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Auto Show Features New Hybrids, Flex-Fuels, Concept Cars DETROIT, Michigan, January 11, 2006 (ENS) - Fuel efficient gas-electric hybrids, solar powered air conditioning, and the world's first tri-fuel flex vehicle - automobile manufacturers are displaying the latest environmentally friendly features in vehicles slated for production at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Cobo Center in Detroit. On Monday, Toyota unveiled its 2007 Camry Hybrid, which combines a 45 horsepower motor and a 147 horsepower, 4 cylinder, Atkinson-cycle engine. Equipped with a continuously variable transmission, the Camry Hybrid achieves an estimated 43 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 37 mpg on the highway while it reduces emissions from the conventional Camry.
Don Esmond, Toyota senior vice president, automotive operations U.S.A. unveils the 2007 Camry Hybrid in Detroit. (Photo courtesy Toyota)"With the new 2007 Camry, Toyota once again raised the bar with the family sedan," said Don Esmond, senior vice president, automotive operations, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Camry's reputation as the gold standard was developed over more than 20 years of refining this excellent package and this new Camry continues that reputation."On Sunday, GM debuted two upcoming hybrid sport utility vehicles: the 2007 Saturn VUE Green Line and the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Two-mode Hybrid. The Saturn VUE Green Line is expected to achieve 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, a 20 percent improvement over the Saturn VUE. When it goes on sale this summer, the Saturn VUE Green Line will sell for less than $23,000, including a markup of less than $2,000 for the hybrid system. The Tahoe Hybrid is optimized to perform efficiently in city driving and on the highway. The vehicle will operate on electric power only when it can, which will help it to achieve an estimated 25 percent gain in fuel economy over the base Tahoe. The two-mode is patented hybrid technology with two modes optimized for city and highway driving. In the first mode, at low speed and light loads, the vehicle can operate in three ways - electric power only, engine power only or in any combination of engine and electric power. When operating with electric power only, it provides all the fuel savings benefits of a full hybrid system. Leaving the engine shut off for extended periods of time and moving under electric power at low speed is key to reducing fuel consumption in heavy stop and go traffic, designers said. “The Chevrolet Tahoe Two-mode Hybrid combines the functionality and comfort of a full-size SUV with a two-mode full hybrid system that optimizes fuel efficiency in city and highway driving, the way most Americans use their vehicles,” said Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Powertrain. The Hybrid Tahoe will go on sale next year as a 2008 model, along with the GMC Yukon Two-mode Hybrid. Pricing and production volumes have not been announced. A Cadillac Escalade hybrid is planned for the future. GM, BMW and DaimlerChrysler are co-developing the two-mode full hybrid system that will leverage automatic transmission technology and electronic controls in an integrated, powerful and compact system that can be used with both gas and diesel engines.
Volkswagen debuted the GX3, a two-seat crossover between a motorcycle and a sports car, at the North American International Auto Show. (Photo courtesy VW)This year's show also features many concept vehicles. Volkswagen is offering an innovative three-wheel concept vehicle. The company says its GX3, a two-seat crossover between a motorcycle and a sports car, can achieve 46 mpg in the city powered by a VW 1.6 liter engine.The GX3 was designed in collaboration between VW’s Design Center California and Moonraker, an international, cross-functional group of young engineers, designers, manufacturing and marketing experts, also based in California. Light, fast, and environmentally friendly, the GX3 is a motorcycle with two seats positioned side-by-side. Ford Motor Company is displaying the Reflex Hybrid Coupe, a sporty sub-compact car that achieves 65 mpg with a hybrid-electric diesel engine. The Reflex has an electric motor on the rear axle as well as the hybrid propulsion system on the front axle. The rear motor provides all-wheel-drive capability, improved driving dynamics and the fuel economy of a full hybrid vehicle. Solar cells in the headlights and taillights help recharge the lithium-ion battery, while a roof-mounted solar panel powers fans to keep the interior cool. A unique baby-cam helps caregivers in the front seats monitor baby in the back.
