BMW Vision EfficientDynamics
BMW will unveil its new Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the Geneva Auto Show next week. Featuring a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric generator - BMW calls the system a ‘mild hybrid’ version of its ActiveHybrid system - the concept enhanced efficiency and is the first diesel in the world with a specific power output of over 100bhp per liter of capacity.
The Vision EfficientDynamics is based visually and technologically on the BMW X5 but it has a 12mm lower body height due to chassis modifications. An innovative 19-inch
wheel rim design optimizes aerodynamics and aids in reducing drag and fuel consumption, while a specially designed load compartment recess reflects the compact design of the lithium-ion battery. The generator and high-power electronic system are invisible from the outside.
The compact generator, integrated in the lightweight, 8-speed aluminum gearbox housing, sources power through brake energy regeneration and high-power solar cells covering the roof. The latter pre-heats the gear oil – shortening the inefficient warm-up phase – and supplies energy for the ventilation, audio equipment or mobile phone charger and charges the battery when the car is at
a standst
ill.
Vermont laws could pave the road to cleaner vehicles
Nearly a dozen states could limit emissions from cars and light trucks thanks to a Vermont judge, according to an article published by Reuters. In 2005 Vermont followed California's lead in calling for a 30 percent cut in the amount of CO2 emitted from automobiles starting with 2009 models. U.S. automakers have sued both states seeking to have the rules overturned, but Vermont's suit was the first to go to trial.
After nearly a month of testimony arguments finally concluded on May 8, with legal experts expecting U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions to file his ruling by September the article states.
The Vermont trial began shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an unrelated case that CO2 can be regulated as a pollutant, rejecting a 2003 argument by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that it did not have authority over CO2 emissions. That ruling has weakened the auto industry's claim that the that the 10 states that have already adopted the regulations are overreaching, and that fuel efficiency in vehicles is meant to be federally regulated.
GM and DaimlerChrysler said they could not meet the Vermont standards and would be forced to stop doing business in the state as a result. Vermont has countered, saying the standards were realistic and crucial for maintaining the stable climate the state depends on.
U.S. automakers have been slow in adopting energy-saving technologies compared to their Asian rivals, claiming hybrid technology raises manufacturing costs to levels that would negatively affect their businesses. Japanese automaker Toyota has been building the Prius hybrid at a loss but expects cost-cutting on hybrid production to make the cars as profitable as traditional petrol-powered models by 2010, when the automaker expects to sell a million hybrids annually.
California created its stricter emissions laws beleiving the national government was doing too little to regulate CO2 from cars. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington adopted the California laws and Arizona, Maryland and New Mexico are also considering imposing the regulations.
Tesla will open 'stores', not dealerships
Tesla Motors is planning to sell its electric roadsters through factory-owned stores rather than franchised dealerships, according to
Automotive News.
"We can't hand over the car to an independent franchiser," said Darryl Siry, Tesla's vice president of marketing, in an interview with AN. "A traditional dealer would spend his time apologising for the car's shortcomings rather than talking up the benefits."
The all-electric vehicle could see decreases in performance over its lifetime, as the lithium-ion batteries lose their power-retaining ability.
Tesla's sales approach would be more akin to that of buying a computer from an Apple Store than a traditional dealership experience. The company expects to have an adequate retail presence by mid-2009, when its 'Whitestar' electric saloon is anticipated to go on sale.
The company has arranged for $45 million in venture capital to invest in stores accross the U.S., including New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami. In a second batch of openings, Tesla plans to target the San Diego, Seattle, Denver and Boston markets.
About 400 of the 1,200 roadsters Tesla plans to build annually have already been pre-sold. The first deliveries are scheduled to take place in November, right around the time the first store will open in Santa Monica, California.
The company has arranged for $45 million in venture capital to invest in stores accross the U.S., including New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami. In a second batch of openings, Tesla plans to target the San Diego, Seattle, Denver and Boston markets.
BMW’s Efficient Dynamics
We put them to the test in a 120dWith EU emissions regulations imminent, automakers are struggling to find ways of meeting the requirements. While some are opting simply not to import certain vehicles into the EU - as is the case with the new Subaru WRX STi - others are busy scouring through technology manuals to see what can be done to make their ever-increasing line-ups more efficient. And though hybrid powertrains and clean diesel technologies appear to be all the rage, BMW is not one to jump on any bandwagons.
