Hybrid-Only Sai Car Unvelied by Toyota for Japan Market

After the Prius, there's Sai, another hybrid-only model from Toyota. It's recently unveiled for the Japanese market. It's costlier and bigger than the Prius. Government incentives are making hybrids extremely popular in Japan and a monthly sales average of 30,000 per month is expected beginning Dec 7, 2009, when the Sai sales will begin.

Like other automobile companies, the global economic crisis and stricter environmental laws has led to slumps in sales of regular combustion engine cars. The age of hybrids appears to have arrived and consumers are switching, opting for new technology automobiles that switch between a fuel-burning engine and an electric motor.

Compared to the Prius which gets 38 kilometers per liter, the Sai delivers a bit less at 23 kilometers per liter. That's still twice the mileage of a regular gas guzzler. One reason why the Sai is less efficient is the 2.4 liter engine. The Prius only has a 1.8 liter engine. The Sai is also bigger and roomier than the Prius - using an unorthodox dashboard design. However, the instrument panel that divides the dashboard in the middle looks dangerous in a collision, especially if a kid is seated in the passenger side.

Toyota hopes that with the release of the Sai, hybrids will become more popular and boost company sales even more.


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One Liter Car Technology Changes the Automotive Industry

One liter of fuel for one thousand kilometers used to be only a dream. But now that Volkswagen has come up with the L1 concept car, this dream has become something very real. The company says the L1 is close to production and this could only mean that it expects a huge demand for the car. It adds that for this car to become commercially viable, there has to be three things: a supremely efficient powertrain, great aerodynamics, and light engineering.

The L1 commercial car is going to be a hybrid, likely using a two-cylinder, 39-hp turbo-diesel engine combined with a 14-hp electric motor. It's also going to have a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Technically, it can reach a speed of 100 kph but fuel economy is sacrificed here with the engine burning 1.38 liters per hundred kilometers.

The superb aerodynamics of the L1 is possible because it is slim, so slim it's described as cigar-shaped. Instead of having the seats side by side in pairs, they're lined up like in a jet fighter. It's also quite low which keeps air resistance minimum in the undercarriage.

The light weight of the L1 is achieved with the use of a carbon fiber body, thus much of the weight comes from the engine and chassis. The total weight of the car is less than a ton at 838 pounds. As it is, the physical design of the L1 might not be appealing to a wide audience, but it's the idea of a super fuel-efficient vehicle that's the main attraction. With just a little tweaking of the Volkswagen design engineers, they can make a new commercial L1 (the L2?) which will be more down-to-earth and family-friendly.

We can expect other companies to follow the example of Volkswagen and see more of this kind of 1- liter car.



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Recognizable Artificial Sound Alert System for Hybrid Cars Needed for Pedestrian Safety

Hybrid cars are so silent when in electric mode. This is the reason why regulatory groups have been discussing about how to implement an artificial sound system that would help alert pedestrians, visually-impaired people in particular, about their presence or approach on the road. It's been shown that blind people use hearing to be alerted about moving vehicles while alongside or crossing the road. Unfortunately, the new silent-engine technology makes it harder for them to determine the presence or movement of hybrid vehicles.

Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius have been touted as almost silent when running on electricity and that they need an artificial sound for the safety of pedestrians. Although there have been reports of a low frequency sound while moving over bumps, this is still not enough to serve as an audible warning to the visually-impaired (it's also been described as annoying). Some service centers have told complaining clients that they could not replicate the sound, but Prius owners still hear it.

Because of new laws - one of which has been introduced by the US Congress - developers and regulatory groups have proposed an artificial "running" sound as a standard "operating sound" for hybrid vehicles. For now, that sound is still a big question mark. Common sense would dictate that it has to be pleasant, yet loud enough to alert people, and yet quiet enough so as not to contribute to road noise pollution.

A company called Vehicle Engine Acoustics has already produced a sound system with speakers under the four wheel wells that simulate real combustion-engine sound. Ideally, it should also replicate starting up, acceleration, deceleration, and engine rpm increase while in neutral. The company says it's the standard, but that clients can pick other sounds. It's interesting, but imagine a highway filled with hybrid vehicles emitting all manner of sounds from barking dogs, to screaming women, to twittering birds? Wouldn't that create more confusion? How will blind people know it's a car coming and not a babbling brook? These questions need to be addressed by lawmakers.



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