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Hybrid Wheels at Geneva Motor Show

It may be cold and snowy in Geneva but inside the Palexpo Hall, where Geneva Motor Show is going on, the temperature is soaring. Geneva is playing host to the global auto manufacturers and giving them a chance to show-off their latest models, prototypes, and concept cars to the world.

Most of the car manufacturers have come up with concept cars that hint at the 'hybrid' flavour of the season. Let's take a look at all the hybrid and electric cars launched so far at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Ferrari 599 Hy-KERS

A hybrid Ferrari was long overdue. Ferrari unveiled its new experimental concept car, 599 Hy-KERS, which is equipped with an advanced new hybrid powertrain. Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, it uses Ferrari's Formula One Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to recover the braking and decelerating energy in a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery.

Assisted by an electric motor and a 6.0-litre V12 engine, the hybrid KERS system provides instantaneous torque for enhanced performance and efficiency. The HY-KERS also features a dual-clutch transmission, the first time when such a gearbox has been combined to a V12-engine car.

The 599 Hy-KERS reduces carbon emissions by 35%.

Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid

Power and performance of an 8-cylinder engine combined with the fuel economy and emission rate of a 6-cylinder, that is Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid for you. With a highly sophisticated parallel full hybrid drive and fuel efficiency 8.2 litres/100 kilometres results in CO2 emissions of just 193 g/km. Highly efficient Cayenne S Hybrid will have a mileage of 8.2 litres/100 kilometres.

Other hybrid concept unveiled by Porsche was 918 Spyder. A plug-in hybrid model with a power 500-bhp V8 in addition to 218 bhp generated from the axle-mounted electric motors. With ultra-low carbon emissions, 918 Spyder is one-of-a-kind hybrid that can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in less than 3.2 seconds.

BMW 5 Series ActiveHybrid Concept

BMW made a grand presentation with its 5 Series ActiveHybrid Concept. This concept car features a TwinPower Turbo straight-six gasoline engine, combined with an electric drive which is powered by a high-voltage battery pack and produces up to 54 bhp.

Connecting the electric motor to the gasoline engine is an eight speed automatic clutch which produces high torque when required. The hybrid system also serves as an energy recovery system when the brakes are being applied. The hybrid-based Auto Start Stop function and the climate control function, also featured on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, makes BMW 5 Series ActiveHybrid Concept more fuel efficient.

Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid

Mercedes Benz turned up at the Geneva Motor Show with its first production diesel-electric hybrid vehicle, the E300 BlueTEC Hybrid.

The diesel-electric hybrid from Mercedes is powered by the 2.2 liter, four cylinder CDI engine which has been borrowed from the E250. It will share most of its hybrid components, including the lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor, with the S400 hybrid.

It has been claimed by Mercedes that the car can give a mileage of about 24 kmpl, which seems quite incredible considering the size and safety of the car. Mercedes E300 Hybrid scores really big when it comes to carbon emissions. It has the lowest in its class measuring just 142g/km of CO2. Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid is likely to hit the European roads in the early months of 2011.

Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid

Lotus unveiled its Evora 414E Hybrid concept car, a high performance technology demonstrator with a plug-in series hybrid drive system. It is more like an extended electric vehicle that features a couple of rear-mounted electric motors, providing 204 bhp of power and 400 Nm of torque, and a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gas-powered engine.

On the emissions front, Lotus said: "With regard to the total lifetime CO2 emissions of the vehicle, including the energy required to manufacture and run it, the range extender solution has a lower overall CO2 footprint than a fully electric car of comparable performance and operating range running with a larger battery".

Audi A1 E-Tron

Audi kept the spirits high with its A1 series E-tron electric drive concept. The Audi A1 e-tron is a Mega City Vehicle (MCV) with a new drive technology.

The electric motor of the A1 e-tron is mounted transversely at the front of the car and can generate an output 61 bhp with peak power of 102 bhp available in short bursts. The Audi A1 e-tron electric concept can give a mileage of more than 50 kilometres in city traffic.

Audi A1 E-tron is loaded with a powerful electric motor that can give you zero-emission driving in the city. There is also an internal combustion engine that can recharge the battery in exceptional circumstances.

The Audi A1 e-tron features a range extender engine, a single-rotor Wankel engine that increases Audi A1 e-tron's range to up to 200 kilometres.

NLV Solar Quant by Koenigsegg

While most of the manufacturers focused on gasoline-electric hybrids, NLV Solar Quant brought a fresh breath of air in the form of a solar electric car concept.

Advance electric power generation and storage technology combined with the aerodynamic, futuristic Koenigsegg design and engineering will enable this concept to charge to a full limit of 20 minutes and give the vehicle a range of 500 kilometres. Additional power comes from solar panels that cover the body of the car, further increasing the range potential.

NLV Solar Quant is a rear-wheel-drive that can produce 512 bhp and a maximum torque of 527 lb-ft. That should help it go from 0- 62 mph in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 171 mph.

Electric Nano

Great things come in small packages, well, it could not have been truer. Tata Motors displayed the Electric Concept of their small wonder, Nano. A motor show where exotic hybrids ruled the stage, Nano managed to create quite a buzz.

The Nano EV is powered by super polymer lithium ion batteries which provide superior energy density as compared to conventional batteries. It will have a predicted range of up to 160 km and an acceleration of 0-60 kmph less than 10 seconds, Tata claims. Nano EV can seat four fully grown adults. If all goes well, electric Nano will be available in the European market in the next three years.

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