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While the first generation of the Ford Ka was derived from the Fiesta platform in Europe, the Gen 2 model will be based off the new Fiat 500. The 500 was launched for sale at the Frankfurt Motor Show but the Ka will be running about six months behind. According to Fiat that's because Ford joined the program after it was already underway and tooling development will take some extra time.
The Ka and 500 will be built by Fiat on the same assembly line in Poland and use the same lineup of engines. The spy photos of the Ka show some visible body sculpting indicating that the Ka will also feature Ford's kinetic design. With that six month lag time we can probably expect the Ka to arrive in time for Geneva next March. Unfortunately, unlike the Verve/Fiesta, we won't be getting the Ka stateside.
As we mentioned last week, Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of GM spoke to the crowd at the Geneva Motor Show last week, and here is a video to prove it. He spoke quite a bit about alternative fuels and alternative propulsion. He went on to state that GM is committed to providing vehicles that can operate on many different sources of energy, and that GM supports the EU and their goals of reducing harmful emissions from automobiles. Wagoner highlighted that GM has recently been focusing more heavily on electric vehicles, both powered by electricity from hydrogen fuel cells, and "extended range electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt." Extended range being the on-board internal combustion engine powering a generator providing electricity to charge the batteries, I presume. Wagoner said that GM is also pushing forward with their alternative fuel programs such as E85, and working to improve the efficiency of their gas and diesel offerings. GM would like to displace the use of petroleum based fuels with alternatives such as bioethanol, which he mentioned was the fastest growing biofuel. Wagoner showed off the new Saab 9-3 BioPower vehicle that will be available for sale soon in Europe. The new 2.9 liter diesel V6 engine was also on display as well.
Of interest to us here, Wagoner mentioned the GM Sequel, and announced that a test fleet will be released into Europe of ten fuel cell vehicles. Also, regarding their E Flex platform, Wagoner spoke of using many different sources of electricity to power it, and said that there would be new concept vehicles using the platform at the Shanghai Motor Show and Frankfurt Motor Show. These vehicles would likely have nameplates from GM's European brands. That is certainly something to look forward to!
Let me post this question first... Is there such a thing as an off-road sportscar, or is that a contradiction in terms? I thought for a moment about that, and decided, sure... why not? A reasonable case could be made that some of the off-road dune buggy's like the Meyers Manx kits could be considered off-road sportcars. What do you think?
Before you answer, consider this concept vehicle. Edmunds is reporting that the car was designed by students at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Turin, Italy, and shown in Geneva. The students were helped along by Luca Borgogno, a designer for Pininfarina. Unique aspects of the drivetrain, even to hybrids, are what they are calling a thermal/electric powerplant. Exactly what that means is not clear. The power from the engine is transmitted to the wheels via hydraulic lines to each wheel. I am not certain, but what I imagine this means is that the hybrid powerplant drives a hydraulic pump to four individual hydraulic motors at each wheel. Interesting, I wonder what the power loss of this system would be as compared to a more traditional approach, like four electric motors, one at each wheel like some other concepts we have seen.
We already know a lot about the Vision C 220 BlueTec that Mercedes-Benz brought to the Geneva Motor Show. And, while we also had the two official pictures (click on thumbnails below), for a really good look at the styling and features of this production preview showcar, we can now offer up Autoblog's high-resolution gallery.
The BlueTec system in the Vision C 220 means the car is ready to meet the EURO 6 emission standard, which doesn't kick in in Europe until 2015. With an output of 125 kW (170 hp) and a peak torque of 400 Nm, the Vision C 220 BlueTec consumes just 5.5 liters of diesel per hundred kilometers (about 43 mpg in the U.S.).
You don't notice the green side of BMW's muscular silver M3 concept right away. While the aerodynamics are certainly there, this concept looks - and is - more of a showcase for things like the possible home for a V8 engine than green technology. But BMW engineers didn't totally skip the ecological aspects of the M3. For proof, you have to look down on it.
There is a lot of lightweight engineering in the M3's roof. BMW calls the concept the "latest showcase for BMW's use of advanced weight saving technology," as the roof is constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) developed out of Formula One experiences. Reducing the weight of the roof gives the M3 a lower center of gravity, BMW says, and that means a batter balanced car. Now, stick a clean diesel in it, and we'll take it for a drive.
It's finally here! The very first AutoblogGreen Podcast! Sebastian and Sam talk about some of the green highlights from this week's Geneva Motor Show, including the new diesels from Cadillac, Mazda, and Subaru, and the Subaru R1e electric car. The new Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept could be a fun, green successor to the old CRX and the Insight and the Toyota Hybrid-X gives a hint of the styling of the next generation Prius. We've also got an extended interview with Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard. The transcript of the interview can be found here and here. We hope you'll subscribe to the podcast so you can get them automatically when they come out and we're going to try an put one out about every two weeks. We'll also make sure the sound quality is better next time.
