The Morrisons supermarket chain in the UK are now offering B30 biodiesel at 50 of the filling stations it operates. The blend of 30 percent biodiesel and 70 percent petro-diesel is one of the highest commercially available concentrations that is actually approved by an automaker. Peugeot and Citroen have certified all the diesel vehicles it has built for the past decade for use with B30. An estimated 1.5 million HDi models from Puegeot/Citroen are warrantied for use with the newly available fuel. The biofuel component of the fuel being offered by Morrisons is comprised of equal parts waste vegetable oil and rapeseed (canola) oil. Ford has not determined whether the diesel engines that it has jointly developed with Peugeot are capable of operating safely on B30.

[Source: AutoCar]

British environmental site Whatgreencar has decided that nary a hybrid nor a tiny car should win their Car of the Year award. Instead, they chose the Econetic version of the Ford Focus. The Focus Econetic sports improved aerodynamics, engine lubrication and low rolling resistance tires to reduce fuel consumption. Whatgreencar's ratings range from 0 for the greenest vehicles to 100 for the most polluting and the Focus won with 33 points. Why? The 1.6-liter diesel, co-developed with PSA, produces 110 HP and still manages to make 65.6 mpg IMP (that's 4.3 l/100 km or 55 mpg U.S.), which leads to emissions of just 115 g/km of CO₂. Those emissions place the car between the Toyota Prius and the Peugeot 107/Citroën C1/Toyota Aygo 1.0-liter gasoline triplets. Find the complete press release after the jump.

[Source: Whatgreencar?]

The iMiEV, the production car based on the Nissan Mixim, (EDIT: badly worded and wrong), and who knows what other goodies became a little bit more real today with the report in the Nikkei business daily newspaper that Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen will work together on electric vehicles. The two companies will share technology, particularly about next-gen lithium-ion batteries. Nikkei said that Mitsubishi will offer PSA information on how best to convert electricity to drive power and how to prevent overheating in the batteries. According to Reuters, the two companies may also form a joint venture to build EVs. Mitsubishi had no official statement for Nikkei, but we do know that PSA and Mitsubishi recently announced a joint plant in Russia.

[Source: Reuters]

PSA Peugeot Citroën, already Europe's leader in low CO₂ emissions, is planning on introducing a new line of small-bore three cylinder engines. It seems that the French automaker is keen on keeping their eco-friendly reputation, as this information comes shortly after we heard that PSA plans to make its Stop & Start system standard across its line. Their one liter three cylinders are expected to offer from seventy to one-hundred horsepower. PSA's "aim is to offer the market vehicles with CO₂ emissions below 100g/km with no additional technology." We would imagine that this line of engines, especially when equipped with stop/start technology, will be quite the fuel misers. Currently, there's no word on what vehicles these engines are slated to be installed in.

To make their ambitious goals a reality, PSA is setting up two manufacturing sites to build the engines. The first operational facility will open in 2011 and have a capacity of 600,000 engines per year.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req'd]

Wow, this is strange. The video is a Fox News radio PSA with tips on changing your habits to help combat climate change. Well... not climate change exactly. The PSA actually says even if you disagree with the concept of global warming you can still be more thoughtful and change those wasteful ways. Fox knows its audience.

The PSA, at about 1 minute and 45 seconds into the video, actually has tips for green driving. A tune up can save you 4 percent. Air filter 10 percent. Inflated tires help. They even talk about UPS trucks avoiding left turns. It's all apart of something called Cool Change but I can't seem to find too much (link is to pdf) about it. [Editor's note: try here]

Along with car tips, the PSAs also suggests buying Silent Spring and Gore's book. Water saving tips like rain barrels... all from a network that has consistently denied global warming. Rupert Murdoch is actually very green. News Corp is carbon neutral.

[Source: Youtube]

click photo to enter high-res image gallery

In response to the UK government's Department for Transport issued its Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge (ULCCC) to the auto industry in 2003, Ricardo teamed up with PSA Peugeot Citroën and energy storage specialists QinetiQ to create the Ricardo consortium. The team came up with the Efficient-C, an efficient C-class automobile.

The Citroën Berlingo compact MPV was chosen as the demonstrator vehicle. According to project leader Dave Greenwood, this vehicle was chosen "to show that the technology can be applied to a basic family car and that it does not require advanced streamlined carbon-fibre bodywork or any limiting of practical utility... I think that diesel hybridization is the only currently available technology-based solution capable of bringing a significant breakthrough in terms of consumption and CO2 emissions in the European market."

Continuing, Greenwood added, "We chose a 1.6 litre HDi engine, almost identical to the standard unit in the Berlingo, as our starting point, and linked it to a 288 volt, 23kW motor generator."

Other specifications are standard for the hybrid class of vehicles. A 288 volt lithium-ion battery with a DC\DC 12 volt converter for the remaining 12 volt accessories, and regenerative braking. Breaking from the pack, instead of a CVT transmission, an automated 5 speed manual was chosen.

At this time, the only remaining hurdle is the price. The system costs three thousand pounds more than the standard diesel model. They are hoping to release the vehicle only after the price can be reduced. Click here for the rest of the story from Autospeed in Australia, and here for our gallery.



Related:

• Citroen introduces diesel-electric hybrid prototype

[Source: Autospeed]

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroën have announced that they have signed an agreement that will see PSA Peugeot Citroën supplying Mitsubishi with diesel engines. The agreement is an extension of an existing arrangement struck between the companies last year to develop a new SUV platform. We covered Mitsubishi's interest in entering the clean diesel market in our powertrain technology wrap-up.

The state-of-the-art 2.2L common-rail, direct-injection diesel engines will be delivered to Mitsubishi from mid-2007 on. Offering great environmental performance including a particulate filtration system, Mitsubishi is planning to add the engine as an option towards the end of the year in its new Outlander SUV which goes on sale in Europe this month. The new Peugeot 4007 and Citroën C-Crosser models will also utilise the engine when they are launched mid-year.

Related:

• Peugot diesel LeMans racer hits the track
• Step right up! How automakers have placed their bets on future powertrain technologies
• Peugeot Citroën sales dip slightly, but the C4 debut goes well

[Source: Mitsubishi]

If you live in the States, the thought of a diesel-powered Mini may come as a bit of a surprise, but they've been available for a few years in Europe in the form of the Mini One D. You'll find that most reviewers are pleased with the mileage of the 1.4-liter Toyota-built diesel, but none are particularly excited about the scant 74bhp.

Enter PSA. Car Magazine is reporting that Mini will unveil a dieselized version of the more sporty Cooper powered by PSA's proven 1.6-liter HDi engine. The sparkless powerplant produces 110 horses and 180 lb-ft of torque. Car says that should be good enough for a sub-10 second run from 0-62 mph which should come in at about two seconds quicker than the current Mini One D.

The car is scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva auto show in February, though we doubt the diesel Cooper will make its way to American shores anytime soon. Maybe if we make enough noise, Mini will listen. It seemed to work with getting BMW to put a stick-shift back in the M5?

[Source: Car Magazine]