mild hybrid
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As more mainstream vehicles, like the 2019 Ram 1500 lineup, get increasing levels of electrification, but stop short of becoming fully electric or even full-fledged hybrids, it can be easy to get lost in semantics. Generally speaking, the term “mild hybrid” means some energy can be recaptured by a motor/generator, but the motor might not be strong enough to power the vehicle on its own, without the gasoline engine. At the least, its system might allow the engine to shut off when coasting or decelerating. READ THIS: Fiat Chrysler lays groundwork to build electrified Jeep models...
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2019 Ram 1500 pickup has 48-volt 'mild hybrid' system for fuel economy
The dominant news at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit was about pickup trucks. Ironically, the Detroit automaker with the fewest electrified models on sale was the only one to bring hybridization to a new truck, in the form of its brand-new 2019 Ram 1500. Fiat Chrysler...
Mark Stevenson -
Ikea invests in hybrid-vehicle builder XL Hybrids
XL Hybrids carved its niche in the vehicle-electrification segment by offering hybrid conversion kits for regular gasoline-powered vans, commercial trucks, and pickups. Thus far, the Boston-based start-up has found success and a recent round of venture capital funding raised another $22 million...
Sean Szymkowski -
Bosch creates off-the-shelf 48-volt battery for mild-hybrid systems
Whether car buyers are ready or not, many future cars will boast some sort of electrification. The numerous announcements from automakers declare their brands will begin electrifying all vehicles post a certain date; to be clear, that does not mean cars will be solely electric. What it does likely...
Sean Szymkowski -
48-volt mild hybrids heading toward ubiquity in Europe as diesel declines
Public concerns over diesel cars, and their ebbing sales, have become a well-documented phenomenon in Europe after decades of popularity. When the VW diesel scandal exposed deliberate cheating, and real-world testing revealed that virtually no diesels certified for sale actually met emission...
Sean Szymkowski -
Who's going all-electrified? Volvo, then Jaguar Land Rover, now Lincoln: report
As the auto industry intensifies its embrace of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, announcements of "all-electrified" product lines continue to roll in. First, Volvo made a splash with its announcement saying that all models launched from 2019 onwards would be electrified in some manner. The...
Sean Szymkowski -
OK, reporters of the world, it's time for a little chat. We know—believe me, we know—that you are cranking out a whole lot of copy, with much less support than you used to have, on far tighter deadlines, to feed a voracious, anonymous online audience whose clicks get you paid. But it's time to discuss the very, very important difference between two similar words that have gotten you in a world of hurt lately. DON'T MISS: Volvo to electrify all cars from 2019: 'end of internal-combustion engine alone' Those two words are "electrified" and "electric." You might think they're pretty...
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Would weaker EPA rules kill advanced start-stop hybrid systems for U.S.?
Today's political climate has made for fluid motion in regulations, and corporate average fuel economy targets haven't been left out. Suppliers and automakers have already begun investing heavily into vehicles to be sold in 2022 through 2025, which will include various fuel-saving and...
Sean Szymkowski -
2016 Nissan Murano Hybrid slips quietly into lineup, minimal volume expected
What if a car is launched, ever so quietly, and no one notices at first? Does it exist? Such existential questions are posed by the recent discovery that Nissan is now selling a hybrid version of its Murano crossover utility vehicle, as of the current 2016 model year. DON'T MISS: Nissan Pathfinder...
John Voelcker -
Honda CR-Z hybrid sport coupe production to end, apparently
Honda releases the Alpha Final Label special edition in Japan.
Stephen Edelstein -
48-volt mild hybrid systems: what they do, how they change the car
More carmakers may soon turn to 48-volt mild hybrids to improve fuel efficiency.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevy, GMC V-8 Pickups Get 20 MPG With $500 eAssist Mild Hybrid Option
The eAssist mild hybrid system is dead, long live the eAssist mild hybrid system? With continually rising corporate average fuel economy levels required through 2025, General Motors will test a third generation of its eAssist mild-hybrid system during the current model year. This time, though...
John Voelcker -
Jeep is still planning diesel and hybrid versions of the next-generation Wrangler.
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2016 Honda CR-Z Soldiers On: Styling Updates, More Tech Features
The 2016 Honda CR-Z hybrid gets revised styling and more standard and available features.
Stephen Edelstein -
Bosch 48-Volt Mild Hybrid: Cheaper Way To Boost Efficiency 15 Percent?
Bosch claims its new mild-hybrid system can increase fuel economy at a relatively low cost.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid 'No Longer Available,' Infiniti QX60 Twin Vanishes Too: UPDATED
Four months ago, we inquired about the fate of the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid. That version of the popular seven-seat family SUV, with a 2.5-liter four and a mild-hybrid system replacing the usual 3.5-liter V-6, had launched as a 2014 model. We weren't impressed with the car, either in prototype form...
John Voelcker -
GM To Fall Short Of 500,000 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Goal For 2017
General Motors says it won't achieve a previously-set goal for hybrid and electric-car sales.
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Insight Hybrid: The Least-Wanted Car In America?
Automakers and their dealers know that when a vehicle is updated, redesigned, or discontinued, the last lagging examples of the old model may sit on lots for months, perhaps even years. So it appears to be with the Honda Insight, the subcompact mild hybrid hatchback that the company discontinued...
John Voelcker -
Could mild-hybrid systems help improve fuel economy while satisfying owners' demand for low costs?
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2016 Hyundai Tucson Shows Two Different Hybrid Concepts In Geneva
The new 2016 Hyundai Tucson will arrive later this year, but not all of its variants will be offered in the U.S. At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, Hyundai showed off two hybrid models we likely won't see: a 48-volt mild hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, both of them fitted with diesel...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid: Missing In Action, Or Just Slow-Selling?
The Nissan Pathfinder crossover utility vehicle seems to be doing well for Nissan, following its 2013 reinvention as a seven-seat family vehicle rather than the tough truck-based 4x4 that had previously defined the Pathfinder name. There's one model of the Pathfinder, however, that seems to be...
John Voelcker -
Honda Civic Hybrid And Honda CR-Z: Sales Likely To End Soon?
While sales of the 47-mpg Honda Accord Hybrid mid-size sedan have ticked up as supply grows, the camaker's two other hybrid offerings seem to be in limbo. The Honda Civic Hybrid, a compact four-door sedan, and the Honda CR-Z two-seat sport hatchback are still in the lineup--but their 2014 sales...
John Voelcker -
Echo Automotive Fails: Bolt-On Plug-In Hybrid Kits Used Bright Technology
Starting a company is tough; starting a company in the green automotive field may be even tougher. So it seemed like the engineering team from defunct startup Bright Automotive, once granted investment by GM, might have a second chance to see their technology on the road. The assets and...
John Voelcker -
Recall For 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid Headlamp Problem
The just-discontinued Acura ILX Hybrid is recalled for overheating headlamps.
Stephen Edelstein