Though previously biofuels with only a five per cent ethanol content had been available in Germany, that will all change as of January 1, 2011.

From the turn of the year, Super E10 will become available in 14,000 service stations across the country with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety estimating that around 90 per cent of existing German cars will be E10 compatible.

It is believed that the higher ethanol petrol blend will have a decreased impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions and that it will reduce consumer reliance on diminishing oil reserves. It is also hoped that it will help to bring Germany in line with a European Commission directive which wants EU-wide greenhouse gas emissions savings of 60 per cent from 2018 onwards.

Any vehicles that are not able to run on E10 will still be able to use the five per cent variety until it is phased out in 2013.

The US will employ 310 quick chargers using the Japanese CHAdeMO system as part of its large scale electric vehicle tests in Arizona, California, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington.

According to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun, it will be the first time that a large number of quick chargers using the CHAdeMO method have been used overseas and this could be the first step towards the Japanese method becoming the world standard.

The report states that while competition is intensifying over how to standardise the charger systems, the CHAdeMO quick charger could become widespread across the US which would give it a significant advantage over its rivals.

Earlier this year, 158 companies including Nissan, Mitsubishi and TEPCO established the CHAdeMO to unify standards in Japan.

The Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles has outlined an ambitious state wide greenhouse gas emissions limit for 2020.

According to the Global Warming Solutions Act, emissions must be 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. Though it seems a difficult goal to achieve, Secretary Bowles believes the state already has the necessary plans in place.

Among them is pay as you drive car insurance which is intended to reduce the number of vehicle miles travelled. 

Within the 136page Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 is several measures aimed at reducing waste, saving money and stimulating the adoption of clean energy technologies.

Among the areas targeted are transportation, with the state aiming for a 7.6 per cent reduction below 1990 levels; clean car consumer incentives with varying rates on new car sales taxes, annual auto excise and registration fees based on high-MPG vehicles; pay as you drive car insurance that converts an annual premium into a variable cost based on miles travelled; GreenDOT, a sustainability initiative with goals such as promoting healthy transportation methods; and a smart growth policy package that will make it easier for households and businesses to decrease the number and distance of vehicle trips.

In addition, there are several policies outside the transport sector including the Green Communities Act which requires a cost-effective energy efficiency investment.

The ECA, Electrical Contractors’ Association, has voiced its concerns over the lack of recharging infrastructure in place ahead of the introduction of the £5,000 electric vehicle grant which starts in January.

Steve Bratt, Group CEO of the ECA, comments:

“Whilst I welcome the introduction of the Electric Vehicle (EV) grant, for EVs to be truly successful we must first make sure we have the infrastructure in place.  This means having enough charging points throughout the country; all with a common installation standard, to ensure that they work properly.

Bratt goes on to say:  “If this initiative is successful, and the number of EVs on the road does increase significantly, it will be vital that the National Grid can cope.  As without the correct infrastructure, the public could be left stranded as their car runs out of electricity. ”

Bratt concludes: “Before the Government takes steps to incentivise the purchase of electric cars, it first needs to address the issues which stand in the way of their future success. If we’re not careful we could see a rerun of battery cars, which became an object of media and popular ridicule during the 1980s.”

After dominating the green car sector for a decade with the success of the Prius, Toyota has been relatively quiet in recent times. However, it now appears the Japanese manufacturer has a plan to lead the marketplace again.

A 10-year blueprint will be unveiled next spring outlining the automaker’s first long-term vision compiled under President Akio Toyoda which is said to target the fully fledged production of plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as conventional hybrid cars.

The company is determined to ramp up sales in developing markets such as China and India with figures likely to top those in the US, Japan and Europe.

In addition, Toyota will look to strengthen its sales network and recruit more foreign senior executives and employees while working on bolstering the cohesion between group companies.

On top of that, the automaker will focus on nurturing new businesses and bring together smart grids and new cars with the aiming of commercialising a control system in 2012 that will connect cars, homes and next generation transport systems.

The production of the electric mini-vehicle, the Stella EV, may be suspended, according to Kyodo News.

It suggests that Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru brand cars, may suspend production of the electric vehicle when it stops manufacturing the Stella mini-vehicle, although details of the timing have not been revealed.

Unidentified sources claim that Fuji Heavy will completely withdraw its mini vehicle production in 2012 after it started to sell the plug-in Stella electric vehicle to corporate customers and local governments in July, 2009, with a sales target of 400 units by the end of March, 2011.

