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Geneva 2009: Fiat unveils new Multiair engine line

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Fiat’s not planning to give up its title as the lowest CO 2 -producing line in Europe any time soon. While diesel engines remain the best choice when carbon emissions are the main concern, the Italian automaker has invested plenty of research and development into its Multiair technology for gasoline powerplants. The latest engines using this tech were unveiled earlier this week at the Geneva Motor Show , as e xpected . Nearly all automakers have some form of variable valve technology. Fiat’s system is unique in that it uses an electro-hydraulic system to actuate the valves as opposed to the more common electro-mechanical setup. This relatively simple system can alter the timing of the valve’s opening and closing in relation to how much power or efficiency is required at any specific moment. Fiat claims its Multiair technology allows for a 10 percent improvement in horsepower, a 15 percent improvement in low-rpm torque and a 10 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and carbon emissions. Since the powerplant can be made smaller for a given power requirement, further gains are possible over a conventional engine. For a more detailed explanation of how all of this works, click past the break. Thanks for the tip, Jules ! [Source: Fiat] Continue reading Geneva 2009: Fiat unveils new Multiair engine line Auto Blog: Emerging Technologies , MPG , Fiat , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Fiat unveils new Multiair engine line originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: NV200 may come to America with electric drive

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:59:00 +0000

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Nissan NV200 Nissan is getting into the light commercial vehicle market in the U.S. next year with its new NV2500 and, possibly, with the NV200 that debuted in Geneva this week. The NV200 is a compact van based on Nissan’s European B-segment platform used for the Micra. It can be configured as a seven-passenger van or a cargo van with up to 145 cubic feet of cargo room. In Europe, it’s powered by gas or diesel engines of 1.5L or 1.6L capacities. However, if we get the NV200 here there is a distinct possibility that it could come with electric drive. While we were running around in Switzerland, our good friend Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com was at the NTEA work truck show in Chicago. There he caught up with Joe Castelli, Nissan’s vice president of light commercial vehicles and fleet, and they discussed alternative drive possibilities. Castelli told Mike that, “dA hybrid or electric vehicle has to be considered for commercial vehicles.” Just as Ford has concluded with its upcoming Transit Connect EV , Castelli admits, “Electric vehicles aren’t going to work if you’re driving 300 miles a day on the road. But if I’m at a construction site all day or I’m a florist making lots of stops a quarter-mile apart than I can get away with an electric vehicle.” Given Nissan’s major emphasis on electric vehicles in the coming years, it makes perfect sense to electrify a vehicle like the NV200. Packaging a battery under the flat load floor would be relatively straightforward and the short range duty cycle for commercial applications would play to the electric’s strengths. Castelli even acknowledged that electric or hybrid drive is not out of the question for the larger NV2500. [Source: PickupTrucks.com ] Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Nissan , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: NV200 may come to America with electric drive originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can’t get in America!

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:19:00 +0000

One of the first things you notice when you start wandering around the Geneva Motor Show is that virtually every major automaker offers diesel engines. Lots of them. Many of them are even in cars that we can get in the U.S. market but only with gasoline engines. As our regular readers know, I’m a fan of modern diesel engines. Being in Geneva gives me a chance to present, in no particular order, 10 examples of cars available in the U.S. (or available soon) that could really benefit from having a diesel option. All the mileage figures have been converted to U.S. mpg. No need to use glowplugs, let’s just get started . Auto Blog: Diesel , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can’t get in America! originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Euro-spec Tata Nano (it’s bigger!) and all-electric Indica

