Ferrari, Lotus or Porsche: close your eyes and picture a vehicle from any of those world-famous manufacturers and you’re likely to envision a dream car with sleek lines, an eye-catching body and incredible power. Fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to creep into the fantasy image.

Indeed just a month ago the Green Piece Column (see article) examined some of the green sports cars headed our way – but they were generally restricted to offerings from relative upstarts like Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive. The big name sports car makers it seemed were just carrying on, business as usual.

However, this year’s Geneva Motor Show has changed all that as one after the other, some of the biggest names in the sports car field revealed that they too have developed a green conscience. Let’s take a look at what’s coming from some of the motoring industry’s most respected car makers:

Ferrari – F1 technology goes green

Based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the Italian carmaker unveiled the Ferrari HY-KERS in Geneva – a vehicle that features a lightweight hybrid drivetrain with system components located below the centre of gravity (see article).

The HY-KERS still has F1 technology and the performance characteristics of a typical Ferrari but manages to reduce CO2 emissions by around 35 per cent. It can even operate as a full electric vehicle in city traffic.

In addition, Ferrari has also introduced a stop and start system into the Ferrari California model that slashes fuel consumption and emissions by six per cent.

Lotus – A green triple threat

The Lotus Elise is one of the most sought-after super cars in the world and its transformation in Geneva is perhaps the most telling of all (see article). The new Elise now has the lowest CO2 performance for a petrol sports car in the world at less than 155g/km with fuel efficiency at 38mpg – yet it can still race from 0-60mph in just six seconds and achieve a top speed of 124mph.

However, Lotus’s green contributions to the show did not end there. It also unveiled the PROTON Concept (see article), a plug-in hybrid car which uses the Lotus Range Extender engine and can be charged using a domestic outlet to achieve electric-only operation when the vehicle is first used.

Also making its debut was the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Concept which produces 414PS of power and can accelerate from 0-60mph in less than four seconds (see article). It has an electric range of 35miles; a total hybrid range in excess of 300miles; and, according to Lotus, its total lifetime CO2 emissions is lower than that of a fully electric car with comparable performance.

Porsche – A hat-trick of hybrids

Few manufacturers have been as busy at Geneva as Porsche, which has introduced a hat-trick of hybrid cars at the event.

Perhaps the most eye-catching is the plug-in hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder concept car (see article) that is powered by a high-speed V8, can accelerate from 0-62mph in less than three seconds and can achieve a top speed of 198mph. However, despite these remarkable performance statistics, the plug-in hybrid technology makes it strikingly efficient with fuel consumption at 74.8mpg and emissions at 70g/km of CO2.

Also revealed at the event was the new Cayenne S Hybrid (see article), which slashes fuel consumption by 23 per cent compared to the previous model thanks to features such as auto stop-start, thermal management and intelligent lightweight construction. Fuel consumption is 28.75mpg and CO2 emissions are just 193g/km. Completing the set for Porsche is the 911 GT3 R Hybrid that includes a flywheel energy recovery system developed by Williams for F1 racing (see article).

And don’t forget…

Though Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche may have stolen the show in Geneva, they aren’t the only manufacturers with exciting green sports cars in their line-up.

Others to look out for include the Honda CR-Z (see article), dubbed the world’s first hybrid sports car and that is scheduled to be released in Europe this summer. Also coming is the Vauxhall/Opel Flextreme (see article), a range-extended concept with a total range in excess of 300miles and fuel consumption at 174mpg; and the Bentley SuperSports Convertible (see article) that boasts an impressive top speed of 202mph and yet is able to run on petrol or E85 bio-ethanol; and all of these on top of the aforementioned Fisker Karma and Tesla Roadster.

What now appears blatantly apparent is that no leading car maker can afford to rest on its laurels with regards to green technology. Consumers want fast, powerful, exciting super cars that still save money in the forecourt and slash emissions – and now it seems they are going to get them.

