Hybrid Cars

Russian Billionaire Launches Hybrid Cars

Filed under: Green

Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire perhaps best known in the U.S. for purchasing The New Jersey Nets NBA franchise, is launching a line of hybrid vehicles, named Yo, in Russia this week.

Prokhorov said Monday the cars, powered both by gasoline and electricity, are "socially important products" that he hopes will "overcome existing stereotypes ... that Russia cannot make normal cars."

The vehicles are to be sold in three models - sedan, sporty and a small truck - with an expected price of around $10,000 (€7,550).

The name is written in Russian by the letter E with two dots over it.

There are no plans to introduce the cars to the U.S. Eastern Europe still has much lower standards than the West for safety and emissions standards, so the cost and difficulty of entry into the Russian market is much lower than in the U.S.

Tags: Hybrid Cars, Mikhail Prokhorov, New Jersey Nets, Yo hybrid cars

LA Auto Show: Audi Q5 Hybrid

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

German automaker Audi is best known for diesel engines when it comes to alternate drive-trains that save on gas. But at the Los Angeles auto show this week, Audi is debuting a hybrid version of its Q5, which will go on sale in 2011.

Audi has paired a 2.0 liter turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, resulting in a 33.6 mpg highway fuel economy claim.

Combining the two drive systems, the Q5 Hybrid produces 245 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. If the driver is gentle on the pedal, he or she, in city driving or stop-and-go traffic, might be able to get about 1.9 miles without burning any gas. Audi claims the Q5 will also cruise at speeds of up to 62 mph using only electric power for very short distances.

The Hybrid will be priced above the Q5's gas versions--in the $45,000-$49,999 range. For comparison, the Lexus RX 450h V-6 hybrid with all-wheel-drive carries a $45,700 sticker.

Audi says the Q5 Hybrid will go 0-62 mph in 7.1 seconds.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is part of the package, as is engine start-stop technology, which shuts off the engine at stop-lights and idle, but kicks back on as soon as the driver touches the gas pedal.

Tags: Audi Q5 Hybrid, HYbrid cars, la auto show, los angeles auto show

Jaguar Goes Hybrid with C-X75 Concept Car

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

On Wednesday, the eve of the Paris auto show, Jaguar unveiled a gas-electric hybrid two-seat sports car concept that the automaker says is capable of a top speed of 205 miles per hour, and up to 68 miles of all-electric operation.

The exotic-looking C-X75 concept, so designated in honor of Jaguar's 75th anniversary this year, "explores the outer limits of both performance and sustainability," the company said in a news release.

The vehicle is powered by four 195-horsepower electric motors, one in each wheel. The wheel motors give the vehicle an all-wheel drive system, with torque-vectoring controls to distribute power as needed to each wheel.

Gallery: Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid