Joining the ranks of hybrids and other earth-friendly cars at the 2007 Frankfurt show is the little Opel Corsa Hybrid Concept. This concept builds upon the diesel Corsa that is already offered for sale in Europe, and adds an electric drive system to the motor.
Using a 1.3-liter CDTI diesel motor, along with a belt-driven alternator-starter, the little Opel can achieve around 60 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel. Part of the fuel savings comes from the fact that the car automatically shuts off at traffic lights and under braking. Speaking of braking - it's regenerative on the Opel. Energy from the binders is routed back to the lithium-ion battery pack with in turn powers the belt-alternator starter.
With more and more car-makers utilizing this kind of energy-saving technology in their concepts and productions models, it shouldn't be long before entire model lines, large and small, can benefit from these advancements.