Audi Q5 Hybrid
When: By 2011, says Audi
Audi isn't releasing any specifics about the Q5's hybrid powertrain, but the head of powertrain development for Volkswagen says Audi needs a Q5 to compete with the Lexus RX 450h. The company recently scrapped plans for a Q7 hybrid after having shown two concepts of it over the last few years. The thinking is that because the Q5 is a closer mechanical relative to the company's sedans and coupes, the technology could more easily be used on multiple models to offset its development cost.
BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid
When: Early 2010
The 7 Series ActiveHybrid is the result of a joint development program with Mercedes-Benz, which will also result in the Mercedes S400 Hybrid. Like the S400, the 7 Series is a mild hybrid that will use a 20-hp electric motor sandwiched between its gas engine and its transmission. Both also use a small lithium-ion battery to store the juice. Unlike the S400, the 7 Series Hybrid uses a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 400 hp. And since that engine takes up some space, BMW will put the battery pack in the cargo area instead of under the hood like Mercedes. BMW claims a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to strictly gas-powered cars in the same segment. We might also see a version of this powertrain used in the upcoming small Rolls-Royce sedan due in 2010.
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
When: End of 2009
This is BMW's version of the two-mode unit used by GM and Mercedes-Benz. Two 80-hp electric motors are crammed into the transmission, which also includes four fixed gears. The electric motors will be fed by a nickel-metal hydride battery. The gas-sucking portion of the equation is a twin-turbo, 400-hp 4.4-liter V8. BMW estimates the X6 ActiveHybrid will bring a roughly 20 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to a standard X6 with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8.
Chevrolet Volt
When: November 2010
It is impossible to have lived on planet Earth in the last couple of years without hearing about the Chevy Volt. General Motors has a whole lot riding on the future car. The company prefers to refer to the four-seat Volt as an "extended-range electric," although it's simply a series hybrid since its 1.4-liter gas engine never technically powers the front wheels. GM hopes that most owners will drive within the roughly 40 miles of full-electric range provided by the lithium-ion battery, so the gas engine never needs to come on aside from replenishing the batteries. Instead it's hoped that owners will simply plug the Volt in at the end of the day and have freshly charged batteries in the morning (the recharge time on 120-volt power will be 8 hours, and 3 hours on a 240-volt circuit). Will the Volt make its introduction deadline of November 2010? What will it cost? Can it save GM? Nobody knows the answers yet.
Chrysler LLC Extended-Range Concepts
When: Possibly never
Chrysler surprised many with its out-of-the-blue announcement that its ENVI advanced vehicle division was working on several extended-range plug-in hybrids, a list that now includes versions of the Chrysler 200c concept car, Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The company has made no commitments to build any of these products, and several aspects of the company's business are up in the air. The company will apparently produce the Dodge Circuit, a full-electric sports car using a Lotus Elise as its basis.
2011 Dodge Ram Hybrid
When: Sometime in 2010
Despite the death of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango along with their two-mode hybrid versions, Chrysler says it's still committed to producing a Dodge Ram Hybrid to go on sale next year. The company isn't releasing any details on the truck just yet, but its powertrain will be essentially the same as that of the now-dead Chrysler hybrid SUVs as well as the GM version of the two-mode hybrid system.
Fisker Karma
When: Fall 2009
You've got to give it to Henrik Fisker, the former BMW and Aston Martin designer. His Fisker Karma is one of the more beautiful sedans to grace an auto show stand in awhile. And he's also got chutzpah. Fisker says that the plug-in gas-electric hybrid will go on sale in the fall of this year. That's with a bespoke aluminum structure, lithium-ion batteries and enviable projected performance (zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds). And Fisker says that will cost $87,900, before government tax credits. Sure, the company says it will use a GM inline-4 gas engine as its "range extender," but essentially everything else will be designed and built specifically for this low-volume, high-performance vehicle. Can it possibly work? Many in the industry are watching for Fisker to fail. Perhaps just as many prospective customers are hoping he won't.
