Green technologies feature prominently at Detroit Motor Show
Tue 10 January 2012
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The 105th annual North American International Auto Show, held in Detroit this month featured a significant proportion of 'green' vehicles including several concept models.
Almost all the leading car companies including Audi, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Porsche, Toyota, Mercedes and Volkswagen introduced their lower carbon designs. There were more than 40 new products unveiled at the show, 'green' and otherwise.
Low carbon highlights from the show included:
BMW ActiveHybrid 5: The Active 5 is the newest hybrid to join the BMW family, and comes based on the existing 535i sedan. The electric power for the motor is provided from a lithium-ion battery with 96 cells and a usable capacity of 675 watt hours. BMW says the ActiveHybrid used both a 14.6 volt power supply and a 317 volt supply, with the two systems linked together through a voltage transformer. According to BMW the ActiveHybrid 5 aims to deliver maximum fuel efficiency through use of the navigation system to analyse driving conditions based on a selected route, and adjusts accordingly. This enables the drive components to deliver maximum efficiency based on available data.
Toyota Prius C: The new Prius C was launched at the Detroit Show with a powertrain that is a downsized version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system: a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor paired with a CVT. Energy storage is handled by nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Electric-only range is less than a mile at speeds up to 25 mph. Toyota has introduced an Eco mode that controls throttle response and climate-control functionality to maximise efficiency. Toyota claims the C will get a city rating of 53 mpg and a 46-mpg figure on the highway.
Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid & E-Bugster electric vehicle: VW unveiled two vehicles at the show, the 2013 Jetta Hybrid and the pure electric E-Bugster. The Jetta Hybrid will be launched in the U.S. at the end of 2012; the pure electric the Bugster is a version of the VW Beetle with a lower roof. It has a 114-horsepower electric motor and a 100-mile range.
Volvo XC60 plug-in: Volvo showcased its latest plug-in hybrid technology in the new 2012 XC60 Plug-in Hybrid concept car at Detroit. The XC60 plug-in has a 276bhp petrol turbo and is twinned with a 69bhp electric motor for a total range of 600 miles. Drivers can choose between three modes: 'all-electric' with a range of around 30 miles, 'hybrid mix' of petrol and electric power for which Volvo claims 53g/km of CO2 and 'power', the unleaded petrol mode. A production date has not been set yet, but the chief executive of Volvo has said the technology would be launched by 2014.
Ford Fusion Energi: Ford has said this version of the plug-in Fusion promises to deliver more than 100MPGe, a mile per gallon equivalency metric for electric vehicles. Ford has not fully detailed the PHEV powertrain or the performance figures for the Fusion version but it will feature a combination of the 2.0-litre Atkinson-cyle four-cylinder engine from the Fusion Hybrid and Focus Electric battery technology.
Honda Acura ILX Hybrid & Accord Plug-in Concept: Honda's Acura division unveiled the ILX concept at the Detroit Show in advance of the production version next spring. It will include a 1.5-litre gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, Acura's first hybrid car. The release of the new plug-in hybrid comes as part of Honda’s complete overhaul of its Accord line and will become available by the end of 2012 as a 2013 model. In all-electric mode, the plug-in has a range of 10-15 miles in the urban environment and a top speed of 62 mph. Honda claims fully recharging the battery will take less than four hours using a 120-volt, outlet and less than 1.5 hours using a 240-volt charger.
Nissan e-NV 200 electric van: The e-NV200 Concept, made its world debut at the 2012 North American Auto Show. Based on the Nissan NV200 multi-usage vehicle, the e-NV200 previews a 'near-future' production version of a full electric vehicle and shares its major drivetrain components with the Nissan Leaf, also locating the charging ports on the nose. The van has been identified as the chosen vehicle by the Taxi of Tomorrow programme in New York which aims, over a period of several years, to replace New York City's existing taxi fleet with purpose-built vehicles.
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