The current GMT920 full-size SUVs from General Motors are very likely to be the last of their kind from the Detroit automaker. Even though new fuel economy standards give the big trucks a break based on their footprint, radical changes are likely for the next-generation models. A fully-equipped Tahoe is well over 5,500lbs and a big part of reducing fuel consumption in the next few years will be weight reduction. One step in that direction will be a shift from the body on frame designs these vehicles have used since their inception over to a uni-body structure. Ford already declared that the next-generation Explorer will be a uni-body and GM has their Lambda platform crossovers which are nearly as large as the GMT920s. Sales of the Tahoe are already down 10.5 percent this year and that trend is likely to accelerate. The next-generation models that are due to debut around 2012 will almost certainly make the jump to a smaller, lighter platform. In fact, a distinct possibility might be an SUV derived from the Zeta platform like the Denali XT pickup concept that was shown at the Chicago Auto Show this year. Without the pickup bed and with a slightly taller roof, this design could likely shave nearly 1,000lbs off the current SUVs. Regardless of the design direction that GM follows, the maxi-sized SUVs and pickups will likely never reach the sales heights they once did, meaning that GM is planning to scale back production capacity. The current 1.7 million annual capacity will probably drop to somewhere around 1 million. GM recently announced plans to cancel one shift at each of four truck assembly plants. Going forward, that production will likely be consolidated to fewer plants.
We got to see Toyota's iQ in production form at the last Geneva Motor Show, and so far, we like what we see. We're still waiting for specific details regarding what will power the "small yet premium " 3+1 and whether or not it'll make it over to the states. Already, though, we are hearing that there could be a larger version of the vehicle built on the same platform. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Maybe, but it could also help Toyota to defray the cost of the vehicle, which shares no major components with other Toyota models. The larger model could allow Toyota to compete with both the smart fortwo and the Mini, not to mention VW's upcoming up!.
In other iQ news, Toyota is reportedly not planning on adding a hybrid option to the iQ, instead relying on a choice of two gas and one diesel-powered engine options. The reasoning behind not offering a hybrid relates again to the size of the vehicle. There's just no room to store a battery. Plus, the battery would add too much weight to the little car. Stop/start, though, is expected to make an appearance here.
Small cars aren't necessarily unsafe, as good engineering and quality materials can go a long way towards making up for the size disadvantage that they face in many accidents. Sometimes, though, corners can be cut in order to save a few bucks, and the U.K. agency Thatcham suggests that the seats in small city cars could use some help.
"City cars are not equipped to protect their occupants' necks when they have to absorb the crash energy from larger, heavier vehicles which combined with poor seat design makes whiplash far more likely. Good seat design is not something that should be inherently linked to higher value cars and this latest set of results will hopefully act as a catalyst for vehicle manufacturers to look at improving seat and head restraints design within this important and growing sector," says Matthew Avery, a research manager at Thatcham.
Because city cars spend much of their time in traffic, which is where whiplash is most likely, these latest tests indicate that much more work is required from manufacturers. Not a single mini-car tested performed well enough to earn a "good" whiplash protection rating, while the smart fortwo and Renault Twingo were the only mini's rated as "acceptable."
If a company set out to develop an electric sportscar, the Lotus 7 (or one of its various replicas) would be a good place to start. Considering that the main ethos of the vehicle is light weight, relatively heavy components like the battery aren't going to kill performance. Using a Siemens AC motor which is capable of a heady 272 horsepower and weighing in at 1,664 pounds, we don't think that the acceleration will suffer too much. The battery is made up of 196 Kokam lithium polymer cells and has a capacity of 29 kWh. Find all of the specifications here.
The Thorr electric car is created by Evisol, which also offers electric drive parts and batteries separate from any vehicles. In a flattering twist, you'll find all of our AutoblogGreen posts under the Automotive News section of Thorr's website, meaning that some sort of cray paradox is likely to take place when this particular posting appears on their website. Watch the video pasted after the break.
April 2008 was the month when Venturi intended to launch the Fetish, a carbon-fiber EV sportscar which makes the Tesla look like a bargain. Instead of offering the car this month, Venturi has instead announced that they have managed to improve the Fetish engine - which now gets 300 HP and 380 Nm of torque (280 lb-ft) at 92 percent of efficiency - while reducing by 30kg the global weight of the car, down to 950kg. The batteries will be likely produced by France's Saft and will use lithium-ion technology. The car also features all-around carbon fiber technology.
