As emission norms and fuel economy regulations become stricter, automakers are looking at several technologies to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their fleet fuel efficiency standards. German luxury car manufacturer, BMW, has announced that it will start producing full hybrids of the 5 and 3 series model ranges. Essentially, the difference between full hybrids and mild hybrids is the ability of the electric motor to propel the car on zero-emissions electric power alone.

After the successful launch of a couple of mild hybrids – the Active-Hybrid X6 last year, and the Active-Hybrid 7 luxury sedan earlier this year, BMW has confirmed that the 5 series Active-Hybrid concept will be formally launched and made ready for production as early as 2011. The company also plans on introducing the dual-powertrain technology in its smaller 3 series.

BMW CEO, Norbert Reithofer, said, at the carmakers annual meeting in Munich, “As early as next year, the new BMW 5 series will also be available as a full hybrid. And we are anticipating the hybridization of further models series, such as the 3 series.” Reithofer further added that the company plans to reduce their global fleets’ carbon emissions by at least another 25% by 2020.

Close, but no cigar for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid at the Nurburgring 24 Hours

In March this year, we brought you news that Porsche would be racing a revolutionary hybrid version of the 911 GT3 R at the famous Nurburgring 24-hour race this year. Developed with Williams Hybrid Power Limited, an off-shoot of the F1 team, the GT3 R Hybrid has two electric motors, producing 60kW of power each to drive the front axel, which complements the 480bhp 4.0 liter flat-six that powers the rear wheels. And, instead of using battery power, an electrical flywheel power generator delivers energy to the electric motors. In this case, the flywheel acts as an electric motor with its rotors capable of spinning at speeds of up to 40,000rpm.

Running alongside the more conventional 911 GT3 R, the orange and white hybrid made a stunning debut at the famed German 24 hour race, as it actually led the race for eight hours before it began to drop positions due to technical snags. Eventually, after 22 hours and 15 minutes of competitive racing, Joerg Bergmeister, who was driving the Porsche Hybrid, had to retire due to engine damage, and, thus, dashed hopes of a victory for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid on its first ever outing.

The main advantage for the Hybrid was the fact that it was able to stay out on track far longer than its rivals – who had to pit for fuel more often. And, while the end result may be disheartening, the Hybrid’s competition potential has been proven. Porsche will continue working on the model to further improve its performance and reliability for future events. This could well be the dawn of a new racing revolution – who said racing couldn’t be green?

Toyota Prius Exceeds Expected Demand in India

The world’s best selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius, has been welcomed into India with better than anticipated demand. Bookings for the Prius opened earlier this year, and so far more than 80 units have been booked and confirmed, which indicates that demand will surpass the company’s initial target of 200 bookings for the year.

Since its introduction in 1997, Toyota has sold over 1.5 million units of the Prius worldwide, and the hybrid has become the global face for the green car revolution. Despite the failure of the Honda Civic Hybrid in India, and the recent recalls of the Toyota vehicles globally, the demand for the Prius appears strong.

The Prius is very popular with Hollywood celebrities, and Toyota hopes that Bollywood stars will soon follow suit. Sandeep Singh, MD of Toyota Kirloskar Motors, said that they would certainly order a lot more cars for next year – at least double, if not more. The price tag of 26 lakhs-plus hasn’t been the kind of deterrent it was in the case of the Honda Civic Hybrid – likely because the Civic looked far too similar to its purely petrol powered sibling.