commuter BEV is the best option for the short term.

Asked what it would take to get a hydrogen filling network going, especially with a current administration that is openly hostile, Ito responded "I wish I knew" but that hydrogen must be promoted to governments and "we must be patient." He went on to say that while batteries are evolving, he didn't believe they would ever get to a stage where their performance would be acceptable as the primary energy carrier. Instead he said that "people would become more aware of the limits of BEVs" and come back to hydrogen fuel cells.

[Source: Honda]

Honda CEO: People will embrace fuel cells when they realize battery limits originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z coming to America next fall with six-speed manual!

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:50:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show

Honda CR-Z concept 2009 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda fans of all sorts have cause to celebrate today with the reveal of the 2009 iteration of the CR-Z coupe. In typical Honda fashion, this CR-Z remains a concept in name and detail only. What you see here is essentially the production coupe that will go on sale in Japan next February and then arrive in North America in the Fall.

The cool scoop-like grille from the original 2007 concept has been largely carried over, with the biggest changes being a somewhat taller roof and a more upright windshield with blacked out A-pillars - concessions to the fact that real people will have to fit into the production car. On the exterior, the only elements likely to change once it hits the assembly line are the side mirrors, which will probably be a bit larger, along with the internals of the light clusters.

The good news for fans of the much-loved 1983-1991 Civic CR-X is that the CR-Z should have significantly better performance than the disappointing new Insight, a car that is geared more toward fuel economy than performance. In any case, the CR-Z coupe gets a bump in displacement up to 1.5-liter and - wait for it - a six-speed manual gearbox! This will be the first hybrid with a row-it-yourself six-speed.

Unfortunately, we probably won't hear any official numbers on the drivetrain's output or its mileage until closer to the Japanese launch, but color us excited - and you can share some of our joy by checking out the high-res image gallery below.

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z coming to America next fall with six-speed manual!

Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z coming to America next fall with six-speed manual! originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2009: Honda EV-N concept combines future drive with retro style

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show

Honda EV-N concept - click above for high-res image gallery

Honda's new CEO, Takanobu Ito, started off his tenure at the head of the company today by unveiling a new plug-in battery electric concept. The EV-N showcar hides its futuristic electron pumping powertrain in a decidedly retro bodystyle thanks to a design reminiscent of the subcompact 600N of the Sixties.

Honda has yet to reveal much in the way of technical details about the diminutive hatch, but we do know it uses lithium-ion batteries and the electric motor drives the front wheels. The car can be started with a fob called the Loop that incorporates a display showing the battery pack's state of charge.

Not enough pint-size fun for you? Each of the EV-N's doors features a pocket that holds one of Honda's gyro controlled, omnidirectional U3-X unicycles.

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Tokyo 2009: Honda EV-N concept combines future drive with retro style originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Honda considering electric car launch in major markets, CEO says

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show, Europe/EU, Japan, USA

Honda EV-N Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hybrids and fuel cells. That's where Honda seems to have put the vast majority of its engineering resources over the last decade or so, first with the two-seat Insight - the first hybrid sold here in the States, beating the much more successful Toyota Prius to market by a few months - and later the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle. According to company CEO Takanobu Ito, though, a new wind may be blowing into a town near you, and it's electric.

While the Japanese automaker sees hydrogen as the real solution to our dependence on petroleum, the fact that it's taking so long for a real hydrogen infrastructure to be built up around the world means that Honda is considering launching a fully electric automobile in major markets in Europe, Japan and the United States. Whether or not it will look anything like the EV-N concept from the Tokyo Motor Show remains to be seen... but we're hoping.

[Source: Reuters]

REPORT: Honda considering electric car launch in major markets, CEO says originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Preview: Honda to show off all-electric Cub

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, On Two Wheels, Tokyo Motor Show

Honda EV-Cub concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda's little Cub motorbike has been nothing if not successful for the Japanese company, with literally tens of millions of the fuel-efficient small-bore machines have rolling out of Honda factories all around the world. Perhaps, then, it's time for Honda to refine the formula that turned the Cub into such a success story? And if so, what should power the next Cub?

We know that Honda is investigating electric motorcycle technology with plans to launch its first such machine before 2011, so it's not terribly surprising to see the motorcycle manufacturer showing off an electric version of the Cub at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Details are decidedly scarce, but it appears there may be electric hub motors powering both the front and rear wheels. Honda will also be showing off solar panels that are capable of charging the batteries of the electric vehicles on display.

