Landrover,Honda,Toyota plan new hybrids

Looks like hybrids it is to tide over the present oil crisis.Whether it is a sustainable long term solution or only a temporary fix is the million dollar question.Manufacturers like Nissan do not think so and are betting on electric vehicles.Even the poster boy of hybrids is talking of electric vehicles and even hydrogen to power its vehicles.However even by the most conservative estimates a Tata Nano powered by hydrogen is not a possibility in the near future[not atleast for the next 15 years says a study].For the time being then we have no option but to depend on hybrids to save the planet and our wallet.

In this backdrop Honda plans to follow toyota and have an exclusive Hybrid only model[like the toyota prius].This after the honda accord hybrid did not bring in the intended sales and had to be discontinued.The civic hybrid too isnt really the dream car of greenpeace activists.What is also interesting is that the civic hybrid too is getting a facelift perhaps Honda are going to come out with a facelift version of the civic[non-hybrid] version too in the near future.

Toyota too are not resting on the back of the sucess of the prius.Toyota now plan a bigger and more powerful[reportedly 2-2.5L engine].Apart from this ofcourse lexus too plans a hybrid only model.

Finally Landrover to have taken the green plunge and although they will initially start with diesels with start-stop technolgy they are heading towards desel -electric vehicles[Would FEV be working on this too is not known at this moment].Landrover say these vehicles would be equipped with e-terrain[electric rear axle drive (ERAD)] technology.What these means is you can drive these cars without starting the engine[it will do it for you].However unlike honda and toyota landrover don't intend a hybrid only vehicle.