Ford's Next-Generation Hybrids
When: Sometime in 2012
Ford says that its next generation of hybrid vehicles will come to market in 2012. The offerings will include at least one plug-in hybrid. This is in addition to the pure electric car the company has announced it will build in 2011 with mega-supplier Magna International.
Honda CR-Z
When: Late 2010
Honda will produce a small, sporty hybrid-powered coupe based on the CR-Z concept from the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show.
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
When: Late 2010
Hyundai will introduce a hybrid Sonata in 2010 as a 2011 model. It will be a hybrid version of the all-new Sonata, which will be introduced in 2010. Hyundai uses a proprietary hybrid system featuring a first-of-its-kind lithium-polymer battery pack.
Mercedes-Benz ML450 BlueHybrid
When: Late 2009
The ML450 will demonstrate Mercedes' first use of the dual-mode technology that it helped develop with General Motors and BMW. Why Mercedes decided to use the "450" designation is beyond us, since the gas motor is a 3.5-liter V6 that runs on the Atkinson cycle. Like the GM two-modes, the ML450 packages two electric motors into its transmission housing. The model will be unveiled at April's New York auto show.
Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid
When: Late 2009
Mercedes is eager to point out that the S400 Hybrid will be among the first production vehicles to use lithium-ion batteries. That battery pack supplies power to the 15-kilowatt electric motor tucked between the gas engine and the seven-speed automatic transmission. The battery is compact enough to fit under the hood. The S400 is a mild hybrid and so cannot run on electric power alone, but Mercedes estimates the sedan will return 29 mpg in mixed driving.
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid and Porsche Panamera Hybrid
When: Late 2010 or early 2011
Porsche has been working on a version of the Cayenne crossover ute for some years now, developing it in cooperation with Audi and Volkswagen. The Cayenne Hybrid will be a full hybrid, able to run on electric power alone at low speeds. Porsche isn't releasing detailed specifications, but the gas engine will be a V6, likely the supercharged 3.0-liter used in some Audi sedans, as that's the engine the Touareg Hybrid will use as well. The electric motor will be mounted between the gas engine and the transmission (likely the eight-speed VW has announced for the Touareg Hybrid). The Cayenne will use nickel-metal hydride batteries and, according to Porsche, should return about 26 mpg in mixed driving.
Porsche Panamera Hybrid
When: Early 2011
Porsche has announced that the Panamera sedan it will release this year will eventually receive a hybrid powertrain option. It will use the same basic full-hybrid design as the Cayenne Hybrid.
Toyota Prius Plug-in
When: After 2010
Toyota won't say when it will begin selling to the general public a plug-in version of the new Prius with lithium-ion batteries. But the company says that late this year it will distribute 500 of them to lease fleet customers (150 in the U.S.) as a research and development project. Bill Reinert, Toyota's national alternative-fuel vehicle manager, says those in Toyota's fleet are currently averaging 65 mpg. Toyota has also announced that by 2020, every vehicle it sells will be offered with a hybrid powertrain option.
Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
When: Late 2011
Volkswagen will use the supercharged V6 first seen in Audi sedans as the gas-eating portion of a hybrid system for the Touareg crossover sport-utility vehicle. A 38-kilowatt electric motor will be sandwiched between the blown 3.0-liter and an eight-speed automatic transmission. We're looking for good performance from this setup, which VW says will make about 370 hp total. That's enough to scoot the notoriously heavy Touareg to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 seconds, says VW. Fuel economy should be somewhere in the mid-to-high 20s. This arrangement is likely to also be the basis for the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid and Panamera Hybrid.
Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
When: 2010
Volkswagen likes diesels. Still, the next generation of the Jetta will be available with gas, diesel and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. Also, we expect to see a hybrid version of the next Passat in 2011, which will be built in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These would be of the mild-hybrid variety, so don't expect 40-mpg ratings in the city.
Volvo XC60
When: 2011
Volvo will produce a full-hybrid version of its XC60 small crossover wagon/sport-ute thingy.
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