The Hybrid automotive technology has been introduced worldwide for quite some times now. There have been several iconic vehicles powered by hybrid engines. Some of the most prestigious automotive competitors in the world even already have their own hybrid versions. The FIA has its Formula E Championship as a kind of electric version of its Formula 1. Meanwhile the FIM has its Moto E to kick out next year side by side with the famous Moto GP World Championship. Thus it is a common strategy for many car manufacturers around the globe to create their Hybrid Cars just as Maruti Suzuki and Honda in India. One thing for sure is that the current development of hybrid cars from Maruti Suzuki and Honda in India is to follow the announcement of the Indian government that by the year 20130 India should be a nation of full electric mobility.

Also read: Toyota to launch 10 Electric Vehicles by early 2020

Hybrid Cars – Technology

Despite of the fact that the government has just given the project to build hybrid cars to Tata and Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki will start to really deliver the future by creating its own version of hybrid cars. Basically the so-called hybrid cars will be the bridge between petrol fueled cars and fully electric powered cars. It is rather difficult to build since it will have both systems of petrol engine and electric motor inside. Yet it can be expected that both Maruti Suzuki and Honda in India have their own commitment to get closer to Tata and Mahindra in term of hybrid cars production. Maruti Suzuki has its step ahead of Honda by collaborating with Toshiba and Denso in developing their hybrid city cars for the upcoming years.

The idea of a hybrid car is that the car will have more than just one propulsion systems. It means that at some points the car will be powered by a petrol engine while at some other points the electric motor will take control of the car. It can be said to be a kind of seamless transition from using petrol fueled engine to electric powered engine. One decent advantage of having and using the so-called hybrid vehicle is that there is no need to depend on one type of power or fuel. It means the petrol engine can be used when the battery runs out in the middle of the road and vice versa. As a matter of fact it will be highly beneficial to drive. Clearly there is a disadvantage of this hybrid car as well. The cost to actually build a hybrid car could be expensive since it is quite complicated in term of its design and engineering. Moreover the weight of the car may well be heavier than petrol fueled car or electric powered car deriving a fact that it will not be able to run for long.

Hybrid Cars from Maruti Suzuki

Anyway, Maruti Suzuki has decided to locally produce hybrid cars in India. There is the so-called SHVS system in some of its car models. It is not a full hybrid system since it can only gain at 2% efficiency compared to the standard petrol model of Ciaz. Well that is a start of Maruti Suzuki to get into the market of hybrid cars before really entering the future of electric cars up ahead.

It is a must for car manufacturers in India to start delivering hybrid car models due to the fact that emission norms are getting stricter in India. So far some petrol engines may well be able to be that efficient according to the norms. Yet, it may not last long though. Thus the hybrid cars will be the way out to create efficient cars with fewer emissions to meet the actual norms stated by the government. The latest CAFÉ norms will be effective in the year of 2022 so that hybrid car models should be ready for that year or else they will not be permitted to be sold and driven. The current CAFÉ norms stand at 138g of CO2 for a kilometer while the upcoming CAFÉ norms will have its maximum level at 113g of CO2 for a kilometer. Clearly the hybrid technology will be able to deliver promising output which will then meet that number. That is the thing that Maruti Suzuki and Honda have just started to deal with just before reaching the year of 2022.

In term of the car to be unveiled by Maruti Suzuki under the hybrid segment, Swift Hybrid is the one with the highest possibility. This car has often been displayed in Auto Expo and Green Expo. The Swift hybrid could simply be copying the Japanese version since it has already been sold there with its price of JPY 15 million. It weights slightly under 1000 kg with 32 kmpl with its 10kW electric power boost out of its 100V system. That can be the estimated specifications in which the Indian version will probably be totally different. The fact that Maruti Suzuki will produce the car locally could be the main differentiating aspect.

Hybrid Cars from Honda

Aside of Maruti Suzuki it is quite interesting as well to look at the development of Honda in India in term of hybrid car models. The Accord Hybrid has actually been sold in India with its iconic i-MMD system. It has a decent system that the petrol engine could actually charge the battery while the electric motor powered the wheels to make the car going known as the HDO operation. On the other hand it has the EDO operation option as well with the engine runs the car in a single gear with its same performance as four gears to highly reduce transmission losses. It has its 17 to 18 kmpl level on Indian roads. Meanwhile the later model of hybrid car from Honda in India could be the City. It could be having smaller petrol unit which will still be more efficient compared to its diesel version. It is possible that there will be more of Honda hybrid cars later on in India.

At the end there is no clear information released by either the Maruti Suzuki or Honda in India regarding their new hybrid cars. One thing for sure is that both of them have been developing and trying to deliver the most efficient hybrid car models to compete against those cars of Tata and Mahindra within the market. It will be exciting to see later on at around the year of 2020 in term of the competition of hybrid car models in India once Maruti Suzuki and Honda have their latest models, right?

Please do write your views to India Autoz and stay tuned.

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