Transport: Hybrid Hype

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The addition of an electric motor to create the hybrid is branching off into all kinds of exciting new directions.

Back in 2006, an independent American marketing company called CNW published a data-rich report that proved a large, old-school off-roader like a Hummer H3 or Jeep Wrangler consumes less energy over its lifetime than a high-tech hybrid like a Toyota Prius or Honda Civic.

This was due to the hybrids' energy intensive manufacturing processes, shorter lifespan and battery disposal issues.?Media all over the world - this writer included - seized upon these facts and figures with glee, in a kind of petrolhead tall-poppy syndrome. The Emperor had no clothes... and he was driving the wrong car.?

Since then, the CWN report has been widely discredited by such august organisations as the Union For Concerned Scientists and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Analyses of the report by MIT and Pacific Institute has highlighted selective use of information, undisclosed methodology and unsupported views.

In short, although hybrid technology is not a big green button that can solve car-CO2 problems at a stroke, it's now well established as a key technology that's taking us towards a greener automotive future.?Who do we have to thank? The obvious answer is Toyota, which created the world's first viable mass-production hybrid with the Prius - for Japan only from 1997, then for the world in the second-generation model from 2001.

History will remember Honda as the other important player - it created the Insight two-seater in 1999 and was first to bring a series-production hybrid car to the crucial American market, in 2000.?Not that hybrid power is anything new.

Modern makers may have perfected it, but the concept has been around virtually since the birth of the automobile.?Arguably the world's first production hybrid: the 1900 Lohner Porsche. The Lohner (a coachbuilding company in Vienna) 'Semper Vivus' featured two combustion engines, electric motors in the wheel hubs and a chargeable battery to power them.

The basic principles of hybrid cars are pretty simple: the combination of two different power sources ensures optimum efficiency and minimum emissions at all times. In general terms think of it as sensible recycling, because very little goes to waste: energy that is normally lost in deceleration or braking is recaptured and used to charge the battery, which is then re-used to power the car.

Toyota and Honda are the high-profile hybrid proponents in New Zealand. The former with Prius, Camry and a range of luxury-oriented Lexus products. The latter with the Insight (part of a global Honda initiative to offer hybrid cars at mainstream prices) and Civic.

Then there's Porsche, which is keeping the Lohner spirit alive with petrol-electric versions of its Cayenne crossover and Panamera sedan. That's it for New Zealand at the moment, but globally it's all on: Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Peugeot, Volkswagen... the list goes on.

What happens next? Fully electric cars are here already and hydrogen power will be the next big thing in the decades to come. But there is still plenty of scope for the hybrid to evolve. Those next-generation powertrains can't currently match hybrids' combination of relative affordability and uncompromised range - not to mention their ability to use existing fuel and vehicle-maintenance infrastructures.

The most significant advance is the plug-in hybrid, a powertrain which uses more efficient and powerful lithium-ion batteries (similar to what's in your laptop) that can be charged not only on the move but also via mains power when parked. Toyota New Zealand has three Prius plug-in models here as part of a two-year factory trial.

New Zealand is seen as a good base for these vehicles by the Toyota factory because 70 per cent of our electricity supply comes from renewable sources. A conventional Prius can only run for about 2km on electric power alone. The Prius plug-in will run for 30km in all-electric mode: zero-emissions at speeds of up to 100km/h.

Other variations on the theme. Just this year Peugeot pioneered the production diesel hybrid, with the 508-based RXH. General Motors has taken a different tack again with the Volt, which has a 'range extender' hybrid powertrain: the batteries hold enough charge for 80km of travel, but when they run low, a small-capacity combustion engine fires up to act as a generator. Expect to see the Peugeot RXH and Holden Volt in New Zealand next year.