E85 and CNG: Alternative fuels across the product portfolio
In the mid-term, GM wants to offer an increasing number of models that run on alternative fuels. The Swedish brand Saab plays a very successful pioneering role in Europe with its BioPower technology. Cadillac will also offer E85 as of this fall, followed by Opel/Vauxhall and Chevrolet in 2010.
E85 offers enhanced environmental compatibility, performance, driving enjoyment and lower costs. Drivers in Germany can currently take advantage of these benefits with the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower and 9-5 2.3t BioPower models. BioPower will be featured throughout the 9-3 model line as of this fall. E85 consists of 85 percent bioethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. Thanks to the sophisticated Trionic engine management, the higher octane (104 RON) as compared to regular gasoline is converted into a considerable power increase. The 154 kW/210 hp, 9-5 2.3t BioPower produces 14 percent more horsepower and 11 percent more torque (310 Nm) when running on bioethanol (compared to the “normal� gasoline variant with 136 kW/185 hp, 280 Nm). Despite this boost in performance, the CO2 balance remains practically unchanged, as bioethanol is produced from renewable, agricultural crops. It has significant potential to reduce CO2 on a source-to-wheel basis, particularly when cellulose based ethanol becomes widely available. The positive environmental balance complements the extremely clean combustion, which releases practically no toxic elements and only very few suspended particles and ozone. Another advantage of Saab BioPower models is that they can run on E85, regular or super unleaded gasoline or any mixture of the fuels. The engine management system adapts the ignition to the mixture and the fuel’s resultant octane level. This means the driver is not restricted to filling stations offering E85.
CNG is another alternative fuel. Opel currently offers two models with this especially pro-environmental and economic propulsion: Zafira CNG and Combo CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). They consume just 5.0/4.9 kg of gas per 100 km (corresponds to 138/133 g CO2/km respectively). The seven-seat Zafira CNG produces just 20 g CO2 per kilometer and seat. Opel’s CNG cars offer exceptionally low operating costs, undercut the strictest exhaust standards by up to 80 percent, offer a range of up to 380 km in CNG operation and ensure unrestricted use of the passenger compartment and trunk. They also offer practically the same engine performance as the base gasoline engine with 69 kW/94 hp and have a reserve gasoline tank for an extra range of 170 km. The 1.6-liter engine is designed to operate on CNG, biogas or any mixture of the two. Opel also plans to introduce a more powerful “TNG� engine with turbocharging.
E-Flex system revolutionizes electrical propulsion
With the Chevrolet Volt, GM this year presented a vehicle whose innovative E-Flex system allows the installation of multiple propulsion systems into one common chassis with electric drive. E-Flex has been specially designed for small and mid-size vehicles of the future. The “E� stands for “electric drive�, and the “Flex� for the architecture’s adaptability. The system allows the use of electricity from a wide range of sources, such as the power grid, a generator driven by a small internal combustion engine fueled by E85 or biodiesel, or from a fuel cell. The propulsion system can thus be matched to the needs and infrastructure of specific markets. For example, a driver in Brazil could use ethanol as fuel for the internal combustion engine. A customer in Shanghai could use hydrogen produced via solar energy to create electricity in a fuel cell, and a Swedish driver could use biodiesel produced from wood. The aim is to support global diversification of the “energy mix� and focus on more than one fuel technology.
The technology breakthrough still needed to implement E-Flex in production vehicles is a high-performance lithium-ion battery. Experts expect batteries of this kind to reach production maturity between 2010 and 2012. GM has thus awarded contracts to two companies: Continental Automotive Systems in Frankfurt, part of the Germany-based Continental AG, is to further develop lithium-ion batteries; and Compact Power Inc., located in Troy, Michigan, is to focus on the battery’s integration into the vehicle.
Long-term objective: zero-emission vehicles thanks to fuel cells
Through all these measures and technologies, GM pursues a clearly defined objective: to make the zero-emission vehicle with hydrogen fuel cell a reality. Engineers have been working at full speed for several years on developing the fuel cell to production maturity. GM has already invested more than one billion US dollars in the technology. “The research department of the Fuel Cell Activities Center (FCA) is currently being integrated into regular production development, giving it a central role within the corporation,� explains Carl-Peter Forster. “This is a sign that we are preparing for the series production of fuel cell technology.� More than 400 of these engineers will continue development in the powertrain organization, while a further 100 move to global product development to begin integrating fuel cells into upcoming GM models.
GM has already shown with several projects that fuel cells are well beyond the laboratory trials stage. In Berlin, for example, a HydroGen3 fuel-cell vehicle, based on the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira, has been in successful operation as a customer delivery vehicle for two years at the Swedish furniture retailer Ikea; and recently the Chevrolet Sequel concept car set a world record in the USA when it covered 300 miles (480 km) in normal traffic without refueling. This is a range that drivers generally expect from their cars today.
The GM HydroGen4 – the European version of the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell – will be presented at the IAA and marks the next step toward fuel cell production maturity. In the fall, the first of 100 Equinox fuel cell vehicles will start an extensive demonstration project in the USA. A fleet of ten vehicles will begin a similar program in Berlin next year.
