Toyota Motor Corp. has confirmed that its electric city-car concept called the FT-EV will be available for sale by 2012. The Toyota FT-EV is based on the Toyota IQ, a European style rabbit hatchback with excellent fuel economy not yet available in the US. The Toyota FT-EV is an electric car designed for the ‘urban dweller’. It can run up to 50 miles on a single charge.

Aside from the FT-EV, Toyota will also fast track 500 plug-in hybrids powered by lithium-ion battery packs. One hundred and fifty of these plug-in hybrids will arrive in the US for lease-fleet customers.

Via Detnews

Ford Motor Co. will introduce a new self-parking feature on its upcoming Lincoln models. The new feature will debut at the Detroit Auto Show. It will then be made available as an option on Lincoln MKS and MKT models. This feature allows the car to automatically parallel park (See a video of it in action on Youtube).

The new self-parking feature is part of Ford’s efforts to cast the company in a more favorable light with car buyers. A similar self-parking technology has already been offered by Toyota’s Lexus division. In keeping with its push to boost its image through tech innovations and fuel economy, Ford will also debut a new hybrid version of the Ford Fusion which boasts of a mileage of 41 mpg.

Ford is also offering SYNC, which allows hands-free operation of mobile phones, iPods and more. However, Ford has yet to announce the cost of this new parking feature. Meanwhile, Lexus’ automatic parallel parking technology is priced at $700.

For years, inventors and automakers have dreamt of creating an electric car. In fact, the electric car dream goes back to Thomas Edison’s time. However, electric cars have remained a novelty in the automotive world. This is mainly due to the limited battery life which impairs the practicality of such cars.

But that is bound to change with the recent announcement by Japanese automakers of their intent to develop electric cars and roll them out within the next few years. Already, recent technological breakthroughs in the development of longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries may soon eliminate the obstacle of limited battery life.

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In what could be a glimpse of the automotive industry’s future, electric cars grabbed the limelight at the ongoing ‘Mondial de l’ Automobile’ (Paris Motor Show) 2008 with several automakers unveiling a slew of new hybrid electric models. Most of the models, such as Renault SA’s Z.E. Concept, are still prototypes and could be several years away from production. Others, like Daimler AG’s all-electric Smart ED have entered the test phase.

Several automakers debuted new ready-for-production hybrid electric models. General Motors Corp. plans to get ahead of the pack with its rechargeable electric Chevrolet Volt, which is slated to go on sale by late 2010. “General Motors is betting an awful lot on the Volt, and I think it’s more than just an image issue, so we are all very interested in that,” said Finbarr O’Neill, head of international operations for J.D. Power & Associates.

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The continued rise in gasoline prices as well as tighter rules on vehicle emissions are reviving automakers’ interests in alternative fuels specifically compressed natural gas or CNG. Toyota revealed plans to expand its line of alternatively-powered cars aside from the Prius by unveiling a new Camry Hybrid that will run on compressed natural gas rather than gasoline.

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Chrysler makes a big jump into electric-hybrid technology with the announcement of three new production-intent vehicles that feature advanced electric-hybrid technology – one each for its brands Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. The automaker also launched a new enclosed GEM low-speed neighborhood car. The new vehicles are the Dodge EV, an all-electric performance sports car; the Jeep EV, a range-extended electric vehicle based on the Jeep Wrangler; and the Chrysler EV, a Town & Country range-extended electric vehicle.

From this line up, Chrysler will select one electric-drive model to be produced in 2010 for the North American markets and after 2101 for European markets. The development of Chrysler’s line up of electric vehicles and range-extended electric vehicles is spearheaded by ENVI, an in-house organization that was created to focus on developing electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced technology.

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Honda’s newest hybrid car due early next year will carry the Insight nameplate. The new gas-electric vehicle will be named after the original Insight. “The name Insight was chosen to denote Honda’s ’insight’ into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers,” the company said. The new Honda Insight has a lofty goal of catching up to rival Toyota Prius’ success in the hybrid arena. Introduced back in 1999, the original Honda Insight was the first mass-produced hybrid automobile sold in the U.S. However, it was discontinued in 2006 due to sluggish global sales. In contrast, the Toyota Prius has sold more then a million units over the past ten years.
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Aiming squarely at the market-leading Toyota Prius, Honda Motor Co. will introduce a new gas-electric hybrid by April of 2009. Honda already has the most fuel-efficient lineup in the US. “We’re targeting sales of 100,000 units of this new vehicle in North America,” said Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co. in a speech at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.

The new Honda dedicated hybrid model will be priced lower than the Prius while offering superior performance in the hope of cutting through the market share of Toyota’s popular hybrid. It will also be priced lower than the hybrid gas-electric version of the Civic. Smaller than the Honda Civic, the new five-door car will feature a hybrid powertrain. Colliver further added that Honda wants to make the hybrid affordable to a new generation of buyers and it is not specifically trying to match Prius sales.

The automaker has not yet released fuel economy figures for the new hybrid. It will sell the new Prius competitor in the US, Japan and Europe. A new hybrid version of the Honda Fit has also been announced.

Via International Herald Tribune

Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

General Motors is apparently planning on unveiling a production version of its new Chevrolet Volt by September this year, just in time for the automaker’s 100th founding anniversary. With sales declining rapidly, GM is seeking to focus the investors’ and consumers’ attention away from the gloomy prospect brought about by rapidly declining sales (GM’s US sales are 15% off this year) to the rosier perspective of its fuel-efficient vehicles under development.

GM first showed off a concept version of the Volt back in January 2007 but has since significantly revamped the vehicle’s look to improve its aerodynamics. Now the shape of the production car has reportedly been finalized. The Chevy Volt is a plug-in electric vehicle designed to run purely on electricity from on-board batteries for up to 40 miles (64 km).

With the help of a small internal combustion engine driving a generator to resupply the batteries, the vehicle’s range can potentially reach 640 miles (1,030 km) on the highway. Two suppliers are in the running to provide the lithium-ion batteries for the Volt: Korea’s LG Chem and German auto parts supplier Continental AG. The Volt is one of the first landmark attempts to use lithium-ion batteries, very common in consumer electronics, in automobiles.

Via Reuters