Last week, Porsche introduced its , featuring the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). It will be formally unveiled at next month’s Geneva auto show, exactly 100 years after Ferdinand Porsche launched the world’s first hybrid car, the Lohner Porsche Semper Vivus. In May, it will race in the 24-hour Nürburgring, the track of which is widely thought to be the world’s toughest, most demanding racetrack.

Most hybrids rely on heavy lithium-ion batteries, but the KERS is a flywheel generator that captures and stores energy from braking, and replaces the passenger seat. As the driver brakes, the car’s front two motors act as generators, accelerating the flywheel. When the driver pushes a button on the steering wheel, the flywheel then acts as a generator converting mechanically stored kinetic energy into electrical energy, sending up to 120 kW to the front wheels for a 6 to 8 second burst of 160 hp. This will be useful as the driver is coming out of a turn, or trying to pass. It is expected to save fuel, lower the number of pit stops, and allow the car to be heavier.

Typical for 911s, a 480 HP 4.0 Liter flat six engine runs the rear wheels. This motor is known for lower mechanical vibrations.

Porsche will be using the same design that the Williams Formula 1 racing team uses, except as there is no passenger seat in the F1, the F1 KERS gets its energy from the rear drivetrain. In the past, Formula 1 found the technology controversial for several reasons. It adds 25 kg. (55 lbs.) of weight, raises the car’s center of gravity and reduces the ballast, making it difficult to evenly distribute the car’s weight.

Though there are no plans yet for a street-legal version of this car, this design is part of Porsche’s “Intelligent Performance” philosophy, which will drive all future car designs. The goal is more power, less fuel and lower CO2 emissions (which they have lowered by 1.7% annually for the last 15 years). This hybrid will act as a racing laboratory, and is intended to spearhead Porsche’s new design.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf will get 100 miles per charge and cost about $30,000, though Federal credits may bring this down to $23,000. It charges in 14 hours at 120 volts, 4 hours at 240 Volts, and in a little over 30 minutes at 440 Volts DC (planned for Nissan’s commercial charging stations). The car has its own web service that will direct the driver to the nearest station, as well as provide music and video channels. Plus an iPhone app will allow the driver to check your car’s charge level, and even turn the AC or heater while the car still on the charger. It has 100 horsepower and 210 ft-lbs of torque, but with its electronic shifter and gauges, it wont feel like any car we’re used to. Expect to see them on the road in December, with charging stations opening in Portland, Seattle, Tuscon, Phoenix and Nashville.

Here are some of the other highlights of the auto show.

GEM, a company acquired by Chrysler in 2000, sells neighborhood electric vehicles. A lot of them. They sold 40,000 last year in the US, number one in their category with a 70% market share. A GEM representative calculated that in 2009, their vehicles went about 500 million miles, saving 19 million gallons of gas and 93,000 metric tons of emissions, equivalent to planting half a million trees. Ten percent of vehicle sales are to retirement communities, but they also sell to college campuses, state parks, and municipalities. They have six models available, ranging in price from about $7,300 to $13,000 for the fully-loaded six-passenger model.

Toyota debuted a plug-in hybrid Prius. The regular Prius has a nickle-hydride battery, but the plug-in’s is lithium-ion. It can run for 13 miles on a bone-dry tank, and gets 80 to 100 mpg “if driven correctly,” said Joyce Brew, a Toyota representative. It has the same power train and hybrid synergy drive as the old Prius.

But it doesn’t all have to be “green”, does it? The Viper roadster has a 600 hp engine and 560 ft-lbs of torque. Zero to 60 in under four seconds, and the quarter mile in 11 seconds. Zero to 100, and back to zero in 11 seconds. It tops out at about 198 mph, and has no traction control or stability program (“kid gloves” stuff, said the presenter).

The affected vehicles, according to Car and Driver, are

• 2009-2010 Toyota Carolla
• 2009-2010 Highlander
• 2009–2010 Venza
• 2009–2010 Matrix
• 2009–2010 Pontiac Vibe (same as the Matrix underneath)

As the gas pedal mechanism becomes worn, the pedal becomes harder to push, or slower to return to the idle position, due to resistance from the all-weather rubber floor mats. Except in the worst case of uncontrollable acceleration, this should not occur suddenly but be noticeable over time.

