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Every smart house needs a smart car particularly one that is friendly on the environment, packed with entertainment and navigation technology and scoots along while not doing too much damage to the hip pocket.
The answer is the all new all performing Lexus RX400h Hybrid SVU which is set to be launched in Australia in October 2006. Packing a 3.3 litre V6 gasoline engine with two electric drive motors it also comes with some cool entertainment gear including a Mark Levinson entertainment system, 11 speakers and the capacity to connected MP3 and WMA devices into the audio system.
It also has satellite navigation and rear view cameras that are displayed to a TV screen in the front of the car. And before you ask yourself the battery never needs plugging in to an external power source as the petrol engine generates all the electricity that’s needed. Even when you brake, this ‘kinetic’ energy is captured as electrical energy and used to help charge the battery.
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The new Hybrid System will deliver a peak output of 270 horsepower and has an 80-100 klmh passing acceleration from the high output electric motor which delivers a high burst of torque.
The advantage of a hybrid driveline is that it eliminates hardships associated with electric cars to provide breakthrough performance, exemplary fuel efficiency, very low exhaust emissions, and a high level of convenience.
2006 Lexus RX400h introduces a new era of enhanced performance dimension to the widely known hybrid advantages of excellent fuel mileage and low emissions. The RX 400h will be rated as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) in California (Tier 2 – Bin 3 in other states), one of the most stringent emissions ratings in the industry.
The Lexus RX 400h is defined as a “full hybrid,” which means that it is capable of operating in electric-only or gas engine-only mode as well as a mode that combines the power of the gas engine and electric motor. In contrast, other hybrid technologies are not capable of running only on electrical power, but instead require constant gas engine operation.
The Lexus hybrid technology also allows extended electric-mode operation during low speed or stop-and-go driving conditions. The permanent-magnet front electric drive motor (MG2) produces peak torque from zero-to-1,500 RPM, giving the RX 400h powerful and instantaneous response that will be especially felt and appreciated in low- and mid-speed performance and in merging and passing manoeuvres.
A regenerative braking system further boosts system efficiency. When the RX 400h is coasting or the brakes are applied, the electric motors function as generators, capturing kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat through the brakes and transforming it into useable electricity to recharge the batteries.
With the RX 400h, Lexus also introduces a new generation of vehicle stability control systems known as Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM). A vital component of VDIM is a new Electronically Controlled Braking system (ECB). The ECB system translates brake pedal stroke speed and pressure and generates the precise amount of combined electric regeneration and hydraulic pressure needed for virtually any driving condition.
VDIM allows more optimized operation of the vehicle’s dynamic handling systems that employ the brakes: ABS, Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and traction control (TRAC). VDIM also interfaces with the Electronic Throttle Control system, allowing it to modify vehicle power when needed, and a new Electronic Power Steering system (EPS) to optimize steering assist for each situation.
When the RX 400h is coasting or the brakes are applied, the electric motors function as generators, capturing kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat through the brakes and transforming it into useable electricity to recharge the batteries. This regenerative braking system further boosts system efficiency.
The price a simply $94,000 dollars which when compared to the wankers status symbol the Porsche Caymen SUV one is saving around $110,000 dollars and being gentle on the enviroment.
