Techtrend

Renault to Demo Fuel Cell But Believes Battery Power Better Answer
By William Diem
WardsAuto.com, Jan 31, 2008 11:15 AM

PARIS – Renault SA will introduce a fuel-cell car powered by Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. technology this spring, but it has no plans to commercialize fuel cells at the moment.

Instead, it will push electric vehicles that extend their range by a system of exchanging batteries rather than recharging them.

The fuel-cell demonstrator, which may debut at the Geneva auto show, is aimed more than anything else at illustrating how the alliance between Renault and Nissan works, says Jerome Perrin, director-advanced projects for reducing carbon dioxide and protecting the environment.

Nissan is in charge of fuel-cell research, he says, and Renault won’t duplicate that effort. A Renault project for onboard reformulation of gasoline to make hydrogen for a fuel cell was dropped in 2006, Perrin says.

At a conference on the future of hydrogen in Europe and France, Perrin says California and Germany are making a mistake by building “hydrogen highways” – systems of hydrogen refueling stations to support demonstration vehicles that go long distances.

He says the approach in France, which will allow an EV market to develop more naturally based on economic considerations, makes more sense.

Fuel-cell cars cannot be sold profitably today, Perrin says, as they cost about ?100,000 ($149,000) to make. On the other hand, lifetime costs per kilometer for an electric car that travels short distances at reasonable speeds can be less than its internal combustion counterpart.

Megane turned EV prototype for Project Better Place.

In 2011, at about the same time Renault introduces an electric sedan in Israel, it will have a similar project in France for certain fleet customers. The Israel project represents a massive commitment to EVs by Renault, which plans to sell 10,000 or more per year through a partnership with a California company directed by an American-Israeli, Shai Agassi.

The government in Israel wants its economy to be independent of oil and is supporting Agassi’s Project Better Place with financial incentives to purchasers of EVs and with plans to use solar power to develop electricity. Cars powered by electricity made with fossil fuel – the standard in Israel today – don’t reduce CO2 from transportation.

Hydrogen produced for use in fuel cells has the same problem, Perrin says. He cites a European study of well-to-wheel energy use for today’s diesel-powered cars and fuel-cell vehicles that shows there is no CO2 advantage unless the hydrogen comes from something other than fossil fuel.

Erwin Perfornis, a manager at French hydrogen supplier Air Liquide, says 95% of its hydrogen today comes from centralized plants that reform natural gas, and only 5% from decentralized production from electrolysis of water.

Clean electric power from solar energy can make carbon-free driving possible, Perrin says. In Israel, he says, photoelectric cells covering 108-161 sq.-ft (10-15 sq.-m) generate enough electricity to power an EV 24,000 miles (15,000 km) per year. For the past 10 years, production of photoelectric cells has been increasing by 40% annually, Perrin says.

Renault believes the urbanization of the world’s population creates an opportunity for battery-powered cars. Some 50% of the world’s population lived in cities in 2006, but that will reach 70% by 2050, Perrin says. A study in France found urban drivers average only 19 miles (30 km) a day, well within the 62- to 93-mile (100- to 150-km) range of lithium-ion battery packs that are coming to market in the next several years, he adds.

While it takes overnight charging to completely refill a drained Li-ion battery, Renault and Agassi are developing a system of battery exchanges for Project Better Place in Israel that will allow a driver to “fill-up” in five minutes, about the same as it takes now for gasoline or diesel. In addition, Project Better Place plans to have 500,000 recharging sites in Israel.

Renault engineers are working on the best way to execute the battery swaps, while the battery technology itself is being engineered by a Nissan-NEC Corp. joint venture to manufacture Li-ion batteries for cars. Eventually Renault will have other sources, possibly including those from the French factory of the Saft Advanced Power Solutions -Johnson Controls Inc. joint-venture that has started production of 5,000 batteries annually.

In the future, an EV may have on board a small fuel cell that would operate as a spare battery to add 47-62 miles (75-100 km) of range should the Li-ion battery run down inopportunely, Perrin says. A small system like that, carrying just 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) of hydrogen fuel, would have packaging advantages.

The size of the hydrogen tank needed for 11 lbs. (5 kg) of fuel in a typical fuel-cell car – or 18 lbs. (8 kg) in the case of the BMW 7-Series that burns hydrogen in a V-12 engine – is one of the biggest headaches for designers of future cars, he says.

’09 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Previewed With New 7-Speed Gearbox
By Mike Sutton                     WardsAuto.com, Feb 13, 2008 12:49 PM

Mercedes-Benz saves the best for last as it rolls out AMG variants of the new ’09 SL roadster ahead of their formal debuts next month at the Geneva auto show.

