The automotive industry is accelerating for the times. It is no longer about plans for the future, but innovation must be done today. In this transformation there are differences or rivalries between the main players in the market."We want to go from being a car manufacturer to a mobility services company," said Daniel Herrero, number one of Toyota Argentina, the most successful brand in the country. So, bluntly, he set his vision for the long term.In Nissan, with the Nissan Intelligent Mobility plan, they also aim to fix another course. In fact, they are already working with a new proposal called Energy Home, whereby battery cars can transfer energy to the home to save electricity.Beyond the chosen path, they agree that transport must be more sustainable. To achieve this, traditional fuels must disappear.In fact, some brands have already established specific dates for the end of the production of combustion vehicles to definitively migrate to those that are propelled with new technologies.Among the options are hybrids, plug-in hybrids, those that run on hydrogen and 100% electric.Next, a review of each alternative, which are the companies that defend them and how they will operate in Argentina.The electricThey are those cars 100% electrified, the maximum innovation in terms of motorization.Nissan and Renault are some of the brands that choose this variant and bet directly on these models, without previous step."For us, the road is electric, we have a long-term strategy and the Leaf is our ambassador," José Luis Valls, CEO of Nissan Latin America, told iProUP."It is the model that represents the vision of Nissan Intelligent Mobility and the technologies of the future, such as autonomous handling, the Pro-Pilot, the possibilities of the car to park alone and connectivity, this is what is coming," he added.
In these cases, both the motor and the rest of the systems only use electricity, which is stored in the battery to be consumed during its use. And it can be recharged during the journeys with the acceleration and braking of the car.2018-11-07 Toyota-Hillux- Section and Notes Comex, Economy - Banner 240x90In order to fully charge it, it is necessary to resort to service stations with electric pumps (which are not available in Argentina) or household equipment.Some brands offer a wallbox, a box that is installed in homes and is faster, while there are emergency cables that allow you to connect to a conventional outlet. This demands more load time (hours), but it is useful to get out of trouble in any place.Currently, the average time required for the total recharge is eight hours and the autonomy of the most advanced reaches 400 km. However, work is already being done on projects that can reach 600 km.The most popular electric are the Nissan Leaf, which will be launched in January in Argentina; the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which could reach the country between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020; and the Renault ZOE.These are compact and accessible cars, in contrast to the Tesla Model S, a brand that was born "100% electric" and aims for a premium public.Other firms are also working at an accelerated pace in electrification and have attractive models. Hyundai is grouped within that platoon, with the electric Kona; Porsche, with the Taycan SUV; Jaguar, with another SUV: the I-Pace; and Kia, with her new e-Niro.The hybridsIn this category are grouped the cars that have as their main engine one to combustion. That is, a traditional naphtero, but combined with an electrical system that supports the first lowering consumption.Toyota is the brand that defends it most and the first that implemented it in Argentina.How does it work? The fuel burns and releases energy that serves to move the wheels. In addition, thanks to an electricity generator, the hybrid partially recharges the battery thanks to the work of the inverter, which is located on the gearbox, in descents or situations of retention or reduction of speeds.That energy will be stored again to be used at certain times, such as starting the vehicle or feeding the complementary systems.The purely electric autonomy of these models is now reduced, with an average of 30km and a maximum speed that does not exceed 50 km / h. They achieve a very low fuel consumption: about five liters per 100 kilometers on average.
One of the main references of this category in the country is the Toyota Prius. Worldwide, the benchmarks are the BMW M340i, a hybrid version of the next generation of the BMW 3 Series; the Toyota CH-R and the new Lexus UX 250h.Since December 7, also Lexus, which landed in the local market, offers all its proposals with conventional or hybrid engine.Rechargeable hybrids or PHEVThese models integrate a traditional combustion engine and an electric self-rechargeable or additional external recharge. This means that they can regenerate their energy as a hybrid and, in addition, get it from intakes of the fixed electrical network.Another fact is that they have a second battery, so they have a greater stored energy volume. As a result, they have more electric autonomy and offer a wider range in EV mode, around 50 or 60 km, in addition to reaching maximum speeds of up to 130 km / h in electric mode.One of the pioneers is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. In Argentina, the Mercedes Benz GLC350e was recently launched. And Volkswagen is one of the firms that most defends this category."As a brand we will have more than 25 hybrid and electric models worldwide in the coming years, but we have to adapt each one to the market, I believe that the option most suited to Latin America are Plug-In hybrids due to the lack of infrastructure", affirmed Pablo Di Si, CEO of Volkswagen Mercosur, to iProUP."We will start with the GTE Golf and, if the structural part begins to improve, we will bring other models," he added.Hyundai Ioniq also has a hybrid and an electric version to rival the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.A variant of the Plug-In hybrids are the mild hybrid, which integrate a traditional engine and a battery with greater capacity than what is usually found in the market.This allows that, while the engine does its job sending energy to the wheels, the generator recharges the electric accumulator.This energy independently feeds systems such as start-up or accessories (lighting, infotainment, air conditioning, etc.) that, in traditional situations, would have an extra consumption contribution while the engine, by itself, uses fuel to roll.Some of these "mild-hybrid" cars carry the DGT Eco label, thanks to the fact that they comply with the sustainability regulations of the Spanish Traffic Department, such as the Audi Q8.HydrogenThere are several brands that have been betting for years on the fuel cell. Toyota started in 2002 and ended up applying the system to the Mirai, while the first to introduce a hydrogen model in the market was Honda, with FCX Clarity, in 2008.Mazda also tested this fuel with the RX8, which worked with both naphtha and hydrogen. But, finally, it did not reach the production stage.Another that was also played by this technology is Hyundai. In 2013, it began to market the ix35 Fuel Cell and is about to launch its second generation fuel cell with the Hyundai Nexo.Unlike an electric car, the fuel cell is not recharged by a plug. Instead, it has hydrogen tanks that mix this gas with oxygen to generate the propulsion of the vehicle.The process of mixing oxygen and hydrogen occurs in the fuel cell and generates electrical energy, in addition to water. While the resulting electricity is stored in the batteries to feed the motor, the surplus water, in the form of steam, is expelled. Hydrogen cars only emit water vapor through the exhaust pipe. The main advantage indicated by the manufacturers of these models in comparison with the electric ones is the time for a complete recharge: they assure that it only requires five minutes.Filling the hydrogen tank is a similar task to going to a service station: it is done through a hose, which is sealed to the tank while the process lasts.The autonomy is very similar to that of combustion vehicles. The first generation of Hyundai's fuel cell reached almost 430 km, while its second generation, with the Nexo, is close to 600 km.To take into accountIn Argentina, brands go in different ways. Nissan bets directly on the electric, like Renault. Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz prefer Plug-In hybrids, because the country's infrastructure is ready for them. Instead, Toyota keeps the hybrids.In any case, the road is under way and the disembarkation of new technologies is already a reality. It just needs more companies to risk launching their models knowing that they will be a great bet for the future.