Econintersect: Acceleration of the growth of the sales of environmentally friendly cars continues. In July sales of hybrid cars in the US jumped up to 59,161, an increase of over 50% in 1 year. Plug In cars doubled their figures from 12 months earlier.
In Australia the rise in hybrid car sales was even more dramatic, with an increase of 160% in 2012. To help customers choose the best environmentally friendly car, information on hybrid cars from motoring experts is available online, including this Hyundai i30 review at motoring.com.au. With such a dramatic increase in the popularity of environmentally friendly cars, it is only natural that the technology used will also develop accordingly.
One development that looks set to become a big deal in 2014 is Bosch’s new e-clutch. This development will enable drivers to use first gear in stop and go traffic without engaging the clutch. This combination of a hybrid engine and manual transmission is possible for the first time. Bosch estimate that their e-clutch could help reduce fuel consumption in busy traffic by an average of 10%.
BMW have also made a significant development for its new i8 plug in hybrid. The new sports car hybrid will be in showrooms next year, and will be the first BMW model to be powered by a 3 cylinder engine.
The car will give impressive stats of just 59 grams of carbon emissions per kilometre, and less than 2.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. The rear wheels will be powered by the petrol engine with six speed automatic transmission, while the front will be driven by the electric engine via a two speed automatic transmission.
The 2014 Nissan Infiniti Q50 Hybrid also boasts a host of new technologies. These include Active Lane Control, which can make minor steering adjustments based on crosswinds or road surface changes making life easier for the driver, and Direct Adaptive Steering which allows for quicker responses and various steering settings.
Green automotive technology advances are not limited to road cars. Renault has presented a new hybrid engine designed to comply with the new regulations for the 2014 Formula One season, which sees the reintroduction of V6 turbo engines into the sport. The engine will boast an Energy Recovery System (ERS) with twice the power of the 2013 version’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System, which allows the car to store energy which can be used as a boost, a development that will eventually be passed down to ordinary road cars.
Editor’s Note: The automotive technology developments for this post was provided by our partner motoring.co.au who also provide car reviews and rankings.