Following the recent preview of the standard SL range and headlined by the new SL63, the AMG models will imbue the high-end convertible with significantly more power, style and control when they go on sale later this year.

The SL63 is the last vehicle in Mercedes’ lineup to receive the in-house performance unit’s own 6.2L DOHC V-8. Rated at 518 hp and 465 lb.-ft. (630 Nm), it also is the most powerful of the V-8 AMG vehicles.

Harnessing the power, with the goal of providing a more intimate driving experience, is a revised version of the auto maker’s 7-speed automatic transmission sporting quicker shift times and four driver-selectable shift modes.

A start-up clutch assembly is used in place of a standard torque converter, which Mercedes says eliminates power interruptions during shifts that can take as little as 100 milliseconds in manual mode.

Mercedes calls the new gearbox MCT and says it only will be offered in the SL63.

The range-topping SL65, with its 604-hp twin-turbocharged V-12 and 5-speed automatic, carries over with styling and interior improvements from the SL63.

Both models flaunt more aggressive, performance-oriented bodywork than their lesser brethren, including bigger spoilers and ducts and new tailpipes. Badging and a blacked-out portion of the air dam distinguish the SL65 from the SL63.

A unique steering wheel and sport seats, along with carbon-fiber and nappa-leather trim, differentiate the AMG interiors from the regular SL’s new-for-’09 cockpit.

New 19-in. wheels are standard on both cars, with the SL63’s wrapped around 14.2-in. (36-cm) front and 13.0-in. (33-cm) rear disc brakes. The SL65’s binders measure 1.2 ins. (3 cm) larger, front and rear.

An AMG-tuned version of the auto maker’s Active Body Control suspension aims to improve handling dynamics with firmer tuning on new shocks and struts, as well as recalibrated braking, traction and stability-control systems.

In addition, Mercedes for the first time is offering SL63 buyers an even more radical sport package designed for hard-core enthusiasts and occasional track-day events.

A high-performance AMG suspension setup and new 19-in. wheels and tires are included in the option, as are 15.3-in. (39-cm) carbon-ceramic front brakes, a multi-disc limited-slip differential and a smaller, flat-bottomed AMG steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles.

msutton@wardsauto.com

By Roger Harrabin
Environment analyst, BBC News

An engineer has promised that within a year he will start selling a car that runs on compressed air, producing no emissions at all in town.

The OneCAT will be a five-seater with a fibre-glass body, weighing just 350kg and could cost just over £2,500.

It will be driven by compressed air stored in carbon-fibre tanks built into the chassis.

The Aircar can be filled with air in just three minutes

The tanks can be filled with air from a compressor in just three minutes – much quicker than a battery car.

Alternatively, it can be plugged into the mains for four hours and an on-board compressor will do the job.

For long journeys the compressed air driving the pistons can be boosted by a fuel burner which heats the air so it expands and increases the pressure on the pistons. The burner will use all kinds of liquid fuel.

The designers say on long journeys the car will do the equivalent of 120mpg. In town, running on air, it will be cheaper than that.

“The first buyers will be people who care about the environment,” says French inventor Guy Negre.

“It also has to be economical.”

Major savings

Mr Negre has been promising for more than a decade to be on the verge of a breakthrough. Independent observers are more convinced this time because he recently secured backing from the giant Indian conglomerate Tata to put the finishing touches to the engine.

The compressed air is stored in carbon-fibre tanks

Tata is the only big firm he’ll license to sell the car – and they are limited to India. For the rest of the world he hopes to persuade hundreds of investors to set up their own factories, making the car from 80% locally-sourced materials.

“This will be a major saving in total emissions,” he says.

“Imagine we will be able to save all those components travelling the world and all those transporters.”

He wants each local factory to sell its own cars to cut out the middle man and he aims for 1% of global sales – about 680,000 per year.

Terry Spall from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers says: “I really hope he succeeds. It is a really brave experiment in producing a sustainable car.”

But he said he was interested to see how the car would fare with safety tests and how much it would appeal to a public conditioned to expect luxury fittings adding to the weight of the vehicle.

Mr Negre says there’s no issue with safety – if the air-car crashes the air tanks won’t shatter – they will split with a very loud bang. “The biggest risk is to the ears.”

By Byron Pope
WardsAuto.com, Jan 7, 2008 8:44 AM

DEARBORN, MI – Ford Motor Co. will roll out at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week a broad, aggressive powertrain strategy designed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions – without impacting vehicle performance.

