2010 Cars

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling and new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.

General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept, or show, car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s.

Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. A "production-intent" vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose.Chrysler "Jolts" PHEV Race; PHEV Ads; V2Green Acquired, Sep 24, 2008, CalCars (California Cars Initiative)

An alternative fuel vehicle is a vehicle that runs on a fuel other than "traditional" petroleum fuels (petrol or diesel); and also refers to any technology of powering an engine that does not involve solely petroleum (e.g. electric car, hybrid electric vehicles, solar powered). Because of a combination of factors, such as environmental concerns, high oil prices and the potential for peak oil, development of cleaner alternative fuels and advanced power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for many governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world.

Hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius are not actually alternative fuel vehicles, but through advanced technologies in the electric battery and motor/generator, they make a more efficient use of petroleum fuel.http://www.claverton-energy.com/revealed-how-the-hybrid-car-works.html Other research and development efforts in alternative forms of power focus on developing all-electric and fuel cell vehicles, and even the stored energy of compressed air.

As of July 2010 more than 40 million alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles have been sold worldwide, compared to around 900 million cars and light trucks in use in the world in 2009. This alternative fuel fleet is made up mainly of:

* 20.7 million flexible-fuel vehicles by mid 2010, led by Brazil with 10.6 million, Production up to June 2010 followed by the United States with 9.3 million, Trend of total FFVs in use from 1998-2008, based on FFV production rates and life expectancy Click to download the Excel file. Canada (600,000), and Europe, led by Sweden (199,004). See Graph "Bought flexifuel vehicles" Additionally, 183,375 flexible-fuel motorcycles were sold in Brazil in 2009.

* 11.2 million natural gas vehicles by 2009, led by Pakistan with 2.4 million, Argentina (1.8 million), Iran (1.7 million), Brazil (1.6 million), and India (725 thousand).

* Between 2.4 to 3.0 million neat-ethanol vehicles still in use in Brazil, out of 5.7 million ethanol only light-vehicles produced since 1979.

* More than 3.1 million hybrid electric vehicles sold by mid 2010, led by the United States with almost 1.8 million units, Total registered electric hybrids in the U.S. was 1,614,761 vehicles until December 2009 (Click and open the Excel file for the detail by year for each model) As of July 2010 a total of 154,752 hybrid cars were sold in the U.S. followed by Japan with more than 1.1 million A total of 25,239 Honda hybrids sold in Japan and 35,149 sold in Europe until January 2009 and Europe with around 250 thousand. A total of 202.1 thousand hybrid manufactured by TMC sold in Europe until August 2009 Worldwide, Toyota Motor Company is the leader with 2.68 million hybrids sold by July 2010, followed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with more than 300 thousand hybrids sold by January 2009, and Ford Motor Corporation with more than 140 thousand hybrids sold by June 2010.