2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Electric Vehicles Dominate!
Europe Backs Off Diesels, EVs Dominate Frankfurt
Autoline Daily for Tuesday, September 15, 2009 ... Sep 21st 2009 at 7:27PM
"lithium battery prices have come down a third since last Christmas," - Volvo engineers Sept. 2009
Korea`s Hyundai Motor Company is already establishing itself as the company with perhaps the boldest vision for a green car future. The list of Hyundai and Kia eco-models - one of the strongest hybrid showings in Frankfurt - provides mounting evidence that the company will deliver on promises to lead the world in fuel efficiency.
Vehicles with Hyundai and Kia badges on display in Frankfurt will include hybrid city cars, a hybrid crossover SUV concept, an all-electric city car, a plug-in hybrid, diesel vehicles with micro-hybrid stop-start technology, and mid-size lithium-battery-powered sedans running on liquid petroleum gas.
Last November, when we spoke with John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, he said, "We`re taking fuel efficiency higher and faster than any other carmaker. We`re going to pass Toyota and Honda by 2015." He spoke like a man on a mission, promising that Hyundai Motor America will achieve a US fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2015, a year ahead of the timetable for new fuel economy regulations. The concepts on display in Frankfurt give some hints how Hyundai will achieve that goal, and reach its target of selling 500,000 hybrids annually by 2018.
Hyundai will also show its answer to the Chevy Volt in Frankfurt. The HND-4 'Blue-Will' plug-in hybrid, like the Volt, promises 40 miles of all-electric range -- although it will use a parallel hybrid architecture rather than the Volt`s series plug-in hybrid design. The Blue Will, unveiled last spring in Seoul, combines a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine with direct-injection technology to charge a set of lithium-polymer batteries, which in turn provides power to an electric motor to drive the front wheels. The total output of the system is 154 horsepower. The Blue Will also serves as a showcase for other fun peripheral technologies, including lightweight carbon fiber, the use of a solar roof to power the car`s ventilation system -- like the one found in the 2010 Toyota Prius -- and interior materials made from bio-degradable plant extracts, and the headlamp bezels made from recycled soft drink bottles.
Hyundai will also use Frankfurt for the European debut of the Elantra LPI Hybrid, the world's first hybrid electric vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas and the first production car to be powered by advanced lithium ion polymer batteries. In addition, Hyundai will show its popular i30 outfitted with a stop-start system and a 1.6-liter CRDi; the ix35, the European version of the all-new Tucson, with an all-new diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission; and the updated Santa Fe also with an efficient R diesel.
Kia will unveil the 2010 Sorento diesel hybrid -- powered by a twin-turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric motor to provide 161 horsepower. The all-new five- or seven-seater Kia Sorento SUV is longer and lower, with sleeker styling and better aerodynamics.
A mild hybrid version of the Kia Cee'd, the company's top-selling model in Europe, will pair a 1.6-liter four cylinder gas engine running to a hybrid powertrain. The car will offer numerous exterior and interior design refinements, upgraded standard equipment, and other interior goodies -- such as a new-style steering wheel and gear lever, all-red dashboard illumination, new center stack and audio system and dual-zone climate control.
The Kia list for Frankfurt is rounded out with the Kia Venga minicar, available with a diesel and stop-start combo, as well as Kia`s version of the LPI Hybrid, on sale in Korea but produced only for fleet testing in Europe.
Fuel Efficiency and Market Share
It`s hard to say which individual Hyundai and Kia models will go into production and show up in the US, but Hyundai's showing in Frankfurt suggests that the company will offer multiple hybrids with varying degrees of electrification including plug-in cars, as it tries to gain market share in America. In the first seven months of this year, Hyundai and Kia increased their combined market share in the US to 7.3 percent against 5.3 percent for all of 2008. And August was another banner month. US sales of Hyundai soared 47 percent and Kia`s shot up 60.4 percent -- setting all-time sales records for the two companies that form the world's sixth-largest automaker. Some analysts in Seoul likened the recent growth of Hyundai to Toyota`s expansion in the 1980s.
the German tuning firm, Brabus, trotted out for the Frankfurt Motor Show, the
electric Smart Fortwo called the Unlimited High Voltage. This new model is an updated version of the company's electric Smart ED concept and it features a lithium ion battery pack supplied by Tesla Motors, Daimler's electric vehicle partner.
The High Voltage's rear-mounted electric motor was also developed by Tesla and offers up 82 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque,
Electric cars are all the rage at the Frankfurt show, and Renault is clearly out to grab the high ground. It introduced four different electric cars, in three different sizes. The smallest is the Twizy, a two-passenger city car with tandem seating. It`s 2.3 meters long, about seven-and-a-half feet, and only a little over one meter wide, or just over three feet. Renault says it offers the performance of a 125 cc motorcycle.
The Renault Zoe is aimed at people who have more than one car. It has 21-inch wheels, and a very unique rear door to allow passengers easier access to the rear seat, as well as access to the trunk.
The Renault Fluence is the most conventional looking electric car the French automaker unveiled, at least on the outside. But when you look inside this family car it looks a lot more like a futuristic fantasy machine, which of course, is what concept cars are all about.
The Kangoo will also look familiar since it`s already in production, though not as an electric vehicle. This concept version is designed to meet the needs of delivery or transport companies with its high opening tailgate and flat loading floor. Renault plans to put all these vehicles into production in the next three years.
Peugeot unveiled this EV called the BB1. You`ll note the car`s windshield that runs up to the roof and continues all the way to the back of the car. It also features suicide doors, and a steering wheel that`s more like the handle bars on a bike. The BB1 can also seat four people even though it`s only 2.5 meters long, a little over eight feet.
Audi`s outrageous electric version of the R8
While most automakers seem to be focusing on electrifying compact cars, Audi went with the e-tron, an electrified version of the R8. With a water-cooled 42 kilowatt lithium-ion battery onboard it should have a range of 248 kilometers or around 150 miles. It has four electric motors, two on each axle, delivering a total of 313 horsepower and get this -- 3,319 pound-feet of torque! From a standstill it should hit 100 kilometers an hour (66mph) in about 4.8 seconds.
Citroen introduced a rechargeable hybrid car, called the REVOLTE. The small car features an engine mated to an electric motor that are both able to drive the wheels. It has the ability to run in all-electric mode and it can also recharge the batteries to supply the electric motor. Solar panels cover the front hood, that help operate some of the cars electric functions. Inside it resembles a lounge with a three seat set up and features suicide doors for easier access.
Volkswagen introduced an electric version of the Up, called the E-Up!. The electric motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries which allow it to travel 130 kilometers, or 81 miles. The roof is equipped with solar panels to help power the cars electrical system. It also features a unique layout inside to fit more passengers in the vehicle.
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