The game plan will rely heavily on application of Ford’s upcoming gasoline turbo direct-injection engine technology, dubbed EcoBoost, as well as widespread use of several other weight-savings and high-efficiency technologies.

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“We recognize we need to be part of the solution of global warming, part of the solution of addressing our global security,” Derrick Kuzak, group vice president-global product development says here in detailing the strategy for journalists. “We also recognize the problem is complex. It is not one single solution; solutions will evolve over time. But for us, the one fundamental principle to the approach is (carbon-dioxide) solutions that are economical and efficient.”

Kuzak also calls on other industries to help reduce CO2 emissions, citing research that shows light vehicles account for just 18% of total U.S. emissions. “The auto industry can’t do it (reduce emissions) alone,” he says.

Near-term, which Ford describes as the 2008-2012 timeframe, the auto maker plans to have some 500,000 vehicles powered by EcoBoost technology on the road in North America. More hybrid-electric vehicles and diesels also will play a role in Ford’s effort to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions across its fleet, Kuzak says.

Ford’s EcoBoost technology, originally badged TwinForce, enables the retention of fuel-efficient, lower-displacement engine architectures while promising the performance associated with larger, thirstier mills, Ford says, adding it has the capability to wrest the power of a large inline 4-cyl. engine out of a 1.0L I-4 with a 3 mpg (1.3 km/L) fuel improvement.

Furthermore, a 2.0L I-4 would produce more torque than a 3.0L V-6 engine with a 5 mpg (2.1 km/L) improvement, Kuzak says.

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Overall, the technology is expected to deliver up to 20% better fuel economy, Ford says.

Ford’s GTDI technology debuted at the 2007 Detroit auto show in the Lincoln MKR concept car and will be offered in the upcoming ’09 Lincoln MKS sedan and ’09 Flex cross/utility vehicle.

At the onset, the GTDI technology will be based on Ford’s Duratec 35 and 37 all-aluminum V-6 engines, Ford says. The technology will be used on both 4- and 6-cyl. applications.

Kuzak says Ford’s approach is unique in the sense that, with the exception of Mazda Motor Corp., GTDI technology currently is being used mostly in high-end luxury vehicles from Audi AG, BMW AG and General Motors Corp.’s Cadillac brand, not in more mainstream vehicles.

Also falling into the near-term timeframe is the increased usage of existing technology, such as 6-speed transmissions and dual-clutch systems, to eke out incremental fuel economy increases.

Other existing technologies expected to proliferate include: battery management systems; aerodynamic improvements; hybrid-electric powertrains; diesel engines; and electric-power assisted steering (EPAS).

Between 80%-90% of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will have EPAS by 2012, Ford says.

But Kuzak is quick to point out the “cornerstone (of future powertrains) is EcoBoost. They have a cooler air charge that’s better controlled and (provides) a higher boost,” he says. “It’s a more efficient burn.”

Honeywell International Inc. (maker of Garrett turbochargers) will be the primary supplier of turbochargers used in Ford’s EcoBoost applications, while Robert Bosch GmbH will supply the direct-injection systems, Kuzak says.

One of EcoBoost’s greatest advantages is cost of ownership, Kuzak says.

“EcoBoost is meaningful because it can be applied across a wide variety of engine types in a range of vehicles, from small cars to large trucks – and it’s affordable,” he says.

“Compared with the current cost of diesel and hybrid technologies, customers can expect to recoup their initial investment in a 4-cyl. EcoBoost engine through fuel savings in approximately 30 months,” Kuzak says. “A diesel will take an average of seven and one-half years, whole the cost of a hybrid will take nearly 12 years to recoup – given equivalent miles driver per year and fuel costs.”

Ford’s mid- to long-term powertrain strategy includes shaving vehicle weight through increased use of aluminum and high-strength steel and reducing displacement, including the introduction of a 1.0L GTDI small car by 2020, Kuzak says. By then, the number of diesel engines in Ford’s lineup will grow 10% and nearly all Ford vehicles will have GTDI powertrains, he adds.

Ford Explorer America concept based on car platform.
In 2020 and beyond, Ford will offer HEVs in high volume, as the technology becomes more affordable. Clean electric, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen-fueled vehicles also are on the horizon, Kuzak says.

“In the near- and mid-term (we’re) not relying on battery technology,” he says. “HEV batteries are viable, but (batteries) for all-electric vehicles are not yet viable. We have to work on technology and affordability.”

Meanwhile, Ford will offer up an example of its powertrain strategy at this month’s Detroit show in the form of the all-wheel-drive Ford Explorer America.