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We brought you news of the Giugiaro VAD.HO concept which was shown in Geneva at the Motor Show, and now we have some live pictures of the machine from the show floor.
What makes this concept vehicle worthy of carrying the green image? None other than the BMW Hydrogen 7's V12 engine, mounted on the side of the vehicle normally occupied by the passenger. So... where is the passenger? Right behind the driver, fighter jet style. Pretty cool stuff, which is good since this is a concept vehicle, and that is what they are supposed to be. While I'm not holding my breath to see if this vehicle makes it into production, I can at least view the pictures of the only one in existence at the moment. You can too.
We get a lot of PR material from automakers here at AutoblogGreen, but it's a rare day when the press release describing a new car comes with chapter breaks. Yet that's exactly how Renault is presenting their New Twingo, a small vehicle with a big heart. Apparently, if you like to read, you're going to love the New Twingo.
There are indeed good things to love about the New Twingo, in part because the most powerful version emits 140g/km of CO2 and the numbers drop from there. This New Twingo fits in the Renault Commitment 2009, the company's pledge to sell one million vehicles that produce less than 140g/km of CO2. The New Twingo reduces emissions through better aerodynamics, lower friction and less weight. The car is also 85 percent recyclable by weight and each is made with 15kg of recycled materials and 13kg of renewable materials (like latex, cotton, leather, card, wood).
Renault is pushing the customization of the New Twingo, with a whole host of audio, cell phone and exterior stickers as options. You can read the entire "book" after the jump.
Škoda' introduced a Fabia Hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show, and the cleanest versions of this new addition to the Škoda lineup emit just 120 g/km. As expected, Škoda is offering the Fabia Hatchback with both diesel and petrol engines. Why do automakers, European automakers in particular, offer two types of engines? Choice is the obvious free market answer, and to help consumers make better decisions, Škoda released a little petrol versus diesel cheat sheet, which I'd added after the break. There's nothing groundbreaking in the arguments (petrol is often cheaper, has fewer toxic emissions; but modern diesels are clean and quiet, and diesel fuel gives more mpg), but it's concise and will probably be helpful to some people.
What I'm more interested in is your opinions. My family drives a petrol/gasoline car, but now and again I consider buying a diesel next (if we need to replace the Civic before the WhiteStar or a sweet diesel-hybrid is available). This is mostly because I'd like to get in on biodiesel. But, because I don't expect to make the switch for a few years, I haven't made any decisions yet. What about you? What do you drive? Why? Are you thinking of switching? Vote in the poll and then take it away in the comments.
We reported on Hyundai's recyclable QarmaQ concept back in mid-February. Now that the Geneva Motor Show is under way, Hyundai have released full details of the vehicle which was co-developed with GE Plastics. The QarmaQ Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (aka 'concept') packs in 30 different environmentally progressive technologies which we will see more of as Hyundai selectively incorporates them into its new models between 2008 - 2014. The QarmaQ is said to be lighter, stronger and more economical than any current production CUV in its class. The extensive use of advanced composites and plastics also means that it also offers significant recycling advantages both in construction and eventual disassembly.
Saving weight was a key factor in the design of the vehicle with the most obvious example being the wrap-around windscreen. The GE Lexan material windscreen uses polycarbonate glazing materials and reduces weight by up to 50 percent compared to glass while simultaneously allowing bolder shapes to be formed. The tailgate also breaks new ground by being made as a one-piece component structure incorporating even the tail light assemblies through advanced bonding techniques to achieve higher integral strength matched with lower weight and simplified vehicle assembly.
Powering the plastic marvel is a Euro5 emission compliant advanced 2-litre diesel engine incorporating high pressure fuel injection and fine fuel spray atomization for higher torque and better power output. A Catalyzed Particulate Filter system dramatically reduces regulated emissions including NOx and particulate matter making the QarmaQ one of the cleanest diesels yet.
Analysis: Ok, I've got to say it - what is with that name? Supposedly "QarmaQ" is derived from traditional Inuit dwellings, constructed from earth, whalebone and animal skins. Whatever. Seriously, will someone please let me name Hyundai's concepts so that we can keep their engineers busy with things they're good at?
Apart from that though, I'm totally impressed with this effort which sounds like it has a lot in common with the advanced composite technologies used in the Chevy Volt concept. Thanks to extensive use of advanced materials, the QarmaQ is 60 kg / 132 lbs lighter than a comparable vehicle made with traditional materials which would cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 kg.
Gallery: Hyundai QarmaQ concept
Full press release after the jump including details of the QarmaQ's pedestrian safety technology.