At the multi-car launch in Highclere last week, BMW was touting their new Efficient Dynamics powertrain systems, which makes their vehicles more efficient without diluting the renowned driving experience. Featuring advanced technologies and intelligent energy management systems, Efficient Dynamics works in parallel with current engine and transmission technologies like HPI (high precision direct injection) and, specifically on six-cylinder petrol models, use piezo injectors in the direct vicinity of the spark plugs for a lean burn and efficient consumption process. The obvious benefit is fuel savings and a reduction in emissions.
Continue reading full road test
Saab’s new 9-3 BioPower
Swedish automaker’s new 9-3 powerplant will run on E85Saab is keen to demonstrate that it has become the first car manufacturer to offer an alternative fuel engine choice in every model in its line-up. With the launch of a new four-cylinder engine in Geneva, the 9-3 range follows the path blazed by its larger stablemate, the 9-5.
All three derivations of the 9-3 model will be powered by the Saab’s flex-fuel engines thanks to a new 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder pot optimized for duty. The BioPower engine is claimed to emit 50-70 per cent less CO2 when running on eco-friendly bioethanol E85 than its 1.8t petrol engine equivalent.
The fuel is also said to be instrumental in creating 17 per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque in the engine. Maximum power for the 1.8t climbs from 150bhp to 175bhp, and torque output is raised from 177lb.ft to 195lb.ft when running on E85. Saab claims this translates to a 0-62mph acceleration time of 8.4 seconds with 50 to 70mph stints (in fifth gear) achieved in 13.9 seconds; effectively shaving a second off the petrol version.
This engine is the third Saab BioPower powerplant launched in the UK since the initial offerings went on sale within the Saab 9-5 shell last year. Saab has apparently seen the sales figures for the 9-5 model soar and aims to increase its range in Europe with the BioPower 9-3.
The cars will be available with manual or automatic transmissions and will go on sale in the UK, Ireland and Nordic markets following their Geneva debut. Sales across Europe are scheduled to start later this year.
Honda Racing’s F1 Environmental Concept
Honda's F1 Team will race cars adorned with image of planet earth.Honda has launched a new 2007 F1 racer which is devoid of characteristic sponsorship stickers. Instead, the RA107 is shrink-wrapped in a satellite picture of the world, showing the company’s dedication to raising awareness of environmental issues facing the planet.
Called the F1 Environmental Concept, the livery change of Honda’s F1 challenger harks back to a time when teams raced without sponsorship, in cars that were decked out in national colours. Honda claims to be representing the entire world.
In fact, anybody can have their name on the RA107 car by making a donation to an environmental charity through a specific website Honda launches today:
www.myearthdream.com.
Under the concept of "our car is your car", each name will form a tiny individual pixel which will help build the image of planet earth on the car and be visible on the website (or under a microscope on the car).
Nearly 40 firms – including Universal Music, Gatorade, Fila and IBM – have already joined the roster of team partners, pledging support for the novel idea.
The Honda Racing F1 Team vows to work closely with global environmental charities to develop Honda's existing environmental ethos within the world's most high profile motor-sport.
"Climate change is probably the single biggest issue facing the global community and F1 is not immune from it,” said Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of Honda Racing’s F1 Team. “We believe that F1, with its huge global profile and cutting edge technology, can play an important role in not only highlighting the issues but also playing our part in developing solutions.”
“The FIA recognises the opportunity for F1 to showcase innovative technologies for the benefit of society for the long term” he added, stating that devices for energy recovery will be in place on the cars by 2009.
Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello will pilot Honda’s F1 cars in the 2007 season, starting 18 March in Melbourne, Australia.
Eco-friendly Volkswagens arrive in Geneva
Volkswagen’s new forward-looking green technology is BlueMotion.Volkswagen recently announced plans to commence selling its Polo BlueMotion in the UK by this summer. In another environmentally-friendly push, the company will also unveil a Passat BlueMotion at the upcoming Geneva motor show. These latest BlueMotion offerings promise to radically boost fuel efficiency and further reduce CO2 emissions.
Meaning the colour of air and water (elements to be protected) and the aspect of forward-looking mobility, BlueMotion is now the seal of quality for Volkswagen model derivatives with the lowest rate of fuel consumption.
