Hybrid

Surprise! Lexus and its parent company, Toyota, are apparently finding that it's not as easy selling $106,000 hybrids as it is for $25,000. The Lexus LS 600h L is certainly an excellent piece of automotive engineering, delivering gobs of horsepower and torque with at least a modicum of efficiency thrown in for good measure.

Still, sales of the LS range are down over 50 percent, leading the the Japanese auto giant to place a whopping $10,000 cash incentive on its range-topping hybrid model. Moving down the Lexus lineup a notch will net you a $3,000 incentive on the GS 450h. What's more, the company is throwing another $1,000 at any sales associate that manages to sell one of its pricey hybrids.

Not into expensive hybrid sedans? How 'bout we move to the exact opposite end of the fuel-saving market and into the driver's seat of a 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. Signing on the dotted line for GM's top-of-the-line hybrid 'ute will cost you from about $73,000 to over $87,000... minus a five-digit discount, of course. Such a deal!

[Source: Auto Observer]

The heat is on among the world's automakers to produce hybrid vehicles. And since they're all the rage among the trendy crowd, it should come as no surprise that luxury brands are getting in on the action in a big way. Foremost among them is Lexus, which has made hybrid drivetrains its cause-du-jour, offering gasoline-electric versions of many of its luxury sedans, in addition to the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid, the HS250h. As promised, Lexus rolled in to Frankfurt with a new concept called the LF-Ch.

Hinting both at a competitor for the likes of the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30 while previewing its design direction for upcoming models, the LF-Ch drew mixed reviews at the show. Viewed from some angles, the concept car had some interesting lines, but it looked bloated from others. We'll let you make up your own mind: just click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge in our high-resolution photo gallery.

Lexus is leading right out of the gate in the luxury hybrid market, but it's not about to rest on its green laurels. The Japanese luxury brand is set to unveil the new LF-Ch concept at the Frankfurt show next month, and has given us a couple of glimpses at the form it will take.

Unlike most of its line-up, which appears rather staid and conservative by comparisson, the LF-Ch has an aggressive look that could find its way into future Lexus models across the range. The show car is targeted at the likes of the BMW 1 Series, Volvo C30 and Audi A3 in the premium hatchback segment, but packs a hybrid drivetrain. We hear that a production version is destined for the European market, but we can only hope Lexus decides to bring it over to this side of the ocean, as well.

Luxury hybrids are quickly emerging to be the biggest thing since sliced bread (with caviar), but the company forging the trail can barely keep up. After launching the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid – that is, a vehicle designed specifically as a hybrid and offering more amenities than the average Prius – Lexus has found that demand is not just exceeding supply, it's towering over it like a midget at a basketball game. The HS250h just recently launched in its home market of Japan, and while Toyota expected to sell just 500 examples each month, in its first month on the market some 10,000 orders were placed. That's 20 times as many as they expected to sell. Aside from the usual difficulties of increasing production so drastically, Toyota can't get the batteries for the gasoline-electric motors built fast enough, all of which could mean that we'll have to wait a little longer before we can place our orders on this side of the Pacific.

Against the backdrop of such unprecedented success, Lexus is also preparing another luxury hybrid, pictured in the rendering above. Expected to be called the CT series, the new Lexus will be much smaller, around the size and price level of the Volvo C30, Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series, only with hybrid powertrain. The new compact luxury hybrid is expected to be launched at the Frankfurt motor show next month in Germany.

Long before Cadillac got its own version of GM's full-size SUV, the GMC Denali was the top of the line. And some still prefer the lower-key look of the Yukon to Caddy's blinged-out Escalade. Unfortunately for those deterred by big bills and stigma of a gas-guzzling sport-ute, GM's hybrid system wasn't available on the Denali...until now.

The new GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid features a 332-horsepower 6-liter V8 coupled to a 2-Mode Electric Variable Transmission which employs two electric motors to bring the big truck's fuel consumption down to 21 city/22 highway. It also includes GM's slick MagnaRide suspension for the first time, and more to the point offers all the luxury of the Escalade in a less over-the-top package.

At the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress (SAE) in Detroit Utah-based Raser Technologies just unveiled its hybrid version of the Hummer H3 which they claim gets 100 miles to the gallon. The range-extended eco vehicle has an all-electric range of 40 miles with a hybrid 200 kW electric motor / 100 kW gasoline-powered engine. With a 90 mph top speed, off-road capability and a lithium ion-battery that's rechargeable in as little as three hours, the SUV maintains its acceleration, towing and off-road capacities. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a longtime Hummer enthusiast, praised the vehicle during a visit to the exhibition.

I'm all for hybrid yachts but the DSe Hybrid may be a challenge for all but the greenest among us. The 40-foot yacht uses diesel, solar and electric power (hence the "dse"). The yacht's most dramatic feature has to be the large solar array that covers the roof. The yacht also has narrow, wave-piercing hulls that keep her stable but also conserve energy. Wind turbines also generate additional power. The yacht can hit six knots on solar power (13 knots with diesel included). The bow has room for four loungers and a picnic table.

Inside the yacht features a large main area with a 26" HDTV and a Bose home theater system as well as a modern galley that features energy efficient appliances. The master stateroom has a queen-sized sleigh bed and a panoramic view. The guest suite has a queen bed that can also be converted into two twin beds. The dinghy uses an electric motor which can be charged using the solar array.

