Toyota Yaris Hybrid
The engineers have managed to make the main assemblies smaller and lighter. The NiHM battery pack and the petrol tank is hidden underneath the rear row of seats. Therefore the energy units don’t take up the boot space and the car doesn’t need a funny-looking behind (yes, I mean the Prius).
The electric motor is 20% smaller and 12% lighter than a run-of-the mill electric motor and they’ve managed to fit it at the front, next to the 1.5-litre petrol engine. But that’s not your usual petrol engine – it’s not based on the widespread Otto thermodynamic cycle. Instead, they’ve used the Atkinson cycle. James Atkinson – a British engineer – came up with a way of doing things more efficiently in 1882, however, it took more than 100 years for his invention to go mainstream. With the advance of hybrid cars, the Atkinson cycle makes more sense. The engine employs a complex crankshaft design that allows the power stroke be longer than the compression stroke. This makes the engine more efficient and its size is normally more compact than of a comparable Otto cycle engine. Thus the Yaris hybrid boasts a 1.5-litre engine. The total power output of this hybrid car is expected to be 99bhp.
Although the concept car that was shown in Geneva last year had a solar panel on the roof, it’s clear that the production model won’t have one. Who is going to be the first mainstream car manufacturer to introduce a solar panel on the roof?
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