The BlueMotion-equipped Passat employs a 1.9-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, fine-tuned to produce 105bhp and 184 lb.ft of torque. It enables the car to achieve a claimed top speed of 120mph in saloon form and 118mph in the estate variant. These aren’t particularly remarkable figures, but that’s just the start of it.
Volkswagen claims the Passat BlueMotion saloon will return a significant 55.4mpg (5.1 litres per 62 miles) on the Combined Cycle, consuming far less fuel than any other similarly-sized vehicle. In the estate derivation the figure is slightly lower at 54.3mpg, but no less impressive.
Claimed to have a driving range of up to 838 miles with a full tank of fuel, Volkswagen estimates a prospective Passat BlueMotion owner would only have to refuel 11 times a year at an annual driving distance of 9,315 miles.
Environmental benefits don’t stop there. The car’s CO2 emissions are also extremely low, with both the saloon and estate variations producing just 137g/km of the global warming gas. This is achieved through the BlueMotion’s high-efficiency. A diesel particulate filter and a catalyst system also reduce emissions of nitrous oxides.
The Passat is the second model to feature the company’s BlueMotion clean diesel technology. Last summer, the German automaker began selling the Polo BlueMotion in its home market, and production figures for the car have since increased threefold to meet demand throughout Europe.
The Polo BlueMotion features an extremely frugal 79bhp 1.4-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel powerplant claimed to return 72mpg and emit only 102g/km of CO2. The transmission also features taller gear ratios to keep fuel consumption in check at higher speeds. Considering its relatively low power the car is still an adequate performer, said to reach 109mph and complete 0-62mph stints in 12.8 seconds.
These figures are largely accomplished through various aerodynamic improvements to the grille and front spoiler, which have been revised to lower wind resistance. The side mirrors are also smaller to decrease drag, and narrow 165-section tyres mounted on lightweight 14-inch alloy wheels have been specially constructed to decrease rolling resistance. This combination of subtle alterations and superior engine efficiency facilitate very economical motoring.
Pricing for the Polo BlueMotion has yet to be announced, and VW has not disclosed the expected UK launch date for the Passat BlueMotion. We assume Volkswagen will continue to feature the clean diesel technology across its product range in the future. Stay tuned.
Yokohama's Eco-Friendly Tyre
Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (YRC) has created a new eco-friendly tyre made from citrus oil.
The manufacturing process for the new E-Spec passenger car tyre combines citrus oil with natural rubber to form a new compound called 'Super Nanopower Rubber’ (say that three times quickly). It features citrus instead of petroleum and apparently cuts petroleum use in tyre manufacturing by 80 percent. The company claims the citrus oil makes 'better tires for consumers and the environment', and is part of YRC’s global EcoMotion environmental program to create more environmentally-friendly products.
According to Jim MacMaster, executive vice president, Business Division, of Yokohama Tire Corporation, YRC’s U.S. subsidiary, the fuel-saving E-Spec tyre features an air permeation suppression film. “This new polymer inner lining is designed to reduce air from seeping out from the tyre, which helps maintain appropriate inflation levels. Underinflated tyres consume more power, thus using more fuel.
“The E-Spec is also a lot lighter and conserves gasoline by reducing rolling resistance by 18 per cent. Low rolling resistance tyres improve fuel efficiency by minimizing the energy wasted (as heat) as the tyre rolls down the road.”
The E-Spec tyre featuring the SNR compound will be available in Japan later in the year, but MacMaster said no date has been determined for release in the US market.
http://www.yokohamatire.com/.
Saab BioPower 100 concept
Saab’s innovative new concept runs on plant fuel, and boosts power.CO2 emissions and environmental pollution are serious issues, garnering placement on the front page of every major newspaper in recent months. No other industry is feeling the strain of eco-awareness more than the auto industry, but Saab believes it has found the solution for guilt-free motoring: the BioPower 100 concept.
The Saab BioPower 100 concept is the first dedicated bioethanol powered vehicle. Building on the Saab 9-5 BioPower estate car revealed and subsequently sold in the European market in 2005, the BioPower 100 concept employs a 2-litre in-line 4 cylinder engine optimised to run on 100 per cent bioethanol (E100).