Press previews for the 2007 Geneva Motor Show have barely wrapped up and we're already getting the first preview for the 2008 show. Morgan is a company that is not renowned for being on the cutting edge of anything. In fact, they are closer to being in the rocks and sticks domain. Aside from the funky looking Aero 8, most of the cars don't look much different than they did in the 1930s. In 2005 they announced a project called LifeCar (high-res non-final concept pics here) in cooperation with Oscar Automotive, Cranfield University, QinetiQ, Oxford University, and Linde AG.
Morgan has now released a rendering of the final version of the LifeCar concept that they are going to unveil next March in Geneva. The LifeCar is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and one of the goals of the project is minimize the cost of the fuel cell system and get a range of at least 200 miles. The car still has the classic Morgan proportions and even has more traditional looking headlights than the Aero 8. Overall it looks like a mashup of a 1930s Morgan and something from Blade Runner. We only have to wait a year to see the real thing.
We're quite pleased with our high-res photo galleries here on AutoblogGreen that showcase nicely the pictures our AutoBlog friends are snapping for us in Geneva. Still, I'm always happy to get good green car photos on other people's sites, especially when they have as many as the Newspress media organization is offering from the Geneva Motor show. We've had stories on most of these vehicles - the C-MAX, the Rinspeed, the Cruise Crosser, and more - over the past few days, so I won't go into the details again here (click here if you missed those details). I'll just invite you to see high-res images from the show floor. Enjoy.
Gallery: Geneva Auto Show vehicles
[Source: Newspress]
UPDATE: this post used to link to the Newspress media-only site. Whoops.
Until today, the only time we've used the "Bentley" tag here on AutoblogGreen it was in a story on the Top Ten worst polluting vehicles. Now, we might be using it more often, because the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) is reporting that the British luxury automaker announced in Geneva that it is considering both hybrid and diesel powertrains for future models. Bentley will decide later this year.
The original FAZ article is in German and, since I can't find a translation in English anywhere, I'll give you my own:
The Volkswagen-connected luxury mark Bentley is considering installing diesel and hybrid engines next year's models as a way to transform the company's image. On top of this, Bentley wants to open new sales agencies in the USA and Europe this year, Bentley CEO Franz Josef Paefgen told Dow Jones Newswires at the Geneva Motor Show on Wednesday. Decisions concerning the new models will be made later this year.
Paefgen confirmed that Bentley is concentrating on profitability and not primarily on image change. The company plans to sell 9,000 and 10,000 automobiles annually. In 2006, Bentley sold about 9,300 automobiles. In the coming years, the CEO sees a further growth in the luxury segment range.
The US market is Bentley single largest market and makes up about 40 percent of total sales; the British market makes up 20 percent. The weak US dollar is, according to Paefgen, is a point of discussion within the company. However, the weak US dollar does not mean that Bentley would "make no more money" in the USA. As the CEO said, Bentley will be debt-free in less than five years.
As Europe imposes stiffer emissions standards, the famous bulls of Lamborghini may be shut out of their own countries. Lambo's boss, Stephan Winkelmann, told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show that the Murcielago LP640 Roadster (shown) and new Gallardo Superleggera (just introduced at Geneva) will not fall in line with the EU's CO2 limitations that go into effect in 2012. The 500-horsepower Lamborghinis currently meet the emissions standards for every country in which they are sold. But the expensive supercars are also on everyone's list of worst gas hogs and worst polluters. Could some green activist group make Lamborghini their next poster child to fight global warming? Winkelmann counters that Lamborghinis are driven only a few thousand miles a year at most, and family sedans end up polluting more when all the math is done.
At the Geneva Motor Show this week a number of car-makers, including BMW, Daihatsu, Lotus and others, either showed or talked about cars equipped with start-stop systems to help improve fuel economy and emissions. Basically, the idea of start-stop is give some of the benefit of a hybrid at minimal cost, by shutting off the internal combustion engine whenever the vehicle comes to a stop, and then re-starting as soon as the brake is released. The manufacturers of the systems that were displayed were Valeo and Bosch.
The Bosch system goes into production this month and will be installed on the updated BMW 1-series. The Bosch system basically consists of a beefed up starter motor, along with some electronic control that monitors, the accelerator, brake and clutch positions and the battery voltage. If the battery voltage is too low, the system disables, but otherwise functions to improve mileage up to eight percent in urban driving. Obviously highway driving will be unaffected, but that's not a bad improvement for a system that requires no other changes to the drive-train.
While the first generation of the Ford Ka was derived from the Fiesta platform in Europe, the Gen 2 model will be based off the new Fiat 500. The 500 was launched for sale at the Frankfurt Motor Show but the Ka will be running about six months behind. According to Fiat that's because Ford joined the program after it was already underway and tooling development will take some extra time. 
It's finally here! The very first AutoblogGreen Podcast! Sebastian and Sam talk about some of the green highlights from this week's Geneva Motor Show, including the new diesels from 
