FISKER/QUATUM:
This $100,000 high-performance PHEV-50 will be
shown at Detroit. Autoblog Green reports that the
vehicle's name is Karma; the report showed up
briefly online and is still found at
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:-kaLwJU5q1wJ:www.autoblog.com/2008/01/11/de\
troit-2008-fisker-karma-premium-hybrid-unveiled-early/+fisker+detroit&hl=en&ct=c\
lnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a


BYD
As we posted on Friday, China's BYD will show its
PHEV.
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/900.html (By
the way, a correspondent tells us that BYD
manufacture 25% of the worlds li-ion batteries.)


AUTOMOTIVE XPRIZE
The XPrize's press release lists vehicles that
will be in its Innovation Showcase Booth at
Detroit, including Visionary Vehicles:
http://jalopnik.com/342178/automotive-x-prize-showcase-coming-to-detroit-auto-sh\
ow



AFS TRINITY
Lots of news about AFS Trinity's new "Extreme
Hybrid" PHEV: a Saturn Vue converted with partner
Ricardo into a PHEV with a 40-mile EV range at
speeds up to 90 MPH. The front wheels are driven
by the original hybrid system, and the rear
wheels with a 200 hp motor powered by a
combination of a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery and a
superconductor. Despite adding 1,400 pounds in
the prototype, it can go 0-60 MPH in 6.9 seconds.
The company says the cost of the vehicle will be
$8,500 greater than an internal combustion engine
car, and it hopes to license its technology to automakers.

Since this car's PHEV system operates
independently of the original drivetrain, this
conversion may also point the way to future
retrofits of existing non-hybrid cars. Here are some links:

AFS TRINITY WEBSITE
http://www.afstrinity.com mentions a 14-page report we haven't seen.
http://www.afstrinity.com/press-release-1-13-08.html
or http://www.afstrinity.net/afstrinity-xh150-pressrelease.pdf

GREEN CAR CONGRESS: "AFS Trinity Unveils Plug-in
Extreme Hybrid at Detroit Show; Ultracap/Battery
Combination Delivers 40-Mile All Electric Range"
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/01/afs-trinity-unv.html
includes comments

NEW YORK TIMES: "Closing the Power Gap Between a
Hybrid’s Supply and Demand" by Matthew Wald
(online only) contains some technical details
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/automobiles/13ULTRA.html

EVWORLD: "AFS Trinity Perfects Plug-in Hybrid Saturn Vue" by Editor Bill Moore
http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1386

JOSEPH ROMM'S CLIMATE PROGRESS BLOG: "The Extreme
(plug in) Hybrid — no breakthrough needed!" Romm
drove the car several weeks ago; promises a long
article on PHEVs and climate change Weds.
http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/13/the-extreme-plug-in-hybrid-no-breakthrough\
-needed/

EAA-PHEV: at the Open Source Wiki in which PHEV
converters participate, description and analysis
initiated by Davide Dandrea of Hybrids-Plus
http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/AFS_Trinity

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
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