Hybrids - a hot topic yes rail too!

[ozbob]

Hybrid cars are in the news.  See article below.  Hybrid rail motors also offer a lot of potential for Queensland.

I have had a Honda Hybrid (civic) since October 2006.  it is a remarkable vehicle.  It will be great to see this technology moved to rail as well.

From Envirofuel click here!

East Japan Railways launches hybrid rail car

East Japan Railways launches hybrid rail car
Posted on 12 August 2007 by Luke Hallam


East Japan Railway Company (JR East) built a hybrid rail car for testing in May 2003. As favorable results were achieved, JR East have launched their Kiha E200 hybrid rail cars for commercial use.



The Kiha E200 is equipped with a diesel engine, two electric motors under each of its cars and lithium ion batteries on the roof.

The diesel engine only kicks in when needed to climb a hill or if the batteries run low. The batteries are recharged when the train slows down. After the power is switched off, the motors continue to turn for a while, and that energy (wasted in a non-hybrid train) is used to recharge the batteries.

The Kiha E200, which seats 46 and can hold 117 passengers including people standing, is debuting on a line that runs about once an hour on a 79 km route through a mountain resort area.

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From Brisbanetimes click here!

Toyota plans hybrid for Australia

Toyota plans hybrid for Australia
Ian Porter | June 10, 2008 - 11:24AM

Australia's federal government will contribute $35 million from its green car fund to underwrite Toyota's plan to build the country's first car at the company's plant in Altona, Victoria.

The company plans to start making the petrol/electric Camry model in 2010 at Altona, a year or so after it also goes into production at Toyota's Thailand plant.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made the announcement during a visit to Toyota City, the company's headquarters, near the central Japanese city of Nagoya.

The car is expected to represent a small but growing segment of the Altona plant's output, currently 145,000 cars a year.

Output is expected to rise to 10,000 cars a year in three or four years, although the rate of take-up will depend on what sort of inducements the Federal Government can provide for buyers.

Toyota's decision is expected to create a ''handful'' of new jobs at the Altona plant, Toyota Australia public relations manager Mike Breen said. The company has no plan to export the hybrid vehicles from Australia, he said.

The plant employs 3500 workers and builds 149,000 4 cylinder Camry and V6 Aurion cars a year.

Hybrids tend to cost more than regular cars and buyers have been reluctant to pay the extra cash. However, the soaring price of petrol has made the extra cost of a hybrid seem less of a hurdle.

In the US, the hybrid Camry costs about 14% more than the 2.4-litre petrol-engined model and if a similar increment was applied in Australia, that would put the cost of a Camry hybrid at about $32,500.

Buyers would achieve fuel economy of about 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres, compared with 9.9l/100kms for the petrol-engined model.

With petrol at $1.60 a litre, a Camry hybrid buyer would have to drive 59,500 kilometres to save the extra $4000 paid for the car.

This has also been an issue with diesel-engined cars, but buyers are increasingly willing to pay the extra cost for a diesel engine so they can achieve the fuel consumption savings.

The introduction of the Camry hybrid will give the Australian parts industry a chance to develop the technology and skills that will be required as the motor industry moves away from petrol and towards vehicles that consume less hydrocarbons and emit fewer pollutants.

On Friday, General Motors-owned Holden announced it would end production of its Family II 4 cylinder engine at the Fishermans Bend plant in Melbourne, cutting 531 jobs.

With Chris Zappone, BusinessDay, AAP

[Huggies]

They have also introduced Hybrids for shunt engines in the U.S.A. . Railpower has developed the "Green Goat".

[ozbob]

Thanks Huggies, you got me looking for more ..

http://www.trainweb.org/greengoats/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Kid

http://www.railindustry.com/coverage/2002/2002g02a.html

Seem to be a solid application that is both reducing fuel consumption and emissions.