Faye Sunderland

Honda (UK) has announced the pricing and specification for its new CR-Z hybrid coupe, which customers can order through the Honda dealer network from this Friday, 5 March.

The CR-Z is the world’s first production sports hybrid coupe; a slick looking car that should prove exciting to drive while retaining the benefits of advanced, low emission hybrid technology. Featuring Honda’s petrol-electric IMA system, the car has three driving modes, which allows the driver to adapt the settings of the car to suit their needs – to maximise economy or to overtaking power for example.

The entry level S spec is priced from £16,999, while the Sport trim starts from £17,999 rising to £19,999 for the top end GT specification. The CR-Z boasts a generous kit with all grades benefitting from six airbags, active headrests, Vehicle Stability Assist. All models also come fitted with Climate Control, 6-speaker CD player and an engine start button.

S grades get heated door mirrors, rear dimming mirror, electric windows, daytime running lights, Shift Indicator Light (SIL) and auxilliary socket. Meanwhile, Sport grades have additional ambient lighting, alloy pedals, cruise control, leather gear shift, multi function steering wheel, parking sensors, privacy glass, 240W premium audio system, boot-mounted subwoofer and USB port for MP3 players.

Top grade GT models are equipped with the above, plus full leather upholstery and heated front seats, panoramic glass roof, HID Xenon headlights, Hands-Free Telephone (HFT), and automatic headlights and wipers. GT models are available with optional DVD Satellite Navigation.

Featuring 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine coupled to Honda IMA hybrid system, emissions for the new model are projected to stand at 117 g/km of CO2 with fuel economy of 56.4mpg on a combined cycle.

With a wide track, short wheelbase chassis for agile and responsive handling, the sporty, aerodynamic new model features a flexible 2+2 seating arrangement. Day-time running lights (DTRLs) with eight LEDs will be included in response to a forthcoming change in EU law which will force all cars to feature day lighting.

The new production CR-Z makes its European debut today at the Geneva Motor Show ahead of its European on-sale date.

One of the most sought-after hybrid cars in the world is now on sale in Japan.

The all-new Honda CR-Z (Compact Renaissance Zero) went on sale on Friday with Honda targeting monthly sales of 1,000 units for the new car. It is the company’s third hybrid in the market, following on from the Civic Hybrid and the Honda Insight, and it is the sixth version of Honda’s original Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology since the launch of the original Honda Insight back in December 1999.

The CR-Z is the first model to feature Honda’s three-mode drive system that allows the driver to choose between SPORT, NORMAL and ECON modes depending on the situation – such as whether the motorist is driving on a motorway, in the city or on a country road.

It combines a 1.5litre i-VTEC engine with the IMA system and has a six-speed manual transmission. There is also a CVT version that includes paddle shifters as standard.

Its fuel economy is remarkable for a vehicle with so much speed and power at 59mpg and 53mpg in 10-15 mode; or 48mpg in JC08 mode.

Honda is to unveil a ‘revolutionary’ one person battery electric vehicle concept at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Set to debut alongside the EV-N concept, the three wheeled wonder uses an electric drivetrain mounted low in the chassis to give the vehicle a low centre of gravity and increase its stability. It features a clear canopy that covers the driver’s seat while it is parked and not in use. When 3R-C vehicle is in motion, the canopy becomes an enveloping wind-shield that provides the pilot, who sits low in the vehicle, with significant protection from the bodywork and doors.

Despite its diminutive size, the high sides of the safety shell seat promise to give greater safety to the occupant, reducing the threat from side impacts and improving weather protection. In front of the driver is a lockable boot area, which gives significant secure storage for luggage or other items. The 3R-C’s designers created a flexible cover that surrounds the upper torso to reduce exposure to bad weather and improving comfort.

Created by designers working at Honda’s Research and Design facility in Milan, the 3R-C is the carmaker’s study into how future minimal urban transportation could look like.