The concept, which Ford says provides a sneak peak at the next-generation Explorer, seats six and is based on the Taurus platform. It is powered by either a 3.5L EcoBoost engine producing 340 hp and capable of towing 3,500 lbs. (1,588 kg) or a 2.0L 4-cyl. mill delivering 275 hp and 280 lb.-ft. (380 Nm) of torque.

Depending on engine selection, fuel efficiency will improve by 20%-30% vs. today’s V-6 Explorer, Ford says.

Kuzak says the Explorer America, which boasts side sliding doors similar to a minivan, “is fuel efficient and comfortable.”

As for whether customers are willing to purchase an Explorer based off of a car platform, Kuzak says he’s “not sure many customer understand the difference between a CUV and an SUV.”

Micro-Hybrid Segment in ‘Start’ Mode
By Tom Murphy
WardsAuto.com, Nov 27, 2007 11:24 AM

Every day, millions of drivers from Los Angeles to Paris to Tokyo waste staggering amounts of energy going nowhere at all.

Stuck in traffic or waiting at stop lights, their engines churn away, consuming millions of gallons of fuel and spewing pollutants into the air unnecessarily.

Idling heavy trucks burn nearly 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion L) of diesel fuel annually while idling and emit 11 million tons (9.9 million t) of carbon dioxide, 180,000 tons (163,278 t) of oxides of nitrogen and 5,000 tons (4,535 t) of particulate matter, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership.

Quantifying the waste generated by passenger cars and light trucks is trickier business and, oddly, something the EPA doesn’t track. On city streets, drivers sit idling 35% of the time, according to one supplier’s research.

Suffice to say the cost to the environment is high. It doesn’t have to be like this.

Hybrid-electric vehicles from Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. introduced Americans a decade ago to start-stop systems that shut down the engine while the vehicle is idling or decelerating.

BMW 1-Series available in Europe with start-stop capability, supplied by Bosch.
In Europe, this common-sense approach to conserving energy has taken hold and is being rolled out steadily in new, low-priced vehicles, many of them propelled solely by internal combustion engines.

“We are seeing an increased level of interest now on start-stop,” says Sujit Jain, general manager-gasoline systems North America at Robert Bosch LLC.

“They (auto makers) are talking about it much more now than they were a year ago,” Jain says. “The driver is more clear now: carbon dioxide reduction, fuel-economy improvement and energy conservation. In my mind, it’s the No.1 issue right now.”

As U.S. lawmakers ponder strict new corporate average fuel economy mandates to lessen reliance on foreign oil and curb pollution, suppliers are under intense pressure to help their OEM customers with affordable technology that allows vehicles to post significant efficiency gains.

Start-stop systems are among several solutions being considered, as well as downsizing engines, turbocharging, diesel combustion, cylinder deactivation and gasoline direct injection (GDI). Plug some of these pieces together, and the benefits can be sizable.

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BMW 1-Series available in Europe with start-stop capability, supplied by Bosch.

Based on the North American driving cycle, Jain says Bosch’s start-stop system will boost a vehicle’s fuel economy about 5%, as will converting a conventional port-injection gasoline engine to GDI. Downsizing an engine’s displacement and adding turbocharging is good for a 15% boost in fuel economy.

“So it adds up,” Jain says. “And frankly this is the bridge which will be needed if we are serious about the new CAFE requirement that is going to be rolling out here.” On the highway, however, start-stop systems offer no additional benefit.

In the U.S., Jain says he expects the technology to arrive in full hybrid vehicles, as well as “micro-hybrids” – those with the ability to stop the engine at idle but without electric motors connected to the powertrain. “You will see that,” he says.

Bosch recently launched start-stop capability in Europe for the BMW 1-Series and 3-Series, as well as the Mini Cooper. Those micro-hybrids, however, are not slated for sale in the U.S., BMW says.

The German auto maker markets the technology as EfficientDynamics and says it can increase fuel efficiency about 17%.

Jain describes the cost premium as “minimal” for a start-stop system, which requires a battery sensor, traditional crank sensor and a few alterations to strengthen the starter.

“I know it is a very good value,” he says. “Otherwise, we would not see this reception from the customers.”

Valeo SA, a leading proponent of start-stop functionality with its StARS micro-hyrbid system, estimates 0.5% of new vehicles in Europe come equipped with start-stop systems.

Valeo StARS system allows engine to stop while idling.
By 2012, however, the penetration rate in Europe is anticipated to reach more than 30% due to skyrocketing demand to improve efficiency for both gasoline and diesel engines, says Dennis Laabs, Valeo North American research and development director.