If you own one of the above recall models and experience this defect while driving, experts suggest that you do not pump the brakes. This depletes the vacuum needed by the power brake assembly. Instead, shift your car to neutral, use both feet on the brake pedal, bring the car to a complete stop and turn it off. Remember never to remove the key while driving as this will lock the steering wheel. If you have an engine start/stop button, push it for at least three seconds to turn the car off. And finally, report the incident to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

About ten years ago, Toyota made the decision to use non-Japanese suppliers to produce more cheaply and expand market share. It worked. In 2008, they eclipsed GM as the world’s largest car manufacturer, continuing the trend in 2009 even as the entire market shrank. But it would appear that what they saved in cost, they wasted in quality. In November 2009, the NHTSA mandated a recall, based on four deaths in California of an off-duty highway patrolmen, his wife, daughter and brother-in-law.

That Toyota was forced by American authorities to recall their cars is just the latest in a pattern of denial, according to the LA times. In a scathing expose last month, they alleged that Toyota has known about the problem since 2000, but deemed it more profitable at the outset to deny it, or blame the driver. As cases went to litigation, their denial took the form of out-of-court settlements and non-disclosure agreements, some reaching seven figures. They drew criticism from the courts for ignoring requests for evidence, but chose instead to pay the fines. (So far, Toyota hasn’t shared black box passwords or accident data, claiming that the recording device is a proprietary prototype).

When they found the pedal problem in the Camry and Lexus ES two years ago, their only “repair” was a warning label … on the underside of the floor mat. Even as the deaths in California brought the issue to light, Toyota publicly insisted that no default existed, drawing an uncharacteristically sharp rebuttal from the NHTSA, which called their statements “inaccurate and misleading.”

It is clear that Toyota will not walk away from this without a scratch. Edmunds.com forecast a dip in Toyota’s market share from around 18% (it’s high in 2008) to 14.7%, its lowest point since March of 2006. Sales figures will be released Tuesday, but they are expected to show a decrease of 45% for December and 11.9% for January. Though Toyota is running apology ads in major newspapers on Sunday or Monday, but many industry experts agree that the damage has already been done. Though the typical consumer has a short memory span, this issue will be in the media spotlight long enough for even the shortest memories.

Since the US is the second largest natural gas producer worldwide (CIA Factbook, 2009), we will be — as the mantra goes — finally “decreasing our dependency on foreign oil.” HK’s car will get 45 miles per gallon, and emit about three ounces per mile of CO2 exhaust (or 50 grams per kilometer).

Natural Gas Vehicles (or NGVs) are the latest trend in green, environmentally friendly cars, as they emit 93 percent less carbon monoxide than regular gas vehicles. Although they cost about $30,000 to $50,000 more to produce, natural gas is just one third the price of regular gas, and is much more stably priced. If that is not enough to convince a buyer to front the extra cost, NGVs typically require less routine maintenance than regular cars, because the gas burns so cleanly that there is less wear and tear on engine parts.

On the flip side, though there are around 120,000 NGVs in the US (mostly fleet vehicles), as of last year, there are only 1,300 fueling stations for NGVs with many not open to the public. Riders complain that NGVs aren’t roomy, as the lower-density gas needs more storage space. Finally, NGVs have more limited range than regular gas vehicles, around 220 miles compared to 350 miles for the same car (Honda Civic GX vs. Civic).

The eight initial models for the HK plant will be designed by world-famous designer Giorgetto Guigiaro, of DeLorean fame (featured in the “Back to the Future” movie series. He also did a 2006 Mustang prototype). The concept car of this week’s press conference was in fact the Quaranta, recycled from the 2008 Geneva International Motors Show, a fact that was not denied, but not publicized either. It’s generally acknowledged that this is not likely to be the production model (whew! it has two front passenger seats, with the driver in the middle), but the flagship product is to be a sports car.

HK plans to produce about one million cars annually when it meets full capacity in 2018, and later produce vans, trucks and SUVs. When production begins in 2012, it will bring the US back to 14 million cars per year, with HK motors producing a significant share of the domestic auto market.