The DSe Hybrid 12m starts at $600,000 and is being shown at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

[via Born Rich]

Hybrid powered boats like the Chris-Craft Frauscher one shown above are just starting to enter the market but Travelers insurance is ready for them. They have announced an industry-first discount of up to 10 percent on hybrid boat and yacht insurance. Many of the hybrid boats are making their debut at upcoming boat shows or recently came out this year so Travelers may be jumping the gun just a little.

Travelers defines a hybrid boat as one that is specifically designed to reduce green house gas emissions and conserve fossil fuels, as compared to an internal combustion engine boat. A hybrid also uses an integrated propulsion system that incorporates in its original design, both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor. They also offer the same 10 percent discount on electric boats.

I've been hearing whisperings about this one for months but Italian yacht maker Ferretti is set to show of the the Mochi Craft Long Range 23, a yacht they say is the first hybrid yacht over 20 feet long that produces negligible tailpipe emissions. The yacht is a 75-foot tri-deck that has a a hybrid propulsion system. When running on diesel and cruising at eight knots, it emits 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide for each nautical mile. And the engine charges a battery pack that can also power the boat. In this diesel-electric mode, it emits less than half a kilogram each nautical mile.The NY Times reports that the yacht will cost around three million euros. The boat is being displayed at the Genoa International Boat Show, October 4-12. More pictures can be found at a listing for the boat on The Yacht Market.

It's red, it's sleek, it's the Scorpion from the newly formed Ronn Motor Company. It's main features include the fact that it goes from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and gets 40 mpg. So what's so special about that? How about the fact that it's also a hydrogen burning hybrid?

I'm no mechanic (couldn't be farther from it, actually) but the description on AutoblogGreen of how the engine works is really interesting. This car sounds like a really satisfying way to satisfy both a need for speed and an interest in preserving the planet (too bad it looks like a refurbished Viper).

The Scorpion will be manufactured in Texas and should be available to consumers this fall.

A sleek new hybrid yacht was debuted recently in San Francisco -- it's the Chris-Craft Frauscher Hybrid boat and it's a small, sleek yacht that's powered by both a 256hp diesel engine and 4 12-volt car batteries. The boat can reach speeds of up to 40mph and its exceptionally quiet engine can troll at 10mph on electric power alone for over an hour before the diesel engine needs to kick in to recharge the batteries.

The hybrid features a leather, teak, and mahogany interior and a fiberglass exterior. Available in a few different lengths the Frauscher Hybrids sell for $115,000 - $200,000.

Our friends at Autoblog are at the Detroit Auto Show this week and one of the cars there that is drawing a lot of attention is the Fisker Karma. The Karma, designed by Henrik Fisher, is a premium hybrid sedan. Autoblog reports it is powered by the Q-DRIVE, a system from Quantum Technologies in which a four-cylinder engine powers a generator to move the car. It can do the zero to 60 hop in 5.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 mph. It can run on just electricity or in sports mode which uses the four-cylinder engine. Luxury features of the four-door sedan include a navigation system and DVD player with headrest-mounted displays. The first 99 will be signed by the designer. The cars won't be available until 2009 and sell for $80,000.

BMW recently gave Placido Domingo something to sing about -- his very own Hydrogen 7. As part of BMW's Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program, Domingo will use the 7 for his everyday use, serving to educate and inform the masses about hydrogen as an alternative source of energy. Domingo joins many others, including public, entertainment and governmental figures, in the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program.

The Hydrogen 7 is the world's first production model hydrogen-powered luxury sedan, emitting nothing but water vapor when running in hydrogen mode.

[Source: PRNewswire]

Check out BMW's full press release after the jump.

Hybrid-electric vehicles seem to be all the rage these days, and the prototypes in the stables at Ferrari's home of Fiorano is no exception.

As part of its 60th birthday celebration, Ferrari unveiled the Mini Chili, a mere 1,000 kg beast almost completely made of carbon fiber sporting fixed seats and carbon ceramic brakes. The need for a dashboard is gone with the driver information systems all being condensed down into the steering wheel, making for a compact little ride. The light weight is offset by an Active Aerodynamics system, which kicks in at the most opportune of moments.

Don't get your hopes too high, though -- Ferrari claims it won't make this car, but be on the lookout for similar technology in future Ferrari vehicles.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Luxury need not come at environmental cost (depending upon your view of the environmental friendliness of hybrids, of course), what with Porsche reportedly borrowing technology from Volkswagen in order to develop hybrid versions of its sporty Cayenne SUV and Panamera four-door coupe.

Porsche has been licking its chops as it considers the possibilities inherent in its beefed-up partnership with Germany's largest automaker, and hybrid technology is just one of the many options on the table. Partnering with such a large force also means access to a large development team -- something Porsche couldn't afford as a small automaker with its sole focus on high-performance vehicles. Now, Porsche can offer the best of both worlds -- hybrid engines tuned for as much performance as feasibly possible.

The Panamera and Cayenne are the cars Porsche says it will offer as full hybrids, meaning that the vehicles can travel up to speeds of 20-25 miles per hour without kicking on the gasoline engine.

For the cynics, it may be of interest for us to mention that offering up hybrid vehicles would also have the benefit of lowering Porsche's emissions average, keeping it in the ballgame as governmental agencies throughout the world aren't exactly legislating in Porsche's favor.