Curry’s Auto Service announced last week that it has partnered with Automotive Research and Design (AR&D) to form a new joint venture exclusively for hybrid vehicles, called The Hybrid Shop (THS).

Curry’s Auto Service describes itself as one of the largest independent auto service and repair shops in the Washington, DC, area.

This new service will specialize in serving the hybrid segment of the automotive aftermarket, and partners said it will bring an environmentally-sound alternative to battery replacement to restore hybrid battery power for greater fuel economy, cost savings, and vehicle performance.

This new service offering brings unprecedented opportunities for revenue growth and innovation through a complete dealer package now available.

First Landing Auto Care, Virginia Beach, VA; Lloyd’s Tire and Auto, Santa Cruz, CA; Fifth Gear Automotive, Lewisville, TX; and Good Works Auto Repair, Tempe, AZ are the first dealers to have gone through The Hybrid Shop’s 4-day on site technician training, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Maintenance, Service, and Diagnostics Course. They are now all fully certified to provide the Battery Conditioning Service.

The Hybrid Shop is said to provide shop owners and dealer partners with a variety of new revenue streams and areas for continued business growth in the expanding hybrid market, including:

• Battery Conditioning and Rebuilding;
• Motor-Generator (Electronic Machine) testing, diagnosis and replacement;
• Power Inverter & Control System Testing;
• dc-dc Converter Testing;
• Other Hybrid Specific Maintenance; and
• Normal Vehicle Maintenance.

“Our new partnership with AR&D as well as the exclusive technology and service offerings THS provides to the growing Hybrid market represent a tremendous business opportunity to shop owners and dealer partners,” Curry’s Auto Service Co-Founder and CEO, Matt Curry states. “As the Hybrid vehicle market continues to expand, Area Dealers and Affiliate Dealers have a unique opportunity to serve Hybrid customers in this growing area, to help them maximize their green footprint and improve the performance and economy of their vehicle in a cost-effective manner, while setting their organizations on a path to continued revenue growth and expansion.”

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The company said it is working intently to electrify the drivetrain using plug-in hybrid technology.

To demonstrate this, the brand with the four rings is showing the Audi A3 e-tron at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The close to reality concept car has a total of 204 horsepower of drivetrain power. In Audi’s words: “sporty performance is guaranteed.”

Audi said the A3 e-tron is “a true Audi”. The company supports this claim by saying the A3 e-tron sprints from 0 to 100 kilometer per hour (62.14 mph) in 7.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 222 kilometer per hour (137.94 mph).

According to the ECE standard for plug-in hybrid automobiles, the five-door model consumes on average just 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (156.81 US mpg). In pure electric mode, the Audi A3 e-tron reaches a top speed of 130 kilometer per hour (80.78 mph) and has a maximum range of 50 kilometers (31.07 miles).

The combustion engine is a modified 1.4 TFSI producing 150 horsepower. A clutch links the TFSI engine to an electric motor with an output of 75 kilowatt. The disc-shaped electric motor is integrated into a newly designed six-speed e-S tronic, which transfers the power to the front wheels.

The electric motor delivers its peak torque from start to around 2000 rpm, and the TFSI’s maximum pulling power is available in a range from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm.

Audi said the A3 e-tron can be driven with just the combustion engine, just the electric drive or in hybrid mode. The driver can choose to have both electric and combustion engine active at the same time, for a “boosting” effect; when the driver lets go of the accelerator, they both deactivate temporarily (“gliding”). In this way motor braking torque is eliminated and efficiency increases.

At the Geneva Motor Show, the Audi A3 e-tron will provide a realistic glimpse into the way Audi sees the future of mobility.

The German company stated that the electrification of the drivetrain, above all using plug-in technology, plays a deciding role in the strategy of the brand.

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The Detroit Bureau is reporting that Kenichi Yamamoto, director of product management at Subaru of America, has said that Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) is working on a hybrid vehicle.

Yamamoto didn’t offer further details, but according to the Bureau other company representatives also confirmed that a hybrid was on the way, and may make its debut in March at the New York Auto Show.

As far back as May 2009 Subaru’s parent was promising a hybrid for release in 2012, saying that Toyota would assist in the car’s development. In 2005 Subaru unveiled a concept hybrid called the B5 TPH Hybrid.

During the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show Fuji Heavy Industries reconfirmed plans for a hybrid model, saying such a car would help the company meet stricter U.S. fuel economy requirements. Two years later, during the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, FHI officials pushed the unveiling of a hybrid to 2013.

Sales in the U.S. have grown considerably for the last four years, with record figures posted in 2012. The Detroit Bureau writes that Yamamoto said that in addition of a hybrid for the U.S. Subaru must also offer a hybrid model to its Japanese customers.

The Detroit Bureau

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