It looks like a copyrighting infringement issue regarding the way to apply force to a car’s wheel from an electric motor or internal combustion engine may stall, if not threaten, the release of Toyota’s hybrid cars. Such is the claim of a small company in Florida, Paice. According to reports, Paice thinks that Toyota is making use of their technology which became more serious when the U.S. International Trade Commission came into the picture.

If Toyota is found to have violated copyrights, Toyota could face a ban on the release of its hybrid cars that include the hybrid Camry, Prius, LexusHS250H and Lexus RX450H SUV. And considering that Toyota is already in a heap of trouble, this is not going to help their cause one bit!

(Source) Secuobs

Tags: Camry, copyrights, heap, hybrid camry, infringement issue, internal combustion engine, international trade commission, Lexus, paice, peril, Prius, Toyota, toyota hybrid cars, wheel

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The Citroen C4 Hybrid Rally Car is being powered with new technology in the PowerPhase 125 Electric Propulsion System. First shown at the Paris and then Bologna and Geneva Motorshows, the Citroen C4 WRC Hybrid4 made its debut on the road in Finland before that country’s world rally car round in a slow speed demonstration.

Subsequent testing in Faro, Portugal was the first at rally speeds and under rally conditions. The C4 Hybrid was developed using Citroen’s WRC championship contender as a base and adding a 990 cell lithium ion battery and a UQM Powerphase 125 electric propulsion system which drives the rear wheels.

“This system, developed by Citroen Racing, allows the driver to choose between four different modes of functionality,” explains Didier Clement, one of the race engineers behind the project. “In internal combustion mode, the C4 WRC Hybrid4 behaves exactly like one of the C4 WRC cars that compete on the World Rally Championship. In internal combustion mode, with energy recovery mode switched on, braking endurance is improved and the batteries get charged. On road sections and in the service park, electric mode with energy recovery means that there is less nuisance, increased range and less wear on the conventional engine. Finally, in boost mode – which employs both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor – gives an extra 300 Nm of torque when engaged.”

The two engines are linked to the same drivetrain. The driver can choose electric mode simply by switching on the ignition without starting the internal combustion engine. The gearbox paddles then gives the driver a choice of three settings: forward, backwards and neutral.

(Source) Press

Tags: citroen c4, conventional engine, electric mode, electric propulsion system, faro portugal, hybrid world, internal combustion engine, lithium ion battery, motorshows, neutral source, race engineers, rally conditions, rear wheels, recovery mode, road sections, uqm, world rally car, world rally championship, wrc championship

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At a time when hybrids and fuel efficient cars are increasing in demand, leave it to Kia Motors to come up with a vehicle to satisfy those areas. Kia Motors Corp. yesterday unveiled the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the Forte and its eco-friendly sub-brand Eco Dynamics.

Eco Dynamics is a sub-brand that represents ecology and economics and the company’s aim of developing environmentally friendly automotive technologies, the logo for which will be used on hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles to be launched in the future.

The hybrid Forte is equipped with a 1.6-liter LPG engine and an electric motor to support the internal combustion engine during acceleration and when the vehicle is started.

The LPI hybrid Forte is the world’s first hybrid vehicle to be fitted with a lithium-ion polymer battery, which is lighter and smaller but has higher output than nickel-metal hydride batteries. The company also altered the exterior and interior design of the hybrid Forte to set it apart from the normal version of the vehicle. The company said that it plans to develop a distinct tune that will be played when the hybrid Forte is started to further differentiate the car from conventional vehicles and use the tune in advertising campaigns.

The hybrid Forte will also be shown at the Seoul Motor Show that opens on April 2.

(Source) Korea Herald

Tags: acceleration, advertising campaigns, automotive technologies, conventional vehicles, hybrid vehicle, hybrid version, hybrids, hydrogen powered vehicles, internal combustion engine, kia motors corp, korea herald, liquefied petroleum gas, lithium, lithium ion polymer, lithium ion polymer battery, nickel metal hydride batteries, plug in hybrid, Seoul

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