Both the Vito light van and the Viano large capacity van have received a revamp from Mercedes-Benz as it bids to slash both fuel consumption and emission levels.
Thanks to new engines and new transmissions, both vehicles will now comply with Euro 5 emission standards; and BlueEFFICIENCY technology with ECO start/stop will be provided as standard.
The revamped Mercedes-Benz Vito panel van.
In the case of the Vito, all diesel engines will be equipped with an oxidation catalytic converter as well as a particulate filter and cooled exhaust gas recirculation.
A four-cylinder CDI will be at the core of the new generation of engines and represents an increase in power output and torque in comparison to its predecessors but also reduces fuel consumption and emissions by around 15 per cent depending on the engine variant.
Also included are demand responsive auxiliary units with an oil pump that controls delivery rate automatically, which reduces power output and lowers fuel consumption. The ECO Gear six-speed transmission meanwhile, is available as standard for all Vito models with a four-cylinder diesel engine and with its broad gear ratio spread is one of the keys to better fuel economy.
In addition, Mercedes-Benz will make BlueEFFICIENCY technology available as an option for the Vito panel van. It includes an ECO start/stop function; battery management; minimum rolling resistance tyres; an ECO power steering pump; a shift point indicator; a controlled fuel pump; and internal engine measures.
As for the new Viano, two engine variants will be made available with the new ECO Gear six-speed manual transmission offered as standard. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will fall by around five per cent.
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Global CO2 emissions are finally on their way down – despite strong growth in developing countries.
According to an addendum to an earlier study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, CO2 emissions fell by 1.3 per cent in 2009 – that’s the first decrease recorded this decade and this in spite of the fact that emissions in China and India leapt by nine per cent and six per cent respectively.
Gunnar Myhre, the senior research fellow at CICERO explained that the decrease in emissions followed a decrease in the global economy. While emissions from oil and gas fell, emissions from coal remained stable and the share of coal as a fuel has increased.
China and India increased their emissions with China now responsible for 24 per cent of global fossil emissions of CO2. According to Glen Peters, senior researcher at CICERO, Chinese emissions have increased more than economic growth as the country places large investments in infrastructure and export production. In particular, its investments in roads and buildings have caused large emissions as the cement and steel industries in particular are very emission intensive.
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It may have taken electric cars a long time to reach the point of breaking into the mainstream, but it now seems they are ready to sky rocket.
A new report from Pike Research suggests that worldwide adoption of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles will grow quickly over the next five years. Sales are expected to total 3.2million vehicles between 2010 and 2015, meaning a compound annual growth rate of 107 per cent and 106 per cent respectively. Sales of plug-in electric vehicles will top one million units in five years with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles accounting for 44 per cent of the total.
Pike has also made a forecast about regular hybrid vehicles, suggesting they will remain important over the next few years as manufacturers look to meet increasingly tight fuel economy and emission regulation standards. It predicts growth of 12.7 per cent between 2010 and 2015.
According to senior analyst Dave Hurst, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles will complement rather than displace the present conventional hybrid electric vehicle market. Electric vehicles are expected to be launched in the small car segment initially with the small SUV market close behind. As they have low weight and good aerodynamics they are far more efficient and will better extend the electrically powered driving range.
Sales for the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle market are predicted to reach 472,612 units in 2015 with 204,110 to be sold in the US followed by Japan with 62,143 units. Meanwhile, battery electric vehicles are expected to take off in China and reach 262,203 vehicles sold in 2015.
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Nissan North America has formed an electric vehicle partnership with the state of Hawaii as it bids to introduce an electric vehicle charging network in the area.
The partnership was confirmed at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu and is the first definitive agreement reached by the company in the United States.
As part of the agreement, the Nissan LEAF will be made available in the state in January 2011. Hawaii will provide a $4,500 state tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle and a $500 state tax credit for the purchase and installation of a home charging system. When this is added to a $7,500 Federal tax credit, the price of the Nissan LEAF could be slashed from $32,780 to as little as $20,780 for customers in the state.
In addition, Nissan and Hawaii will develop plans to promote charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. They will co-ordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an electric vehicle infrastructure.
According to US Senator Daniel K Inouye the partnership personifies the state’s commitment to a future powered by clean and sustainable sources of energy.
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Just a week after we looked at China’s potential to be the new electric car super power (see article) another alliance has formed for the deployment of electric vehicles in the country.
The Eaton Corporation is teaming up with vehicle manufacturer Beigi Foton Motor Company; NESTIA the New Energy Sustainable Transportation International Alliance; AECOM; IBM; electric motor provider Broad Ocean; and lithium-ion battery manufacturer MGL; as announced at the third annual China Green Energy Auto Development Summit Forum.
NESTIA is expected to play a lead role in the alliance placing special focus on the deployment of green vehicles in taxi, bus, refuse and sanitation fleets as well as introducing the accompanying charging infrastructure. It is also part of a broader global alliance with Eaton, AECOM and IBM to advance the adoption of green cars from plug-ins to full electric.
