Yo-Mobile

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Yo-mobil
Overview
Manufacturer Yo-auto
Production 2015 -[1]
Body and chassis
Body style Crossover, hatchback, truck
Powertrain
Engine Gasoline or natural gas hybrid
yo-mobil coupe
yo-mobil hatchback
yo-mobil truck

The Yo-mobil (Russian: ё-мобиль; IPA: [jɵ mɐˈbʲilʲ]) is a planned hybrid electric car that will be produced by Yo-auto, a Russian company that is a joint venture between SKD truck maker Yarovit and the Onexim investment group.[2][3][4]

Background

The car was introduced on 13 December 2010 in Moscow, a product of a joint venture between Yarovit, owner of a small assembly plant in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Onexim investment group, headed by Mikhail Prokhorov, who is the leader and financier of the project.[2][4] Prokhorov planned to invest around €150 million (US$200 million) in a venture, dubbed Yo-auto.[2] According to Prokhorov, he intended for the vehicle to "break the stereotype saying Russia can't produce good cars."[4]

Design

The car will be powered by an engine that can burn both gasoline and natural gas and is connected to a pair of electric motors.[2] Unlike other hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the internal-combustion engine directly powers the motors rather than a battery.[2] It was planned to install a rotary vane type engine, with the pistons moving in a circle, rather than linearly.[2] However, the inventor of the engine Mikhail Virgiyanov in an open letter to the company refused to continue work on the engine and accused the company of copyright infringement.[5]

Fuel economy of the car is expected to be around 67 mpg-US (3.5 L/100 km; 80 mpg-imp), with a range of 680 miles (1,090 km) and a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h).[2] However, no tests were conducted due to the lack of working examples.

Criticism

The project has been criticized by many Russian automotive specialists.[6] In particular the project and its designers are criticized for:

  • Overly ambitious plans for a company that has never designed or produced vehicles of any kind (Yarovit company only did SKD assembly of trucks based on large Terberg components)
  • Designing a vehicle around high-tech components most of which do not exist even as experimental machines[5]
  • Dangerously high center of gravity, making it susceptible to roll-over[7]
  • Archaic design, resembling go-carts by its body and mining equipment by the drivetrain[7]
  • Use of capacitors as power storage devices[8] which have numerous disadvantages and may become dangerous in certain circumstances[7]
  • Dynamic driving properties declared earlier may not match practicals due to power leak caused by additional electric equipment (like lights, air conditioning etc.).[9]
  • No physical safety tests results were announced yet (June 2012).

Production and sales

Yo-auto initially planned to begin producing the car during the second half of 2012,[10] and had aims to sell 10,000 during the first year of production.[2][4] However, these plans were revised in 2012, with the estimated start of production now moved to early 2015.[1] While it will be initially sold in Russia, Yo-auto plans to sell the vehicle in Europe subject to compliance with European Union regulations.[4] The cars will be manufactured in a factory near St. Petersburg that will have an estimated annual capacity of 45,000 units. A second factory, to be opened later, is expected to double the annual production rate.[10] However, these plans were also revised in 2013, with the estimated total annual production rate now targeted at 40,000 units.[11] While it will be initially sold in Russia, Yo-auto plans to sell the vehicle in Europe subject to compliance with European Union regulations.[12]

2011 concept car

2011 yo-mobil concept car

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, yo-Auto presented a concept yo-mobil with sliding doors. Instead of mirrors, the concept utilized a pair of video cameras for rear view vision.[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Yo Mobile, Russia's first hybrid, delayed until 2015". Autoblog.com. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-10-01. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Russian Billionaire Backs New Hybrid Car". The New York Times. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  3. ↑ "Yo! Russian Magnate Starts Hybrid Car Company". NPR. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Russian Billionaire Ventures Into Hybrid Cars". The Wall Street Journal. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.professor-butakov.ru/history/view_history.php?id=1
  6. ↑ http://www.autonews.ru/autobusiness/news.shtml?/2010/04/07/1541034
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 http://trv-science.ru/2011/07/05/yo-mobil-innovacii-na-marshe/
  8. ↑ http://www.yo-auto.ru/innovation/nakopitel-energii/
  9. ↑ http://trv-science.ru/2011/07/05/yo-mobil-innovacii-na-marshe/
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Russian ë-mobile hybrid car orders 10-years ahead - Prokhorov". RIA Novosti. 2011-06-27. 
  11. ↑ "Russia’s Hybrid Yo-Mobile’s Output Target Halved". RIA Novosti. 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2013-07-10. 
  12. ↑ "TMT sẽ sản xuất lắp ráp xe hybrid sử dụng nhiên liệu sạch". TinTheThao.com. Retrieved 15 December 2011. 
  13. ↑ On, Sgh. "New yo-Auto Concept Car at Frankfurt". mdautomobile. Retrieved 19 September 2011. 

External links

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