With the high octane ethanol fuel streaming into Saab’s turbocharged engine, power output soars to a claimed 300bhp – or 150bhp per litre. This is substantial increase over the previous 2.0t BioPower which ran on E85; a mixture of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, and only produced 180bhp.
Torque levels have also been raised to a claimed 295lb.ft for the BioPower 100 concept, and the new fuel is said to enable the optimized engine to propel the car to 62mph in 6.6 seconds. 50-70mph stints in fifth gear are alleged to be accomplished in an equally impressive 8.2 seconds.
Saab claims the boost in power has been possible through modifications to the engine management system and internal components, allowing the use of greater boost pressure with a raised compression ratio.
The BioPower 100 concept illustrates how a small, high output engines can deliver high energy savings with ethanol fuel. With the car’s impact on the environment being a top priority in today’s car buying market, the 9-5 2.0t BioPower estate has been selling quite well in the company’s home market of Sweden, with over 10,000 9-5 BioPower vehicles sold in 2006.
Saab currently has two BioPower engines available for sale in the UK: the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower and the Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower. Both cars enjoy substantially-reduced fossil CO2 emissions and benefit from power increases when running on bioethanol E85 compared to their petrol-powered counterparts. And since the cars are flex-fuel vehicles, they can also be topped up with conventional petrol if a bioethanol filling station is not available when needed.
It’s no surprise Saab is leading the way toward the development of bioethanol technology, Sweden is one of the largest bioethanol producers in Europe. The fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops and cellulostic materials such as forest waste, and when consumed the CO2 absorbed by the crops is re-released into the atmosphere. Saab claims ethanol use in cars can reduce fossil CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent.
The only major drawback to running bioethanol is a reduction in range, as the fuel is consumed at a more rapid rate than conventional petrol. But if the UK is going to meet the 120g/km limit proposed by the EU by 2012, the Saab BioPower 100 concept seems to be the car with which to attain those goals.
Honda’s innovative new concepts for Geneva.
The second-largest Japanese automaker set to unveil a Toyota FT-HS rival and a driveable fuel cell saloon.
Honda has been at the forefront in hybrid powertrain development for years. It plans to continue driving innovation when it unveils the latest Small Hybrid Sports Coupe at the Geneva motor show, alongside a working prototype of its FCX fuel cell concept first seen at the Tokyo motor show in 2005.
Honda has not provided many details regarding the Small Hybrid Sports Coupe (HSC) concept. Suffice to say that the Toyota FT-HS, which won the acclaim of many automotive journalists when it was unveiled by the company in Detroit, has competition. Rival automaker Honda won’t sit idly by an let Toyota reap the benefits of environmentally-conscious consumers seeking a bit of fun in the drivers seat.
The HSC is not an entirely new direction for Honda however; the company unveiled another HSC at the Tokyo motor show of 2003 under the Acura nameplate. The name stood for “high performance sports concept” and was powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine good for 300bhp. Increased awareness concerning global warming and resource depletion has made Honda fit an alternative propulsion system to this HSC coupe concept, and we’ll now see what awaits.
This HSC coupe concept, as the name accurately describes, will achieve momentum through a hybrid powertrain and has been designed by the company’s European centre based in Offenbach, Germany. The company claims it was developed to “explore the idea that a car can have a low environmental impact yet still deliver all the driving enjoyment expected of a compact sports car”.
The Honda FCX, showcasing the company’s advanced fuel cell technology, will also be unveiled for the first time at a European motor show. The working prototype features a newly developed compact and efficient Honda fuel cell stack which will power the sleek, low-slung saloon to a claimed (and limited) top speed of 100mph, with a range slightly over 356 miles. The large cabin and futuristic styling complement the concept’s powerplant and promise to offer practical utility in non-polluting form.
Limited marketing of a new fuel cell vehicle based on the FCX concept is set to begin in Japan and the US in 2008.
BMW will unveil its new Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the Geneva Auto Show next week. Featuring a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric generator - BMW calls the system a ‘mild hybrid’ version of its ActiveHybrid system - the concept enhanced efficiency and is the first diesel in the world with a specific power output of over 100bhp per liter of capacity. 
wheel rim design optimizes aerodynamics and aids in reducing drag and fuel consumption, while a specially designed load compartment recess reflects the compact design of the lithium-ion battery. The generator and high-power electronic system are invisible from the outside.
