Wednesday 1st August 2007

Porsche Goes Green With Hybrid Cayenne

Hybrid Cayenne only two years away from production

---

Porsche is developing a petrol-electric drivetrain for the Cayenne to help reach its target of cutting the company’s carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2012.

Transition between petrol and electric motors will be seamless

The German car-maker is co-developing the ‘green’ drivetrain with Volkswagen, for use in the Touareg and Audi, for the Q7.  Known as a parallel hybrid, it uses a nickel-metal hybride battery stored in the spare wheel, a 34kW (46bhp) electric motor and a high-strength clutch to allow seamless transitions switching between petrol and electrical power, or using a combination of both.

Porsche says a production version of the parallel hybrid system will go on sale in late 2009, to initially be installed in the Cayenne’s entry-level 3.6 litre V6 engine. As well as producing zero emissions in town, average fuel consumption is also expected to jump from 21.9mpg to 34mpg – now there’s a car to make the anti-4x4 lobbyists redundant.

[SamsonV8]

Doesn't matter how "Green" you make it, it's still a Porsche Built by VW, and it's ugly!!!

[Agoogy]

All the more in keeping with Porsche tradition....914, 924 etc... and beauty is in the eye of the beholder...sales suggest it isn't that abhorent.

Having said that you wouldn't catch me in one. If someone gave me the car I'd sell it in a heartbeat.

[PPPPPP]

Agoogy said:

... and beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Yes, the Yanks love it.

[Mr Whippy]

So it'll be heavier, and with that engine even more underpowered, and have parts that make it more expensive ecologically to make like batteries and electric motors etc.

Nice.

Dave

[Hendry]

Well Porsche has said they will never fit a diesel to a Porsche badged car, so this is looking like their only option for improving fuel economy and nodding towards the Greens.

[Paracetamol]

Getting rid of all the 4 wheel drive crap, finding other weight savings and using brake regeneration etc would yeild the same effect-all without batteries that will need to be disposed of in years to come and also add even more weight.

Porsche jumps on the US bandwagon once again.

[Kubica]

Paracetamol said:

Getting rid of all the 4 wheel drive crap, finding other weight savings and using brake regeneration etc would yeild the same effect-all without batteries that will need to be disposed of in years to come and also add even more weight.

Porsche jumps on the US bandwagon once again.

How does that produce zero emmisions at a standstill or in crawling traffic?

[PhantomPH]

Mr Whippy said:

So it'll be heavier, and with that engine even more underpowered, and have parts that make it more expensive ecologically to make like batteries and electric motors etc.

Nice.

Dave

You are quite right - it's the 'greens' who are almost forcing this complete mis-handling of any perceived environmental threat. Because targets have been placed quite bluntly on reducing the 'range' CO2, that is being achieved by doing what they canin the short term - which is this type of technology.

I am sure Porsche could come up with something even better (and one day they will), but they have a shitty target of 2012 and as such have to use the bluntest tool at their disposal. 'Greens' will love it and see that as a victory, without realising what a false 'economy' it all in in terms of true environmental impact.

How else can you explain why they love the Pruis? A car which (when you take into account production and maintenance and recycling) is every bit as bad a poluter as any other car!

They are stupid.

I bet they are the same type of people who think 70mph==safe, 80mph==crazy.

P~

[Bizzle]

I actually quite like them to drive, but they do look U.G.L.Y from the front. The turbo version don't hang about either for a 4WD plodder

[SCOOTERMAN]

As well as producing zero emissions in town...

For all of about 200 yards, until the battery gives up the ghost what with having to haul all that weight.

Warraloadashyte.

[Mr Whippy]

SCOOTERMAN said:

As well as producing zero emissions in town...

For all of about 200 yards, until the battery gives up the ghost what with having to haul all that weight.

Warraloadashyte.

Yep, zero emissions until it needs the engine, then it's got lots more weight to haul, inefficiency in the transfer of mechanical > electric > mechanical, and has the battery to charge up again too.

I don't think in reality they can be THAT much better to be really honest. It's a token gesture for the towns/cities where they operate but get it out of an urban area and the countryside pays the price!

In CO2 terms it makes no sense, CO2 is CO2 (even if it's a non-issue), in pollution terms it might help a little tiny bit in urban areas, but again the countryside pays with the new dirty battery recycling plants!

Dave

[Mattygooner]

I don't see what the problem is, they are still Porsche, still making the 911, boxster, caymen etc but they are also a business, and in order to make the cash needed to carry on developing the 911, caymen etc in to the cars they are today they need to make everyone happy with other models and cater to the Market.

It's business and porsche are doing alot of it very well at the moment. If you were the head of porsche and someone said you will make alot of money making a model that sells well, would you say no? Porsche is a company with other people to please, they need to make their bread like everyone else, then they can put it back in to development of the important stuff.

[henrycrun]

possibly the winner of the 'most ugly thing this Century'
Time will tell

[Scuffers]

well, whatever the merrits of hybrid, it's got some way to go to better the Lexus RX400h with 173Kw (230hp) of electric motors, regenerative braking, etc etc.