Welcome our 4-Wheeled Eco Warriors
Posted by amandab6 on March 21, 2008
Whilst Toyota could claim to hold the moral high ground on hybrid car technology, other manufacturers like BMW, Ford and Merdcedes-Benz are developing leading edge technologies to work in partnerhsip with the faithful internal combustion engine.
BMW
BMW’s Efficient Dynamics approach combines high-precision fuel injection, automatic stop/start (eg at traffic lights), regenerative braking (which feeds kinetic energy back to the battery), power steering that only uses energy when the wheel is being turned, and air-con that disconnects when not in use.
In the BMW 118d, this contributes to an average fuel consumption of 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 123g/km.
Ford
Ford’s ECOnetic combines low-friction diesel engines, low-drag body kits, tyres with a lower ‘rolling resistance’ and lowered suspension (improving air flow beneath the car) to boost efficiency. The Ford Focus 1.9-litre diesel delivers a claimed 66mpg and CO2 emissions of 115g/km.
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes F700 concept is an enormous luxury saloon powered by a compact 1.8-litre, four-cyclinder DiesOtto engine. By fusing spark-ignition with the unique compression properties of diesel, and adding a turbocharger, a hybrid-style electric motor and start/stop technology, the next-generation S-Class returns an exceptional 53mpg and pumps out 127g/km of CO2.
Mercedes is also on a mission to persuade Amercians that diesel is not just for truck drivers. ‘Bluetec’ technology eliminates the nitrous oxide emitted by diesel engines by injecting a urea (urine) solution into exhaust gases; the resulting ammonia neutralises the N2O.
