Accelerating technology

Hybrid technology is gaining in popularity, broadening its scope to embrace performance, and driving industry collaboration.

The first hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) widely available were small cars from Honda and Toyota that had below-average performance and little capacity for passengers or luggage. The new generation of hybrid vehicles now has capacity and performance equivalent to their gasoline-powered siblings, while maintaining good fuel economy and low emissions. Many of the big automakers have recently confirmed plans to launch hybrid versions of a broader range of vehicles over the next few years, moving the technology into the realm of sports and luxury.

In a recent report, ABI Research noted that “major platform sharing seems to be the easiest way for the automotive industry to help defray the costs of expensive hybrid platform development.” Toyota is licensing technology to Nissan and Ford, and General Motors and DaimlerChrysler have announced that they will be sharing hybrid technology. Honda and Hyundai have their own proprietary systems.