It is believed that Fuji Heavy is instead looking to launch a plug-in petrol electric hybrid that can be recharged using a household electrical outlet in the mid-2010s and that it is seeking support from its top shareholder, Toyota.

According to a report in business daily Nikkei, Japan’s government will postpone the creation of a greenhouse gas emissions trading system until after the fiscal year 2013.

Instead the government will continue with an environment tax in the form of higher rates on fossil fuels depending on the degree of carbon dioxide associated in fiscal year 2011.

It states that the Democratic Party has submitted an anti-global warming bill that includes an environment tax and fixed price purchases of power generated by renewable energy. However, there is no focus on an emissions trading system with the environment tax appearing to be the only change on existing taxes for oil and coal products.

The report also suggests there is scepticism about whether Prime Minister Naoto Kan will take effective measures in the future as there has not yet been a tough stance on global warming.

Beginning with the 2012 edition of the Ford Focus, brake torque vectoring will be offered in the vehicle as standard.

The technology has previously been offered on high-end sports cars and means that when the vehicle is negotiating a curve, it provides slight braking force to the wheel and the tyre that is subject to potential slippage. The pressure applied to one driven wheel is imperceptible to the driver and means there is an improved sense of stability and control.

According to Rick Bolt, the program manager of the Ford Focus, the torque vectoring means the Focus braking system can imitate the effect of limited-slip differential and constantly balance the distribution of engine output between the driven front wheels to suit the conditions and road surface.

It also means that when accelerating on a tight corner, the system will apply an imperceptible degree of braking to the inside front wheel which allows more engine torque to go to the outside wheel meaning better traction, grip and handling.

The new Ford Focus is expected to go on sale in early 2011.

Wednesday 29 December 2010. The Green Piece Column.

Last week we began a two part look back at the events of 2010 in the green car sector (see article). This week we continue our review.

Honda

The year began in earnest for Honda at the Geneva Motor Show where it revealed its minimalist approach to the electric cars of the future (see article). Its debutants included the EV-N Concept, a design inspired by the diminutive 1967 N360 city car and the 3R-C, a revolutionary one person battery electric vehicle.

It wasn’t just about looking to the future for Honda however, as it proved that green cars are very much for the present too with the market release of the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car, firstly in Japan in February (see article) and then made available to order in the UK in March (see article). The vehicle became Honda’s third hybrid on the market and could achieve fuel economy figures of 56.4mpg with CO2 emissions at just 117g/km despite boasting a 1.5litre engine and 20bhp electric motor with combined outputs of 128lb ft of torque.

This year’s Paris Motor Show also furthered the company’s hybrid car efforts with the debut of a hybrid Jazz, which will go on sale in the UK in early 2011 (see article); while a battery electric version of the same car was also unveiled at the LA Auto Show in November (see article).

Hyundai – Kia

Perhaps the most significant announcement from Hyundai came in December when it revealed plans for a fuel cell vehicle, to be known as the Hyundai Tucson iX FCEV, which will reach the market in 2015 (see article). However, it was just the latest in a long line-up of innovations announced throughout the year.

Also announced was its Blue Drive range of vehicles (see article) which would take emissions below 100g/km of CO2 for the i10, i20 and i30 models; while plans were revealed for an i40 model also developed under the Blue Drive programme (see article). Meanwhile, the company also announced its first ever battery electric car, to be known as the BlueOn (see article).

The Kia brand too was active throughout the year with several electric vehicle concepts unveiled. These included the Kia POP electric vehicle, capable of a range of 100miles with a top speed of 87mph (see article); the electric version of the Kia Picanto, scheduled to go on sale in 2012 (see article); an electric version of the Kia Venga (see article); hybrid versions of the Optima and Kia Forte models (see article); and a plug-in hybrid concept known as the Kia Ray (see article).

Mitsubishi

Much of the Japanese carmaker’s efforts throughout the year have firmly revolved around the i-MiEV electric vehicle with early orders in Japan proving so popular that the company decided to ramp up production (see article). When its UK pricing was announced (see article) we even carried out a direct comparison to see how it stacked up against a petrol engine car (see article).

With the vehicle expected to debut under the Peugeot and Citroen brands as the i0n and C-ZERO respectively, a further agreement was also announced on the production of an all electric light commercial vehicle (see article).

Mercedes- Benz

It may be a luxury car maker, but Mercedes-Benz has shown a firm commitment towards green technology throughout the year. The Mercedes C-Class was restyled with lower fuel consumption (see article); while a tie-up was announced with Renault-Nissan that is expected to further its push for electric vehicles (see article). It also revealed details of an electric sports car (see article) known as the SLS-AMG.