Le Blog Auto now says that first deliveries are now expected to be held off until June 2009 for an astounding €297,000 (currently $465,000). The car will be assembled in Monaco, although the company is examining a new factory in France. The Fetish races from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.5 seconds, although maximum speed is limited to 160 km/h (100mph).
The fact that the Green Grand Prix makes an appearance on our list should not come as a shocker. Where else are you gonna see pod-racers (like in the picture above) racing alongside vehicles running on biodiesel, electrons, LP, CNG, hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars, a wood-powered SUV and a vegetable oil-powered car? Nowhere, as far as we know, which means we wish we could be in upstate New York on May 3rd.
When we were brainstorming ideas for Earth Day posts, we thought about featuring the ten most exciting green cars we wish we could buy today. It turns out that there are at least twice as many green rides on the horizon that we'd really like to have today, so the list has expanded. We'd like to note that this list is far from complete; the green sector of the automotive industry is growing in leaps and bounds. Start here and join us for a guided preview of our future garages or jump ahead by clicking on a number below. Either way, enjoy!
Loremo (pronounced lo-ray-mo which is short for Low Resistance Mobile) achieves its high level of fuel efficiency by taking current fuel-saving methods to a level almost beyond reason, especially the light weight factor. Engine options consist of either a 2-cylinder 20hp turbodiesel or a 3-cylinder 50hp turbodiesel. The former will get you to sixty miles per hour in a blistering 20 seconds, while the latter will get you there in 9. Fuel efficiency, however, is very impressive - 1.5L per 100 km (translated 188 mpg). Not good enough? They're also working on an all-electric version boasting a top speed of 170kph (105mph), a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles) and energy consumption of a measly 6kwh/100kph.
We've been following the progress of the Aptera Typ-1 since the beginning and it has been great to watch the car move from an early drawing to rough prototype to pre-production thing of beauty. We've watched it being test driven by Popular Mechanics (we're still jealous) and the L.A.Times (our turn, hello!!!) and reported its appearances in a Touchstone Energy TV commercial as well as the Star Trek film set. Best of all, it's about to go into production, meaning it's place on this particular list may be rather short. We hope so.
Heading into Earth Day, Volkswagen of America has launched a new micro-site called Volkswagen Responsible Mobility that is dedicated to, well, responsible mobility. The premise of the site, which covers all the VW brands available in the U.S., is to promote all the various alternative drive and fuel technologies that Volkswagen is developing. Diesel is obviously a big emphasis for the company that pioneered turbocharged direct injected diesel engines. Volkswagen is also heavily involved in developing a second generation bio-diesel called SunFuel made from cellulosic biomass. The automaker has invested in German biofuel developer Choren. Another page of the site focuses on future technologies like high-temperature fuel cells, hybrids and weight reducing materials like aluminum and composites.
The site seems to hit all the right messages, now we just need to get some of those technologies on the road here in the U.S. and elsewhere. The Jetta TDI is launching this summer with the Touareg to follow. So far though there is no firm indication of when a hybrid will arrive or if we'll get any of the BlueMotion models now available (or not) in Europe. The site also features the logos of Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley. Bentley earlier this year announced their intent to cut CO2 emissions of their fleet by 15 percent by 2012 but so far there aren't any details of how that will come about. Lambo and Bugatti? Nothing to report there either.
Tuesday night the PBS science program NOVA will feature an Earth Day look at "the Car of the Future." WGBH, the Boston PBS station that produces NOVA sent us an advance copy of the show to take a look at. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, who are perhaps better known to fans of the NPR show Car Talk as Click and Clack, travel the world from Iceland to China and back to their alma mater at MIT. The "Tappet Brothers" are definitely an acquired taste and not everyone is fan of their shtick on the radio show. However, those who have not acquired that taste need not worry as their presence in Car of the Future is actually fairly minimal. John Lithgow does most of the narration tying the various segments together.