The new alliances will combine expertise helping the preparation of a master plan for public and private electric vehicle battery swapping and charging station networks; the design and development of plug-in and electric vehicles; the implementation of public electric vehicle charging station network infrastructure; a review of a utility company’s grid infrastructure to support new load requirements; and assistance for utility companies in preparing a portfolio of business applications for electric vehicle specific systems.
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Keep your eyes peeled for the new Citroen DS4 which will be unveiled at this year’s Paris Motor Show and will include an e-HDi micro-hybrid system as an option.
The DS4 is expected to go on sale in 2011 and will be made available with a choice of five Euro 5 engines. Among them will be two HDi diesels including an HDi 110 (which will be available as an e-HDi version); as well as an HDi 160, both of which will be fitted with Citroen’s diesel particulate filter system. Also being made available will be three petrol powerplants – a VTi 120, a THP 155 and a new THP 200, all of which were co-developed with BMW and will be available with manual or EGS six-speed gearboxes.
The new Citroen DS4.
As for the micro-hybrid system, it includes: the engine; a new generation stop and start system; a second-generation reversible alternator and e-booster function that restarts the engine instantly; an electronically controlled alternator for energy recovery during braking; and an electronic gearbox system with optimised gear changes.
It is believed that the technology can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 15 per cent in urban environments.
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Two new engines will be introduced by Volvo as it bids to slash fuel consumption and exhaust emissions in the region of 20 per cent.
The Swedish brand formerly owned by Ford and now owned by Geely will introduce new T3 and T4 engines. These include the 1.6 GTDi T3 with 150hp and the T4 with 180hp. The latter will deliver maximum torque of 240Nm from 1,600rpm all the way up to 5,000rpm.
According to Volvo estimates, the combination of direct injection with turbocharging and variable valve timing will deliver reductions in fuel consumption and emissions by as much as 20 per cent compared with a larger displacement conventional petrol engine. Magnus Jonsson, the senior vice president of product development at Volvo Cars, commented that the engines are part of a bid to get more energy from smaller engines.
Each engine will have a compact format and be made from die-cast aluminium which offers low weight and good heat-dissipation. Each injector has also been strategically positioned centrally above the piston which makes it possible to control fuel dosage precisely. The fuel is sprayed into the middle of the combustion chamber just prior to ignition.
Both variants will also feature a DRIVe button with fuel saving technology. The automatic version has a technology that disengages the gear if the driver releases the accelerator to reduce rolling resistance; while the manual version has a start/stop function which shuts off the engine when the car is standing still.
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You don’t hear the name Porsche and think about truck cabs too often – but as we move towards the next generation of vehicle technologies, Porsche Engineering Group GmbH is getting in on the act by forming a partnership with Scania.
Porsche will provide its highly advanced engineering services in areas including structural testing, material analysis, the design of production equipment and logistics. Expected customers will include automotive companies and other industries.
Executive vice president and head of research and development at Scania, Per Hallberg, is thrilled with the new partnership. He stated that Porsche Engineering shares Scania’s values and views on development and production. The two will now develop a cab frame together that will be optimised for Scania’s requirements in terms of rational production, styling and functionality.
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Foton Motor, of China, and Freescale Semiconductor have joined forces to create the Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab with the aim of exploring joint development efforts in areas including electric and hybrid vehicles and relevant electronic control technology.
The Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab is committed to co-developing silicon, software and system-level solutions for use in the next generation of Foton vehicles with future collaborations to look at powertrains, chassis and safety technologies.
Part of the collaboration will involve a wide range of microcontroller platforms, which will include Freescale’s 32bit Power Architecture MCUs, 16bit S12X and 8bit S08 devices along with analogue power management ICs and sensors.
According to Wu Xuebin, the Foton motor vice president and director of the Engineering Research Institute, automotive electronics technology has greatly enhanced the safety, emissions and economic performance of vehicles. Now Foton is committed to promoting energy and environmental technology in the industry and has provided continuous breakthroughs in new energy driven vehicles over recent years.
Reza Kazerounian, the senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Microcontroller Solutions Group, commented that through close collaboration the companies hope to drive breakthroughs in cost effective electronics, powertrains and hybrid electric vehicle solutions. It hopes to help Foton maintain its leadership in the area of commercial vehicles while also enhancing research and development in green cars.
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With its Nissan LEAF electric car just around the corner, the Japanese manufacturer has made a bold prediction about vehicle sales this year.
Nissan has stated it expects auto sales to reach 70million units this year with China continuing to lead the new car market. China became Nissan’s second largest market last year.
Dr Andy Palmer, senior vice president and executive committee member of Nissan Motor Company, commented that sales of Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti in China hit 5,113 units in the first half year – that’s more than double compared to a year earlier. Sales for the whole year could now exceed 10,000 units, second only to the US market.
In 2009, global auto sales only totalled 60.99million units according to the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers with the global economic downturn partly to blame.
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