Honda Activa in Market

Honda has already introduced two mass market vehicles in the current fiscal (2008-2009), of which one would be a scooter and an unknown other model. More details have evolved on the new scooter. The new scooter would be new Activa. But read it carefully, it will be face lifted but not a plain sticker job which we have been witnessing for years. The new activa will get a new engine sourced from Aviator. However the the variomatic transmission will be carried forward from the current one. The new activa will come in two variants – activa and activa deluxe. Activa deluxe will be the top end variant and would boast additional features and will come at a premium. Honda will also introduce new practical features with the launch of new activa.

Toyota Fortuner Hit Asian Auto Market

Toyota Fortuner is already a hit in Asian markets. Most of the Asian love big diesel cars and that is why Toyota is bringing its all new Toyota Fortuner in India by mid of 2009. The available variants for Indian markets will be 2.7V Petrol & 2.5G Diesel. Toyota Fortuner will be assembled in India at Toyota’s Bidadi factory in Bangalore.

Toyota Fortuner comes with many advanced features like overhead rear seat Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning vents, cruise control and navigator. It has also got excellent safety features like traction control, bigger - better disc brakes and vehicle stability control. 

Primary design features for Toyota Fortuner will be:
New projectors and headlight design.
Sporty front grille
Better looking then other SUV in this price range
Better and comfortable sitting.
Air conditioning can be adjusted at seat level.
Leather seats are foldable
Technologically superior: BA, VSC, EBD, TRC, Cruise Control and Navigator is expected on Indian roads by June 2009. It will be priced at around 18 lakhs. The project for Fortuner was launched in late 2004 and since then it is one of the better selling multipurpose vehicles in lot of Asian countries.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class Jeep

Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a four-wheel drive vehicle / sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a major Daimler-Benz shareholder during his reign, proposed the development of a military vehicle in the early 1970s. A major reason to start development was the need of the German Army for a light military vehicle, but later the cheaper Volkswagen Iltis were chosen without any joint test. After a design change to a civilian cross-country vehicle in co-operation with the Austrian car manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch,[1] production of the G-Class began in 1979 (the same year Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was deposed) with the 460 Series models.[2] The G-Class has been sold under the Puch name in certain markets, and the Peugeot P4 is a variant made under license, with a Peugeot engine and different parts.

Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, is a vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. Depending on the type of vehicle, motion may be provided by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors. Electric vehicles can include electric cars, electric trains, electric airplanes, electric boats, electric motorcycles and scooters, and electric spacecraft.

 Electric vehicles first came into existence in the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion, providing a level of comfort and ease of operation that could not be achieved by the gasoline cars of the time. At one time the internal combustion engine (ICE) had completely replaced the electric drive as a propulsion method for automobiles, but electric power has remained commonplace in other vehicle types, such as trains and smaller vehicles of all types.

 Electric vehicles are different from fossil fuel-powered vehicles in that they can receive their power from a wide range of sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable sources such as tidal power, solar power, and wind power or any combination of those. However it is generated, this energy is then transmitted to the vehicle through use of overhead lines, wireless energy transfer, or a direct connection through an electrical cable. The electricity may then be stored on-board the vehicle using a battery, flywheel, super capacitor, or fuel cell. Vehicles making use of engines working on the principle of combustion can usually only derive their energy from a single or a few sources, usually non-renewable fossil fuels. A key advantage of electric or hybrid electric vehicles is their ability to recover braking energy as electricity to be restored to the on-board battery (regenerative braking) or sent back to the grid (V2G). At the beginning of the 21st century, increased concern over the environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation infrastructure, along with the specter of peak oil, led to renewed interest in an electric transportation infrastructure. As such, vehicles which can potentially be powered by renewable energy sources, such as hybrid electric vehicles or pure electric vehicles, are becoming more popular.

Honda launches Civic Hybrid Car in local markets

DHS Motors, a local distributor of Honda Motors Company Limited in Japan, has recently launched a 'Honda Civic Hybrid Car' in local markets, according to a press release. 

In this connection, a colorful launching ceremony was organised by DHS Motors at a city hotel recently. 

DHS Motors Chairman H Rashid Nizam, Export Manager (Honda, Japan) S Tsuji and official (Honda, India) J Sem were present at the launching ceremony.

Toyota to Sell Plug-In Hybrids Globally

Monday (14 Dec, 2009) Toyota Motor Corp. said, it would sell plug-in hybrid cars globally in about two years, as the Japanese auto maker seeks to retain its dominance in the market for cars powered by alternative technologies. 

Initially, Toyota expects sales of plug-in hybrids to account only for several tens of thousands of cars a year. Still, "Toyota believes that plug-in hybrids are a realistic solution among vehicles using electricity," Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said at a Tokyo news conference, where the company displayed a plug-in version of its Prius, the top-selling hybrid vehicle globally. 

Hybrid Vehicle

What is Hybrid Vehicle

A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.

 A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle which uses a mixture of power or fuel sources.

Hybrid vehicle may also refer to:

• Hybrid electric vehicle: increasingly common automobiles which employ both a traditional internal combustion engine and an electric battery motor/generator to provide motive force and energy recovery. 

• Plug-in hybrid: an electric hybrid vehicle that can be plugged into a power grid to recharge its battery.

• Hydraulic hybrid: a hybrid vehicle which employs both a traditional internal combustion engine and a hydraulic motor/pump to provide motive force and energy recovery. 

• Dual-mode vehicle: a hybrid vehicle which uses power from two sources of the same type 

• Flexible-fuel vehicle: a hybrid vehicle which can use more than one type of liquid fuel for its internal combustion engine (commonly gasoline/LPG or gasoline/alcohol or gasoline/ethanol) The military has used gasoline/diesel/JP5 combos.

• Motorized bicycle: a bicycle powered by human and another power source such as liquid fuels or electricity

• Hybrid train: a locomotive with more than one power source