Perhaps most excitingly however, Mercedes-Benz appears strongly committed to fuel cell technology including fuel cell hybrid buses (see article) and the B-Class F-CELL vehicle (see article), which is expected to reach the roads by 2012.

Nissan

The Nissan LEAF continued to steal headlines throughout 2010 with deliveries expected to begin in the UK in March 2011 (see article) and the car also earning the European Car of the Year award (see article) – the first time the prize has ever been given to an electric car.

Of course the LEAF wasn’t the only innovation from the Japanese carmaker to capture our attention this year. It’s luxury brand, Infiniti, unveiled the M35h Hybrid, with estimated fuel economy of 30mpg highway and 27mpg city (see article); a tiny electric concept, similar to the Renault Twizy, was also revealed (see article); while the Nissan Fuga Hybrid was put on sale in Japan (see article). Meanwhile, the Nissan Townpod Electric Vehicle caused quite the stir going into the Paris Motor Show, but so far the company has no plans to bring it to production (see article).

Peugeot

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Peugeot hasn’t brought much to the table in the green car sector so far – however, that all changed in the last few weeks when the company’s EX1 Concept set new electric car speed records (see article) and became one of the most talked about vehicles in the industry.

In fact, Peugeot has taken several steps forward in 2010 including unveiling its HR1 Concept in Paris (see article), which used Hybrid 4 technology to achieve 81mpg and emissions as low as 80g/km; and its first diesel hybrid in the form of the Peugeot 3008 Crossover (see article), which is capable of 74.4mpg while emitting just 99g/km of CO2. When added to its own version of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, in the form of the Peugeot i0n (see article); as well as a hybrid version of the Peugeot 508 (see article) it’s clear the company is starting to make up for lost time.

Renault

After unveiling four electric cars in 2009, all of which will be released in 2011 – the Renault Twizy, Zoe, Fluence and Kangoo ZE – it’s been a relatively quiet year for the French carmaker.

The bulk of its efforts have focused on establishing electric car partnerships around the world (see article) as it looks to be among the pacesetters in key markets as part of its alliance with Nissan. However, that didn’t stop it announcing one eye catching new concept at this year’s Paris Motor Show in the form of the Renault DeZir electric sports car (see article), which has a range of 99miles and can race from 0-62mph in just five seconds.

Toyota

Once the undisputed leader in the green car sector, Toyota seems to have let the others play catch-up this year without offering anything to really get our pulses racing.

That’s not to say that the Japanese carmaker, whose Prius model continues to lead the sales charts on its home turf (see article), hasn’t brought anything new to the table. Back at the Geneva Motor Show for example, it unveiled a hybrid version of the Toyota Auris (see article) with emission figures of just 89g/km; and continued to test a plug-in version of the Prius model (see article). It has also collaborated with Tesla to produce an electric version of the RAV4 (see article) with a range of around 80miles, that is scheduled to reach the market in 2012.

Volkswagen

2010 has all been about planning ahead for Volkswagen – it may not have a huge presence in the green car arena just yet, but this is the year when it has positioned itself for a firm assault on the frontrunners of the race.

This was made clear by its announcement in July that it would launch a new generation of hybrid and electric cars (see article) including an electric car based on the current prototype E-Up!; a hybrid version of the Jetta to go on sale in 2011; hybrid Golf and Passat vehicles for 2012; while a petrol-electric hybrid version of the Touareg SUV was actually released this year (see article). Also waiting in the wings is an electric version of the Volkswagen Golf, to be known as the Golf blue e-motion, which has a projected driving range of 93miles and is scheduled to reach the market in 2014 (see article).

Don’t forget to catch the Green Piece Column next week when we look ahead to how the green car sector should shape up in 2011. Until then, may you all have a wonderful New Year.

Faye Sunderland

Over the next four years, Audi will pour around €11.6billion into new products and technologies in what is the largest investment programme in the company’s history.

From 2011-2015 around 80 per cent of its investment – that’s more than €9.5billion – will go towards the development of new products and technologies of the future including electric and hybrid drive systems. Among them will be the Audi R8 e-tron, which is the company’s first electric sports car and should begin sales in late 2012.

Around €5billion of the investment will go towards its German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm with around 1,200 experts to be hired in 2011 in an effort to boost the company’s electromobility and competence in the field of lightweight construction.