Chevrolet Hybrid

Nowadays, the environment has been brought in our attention, especially because of pollution and that’s why the car manufacturers have been trying to develop eco-friendly cars which can offer comfort, space and speed at a reasonable price. And Chevrolet is one of these car brands which really succeeded in manufacturing incredible hybrid cars at amazing prices. We all heard about the release of the Chevrolet Volt, release which was a great success for this company. But a new star of the eco-friendly car niche made its appearance this year and I think that in the next years we will be impressed by the future eco-friendly cars that will be manufactured.

General Motors has unveiled an interesting Chevrolet Hybrid at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show, a concept car which is the creation of the South Korean subsidiary. It’s a sporty car which combines luxury with a “mid-electric” hybrid power train, being able to run on electric front–wheel drive or tap a gasoline engine for the rear wheels. This Chevrolet Hybrid took home the award for “the best new concept car” because of its aggressive styling and its electric propulsion system.

The new Chevrolet Hybrid was named Chevrolet Mi-ray which means in Korean “future” and it’s a compact open roadster made from carbon fiber with an aluminum chassis that ensures a lightweight performance. The Mi-ray is equipped with aluminum-carbon fiber composite 20-inch wheels in the front and 21 inch-wheels in the back. An interesting thing about this Chevrolet hybrid is its doors. You will have the opportunity to see a Chevrolet car using the well known Lamborghini scissor doors. Moreover, the dual port grille is flanked by LED headlights with daytime running lamps. The designers created amazing front and rear fenders which evoke the incredible look of the past Chevrolet Corvettes while the spoilers placed in the rear corners (which are made of carbon fiber) were designed to help control the downforce and the airflow.

Inside, this Chevrolet hybrid has asymmetrically positioned seats while the start button is placed in the center similar to those used in the jet aircrafts. The interior uses a combination of leather, brushed aluminum, white fabric and liquid metal surfaces. The instrumental panel is designed to use back projection and prioritizes information in three zones to help the driver. The Chevrolet Hybrid uses retractable cameras that electrically extend from the side glass. The Mi-ray features a forward-facing camera as well, which along with the GPS overlay the navigation information on real-time video.

Under the hood, the car hides two front-mounted 15 kilowatt electric motors which help the driver accelerate very quickly while zero emissions are released. The motors are equipped with a 1.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery which can be charged through regenerative braking energy. The mid-electric power train is mounted behind and beneath the driver. As a result, the performance and the fuel economy are increased. This Chevrolet Hybrid is also equipped with a 1.5 liter four-cylinder turbocharger engine which can be used when an extra power is needed. This engine is especially designed to drive the rear wheels and has a dual-clutch transmission for fast shifting and to improve the fuel efficiency. This Chevrolet Hybrid gets 60 mpg when you drive in the city and 63 mpg on the highway.

The Chevrolet Mi-ray was designed to celebrate the Chevrolet’s centennial anniversary and I think that it was the best gift for such a well known car brand. The Chevrolet Mi-ray is truly an example for the perfect future car and I can’t wait to see it on the road as soon as possible

Post tags: Tags: 2011 motor show, 2011 seoul motor show, Chevrolet Hybrid, chevrolet-volt