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Click on image to see the three upcoming Tata Euro-spec models As we reported, Tata has an Euro-spec Nano on the works . The changes from the Indian version include adding an all-aluminium I3 MPFI engine with a 5-speed automatic transmission and electric power steering. The engine should address all the concerns about Tata’s green credentials, as it will be Euro V compliant and have emissions under the 100 g/km of CO 2 mark. The Nano Europa will also include significant security equipment like ABS, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and airbags. There’s also a change in size, as the Nano Europa has a slightly longer wheelbase of 2.28 meters. Tata’s all-electric Indica, which was also shown during the SIAM Expo , uses polymer lithium batteries that are expected to offer a range of 200 km (120 mi) and a 0-to-60 km/h (0 to 40 mph) time of less than 10 seconds. The model was adapted by Miljo Grenland/Innovasjon of Norway, where Tata UK’s owns 70 percent of the shares. Tata will also include a third model, called Prima, in its future European lineup. Gallery: Future European Tata Models [Source: Tata] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Europe/EU , Tata Geneva 2009: Euro-spec Tata Nano (it’s bigger!) and all-electric Indica originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Confirmed: Ferrari going hybrid

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Click above for gallery of the Ferrari 599XX One of the stated reasons that automakers send prototype race cars around tracks at high rates of speed is to further the development of new technology for their road-going automobiles. There’s no higher form of automotive motorsport than Formula 1, so it stands to reason that fuel-saving advancements like the kinetic energy recovery hybrid systems that F1 is currently in the midst of implementing will someday make it into production cars. According to Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the Italian automaker is in fact testing its KERS system in a prototype based on the 599 chassis. There’s some speculation that the Dale Earnhardt edition 599XX at the Geneva Motor Show may have some form of the KERS system installed, but that’s not confirmed. With this technology, energy that would otherwise be lost to braking can be stored and reused the next time the vehicle accelerates, thereby boosting both performance and efficiency, and that’s something we can all get behind. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599xx [Source: Motor Authority ] Auto Blog: Hybrid , Ferrari , Geneva Motor Show , Racing Confirmed: Ferrari going hybrid originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:38:00 +0000

Click the Namir by Giugiaro for a high res gallery Remember Frazer-Nas? The brand that was a famous British car maker long ago is still around, but it’s no longer building cars. If you’re at all familiar with the name Frazer-Nash, it probably isn’t in the context of modern drivetrain technology like hybrid systems. In fact, hybrid drive systems is exactly what Frazer Nash is developing today and the company has collaborated with Italdesign Giugiaro to create a concept called the Namir. Frazer Nash has developed a series hybrid drivetrain that uses an 814 cc rotary engine driving a generator. The generator charges a 400V lithium polymer battery pack that feeds electrons to a pair of electric motors at each axle with a cumulative output of 362 hp. The system is claimed to give the Namir a top speed of 187 mph, 0-62 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds while still managing 91.7 mpg (U.S.)! Not too shabby. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Giugiaro Namir Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Auto Blog: Hybrid , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Seat Leon Ecomotive with 99 g/km of CO2 and 62 mpg U.S.

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:58:00 +0000

Click above for a high res gallery of the SEAT Leon Ecomotive Concept Amid all of the fanciful green concept cars debuting in Geneva like the Rinspeed iChange and the Magna Steyr Mila EV comes something a little more standard looking: the SEAT Leon Ecomotive concept. As you can see from the large lettering all over the car, this concept seats four while emitting just 99 grams of CO 2 per kilometer. The low emissions come from a 105 PS 1.6-litre TDI common rail engine with a particulate filter paired with automatic stop-start technology. But the “automatic” part of that requires a little bit of work: Among the new features debuting on the Leon is an Auto Start/Stop function. When the car comes to a halt – for instance at a traffic light – and the driver selects neutral and takes his foot off the clutch, the Start/Stop function automatically switches off the engine. As he prepares to move off again and depresses the clutch, the engine is re-started and the car can be driven as normal. The concept also uses “a form of brake energy recovery.” SEAT says that this concept car is the next step in building range-extended electric vehicles. See more details after the jump. The SEAT Leon Ecomotive concept gets a combined fuel economy rating of 74.3 mpg (62 mpg U.S.) on the European cycle. We’ll have live pics from Geneva up soon. Gallery: SEAT Leon Ecomotive Concept [Source: SEAT] Continue reading Geneva 2009: Seat Leon Ecomotive with 99 g/km of CO 2 and 62 mpg U.S. Auto Blog: MPG , Geneva Motor Show , SEAT Geneva 2009: Seat Leon Ecomotive with 99 g/km of CO 2 and 62 mpg U.S. originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Seat Leon Ecomotive with 99 g/km of CO2 and 62 mpg U.S.

