What Concept HEVs May Be Available Soon? The vehicles on this page are either not yet available for sale in the
United States, or may still be in development stages. Some of the vehicles below are currently available in other countries.DaimlerChrysler Citadel
The Citadel uses a gasoline-powered 3.5-liter V-6 engine to power the rear wheels, while the front wheels are powered by electric motors. The V-6 delivers 253 horsepower, with an extra 70 horsepower from the electric motors.
DaimlerChrysler ESX3
The ESX3's mild hybrid electric (or "mybrid") powertrain combines an efficient diesel engine, electric motor, and state-of-the-art lithium-ion
battery to achieve an average 72 miles per gallon fuel efficiency.
Dodge Durango SUV
Dodge is experimenting with a Durango that has a hybrid electric motor. Although it is close to being a production-ready vehicle, they are not planning to manufacture the Durango hybrid yet. Such a vehicle would offer consumers appreciable performance improvements over its
normally-powered friends. These include improvements in fuel economy and acceleration.Fiat MultiplaThe Multipla can be baught with a hybrid unit. It has a 30 kW electric motor and a 1600 16v Torque engine that act in parallel to move the vehicle.
Ford Escape hybrid
A hybrid-electric powered Ford Escape is being designed to be the cleanest, most fuel-efficient sport utility on the planet when it's released in 2003. The Ford Escape hybrid will feature an electric drivetrain to compliment its fuel-efficient four-cylinder gasoline engine. (It will also be sold in Europe as the Maverick hybrid.) With regenerative braking and nearly instantaneous start-stop capability, the Escape hybrid will be especially fuel efficient in the city, comeing up with about 40 mpg in city driving. But the Escape hybrid will get acceleration performance similar to an Escape equipped with V-6 engine. The hybrid Escape will be able to be driven more than 500 miles on a single tank of gasoline and will be certified as a super ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) under California emissions standards. It will also meet Stage 4 requirements in Europe before they become mandatory in 2005.
Ford Prodigy
This five-passenger aluminum-body car will be very light and aerodynamic. It uses a DIATA engine, starter/alternator, automatically shifted manual transmission, and high-power battery.
GM's Chevrolet Triax
GM's Chevrolet Triax is unique because the driver can select one of three options, including four-wheel-drive electric, four-wheel-drive hybrid electric, or two-wheel-drive internal combustion. The hybrid-electric and gasoline-engine versions of the Triax have the latest in small engine and transmission technology from Suzuki. Triax introduces GM’s 3rd generation of electric driving and controls. GM introduced the first and second generation of electric drive and controls on the EV1.
General Motors PreceptPower for the Precept is supplied to the front wheels by a
battery-powered electric traction system. A lightweight, 1.3-liter,
three-cylinder diesel engine with turbocharged compression ignition is
in the rear.
Mitsubishi HV
This hybrid is powered by electricity and recharged with an on-board,
gasoline-fueled, auxiliary power unit (APU). The APU features a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, water-cooled, four-stroke, gasoline-fueled engine with a highly efficient AC power generator. Under normal driving conditions the vehicle is powered by 28 open-cell batteries.
Nissan Tino hybrid
The Tino is powered by a combination of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor with lithium-ion batteries. The vehicle is a five passenger car that achieves twice the fuel economy and 50% less exaust. Nissan's Tino hybrid electric car (which looks too much like a van, but what can you do?) will be sold only in Japan, at first. One hundred of the vehicles will be built, with a few destined for trials in the USA.