Reverse butterfly doors are a feature of the sub-compact Ford Reflex hybrid concept car being promoted as "sporty and green." (Photo courtesy Ford)"Ford Reflex is a small car that doesn't feel small," says Freeman Thomas, director, North American Strategic Design. "It is a gorgeous sporty car that delivers guilt free performance with a hybrid engine. And thanks to its innovative approach to the interior, it has space for growing families."The Reflex has a flexible interior made from synthetic and regenerated materials, and such advanced safety features as inflatable safety belts in the rear. Reflex also uses ground rubber from scrap athletic shoes, called Nike Grind, as insulation to reduce noise and vibration in the car's interior. Ford also brought the F-250 Super Chief concept, a flex-fuel pickup that runs on three fuels - gasoline, ethanol E-85, or hydrogen. Billed as the world's first Tri-Flex fuel engine this truck gets 12 percent better fuel economy and 500 miles between fill-ups, Ford says. When operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99 percent less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline.
Tri-Flex engine in Ford's F-250 Super Chief concept pickup can burn gasoline, ethanol E-85, or hydrogen. (Photo courtesy Ford)"The Tri-Flex fuel engine encourages the development of the hydrogen fuel infrastructure for the best future mobility solution," says Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, research and advanced engineering. "It also drives the expansion of the domestic ethanol E85 fuel production and availability and, of course, provides our customers the convenience of gasoline until these other fuels become more readily available."A Ford Motor Company product, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid - the first full-hybrid premium compact SUV - is the first vehicle to be honored by "Green Car Journal" as "Green Car of the Year," an honor presented last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The award winner is determined by an 11-member panel of international jurors comprised of automotive and environmental experts, including Carroll Shelby, Jean-Michel Cousteau and Mario Andretti. The 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid debuted in September at the first-ever Sierra Club National Environmental Convention and Expo in California, where Sierra Summit attendees were among the first consumers to test drive vehicle. Configured as a full hybrid, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid's powertrain system is able to propel the vehicle to 25 miles per hour solely with clean electric power. When not required during coasting, at stoplights or crawling at low speeds through traffic, the gasoline engine automatically shuts down to conserve fuel and curb emissions.
Ford's Mercury Mariner Hybrid was selected as the Green Car of the Year. (Photo courtesy Ford)With fuel economy estimated at 33 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, it will meet the cleanest emission achievable by a fossil-fuel vehicle, California's Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Standard. It has extended range well over 400 miles per tank and V-6-like acceleration performance."Demand for our first hybrid - the Ford Escape Hybrid - was so strong that we pushed very hard to pull production of the Mercury Mariner Hybrid up by a full year," said Nancy Gioia, director, Ford Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Programs. "Ford is committed to improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its range of vehicles." By 2008, Ford will have five hybrids on the road, including the Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Mazda Tribute Hybrids. By 2010, Ford plans to increase its global hybrid production to approximately 250,000 hybrid units annually. At the North American International Auto Show here in Detroit, Mitsubishi Motors is displaying the Concept-CT MIEV hybrid, a sport hatchback that combines a lithium-ion battery with in-wheel motors, while Toyota's F3R concept is a hybrid minivan with modern styling. Fuel-efficient subcompacts are also coming on strong, as Honda unveiled the 2007 Honda Fit at the NAIAS. The five-door subcompact achieves 33 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway with its four-cylinder engine. Already one of Honda's hottest selling models in Asia and Europe, the Honda Fit is set to go on-sale in the United States in April. Official pricing has not yet been determined. Honda also introduced its 2006 Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Toyota is introducing its Yaris subcompact to the U.S. market for the 2007 model year. Already popular in Europe, the Yaris sedan and hatchback models achieve 34 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. The Yaris sedan with a manual transmission will be priced at $11,825. The NAIAS opens to the public on Saturday. Press Preview Days were held Sunday through Tuesday. Industry Preview Days open today and continue Thursday. The Charity Preview will be held Friday evening. Public Days are Saturday, January 14, through Sunday, January 22. Visit http://www.naias.com to find out more. |