Meanwhile the EV-N concept, previously shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, will make its European debut at the show. A design study inspired by the diminutive 1967 N360 city car, the EV-N features Honda’s own solar panels in the roof, which could charge the car while it is parked. Two of Honda’s U3-X, electric personal mobility devices are attached to the inside of each door. The two-door EV-N concept is envisioned with a lithium-ion battery pack, and small electric motor for predominantly urban use.

Alongside the two electric prototypes, the carmaker’s famous hydrogen fuel cell car, the FCX Clarity will also feature at the show.. Currently being leased by customers in Japan and the US, Honda’s only production fuel cell car now has two models permanently stationed in Europe for long-term research purposes. Alongside research work, the pair of FCX Claritys are being demonstrated at events like the COP 15 climate summit in Copenhagen, and the Berlin Climate Conference.

The Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the motoring press on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Stayed tuned to TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk as we bring you the latest and greenest from the show.

A new study by Honda in Japan has revealed just how much fuel drivers could save by adopting a fuel efficient driving style.

It found that drivers using the new Eco Assist system on the Honda Insight Hybrid improved fuel economy by an average of 10 per cent and potentially as much as 20 per cent after 300 drives.

The all-new Ecological Drive Assist System, known as Eco Assist for short, is a driver-selected fuel economy information system that helps a driver to maintain a fuel efficient driving style through feedback and a driver-selected ECON button that automatically helps increase fuel efficiency.

It monitors the motorist’s driving style and displays its impact on a vehicle’s fuel economy. It provides driving style recommendations to reflect how efficiently the driver is accelerating and braking; and shows how fuel saving activities like smooth acceleration and braking help reduce fuel consumption by making the speedometer background glow green – by contrast, aggressive driving makes the meter glow blue.

Meanwhile, pushing the ECON button increases the fuel economy of the Insight’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system by increasing the potential for engaging the idle stop feature sooner; operating air conditioning more in recirculation mode; reducing the automatic climate control fan blower speed; optimising throttle angle input; and limiting power and torque by around four per cent.

The results, which were revealed by Keiji Enomoto from Honda research and development at the SAE 2010 Hybrid Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego, were drawn from 1.7million data points from about 5,000 Insights from February-August 2009.

Honda’s six fold rise in quarterly from last year announced this morning, is helped by the sales of greener cars and cost cutting measures it is revealed.

The carmaker today raised its full-year profit forecast for a third time after the results for the final quarter of 2009 were revealed. Compared to the last quarter of 2008, Honda made 135bn yen (around £930m) from the previous year. Sales may have been down 11.5 per cent on the same period of 2008, but this is blamed on a strong yen and an overall downturn in car sales across the world.

However, successful sales were boosted by government subsidies such as scrappage schemes and  tax breaks on more fuel-efficient cars which helped boost sales of Honda’s Civic and the new to 2009- hybrid Insight.

While the brand is in the middle of a recall crisis affecting its popular Jazz model, the carmaker could be set to capitalise on Japanese rival, Toyota, which has also issued its own, more extensive recalls.

Honda has issued a global recall of 646,000 cars to fix a defect with a window switch which could cause fire in the Jazz model, also known as Fit in some countries. Meanwhile Toyota has issued a recall affecting eight models sold in Europe which could mean as many as 1.8 million on this one continent alone might need repair.

The firm now expects its full year net income of 265bn yen, well above initial expectations.

Two hybrid cars came top of the Euro NCAP safety ratings for 2009, it has been revealed.

Beaten into submission only by another green car, the Volkswagen Golf, the Honda Insight came second followed by the Toyota Prius.

Euro NCAP has revealed for the first time, the top five safest cars of 2009, based on its five star awards and overall scoring system.