Valeo says it expects 4 million micro-hybrids on the road in Europe by 2010.

In Europe, Valeo launched its StARS micro-hybrid system in 2004 on the Citroen C2 and C3 and later in the Smart Fortwo MHD.

StARS combines the alternator and starter functions and allows the engine to stop when the vehicle comes to a rest and to start immediately when the driver steps on the accelerator. The engine controller also must be modified to accommodate the system, but the alternator is unchanged.

A belt linking the system to the crankshaft restarts the engine. That same belt also can drive other accessories, such as the air-conditioning compressor, water pump or power steering.

“You are simply and transparently shutting off the engine when you do not need it,” Laabs says.

Installation is simple, and the system works with all gearboxes. Automatic transmissions, however, require an additional pump to maintain fluid pressure when the engine is stopped, Laabs says.

In highly congested areas, Valeo says StARS improves fuel economy up to 28% in fleet test drives, although the supplier says the gain in normal city driving is about 15%. Applied in the U.S. market, Valeo estimates start-stop technology could reduce CO2 emissions by at least 4 million tons (3.6 million t) annually.

At recent press events in Michigan, both Valeo and Bosch offered test drives in vehicles equipped with start-stop capability. Bosch hooked its system to an Audi A4, while Valeo installed its hardware on a GMC Envoy SUV.

Likewise, in a recent diesel technology tour of France, Valeo offered test drives in three vehicles with StARS: a Citroen C3, Smart Fortwo and a Volvo S40 diesel prototype.

All of the test vehicles driven in the U.S. and France performed as advertised. The engines shut down either during deceleration or when the vehicle came to a complete stop, depending on OEM preference.

For maximum fuel efficiency, the OEM can tune the system to shut down as quickly as possible and to restart only when the driver actually depresses the accelerator. Some systems are tuned to restart the engine once the driver takes his foot off the brake.

Despite years of advances and a decade in the marketplace, start-stop systems continue to function with a mild vibration and a burbling sound when the engine spins back to life. Operation is smoother and less noticeable than a decade ago, but the systems still have a way to go before they become completely seamless for the driver.

Valeo estimates StARS restarts the engine in less than 350 milliseconds.

For now, StARS is restricted to gasoline engines up to 2.0L in displacement and to diesel engines up to 1.6L in size. By 2009, however, the system will be able to accommodate any size gasoline or diesel mill, the supplier says.

Although the U.S. market appears more interested in full hybrids, Europe will continue pursuing micro-hybrids because they are cost effective, simple and easily integrated into production vehicles, Laabs says.

Japan has adopted mild and full hybrids but now is beginning to consider micro-hybrids, while the rest of Asia also is expressing interest in micro-hybrids, Laabs says.

Among U.S. auto makers, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. have shown significant interest in start-stop systems. Hybrid versions of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner cross/utility vehicles have offered the technology since 2004, and hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans arrive later in 2008.

GM entered the gas-electric hybrid market in 2006, with the short-lived ’07 Saturn Vue Green Line, soon to be replaced by a mild hybrid version of the redesigned Vue. The Saturn Aura Hybrid also arrived in early 2007. All have start-stop capability as part of GM’s belt alternator/starter system.

In 2003, GM began offering its fullsize GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickups with start-stop functionality, via an integrated starter/alternator damper supplied by Continental AG. Continental continues developing components for next-generation hybrids, including start-stop systems.

Valeo StARS system allows engine to stop while idling.

For a number of reasons, GM’s micro-hybrid program ended in 2006 after selling only a few thousand units.

Even though GM billed it as a bargain compared with full HEVs, consumers apparently considered the price premium of $2,500 too high for the fuel-economy gains, says Bill Rinna, manager-North American supply chain and technology forecast for CSM Worldwide in Northville, MI. Plus, marketing the technology was not a priority for GM, Rinna says.

But GM now is launching a new breed of sophisticated 2-mode hybrid-electric vehicles, and all of them have the ability to shut off the engine at idle and during deceleration and steady-state cruising.

When the driver needs more power, the gasoline engine springs back to life.

First out of the chute is the fullsize GMC Yukon Hybrid. GM also has announced plans for a plug-in hybrid version of the Vue.

During a recent test drive, the start-stop operation was extremely smooth, and the vehicle achieved 19 mpg (12.3 L/100 km), even when fully loaded, besting the fuel economy in a test drive of the much smaller V-6-powered Hyundai Tucson CUV, without start-stop.

By the end of 2008, GM says it will have eight full and mild hybrids on the road, all with start-stop capability.

tmurphy@wardsauto.com