Research to develop an engine that maximises fuel efficiency when running on renewable fuels is continuing as Lotus announces its collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and Jaguar Cars Ltd.

Lotus is undertaking a design study and the build of a single cylinder research engine to be completed in January 2009. The idea is that the vehicle modelling will validate the reduction in vehicle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the engine is expected to significantly increase fuel efficiency for sustainable bio-alcohol fuels.

The design will feature an innovative variable compression ratio system and will use a two-stroke operating cycle that incorporates direct fuel-injection. Known as the OMNIVORE concept, it will be ideally suited to flex-fuel operation.

Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus Plc Mike Kimberley said: “The automotive industry is now focusing on its environmental obligations to reduce CO2 emissions and improve efficiencies and we are seeing the high technology capabilities of Lotus Engineering being in strong demand.

“Not only does our brand value of ‘performance through light weight’ fit perfectly with the necessary direction of the industry to produce lighter, more efficient vehicles, we are also working on all aspects of future fuels, investigating alternative powertrains to accommodate alcohol fuels as they enter the market.”

The project is being sponsored by Defra (Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs) and the DOE NI (Department of the Environment Northern Ireland) through the Renewable Materials LINK Programme.

External sound technology enhances pedestrian safety for quiet vehicles

Lotus Engineering, the world renowned automotive consultancy division of Lotus, has developed technologies to synthesise external sound on electric and hybrid vehicles to counteract the growing concern these ‘quiet’ vehicles pose to pedestrians and cyclists. A simulation of a real engine sound is used on the ‘Safe & Sound’ Hybrid technology demonstrator vehicle, making it instantly recognisable that the vehicle is in motion.

Electric and hybrid vehicles, a favourite choice of the environmentally conscientious have recently come in for criticism from blind and partially sighted people. Due to the almost silent operation of hybrid vehicles at slower speed when running on electric power, the independent travel of the blind and partially sighted may be put at risk as they cannot hear these quiet vehicles as they approach, making crossing a road or walking through a car park hazardous.

Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc said “The increased acceptance of greener vehicles such as hybrid and electric vehicles is to be encouraged; they have an important role in improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. Our advanced external sound synthesis technology increases pedestrian safety, while retaining the car’s environmental benefits. We hope that legislators introduce minimum noise requirements for vehicles to encourage the adoption of technologies, such as ours, which will ultimately increase pedestrian safety.”

Clive Wood, Transport Policy Officer at The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association said: “Blind and partially sighted people use the noise of oncoming traffic as a cue for when it is safe to cross a road - if a ‘quiet’ hybrid electric vehicle is approaching then they will no longer have this cue and are immediately put at risk.

Wood continues: “As the leading voice on transport and mobility issues in the visual impairment sector, Guide Dogs believes further research and development is needed to address the issues of identifying ‘quiet vehicles’ for blind and partially sighted people. The charity recognises the environmental benefits of these vehicles however more consideration needs to be given to the safety implications to visually impaired pedestrians.”

The Lotus ‘Safe & Sound’ Hybrid technology demonstrator uses a standard Toyota Prius, one of the highest volume and most advanced hybrid vehicles to demonstrate the sound synthesis application and compensate for the lack of engine noise emitted by the vehicle when running on an electric motor. What has resulted is the same environmentally conscious hybrid vehicle, without the potential risk to pedestrians and cyclists.

Duncan Vernon, Road Safety Manager, at RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) said:  “Road safety professionals teach children that they can improve their safety by listening for traffic, and the sound of an approaching vehicle is a warning that most pedestrians will use before making the decision to cross the road. New electric engines make vehicles much quieter, so we need to look at ways of ensuring the safety of pedestrians. We welcome innovative solutions which address this.”

The solution that Lotus has devised is a novel reapplication and development of its Sound Synthesis technology. This is a part of the Lotus suite of patented active noise technologies which comprise three main systems, Active Road Noise Cancellation, Engine Order Cancellation and Sound Synthesis.