The sixth generation Golf came first with a rating of 97 per cent for adult occupant safety, followed by the two hybrid models; the Honda Insight with 90 per cent and the Toyota Prius with 88 per cent. In fourth place came the Hyundai i20. There are three joint winners for fifth place – the Toyota Avensis, Volvo XC60 and another super-low emission model; the Opel/Vauxhall Astra. Euro NCAP’s poorest results of the year were achieved by the Suzuki Alto and the Toyota Urban Cruiser, which both received three stars.

The crash-test safety specialist tested thirty three car models in 2009, testing each for the safety of child passengers, adult passengers and pedestrians.

To calculate an overall safety rating, the car model is usually put through four crash tests, a component test and is assessed by an inspector who considers tests results and the safety equipment and features of the car.

In 2010 the tests are set to get tougher though, the threshold to achieve Euro NCAP’s maximum five stars will rise from 75 per cent to 80 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection and from 70 per cent to 75 per cent in Child Occupant Protection. The threshold for Pedestrian Protection rises to 40 per cent. The first results for vehicles tested under this stricter assessment will be released on 3rd March 2010.

Honda has begun testing a solar-powered hydrogen refuelling device for home use, in the hope that the prototype could help solve a global lack of refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen cars.

The carmaker, which is leasing its FCX Clarity hydrogen-fuel cell car in California, is now testing the solar-powered pump at it U.S. headquarters also based in California.

According to The Detroit News, the device makes half a kilogram of hydrogen gas per day, enough for an average daily commute. The hydrogen fuel is generated from water and electricity produced by 6 kilowatts of rooftop solar panels.
Plans by Honda to sell and develop hydrogen-fuelled cars have stalled in the United States due to a lack of fuel stations, high costs and a diversion of federal funds towards electric-powered cars.

Currently Honda runs a limited lease programme of its FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan to drivers in the Los Angeles because the city has some hydrogen refuelling stations. Actress, Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the limited numbers of people who have been lucky enough to lease the model, believed to cost around $600 a month.

Honda has yet to confirm how much the Solar Hydrogen Station will cost and when it will be available, although the device is expected to be cheaper and smaller than a previous solar-powered fuel pump tested in California. It is designed for a slow, overnight refill to hold down ‘costs and complexity’, the company said in an email statement to the newspaper.

Carmakers developing hydrogen-fuelled vehicles include BMW, Toyota and GM but so far costs and a lack of refuelling infrastructure have been two major obstacles to the widespread adoption of the ‘zero emission’ technology.

Fancy getting your mitts on a hybrid but thought they were too expensive? Think again. The good old ‘affordable hybrid’, the Insight just got more tempting.

Honda is offering a PCP on the Insight SE, meaning you can join the hybrid revolution for just £199 per month.

More than £3,000 cheaper than its famous Toyota competitor, the Insight, first introduced in spring last year, is now available with competitive APR of 5.9 per cent and a low initial deposit.

Similar PCP deals with near identical terms can’t touch the Insight, a Focus ECOnetic will cost you £349.98 per month, a Vauxhall Astra will set you back £453.71 per month while a Prius will cost £265.38 per month.

The Insight SE comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, CD audio system, climate control air conditioning, electric folding door mirrors, electric windows, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and 408-litres of boot space (seats up).

At £16,338, the Insight’s on-the-road price undercuts the Prius hybrid by at least £3,165, for which, Honda points out, you could buy one of its Hornet motorcycles too or seven nights in Mauritius.

As well as the lower on-the-road price and value-for-money PCP, the Insight boasts high residual values, fuel economy of 64.2mpg (SE combined), low road tax and exemption from the London Congestion charge.

The Honda Insight SE is based on for 36 payments of £199 at 5.9 per cent APR with a deposit of £4625.50.

The higher spec, Insight ES is available for £229 with deposit of £4,610. ES-T grade Insights are available for £249 per month with deposit of £4,906.40 – all based on 36 month payments at 5.9 per cent APR.

How times have changed. If anything was learned from this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit it was that the motoring industry is not what it used to be.