Gallery: Honda EV-Cub Concept

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Honda to show off all-electric Cub

Tokyo Preview: Honda to show off all-electric Cub originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda offers up bicycle simulator to improve safety

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Honda, On Two Wheels

Honda bicycle simulator - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's nothing new for automakers to use sophisticated simulation systems to study automotive safety. Both Daimler and Ford have hydraulically actuated platforms that can hold a complete car with a full 360 degree projection system that is used to evaluate both driver behavior and vehicle design changes.

As more people in urban areas look to human-powered transport as a means of avoiding congestion and high fuel prices, bicycle safety is becoming increasingly important. Honda has developed a bicycle simulator designed to allow riders to experience and learn about the risks involved with sharing the road with cars. The automaker is now offering the simulator for sale to law enforcement agencies and schools for safety training. The company has already been selling motorcycle and car driving simulators since 1996. Find a press release is after the jump.

[Source: Honda]

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Honda offers up bicycle simulator to improve safety originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford may pass Honda as second best hybrid seller in U.S.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Ford, Honda, Toyota, USA

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's no doubt about which automaker leads the hybrid vehicle race. Toyota - and particularly the Japanese automaker's Prius hybrid hatchback - outsells all other manufacturers combined. In total, Automotive News (sub. req'd) calculates that Toyota sold 144,351 hybrid vehicles in the first nine months of 2009, which actually represents a 28-percent drop from the previous year.

Coming in second place so far this year is Honda, but that position is currently in jeopardy. The 26,016 hybrid vehicles sold by Ford in the first nine months of the year represents an impressive 73-percent gain from last year. Honda has sold 29,958 hybrids so far in '09, representing a much smaller 8-percent increase. In both July and September, Ford actually sold more hybrids than Honda.

In other words, Ford, led by its Escape Hybrid and new-for-2010 Fusion Hybrid, is gaining on Honda at a very rapid pace. Moving on down the line, General Motors slots in at number four with 12,556 total hybrid so far this year and Nissan's 7,713 units make it the number five hybrid seller in the U.S.

Gallery: ABG Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Ford may pass Honda as second best hybrid seller in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda FCX clarity arrives in Europe, but only for the media

Xavier Navarro — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hydrogen, Honda, Europe/EU

_{2009 Honda FCX Clarity - Click above for high-res image gallery}

Honda has brought the Honda FCX Clarity to the Old Continent. Unfortunately, interested drivers won't be able to lease the hydrogen-powered car, since the Clarity is here just for members of the press. Only two vehicles have been brought ashore, and both are registered in Germany.

One of the first publications to glimpse the car is Autoplus, in important car magazine in France. Autoplus highly praised the Clarity, saying it was as an upscale, family-oriented large sedan with great assembly quality. The magazine said that "perceived quality" is one of the Clarity's most important selling points. Also, the 460-km (300-mile) range is considered excellent, although there are barely any hydrogen filling stations in Europe, except in Norway. Considering that the car isn't available here, anyway, it's not a big problem right now.

Gallery: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity First drive

[Source: Autoplus]

Honda FCX clarity arrives in Europe, but only for the media originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Preview: Honda EV-N concept is retro-adorable, has unicycle storage

Alex Nunez — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show, Green Daily

Honda EV-N Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the curtain rises on the Tokyo Motor Show next month, Honda's green-themed display will include what it calls the HELLO! Zone, a showcase for electric vehicles. Why "HELLO! Zone"? Well, we have no idea, other than it reminds us of a certain feline and that the Japanese clearly have a thing for all-caps names and exclamation points. In the HELLO! Zone, showgoers can say, uh, "hello" to the excruciatingly neat, relentlessly cute EV-N concept. It's a retro-styled battery-powered car with a face of a pug puppy crossed with a Trabant and nifty concept-y features like swappable seat fabrics, a solar roof, and a "communications system" embedded in the black front fascia. Most importantly, however, the EV-N's passenger door contains one of those bizarrely kickass UX-3 super gyroscopic robot unicycles, which pretty much makes the EV-N the coolest electric car of all time. We think. Anyhow, when Honda unveils an ASIMO that can both drive the EV-N and then self-deploy on the UX-3, it's time to go hide under your beds, because that'll be the signal that their robot army is ready for world domination. But we digress. Check out the high-res pics of the EV-N in the gallery below.