To synthesise the engine sound, a road speed signal is taken from the vehicle and a waterproof loudspeaker system is positioned adjacent to the radiator allowing the sound to emanate from the front of the vehicle. Once the vehicle has passed, the sound is not heard. When the car is operating on the electric motor only, throttle and speed dependent synthesised sound projects a realistic engine sound in front of the vehicle. The technology was designed around the behaviour of a conventional engine, using an existing engine sound which makes it instantly recognisable with the pitch and frequency helping to identify vehicle distance and speed. If the hybrid’s engine starts operating, at higher speeds or throttle demands or lower battery levels, the control system automatically stops the external synthesis. When the powertrain control system switches the car back to running on the electric motor only, the synthesis controller instantaneously sets the system running again. It is all completely automatic and the driver hears almost none of the additional sound.

In order to generate the engine sound, recordings of a suitable donor engine were made and analysed to establish the characteristic frequencies at different engine speeds. These frequencies are then entered into the synthesis controller in the form of a ‘voice’ which outputs the sound through an amplifier and out through the loudspeakers.

Lotus unveils the Eco Elise technology demonstrator at the British Motor Show, capitalising on great strides forward in green technology.

The Eco Elise green credentials do not revolve solely around tailpipe CO2  emissions. A holistic approach is taken including the use of sustainable materials; such hemp, eco wool and sisal used for the body panels and trim. Hi-tech water based paint solutions, showcase new affordable green technologies. The whole lifecycle of the car has been taken into account.

A green gear change display has been integrated into the dashboard to promote greener driving as well as a weight reduction programme. The energy expended to manufacture the car has been evaluated, working to the 3R’s - Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc commented “This Eco Elise is a great example of the advanced and affordable green technologies Lotus is developing. We are at the cutting edge of environmental technology and are determined to push forward with our green agenda. The Lotus brand values of lightweight, fuel efficient, and high performance are more relevant today than they ever have been. We are keen to ensure that Lotus as a company and its products offer an ethical, green option that appeals to our customers”.

In keeping with the “performance through light weight” philosophy, the Eco Elise weighs 32 kg (70.5 lbs) less than the standard Elise S, which means that the efficient Elise S engine in the Eco Elise will give higher fuel economy figures and even better performance.

Dramatic improvements to the operational practices at Lotus have resulted in huge energy reduction (Electricity saving of 14%, Gas 30%) and water (11%) consumed across the Hethel headquarters in 2007, compared to 2006. These advances have coincided with improvements in recycling, with 57% of waste product now being recycled.

The life of the components has been analysed; during the production stage, in-use and at the end of the vehicle’s life. The technology used aims to offer lower emissions of both solvents and CO2 in the lifecycle of the vehicle, with reductions in energy consumed during manufacture.

The Eco Elise will be displayed in the Greener Driving Pavilion at the British International Motor Show from 23rd July until 3rd August. The project displays affordable green technology that is intended to be feasible and production viable in the near term future.

 When you picture a Lotus, what do you see? Perhaps the iconic Esprit of the 1970s or the modern head-turner that is the Lotus Elise? Well now when you think Lotus, you can think green.

The automotive consultancy division of the company has won two contracts approved by the UK Government Technology Strategy Board. The two projects will be allocated a share of £23million, to be spread among 16 low carbon vehicle development programmes. With investments from other companies, including Lotus, it is expected that £52million will be poured into these innovations.

The first is the ‘Zero Emission London Taxi Commercialisation’ project, which will see the introduction of commercial fleets of zero-emission fuel cell hybrid taxis. They are expected to appear in London in 2012, and if successful will reach out to other cities by 2014.

As part of its role in the project, Lotus will integrate the fuel cell engine with the drive train and hydrogen storage system.

The second project is known as ‘Limo-Green’ which aims to create a large, prestigious luxury saloon car with vehicle emissions below 120g/km. It will take a Jaguar as its basis and Lotus Engineering will provide a number of auxiliary power units and technical support for their implementation into the vehicle. With a high power output and ultra-high thermal efficiency, the units provide the best of both worlds - high power with excellent efficiency.

It is hoped that these projects will help establish Britain as one of the frontrunners in the race to produce green cars.

Lotus Engineering are planning to enter the green car market and have set up a research and development group with the purpose of working on hybrid and electric vehicles plus the continued work of reducing emissions of its conventional engines.

Recent work assisting in the development of Tesla’s all-electric Roadster will be fully utilised and Lotus Engineering plan to become a leader in green transport engineering within the next five years.