Filed under: Hybrid, GM, Saab

Not content with a major flex-fuel push, Saab is joining in on the two-mode hybrid party at General Motors. At the Geneva Motor Show today, Saab Managing Director Jan Ake Jonsson indicated that future Saabs will be even more closely based on other GM vehicles and includes plans for a full hybrid system. So far there is no indication of which vehicle would get the hybrid system or when, although it would not be a surprise to see it mated up with a BioPower flex-fuel engine. Let's just hope it's not a variant of the GMT900 since another full size SUV is the last thing Saab needs. More likely it will be a variant of the Theta CUVs which already has an Opel variant in the form of the Antera.

[Source: Automotive News - Subscription required]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, MPG, Transportation Alternatives, Honda

Soon, I plan to write an editorial about which way the motorcycle designers are going when it comes to being a green form of alternative transportation. A sneak peek: motorcycles are getting bigger, faster and less fuel-efficient. Why? The demands of the buyers, of course. But, with the same things being demanded of cars, and with very tough fuel and emissions standards, we are starting to see some technology trickle down from the automotive sector to that of motorcycles. An example of this is the variable-valve-timing that will appear on the Kawasaki Concours 14. This bike in particular is an example of a model that was well thought of, the Concours, being redone with a much larger and more powerful engine, while gaining significant amounts of power and weight in the process. Of course you know that power and weight will usually have a negative impact on fuel efficiency. In an effort to help combat this, Kawasaki has created a system on the Concours 14 which can change the timing of the intake valves to match the needs of the rider. This can create more power when necessary and reduce it when not necessary, thereby saving fuel and reducing emissions. Does the world need a touring motorcycle capable of 200mph in the first place? Probably not, but if the success of models like the Hayabusa, BMW K1200 bikes and the Honda Blackbird are any indication, we can expect to see more like it in the future. For more details and video of their system, click here and follow the appropriate links.

Honda has had a Vtec system available on their Interceptor, or VFR bikes for a few years now as well.

[Source: Motorcycle Daily]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Diesel, Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing/Plants, Coal to Liquid, Carbon Capture

Following a conversation with Washington Congressman Jay Inslee, Grist blogger David Roberts set out to distinguish between coal gasification and coal-to-liquid (CTL) production. Inslee believes CTL supporters are engaging in a plot to confuse legislators by positioning CTL under a "clean coal" blanket along with gasification. Roberts admitted he confused the two terms in previous writings, and I'll confess I never realized the dramatic differences. So take a look at the Gristmill and follow some of the links to familiarize yourself with the two methods and the carbon impact of CTL. Bottom line, according to Roberts, is a choice between subsidizing the outrageously expensive carbon sequestration during the production process (and still end up with a diesel fuel that is no cleaner than what we get from crude), or we allow all that production-based CO2 to escape (and contribute to the increasing accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) to keep the fuel cost down. Not much of a choice, so perhaps conservation is a better direction.

[Source: David Roberts / Grist]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Diesel, Volkswagen, Geneva Motor Show

With a few hours behind us since the early-morning announcement of their diesel line-up in Geneva, VW is now giving more details on the Touareg BlueTDI, which will be coming to North America in 2008. There are no plans to bring this SUV to Europe. As we mentioned this morning, the Touareg BlueTDI's Selective Catalytic Reduction system (SCR) makes the 3.0-litre V6 TDI 225 PS diesel engine one of the cleanest diesel engines on the market. The point-by-point details are available after the jump.



Related:

• Volkswagen ditches low end hybrids, Touareg gets the nod
• Geneva Motor Show: VW's new diesel line-up detailed

[Source: VW]
Geneva Motor Show - Touareg BlueTDI

Timing

• Launched initially in North America in 2008
• No current plans for introduction to Europe

Key facts

• New Selective Catalytic Reduction system (SCR) reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 per cent, making it one of the cleanest diesel engines on the market
• Mated to the 3.0-litre V6 TDI 225 PS diesel engine
• The Touareg SCR meets the stringent emission limits set by several American states including California
• Euro IV standards dictate a NOx limit of 0.25 g/km - the Touareg equipped with SCR meets the 0.043 g/km US limit
• The system works to convert selectively nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen and water. This conversion is made possible by spraying a film of AdBlue urea solution stored in an auxiliary tank into the exhaust stream before it reaches the new catalytic converter. A reaction then occurs within the exhaust system to split the nitrogen oxide apart, the result being nitrogen and water. The supply of AdBlue stored within the vehicle is such that it should not need to be replenished until the vehicle visits a retailer to be serviced
• The SCR system works in conjunction with a diesel particulate filter and a conventional catalytic converter to reduce emissions further
• New sensors within the engine's combustion chamber monitor performance and adapt its characteristics to allow it to run more efficiently
• Although SCR is unique to the Touareg, a NOx trap will be fitted to the Jetta in the North American market from next year
• Touareg BlueTDI forms part of Volkswagen's BlueMotion park exhibit at the Geneva Motor Show - highlighting current and future drivetrain and fuel technologies being developed by Volkswagen

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Hybrid, Mercedes Benz, Geneva Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz development head Thomas Weber announced today at the Geneva Motor Show that the Stuttgart brand will produce it's first hybrid vehicles in 2009. Parent company DaimlerChrysler has two separate joint development projects in process for hybrids. They just announced a project with BMW to create a mild hybrid system have been working with BMW and General Motors on the full two-mode hybrid system.

Weber didn't reveal which Mercedes platform, or which system would hit the streets in '09, although BMW said they will have the mild hybrid in production in the same time frame. The Chrysler side of the business will introduce a two-mode hybrid in the Durango in 2008.

[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Three main alternatives have emerged as the leading prospects: ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen.

The suit by a national group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and three Vermont auto dealerships argues that the only way to reduce carbon emissions is to increase fuel efficiency and mileage.

Rapidly changing electric technology has done away with the CitiCar and the overgrown golf carts that passed as electric cars, giving way to high-performance race vehicles that leave many gasoline cars in the dust.

While China's total greenhouse gas emissions were only 42 percent of the U.S. level in 2001, they had soared to an estimated 97 percent of the American level by 2006.

Siemens CEO Oliver Hauck tells group that dream and high-speed rail may get a boost from the 2016 Olympics, which Chicago is seeking to host.