Geneva 2009: Magna Steyr Mila EV concept

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:28:00 +0000

Click for a high res gallery of the Magna Steyr Mila EV Like most other suppliers, Magna International and its contract manufacturing unit Magna Steyr are pushing hard to diversify into the area of hybrid and electric powertrain components and systems. In January at the Detroit Show, Magna International and Ford announced a collaboration on the Focus-based electric car that will go on sale in 2011. Here in Geneva, Magna Steyr combined that electrification effort with a reminder that the company is capable of doing complete vehicle engineering and manufacturing for other automakers. The Mila EV is a concept meant to illustrate a new vehicle platform that Magna has developed and optimized for electric drive applications. The modular system is able to be adapted to different body styles and even different powertrain configurations. It can be built as a pure EV, or parallel or series hybrid setup. Magna is offering it up to any manufacturers that would like a turn-key EV platform solution in order to get a car into production quickly. In addition to the platform, Magna is getting into the battery game. Currently, the company is focusing on pack integration and working with a number of different cell suppliers and chemistries. Long term, the company may look at getting into cell development itself. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Magna Steyr Mila EV Continue reading Geneva 2009: Magna Steyr Mila EV concept Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Magna Steyr Mila EV concept originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Component shortage may threaten GM hybrid plan

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:45:00 +0000

In its viability plan submitted to the U.S. Treasury, General Motors promised to boost the number of hybrids in the company’s lineup to 26 models by 2014, up from eight today. Although there are no concerns that the technology would be ready, there could be shortage of certain parts. According to what Tom Stephens, GM executive vice president of global powertrain and global quality, told Automotive News : “There are a lot of ifs, ands and buts associated with that. We will have all of this developed, but depending on component availability, we may do one thing or the other.” Parts that could be in shortage include lithium-ion batteries, and some yet-to be developed electric motors. The Saturn Vue Two Mode hybrid, for example, has been delayed already. Nevertheless, GM plans three versions of its hybrid powertrains: mild hybrids like those used in the current Vue and Malibu hybrids, and two iterations of the Two Mode hybrid, one for rear drive cars and the other for front drive vehicles; the latter could also come with plug-in capabilities. [Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)] Auto Blog: Hybrid , GM , Legislation and Policy , USA Component shortage may threaten GM hybrid plan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Bentley goes flex-fuel, new powertrain in 2012

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:19:00 +0000

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen promised an all-new more efficient powertrain for his lineup in 2012 but declined to give details. In the meantime, he acknowledged that bio-ethanol is an important stepping stone to a greener future as is lighter weight. To that end Bentley introduced its latest model today in Geneva, a project that started 24 months ago as an exercise in mass reduction. That part of the effort yielded savings of 242 lbs off the portly Continental coupe. Under the hood the usual flex-fuel bits have been added to the twin turbo W12 bringing the output up to a massive 621 hp. That’s enough to push the Continental Supersports to 204 mph. Although Paefgen didn’t say what the new 2012 powerplant would be he did mention that he didn’t feel that plug-in hybrids would make a significant impact on the market for at least 5-10 years. Plug-in hybrid technology is being developed elsewhere in the Volkswagen group and it would make sense to apply it to luxury vehicles like Bentleys allowing them to silently cruise around town, while still having massive performance when desired. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Bentley Continental Supersports Continue reading Geneva 2009: Bentley goes flex-fuel, new powertrain in 2012 Auto Blog: Ethanol , Flex-Fuel , Hybrid , Bentley , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Bentley goes flex-fuel, new powertrain in 2012 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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