New Fuel Vehicles

In an effort to spread the use of hybrid technology to a broader range of mass-produced vehicles, GM plans to upgrade its current mild hybrid system. With this as the backdrop, the company’s unveiled the new and improved hybrid system for the first time, in the Saab 9-X BioPower hybrid concept at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, as production starts in 2010. According to GM, this improved technology would use lithium ion batteries which can produce three times the power of the present nickel metal hydride battery pack. All this improvement will result in a 15 to 20% increase in fuel economy and efficiency in comparison to similar gas-powered vehicle. According to GM Chairman Rick Wagoner “This new system is another important step in our broad-based strategy to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and emissions.” Living up to the company’s long standing commitment for increasing fuel emissions and efficiency, the new system is expected to be ready for production in North America by 2010 with global markets following soon thereafter.

One of the show stealers at the recently held Geneva Motor Show was the hydrogen fuel-cell roadster - a zero-emission concept model introduced by British sports car manufacturing giant Morgan. Officially named the Morgan Lifecar Hydrogen Sportster, the Lifecar (a short term for Lightweight Fuel Efficient car) concept involves the fire-brand combination of high performance of a sports car with zero emission at the tailpipe. It commands a top speed of 100 miles an hour and can rise from zero to 60 in seven seconds. Based on Morgan’s Aero 8, this vehicle is a result of a two and half year project costing £1.9m, funded jointly by the government and a consortium that includes Morgan, Qinetiq, and industrial gas specialist BOC Linde.

GE is planning huge investments in the future of electric cars. The news is that the company is geared to invest $4 million in Think, a company from Norway which manufactures electric vehicles. Incidentally, Think was formerly owned by Ford for rendering assistance in the field of research and development for future products. Think Ox is the company’s latest model which runs completely on electricity and is a five seater which guarantees 125 miles of range. This investment is part of a two prong initiative totaling to $24 which GE plans to invest in the field of hybrid and electric car technology. It is obvious that Think is excited and looking ahead in this mutually beneficial relationship. In the words of Jan-Olaf Willums, CEO of Think who is eagerly looking forward to many emerging opportunities with this new relationship with GE, “this relationship will help Think, the manufacturer of the first highway-approved electric car in mass production, to stay at the forefront of electric vehicle technology.”

If we have been obsessed with what might the future hold for cars, it is not without reason. For more than two decades our dreams have been fuelled by possibilities of fuel cell cars which use hydrogen to create electricity resulting in high performance and emission-free vehicles on the road. While Mercedes Benz Chairman Dr Dieter Zetsche is emphatic about the company’s seriousness in producing fuel cell cars, other big players in the industry are cautious about the prospect. If we go by Zetsche’s predictions, the mass production will start in 2010 at an extremely low level in the B Class, but by 2014-15, one could expect economically competitive fuel cell models from Mercedes with an estimated production of 100,000 cars a year.

Come 2012, and you could expect the German auto giant BMW to introduce its battery-powered eco friendly car for US consumers. The market is rife with speculations whether the future model would be a small car, a cross over or an electric vehicle. According to the CEO of BMW Norbert Reithofer, plans are afoot for launching the ‘ecologically compatible car for the US market’ in 2012, though no further details are available as yet. 2012 is an important landmark in the US when new CAFÉ standards come into effect. With BMW being labeled as a ‘large vehicle manufacturer’ this would entail more stringent quality and performance standards for the auto manufacturer. Reithofer, in an interview with Mobile Magazine commented that this could be a collaborative effort between BMW and another car maker who would be finalized sometime this year. He also mentioned that the introduction of the eco friendly model could be a precursor for a global launch for a brand new ‘mini car’ designed for major cities round the world.