Car firms focus on green power as fuel costs rise

JUST when car-makers thought it safe to roll out new models in the wake of the economic crisis — 170 premiers are advertised for the Geneva Auto Show opening this week — a spike in fuel prices has cast a new shadow over the industry and redoubled attention on green technologies.

Ford Motor Co said yesterday it is boosting its offering of low-emissions technologies and will have five alternative powertrains to market in Europe by 2013.

Stephen Odell, the chief of Ford Europe, told reporters the new powertrains will include hybrid, pure electric and plug-in hybrid technologies.

Fuel prices, driven sharply higher in the past month by tensions in the Middle East, have raised worries that consumers may shy away again from buying a new vehicle.

“With our capabilities in regular combustion engines and with five electric vehicles in production we are well-placed,” Odell said.

Although most carmakers are showing upbeat signs of recovery, the key theme at the auto show, as during the financial crisis years, will once again be fuel efficiency.

Rolls Royce’s one-off electric-powered Phantom luxury sedan could give electric the kind of upscale appeal it so far lacks. The concept car was unveiled yesterday, though at the moment there are no plans to put the car into full production.

BMW, which owns Rolls Royce, also is launching its latest ActiveE electric concept car in Geneva.

“We’ll see a lot of alternative powertrains, which will get a lot of attention given the current oil prices. No one knows where that is going to go, especially given what is going on in the Middle East,” said Ian Fletcher, analyst at IHS automotive.

As for hybrids, BMW and PSA Peugeot announced they would invest €100 million in a joint venture to build hybrid components from 2014. Their goal is to create an open European platform for hybrid technologies, which PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO Philippe Varin said the joint venture also would enable development of electric powertrains.

Volkswagen presented a luxury hybrid for its Porsche brand, the Panamera S. The car boasts carbon emissions of 159 grams per kilogram and consumption of 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres.

There will be a particular focus on engine downsizing, an industry term for squeezing more power out of small engines. Nissan is showcasing a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine in the Nissan Micar DIG-S that is touted as having the same power as a 1.5 litre four-cylinder model. Fiat has done similar work with the Twin Air engine in the Fiat 500.

“It’s tweaking current technology to meet new levels of expectations. The internal combustion engine is still a relatively cheap way of producing power on a light vehicle,” Fletcher said.

Overall, automakers are showing optimism coming into Geneva, evident in the rollouts planned. After seeing participants scale back in recent years, organisers said they had requests for more show space than they could provide, and 70 brands will be represented from 31 countries.

Geneva’s motor show, which focuses primarily on European companies, is considered one of the more prestigious auto events of the year. The 81st edition of the show opens from today until March 13.