These two models will be the first series-produced vehicles specially built with electric engine and electric hybrid drive train.
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The electric engine is installed over the rear wheels and functions off of a signal gear, produced as a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz and Bosch.
And if you want to talk about market dynamics at the pump, then look no further than the increase in demand for hybrid cars, which can increase fuel efficiency over other mid-sized cars with the help of an electric engine.
In addition to the petrol engine and electric motor, the LF-CC hybrid drive system further comprises a generator, a high-performance battery, a power split device which, via planetary reduction gears, combines and re-allocates power from the engine, electric motor and generator according to operational requirements, and a compact power control unit to govern the high speed interaction of the system components.
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Coasting: As soon as the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the engine and electric motors are decoupled from the drivetrain and the engine is shut off, provided that the battery is sufficiently charged.
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The vibe in the Fusion Hybrid is one of abiding integration: the subtle slurring of ratios in the continuously variable transmission, the share-the-load cooperation between electric and gas engine (2.0-liter, 141-hp Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder), a sort of light, transparent flickering of power sources.
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The C-Max Energi has an EV mode button on the center stack that lets the driver choose between three modes: electric-only driving, normal hybrid mode (which blends electric and gasoline engine power as appropriate) or EV-later mode, which reserves the battery pack power for later use.
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According to Schorr, the C-X75 will have three modes: full electric, and with the gas engine either partly supplementing the electric motors or fully engaged.
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Given a free hand in the design, his team developed a continuously variable transmission system that allows the petrol engine and electric motor to work separately or in tandem.
Airlines can improve their fuel conservation by using single engine taxiing and electric-powered vehicles on the ground.
GM's Chevrolet Volt, an electric car with a combustion engine range extender, could be another beneficiary.
It combines a petrol engine with an electric motor which charges its batteries.
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On the other hand, the LS600h L has a hybrid powertrain that pairs a 5.0-liter V8 gasoline engine with an electric motor.
Some of the upcoming 2013 models will give you a choice between an efficient gas engine or an electric powertrain.
At the 2012 Paris Motor Show, which opened last weekend, Audi unveiled its brand-new Crosslane Hybrid Coupe concept, which is powered by a 1.5L three-cylinder engine and two electric motors.
Because peak power arrives at different rpm for the gas engine and the electric traction motor, peak system horsepower nets out to be an even 200 hp at 5, 600 rpm, which is the rated redline.
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Coming in 2012, a hybrid version of the flagship Audi A8 sedan will team a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor generator and self-charging 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to realize an impressive 37 mpg.
Adding a plug and a more powerful lithium-ion battery to a hybrid can give that sprinter a bit more stamina: It can travel at higher speeds up to 10 miles or so on electric power before the gasoline engine kicks in.
Unfortunately, the easiest way to make a more efficient engine, nuclear-electric propulsion, is controversial.
One day in the future, a tipping point will occur and the electric car will replace the combustion engine.
He also hopes for a small gasoline engine and a larger electric motor.
Fisker, electric with a small gasoline-engine generator, had effectively addressed only a sliver of the potential market for his magnificent car.
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The SUV features a front-mounted diesel engine paired with an electric motor in a traditional hybrid configuration, plus a second, more powerful electric motor in the rear to drive those wheels in the back.
The golden age of American productivity growth followed what is called the second industrial revolution, in 1860-1900, which yielded a cluster of genuinely paradigm-shifting inventions: electric power, the internal combustion engine, modern industrial chemistry and telecommunications.
As I calculated in my earlier Forbes article, one needs to multiply the EPA MPGe by .365 to get a number that truly compares fossil fuel use of an electric car with a traditional gasoline engine car on an apples to apples basis.
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In this case, however, the front electric motor-which is now supplied with energy by the TDI engine-operates exclusively as a generator and a power source for the electric motor at the rear.
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The powertrain, which we saw earlier on a concept car, combines a V6 bi-turbo gas engine with a 95 horsepower electric model for 416 total system horsepower.
Nor does it reflect production costs for the Volt, which has expensive technology including lithium-polymer batteries, and sophisticated electronics, plus an electric motor as well as its gasoline engine, Reuters says.
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Although heaters are minimized to conserve battery range, Consumer Reports rated a Volt test car at a paltry average 25 miles of electric-only running before the gasoline engine kicked in under cold Connecticut winter conditions.
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The company also is developing four-wheel-drive technology that powers two wheels with an internal combustion engine and two with an electric motor, eliminating the need for a drive train that takes up floor space, Ho said.
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