[Source: Honda]

Tokyo Preview: Honda EV-N concept is retro-adorable, has unicycle storage originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Green Car of the Year finalists - three hybrids, two diesels - announced

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:38:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Audi, Honda, Mercury, Toyota, Volkswagen, LA Auto Show, Green Daily

Mercury Milan Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery of GCOTY finalists

Last year, Volkswagen's Jetta TDI was named the 2009 Green Car of the Year at the LA Auto Show, which means that the Volkswagen Golf TDI has a bit of baggage if it wants to try and win the 2010 award. Regardless, the Golf was named one of five finalists today, along with the Audi A3 TDI, the Honda Insight, the Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. Odd that the Mercury would be chosen above the Ford Fusion hybrid, but so it goes. That makes is two diesels and three hybrids vying for top spot.

The Green Car of the Year award is given out by the Green Car Journal, which narrows the field of green cars down to five and then turns over the decision to pick a winner to "jurors such as Jay Leno, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, Matt Petersen of Global Green USA and the Sierra Club's Carl Pop." The winner will be announced in LA on December 3.

View Poll

Gallery: 2010 Green Car of the Year Finalists

[Source: Green Car Journal]

Continue reading 2010 Green Car of the Year finalists - three hybrids, two diesels - announced

2010 Green Car of the Year finalists - three hybrids, two diesels - announced originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California ZEV regulations may push Honda to release a BEV, fuel cells still the goal

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Honda

Honda FCX Clarity - Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda's new CEO Takanobu Ito still maintains that hydrogen fuel cells are the best long-term solution for zero-emission vehicles. This is a position that Honda has held as a corporate policy for a number of years. However, the realities of upcoming regulations and the lack of movement in opening hydrogen filling stations are causing Ito-san to take a more pragmatic approach when it comes to product planning.

Ito-san hasn't committed to Honda releasing a production plug-in battery electric vehicle. However, the need to provide a certain number of zero emissions vehicles by mid-decade, and the lack of hydrogen fueling networks means that Honda may have no other option. Honda already has a joint venture with GS Yuasa to produce lithium ion batteries that are destined for hybrid vehicles. That partnership could be expanded to produce batteries for pure BEVs. Honda will be showing a new BEV concept later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show and we'll be sitting down with Ito after the show to follow up on this.

Gallery: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity First drive

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

California ZEV regulations may push Honda to release a BEV, fuel cells still the goal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda says nanotubes "open new possibilities" for hybrids and EVs - and muscles

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Honda

Nanotechnology isn't new to the green car discussion. After all, we've heard about the potential for nano lubricants and Ford's work researching nanotechnology for developing "paints, plastics, light metals and catalysts that will allow reduced vehicle weight and improved fuel economy." There's even a car called the Nano and a company called Altair Nanotechnologies that makes batteries, but those are different stories altogether.

Honda has been working on nanotubes for over a decade, and the company is now talking about its work with "microscopic carbon nanotubes a hundred thousand times thinner than a human hair," saying that the potential to move electricity faster and further with "minimal" energy loss with these devices could be used in "much more powerful and compact computers, electrodes for supercapacitors, electrical cables, batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, artificial muscles, composite material for automobiles and planes, energy storage materials and electronics for hybrid vehicles." Hybrids and fuel cells are good and all, but artificial muscles? Hmmm. Yes, I would like two tickets to the gun show courtesy of Honda. Thanks.

Results of this new research, conducted with help from Purdue University and the University of Louisville, was published in the most recent edition of Science. Read more after the jump.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda says nanotubes "open new possibilities" for hybrids and EVs - and muscles

Honda says nanotubes "open new possibilities" for hybrids and EVs - and muscles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Preview: Near-production Honda CR-Z "Concept" unveiled

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:20:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show

2009 Honda CR-Z Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

One of the most highly anticipated new model releases scheduled to debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show would have to be the production version of Honda's CR-Z hybrid hatchback. First unveiled at the Tokyo show back in 2007 in concept form, the sporty two-passenger vehicle is slated for production early next year in Honda's home market of Japan. We expect the CR-Z to hit the States sometime thereafter.

Underhood will be a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated up to Honda's proprietary Integrated Motor Assist technology. Also on the menu will be a six-speed manual gearbox that will surely be a more entertaining partner for driving enthusiasts than the CVT automatic transmission used in the Insight hatchback.

While Honda is still calling the Tokyo-bound CR-Z a concept, don't expect the attractive sheetmetal to be altered before the car hits the showroom floor. That's fine by us - the car's wedge-shaped lines are very attractive and call to mind the seminal CRX from the early 1980s, though with a modern flavor reminiscent of the current Insight. See for yourself in our gallery below.

[Source: Honda]

Tokyo Preview: Near-production Honda CR-Z "Concept" unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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