Press Release
page 1: Sporty performance
page 2: Towards a Greener Future
page 3: Sweden Leads Bioethanol Market
page 4: Booming Sales for Saab 9-5
Booming Sales for Saab 9-5 BioPower
Saab is struggling to keep pace with customer demand for its new 9-5 BioPower model as thousands of drivers in Sweden switch from gasoline to enjoy the environmental and performance benefits of bioethanol, a renewable and sustainable fuel.
More than 5,500 cars have been ordered since sales began in Sweden in July last year and the Saab 9-5 BioPower is now established as the country's top selling environmentally-friendly vehicle (ELV), outselling all its competitors put together.
About 4,000 cars had been delivered by the end of December, with average customer waiting times now about two months. A shortage of demonstrator cars has meant that many customers are placing orders without even taking a test drive. In view of such strong demand, Saab has increased its 2006 sales forecast to 9,000 units, twice the original estimate.
BioPower Sedans and SportCombis currently account for about 70 per cent of all Swedish 9-5 sales and this proportion is expected to increase still further as automatic transmission became available from January this year. Sales have also begun outside Sweden for the first time, with 9-5 BioPower models launched in the UK, Norway and Germany at the end of last year and plans to roll-out product in other European markets (amongst them Denmark and France).
Saab leads Europe's premium car segment is offering a car fuelled by bioethanol. The Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower is not only environmental friendly, it also produces more power and performance than its gasoline-only equivalent. And it is also a very practical solution because the engine can run, without adjustment from the driver, on bioethanol-based fuel (E85) or gasoline in any proportions. That means a Saab BioPower driver can always put gasoline in the tank at any time should E85 not be available.
Demand is particularly strong in the corporate and fleet sector, as indicated by a recent order for a total of 400 cars from rental operator Avis. The adoption of Saab BioPower also helps many companies and public authorities meet their ISO 14001 environmental standards.
Bioethanol is produced commercially from agricultural crops and supplied conveniently through the existing filling station infrastructure. Unlike gasoline, the consumption of pure bioethanol fuel does not raise overall atmospheric levels of the 'greenhouse' gas carbon dioxide (CO2). This is because emissions during driving are balanced by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion are grown.
In contrast, the consumption of a fossil fuel, such as gasoline, adds 'new' CO2 to the atmosphere, instead of 'recycling' what is already there. In Sweden, bioethanol is blended (85% bioethanol/15% gasoline) and sold as E85 fuel so its use yields a net reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 80% compared to gasoline.
Running on E85, the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower engine delivers 180 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, compared to 150 bhp and 240 Nm when using gasoline, a significant 20 per cent increase in maximum power and 16 per cent more torque. This gives even sportier performance. The 9-5 sedan can accomplish the zero to 100 kph dash in 8.5 secs and 80-120 kph in fifth gear in 12.6 secs, compared to 9.8 and 14.9 secs when running only on gasoline.
Pan-European Initiative
An EU directive on energy taxation enables member states to apply reduced taxation, or a complete exemption, in order to encourage the use of bio-fuels in pure or low blends. The process is already underway in Sweden. In addition to benefiting from E85 fuel that is 25 per cent cheaper than gasoline, Saab 9-5 BioPower customers are also exempted from city congestion and parking charges, as well as qualifying for a 20 per cent reduction in benefit tax if they are company car drivers.
The EU is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, including the encouragement of a greater use of bio-fuels for road transport, and Saab 9-5 BioPower models are also to participate in demonstrations under the EU's BEST (BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport) initiative, which begins this year. Public authorities and large company fleet operators in six EU countries (Holland, UK, Italy, Ireland, Spain and Sweden) will have the opportunity to test and evaluate the on-road performance of bio-ethanol powered vehicles.