Attendees in previous years may have fond memories of the deafening music, smoke and dancing girls that accompanied a new model. However, at this year’s event there was less of the razzamatazz and more of a focus, as it became clear that manufacturers are in a race to market electric cars.

Though the most noteworthy electric vehicle currently available, the Tesla Roadster, doesn’t come cheap at $109,000, by the end of 2010 it will be joined by a host of affordable new options. Indeed whether they are established giants such as GM, Renault-Nissan and Ford, or relative upstarts like Fisker, the market has clearly moved towards marketing electric cars.

Who are the contenders?

The manufacturers that are intent on bringing electric vehicles to fruition reads like a who’s who of the automotive world:

• BMW: The German car maker could steal a march in the luxury sector with its Concept ActiveE, a plug-in version of the BMW 1 Series coupe. It has also electrified the MINI for a test programme.
• Coda Automotive: A relative unknown at the moment, Coda may soon establish itself as a household name with its battery powered saloon car with batteries from its joint venture in China. It will launch with an internet marketing strategy in California only, but is expected to have the capacity to produce 20,000 cars a year.
• Fisker Automotive: Seen as Tesla’s closest competitor, Fisker will debut its high performance plug-in hybrid known as the Karma later this year and is working on a lower cost option known as Project NINA having been boosted by a loan from the Department of Energy (see article).
• Ford: It plans to introduce a plug-in version of the Focus from 2011 and a next generation hybrid based on its global compact car platform from 2012. As announced at the Detroit Motor Show, Michigan will be the focal point of its electrification strategy with the company planning to invest $450million in the state (see article).
• General Motors: You can’t talk about GM these days without mentioning the Chevrolet Volt, to be known in Europe as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera, which uses a petrol engine to generate electricity for its electric motor. The car will go on sale before the end of the year for $40,000; and a Cadillac range-extended model is also planned (see article).
• Mitsubishi: Having enjoyed success with its’ i-MiEV electric vehicle on home turf, Mitsubishi has established a partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen to bring the car to Europe in the form of the Peugeot i0n and Citroen C-ZERO. Last week it also announced plans to help build 1,000 charging stations across Japan (see article).
• Renault-Nissan Alliance: Perhaps no other automaker has been as focused on electric vehicles as Renault-Nissan. Not only will the company deploy the 100mile all-electric range LEAF this year (see article), but it is working in partnership with Better Place to deploy a Renault electric vehicle as part of a plan to boost infrastructure around the world; and it is partnering with AeroVironment to build a home charger.
• Tesla Motors: Super-car performance from an electric car – if you didn’t think it was possible, then the Tesla Roadster is active proof that it can be done. Now the company is on a roll having secured DOE funding for its Model S saloon car (see article).
• Think Global: In many respects Think is the greatest reminder of how far electric cars have come. Having been sold by Ford in 2003 and undergoing bankruptcy proceedings in late 2008 it has since bounced back with partial ownership of US battery company Ener1 and plans to introduce the two-seat Think City, which will sell for less than $20,000 (with a Federal tax credit), in the US later this year.

Add to this list the likes of Toyota with its plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles (see article); Chrysler which has ambitious electric car rollout plans now its merger with Fiat is complete; Honda with the exciting CR-Z Concept (see article); and even Audi with electric e-tron vehicles (see article); and it’s clear that the electrification of the automobile is under way.

So is the revolution here?

Del Boy Trotter was famous for saying “this time next year Rodney, we’ll be millionaires.” Indeed enthusiasts of electric cars could be accused of similar misplaced optimism after so many false starts.

However, now serious government investment through loans, grants and tax credits, coupled with a host of green energy programmes, is paying off, and while the implementation of infrastructure to charge these vehicles remains a major stumbling block (albeit one that is being addressed, slowly) it seems that… this time next year… there will be plenty of electric cars to choose from.

Faye Sunderland