For those that are regular readers of our little corner of the web, most of what is discussed in the show will be familiar territory. Nonetheless the show is still a good primer on all of the various technologies that are being worked on including cellulosic biofuels, batteries, plug-in hybrids, weight reduction and more. The guys visit with Amory Lovins at the Rocky Mountain Institute, Martin Eberhard at Tesla (while he was still there), Andrew Frank at UC Davis and plenty of others. During a segment filmed during the introduction of the Chevy Volt last year, Tom and Ray speak with GM VP Energy and Environment Beth Lowery about choice. Keep reading after the jump.
Update: Check your local listings for time, but NOVA typically runs at 8 or 9 pm on most PBS stations.
The Rhodia name might not get tossed around on AutoblogGreen much, but a lot of OEMs know what the company is all about. At this week's SAE World Congress in Detroit, Rhodia demonstrated its three pronged approach to making vehicles cleaner and we stopped to take a look. Rhodia's methods use advanced thermalplastics instead of metals on under-the-hood components to save weight, a high-heat inline diesel particulate filter and low-rolling resistance tires that use evenly-distributed silica.
We spoke with Frederic Hebert, plastics engineering North American zone product line manager, and the themalplastics are what he knew most about. Hebert said that using the thermal plastics wouldn't just save weight in a vehicle - and get the corresponding fuel gains - but Rhodia's products are also cheaper than traditional metals. In his estimation, thermal plastics would usually cost between 50 and 75 percent less than metal. The DPF was developed with Inergy, and uses 1.7 liters of Eolys additive to clean the exhaust for 250,000 kms. Listen to Hebert in the audio clip below and check out the Rhodia display in the gallery.
A little while back we brought you a video featuring footage of artist Michel de Broin's "Shared Propulsion Car" as he and some friends rolled it out of a garage, climbed in and began pedaling (yes, I said pedaling) their way a short distance down the street. The ride was short because, before they were too tired to pedal the hollowed-out shell of the 1986 Buick Regal further, they were pulled over by Toronto's finest in a traditionally-powered squad car. Apparently the officers were under the impression that an unsafe vehicle was being operated and had decided to take decisive action. A tow truck was called and a court summons to face aforementioned charges issued to Trevor Baldwin, who was behind the wheel at the time of interdiction.
The court finally heard the case and, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News website, "As the Crown prosecutor tried to make his case Thursday, the court erupted in laughter, and the charges were thrown out." After the hearing, Baldwin was asked about his plans and is quoted as saying, "I'm thinking it's a really nice day, so we might go for a drive." A nice way to celebrate his legal victory indeed. To check out the original footage of the incident, hit the jump.
As the pressure to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions continues unabated, it's not just gasoline engines that are getting the right-sizing treatment. The diesel engine is set to shrink as well, at least at BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Both manufacturers currently offer diesel V-8s of 4.4L and 4.0L sizes respectively in their top models. However, both companies are likely to start replacing their current diesel model range with newer, smaller displacement alternatives with new boosting technology that will improve the power while reducing fuel consumption. That means following the path BMW has been traveling recently with sequential twin turbocharger systems such as the one on the 123d. These setups use a pair of different sized turbos that help to enhance torque at both low and high revs. This will allow the V-8 to be replaced by inline and V-6 cylinder engines while current six cylinder applications will go to fours. All of these will also likely be combined with mild hybrid systems for even more improvement. Besides the improved efficiency of the smaller engines, weight will also be reduced, further enhancing fuel economy. So far, the one exception to this trend is Audi which just announced production of the Q7 V-12 TDI with its new 6.0L V-12 diesel. That however will be a very low volume application and more mainstream units will probably go the downsizing route.
Since the debut of the original BMW M3 in the mid-eighties, the high-performance editions of most of BMW models have garnered plenty of praise for their dynamic abilities. Unfortunately, over several generations, the M3, M5, and M6 have grown progressively porkier as they have grown more powerful. The engines have grown from the original four and six cylinder units to six, eight and then ten cylinder units.
As gas prices continue to climb and revised CO2 and fuel consumption regulations hover on the horizon, BMW looks set to join the likes of Volkswagen, Ford and others as displacements and cylinder counts are reduced. BMW has already introduced turbocharged four, six and eight cylinder engines in recent models and these engines, combined with reductions in mass, are likely to result in both increased performance and efficiency in the next generation models from the M division.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Autoblog and TTAC]
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