Originally slated to go on sale last November, the all-new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan will now go on sale in the third quarter of this year. Making its reveal at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show this week is Fisker’s advanced aluminum spaceframe that underpins the new Karma. The structure will be the basis of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid once Finnish firm Valmet Automotive begins assembly of the platform.

Fisker’s engineering team designed the Karma’s spaceframe around the car’s unique Q-Drive series-hybrid powertrain, filing for multiple patents in the process. The Q-Drive powertrain consists of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine sourced from GM, which is used as a generator to charge an array of lithium-ion batteries supplied by A123 Systems. These batteries then power a pair of electric motors, developing a peak output of 300 kW and 1 300 N.m of torque.

Through extensive use of aluminium and a unique extrusion-intensive architecture, Fisker’s engineers have managed to keep weight down while increasing rigidity and strength. The design features a super-structural tunnel running down the car’s centre that acts as the Karma’s backbone. It not only houses the battery pack but acts as a torque tube connecting front and rear sections. According to Fisker, few cars can match the Karma’s strength and rigidity. Static torsional rigidity, the amount the spaceframe resists twisting forces when entering a ramp at an angle, for example, measures more than 33 000 Newton-meters per degree.

“Our top priorities when we designed the Karma’s aluminium space frame were that it have extremely high torsional rigidity and could be easily modified to accept Karma model variants,” said the automaker’s chief, Henrik Fisker. Fisker went on to say “We benchmarked some of the world’s best cars to create an all-new space frame that will deliver an exhilarating experience behind the wheel”.

The luxury labels have well and truly caught the hybrid bug, with Mercedes-Benz announcing this week its second eco-friendlier vehicle, the all-new ML450 Hybrid. First seen at the New York Auto Show back in April, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid officially goes on sale in the US on November 16.

Featuring V8-like power with four-cylinder fuel economy, the ML450 Hybrid packs two electric motors and a 3,5-litre V6 petrol engine that work together to provide impressive performance and fuel economy.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the big SUV returns a fuel economy of 11.2 L/100km around town and 9.8 L/100km on the highway. For comparison, the similarly sized but V8 powered 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid returns an EPA-rated 13.8 L/100km in the city and 12.3 L/100km on the highway.

The combined peak output of its two electric motors and V6 engine stands at 253 kW and 516 N.m of torque. Fuel efficiency gains are made through a combination of technologies, including stop-start functionality, which helps to cut fuel use while in traffic or stopped at traffic lights.

Similar to GM’s Two-Mode hybrid system, the two electric motors in the ML450 Hybrid are integrated within a modified automatic transmission. One motor is dedicated to pulling away under electric power and the second is set up specifically for boosting acceleration.

In this combination, the ML450 Hybrid can drive solely on electric power up to a maximum speed of 54 km/h. On hard acceleration, the petrol engine is started automatically.

During braking and coasting, the electric motors act as generators, slowing the SUV and recovering kinetic energy. Under heavy braking, the vehicle’s conventional brakes also come into play. Recovered energy is stored in a liquid-cooled, 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery that’s enclosed under the rear cargo floor so as to not intrude into the storage area.

Joining the S400 Hybrid and BlueTEC diesel models in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the ML450 Hybrid is being offered as part of a special lease only option (no purchase) for a monthly lease price of US$659 per month for 36 months and US$549 per month for 60 months.

Adapted from MotorAuthority

Dana Holding Corporation has developed a Long® heat exchanger designed to extend battery life in hybrid and electric vehicles. The technology, the first of its kind, recently debuted on Tesla Motors’ 2010 all-electric Roadster Sport.

Lithium-ion battery life is dependent on maintaining optimum operating temperature. Dana’s unique heat-exchange technology cools the Roadster’s battery by transferring heat generated within the battery to the vehicle’s climate-control system. In addition, a temperature sensor mount provides continuous feedback to the climate-control system. This interface helps to maintain the battery’s ideal temperature during operation, thus helping to extend battery life.

“Dana is committed to providing our best-in-class engineering and manufacturing expertise to electric-vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla Motors,” Dana President and CEO Jim Sweetnam said. “Our advanced battery technology solutions will help drive our growth in this exciting market segment.”

Dana engineers constructed the heat exchanger using a patented aluminum brazing process, ensuring cleanliness of both the climate control and battery coolant fluids. The use of high-strength aluminum alloys provides greater material strength and contributes to weight savings. Additionally, the chiller’s compact design also provides significant space savings – critical for helping engineers accommodate the Roadster’s 6,800-cell battery pack.

“Advanced manufacturing capabilities such as our unique brazing process, combined with our research commitment to the hybrid and electric segment, position Dana as a valued contributor to hybrid-vehicle battery technology,” said Ted Zielinski, director of engineering, Dana Thermal Products Group.

Dana developed and is manufacturing the heat exchanger at its advanced engineering center in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Source: Dana Holding Corporation

Not a fan of going hybrid but love the looks new Honda CR-Z? Well, we have some bad news for you. Honda has ruled out any chance of offering the CR-Z with anything other than a hybrid powertrain. That means all your dreams of getting a turbocharged 4-cylinder hot-hatch out of the new CR-Z are shattered.

“This will definitely only be a hybrid,” a source said. “The whole direction of Honda is hybrids and this car is designed all around a hybrid powertrain. The car isn’t boring; it is responsive and fun.”

Just before September came to an end, Honda released the first official images of the 2009 Honda CR-Z Concept, which will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show later this month.

No official details have been released as of yet, but reports say that power will come from a 1,5-litre 4-cylinder engine mated to Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology. Power will be driven to the wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional CVT automatic.

Via egmcarTech