The Powertrain Diversity forum at SAE World Congress.

Predictions from Honda, General Motors, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and BorgWarner representatives reveal massive increases in the levels of private vehicle ownership in the next 40 years, accompanied by unprecedented need for energy to power those vehicles, in the face of a worsening environmental crisis.

2008 SAE World Congress

The Society of Automotive Engineers is holding its annual gathering of scientists, engineers, and managers from around the world April 14-17, 2008 at Cobo Center in Detroit MI. The theme for the 2008 SAE World Congress is A Climate for Change, with many of the discussions revolving around alternative powertrains, new fuels, and ever increasing demands for reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

Testing the Volt's battery.

Although a fuel cell-powered Chevrolet Volt is still a ways off, progress on the plug-in E-Flex model continues apace at General Motors with production timing set for the end of 2010. Progress was reaffirmed recently when GM announced that in-vehicle testing of the critical lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack will commence sometime in April.

Mahindra Scorpio SUV

Powertrain engineering consultancy FEV joins forces with Mahindra & Mahindra on development of a diesel hybrid drivetrain to be used on the Scorpio SUV and Appalachian pickup truck, which sees its public debut at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit this month.

Chevrolet Corvette C6R at Sebring

At this weekend's American Le Mans Series race in St. Petersburg Florida, Corvette Racing will be the first factory backed racing team to run on cellulosic E85 ethanol following two independent teams that ran at the season opener in Sebring. Click more to watch the VIDEO

University of Hawaii Assistant Professor Zackary Johnson displays a light device that allows simultaneous growth of numerous algae cultures

Harnessing algae as a feedstock for biodiesel is an old idea whose time may finally be here. The first government-funded research program for algae to fuel began during the Carter Administration in the shadow of the 1970's oil embargo. With oil price rises reaching historic levels, both major fuel providers like Shell and small startup companies are rapidly building on the 30-year-old research and finding new ways to rapidly grow algae.
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Mitsubishi iMiEV

Mitsubishi is displaying its prototype battery electric mini-car in the United States for the first time at the New York Auto Show. The iMiEV is based on the Japanese market Mitsubishi i mini-car and could go into production as soon as 2009.

Subaru R1e

The latest batch of small electric cars will take to the streets of New York City in the summer of 2008, including a pair of Subaru R1e battery powered cars, which will be evaluated by the New York Power Authority for use in fleets.

Specialty vehicle manufacturer Saleen is introducing a new concept at the New York Auto Show that presages what will likely be its second completely in-house built car.  The S5S Raptor is a new high-performance mid-engine sports car that is intended to run on cellulosic ethanol.

The 2009 Acura TSX gets European styling, but not the diesels to match.

Acura and Nissan are each introducing new versions of their TSX and Maxima sports sedans at the New York Auto Show. Both models are expected to be the first in their respective lineups with new 50-state legal clean diesel engines although there were official signs of that in New York.

Nissan's Denki (electric) Cube

At the New York Auto Show, Nissan announces plans to introduce a new-entry level model to its lineup. Nissan is displaying customized versions of the current Japanese market Cube along with a prototype electric version.

The 2009 Maxima

In April 2007 Nissan announced that it would launch an all new clean diesel engine in the US market in 2010. The first model to receive the new engine will be the Maxima sedan which has been completely redesigned for the 2009 model year. The 2009 Maxima is getting a world debut this week at the New York Auto Show.

Burgess in his diesel garage

Fred Burgess, a Pennsylvania auto parts supply executive, is one of a growing number of homebrewers on the lookout for waste vegetable oil to to create biodiesel. His passion for diesel is contagious, as he's helped many friends convert gasoline models into oil burners.

Th!nk Ox concept

Norwegian electric car manufacturer Th!nk is making big news in Geneva with a concept for a larger 5-seat electric vehicle. The EV specialist also has received an investment from General Electric. GE also has invested in lithium ion battery developer A123 Systems.

Magna Steyr Mila Alpin concept

Magna Steyr, the Austrian-based contract vehicle assembler, is displays a new natural gas fueled, light weight, hybrid concept called the MILA Alpin at the Geneva Motor Show. The rock-climber is designed to be inexpensive to build while achieving CO2 emissions under 100g/km.

VW Golf TDI Hybrid Concept

Volkswagen has unveiled the most fuel-efficient Golf yet as a new concept at the Geneva Motor Show. The Golf TDI Hybrid combines a fuel sipping small diesel, dual-clutch transmission and hybrid electric drive to achieve 69.2mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of 89g/km.

2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed

Bentley is a brand known for large, fast, luxurious cars swathed in rich hides and a tremendous thirst for petroleum. The onset of carbon dioxide emissions limits in Europe and new fuel economy standards in the United States led Bentley to make a concerted effort to reduce fuel consumption.

Typical GM hybrid duty cycle

At the Geneva Motor Show General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner announces plans to produce the automakers second generation mild hybrid system beginning in 2010.  The revised system will be used globally and is compatible with all types of engines including gasoline, diesel and flex-fuel.

Saab 9-X BioHybrid Concept

Saab has revealed a preview of the next addition to its model lineup at the Geneva Motor Show as the 9-X BioHybrid concept. The 9-X combines ethanol flex-fuel capability with turbocharging, hybrid drive, active aerodynamics and solar power in a new premium compact that will likely go into production within the next two years.

Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson (left) and GM R&D chief Larry Burns with the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle.

Richard Branson’s upscale airline Virgin Atlantic Airways will use six General Motors hydrogen fuel cell Equinoxes in place of limousines to transport VIP travelers to and from airports in New York and Los Angeles. The airline is now looking at ways to create biodiesel from algae.

Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz is unveiling the latest in its series of hybrid concepts at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show with the new Vision GLK BlueTec Hybrid. The GLK hybrid takes the new compact SUV that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show and adds the company's new mild hybrid system to help it hit 40mpg.

2008 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion

At next weeks Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen will be introducing several new vehicles using cleaner, more efficient drivetrains.  New production models will include a BlueMotion edition of the Sharan minivan and a natural gas fueled Passat, while a diesel hybrid Golf will debut in concept form.
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2008 Mazda5

As the last major automaker still working with Wankel rotary engines, Mazda has never been a company that chases industry fads. At a event highlighting the refreshed 2008 Mazda5, Mazda North America President and CEO Jim O'Sullivan sees potential for diesel, but the automaker may first expand the availability of gasoline displacement turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) engines. Meanwhile, a Mazda spokesman cautions against the "fantasy" of ethanol.

The Conserv Fuels station in Brentwood

There are an estimated 46,000 flex-fuel vehicles in the Los Angeles CA area, but until this week, none of them have been running on ethanol. The area's first public E85 filling station opened for business with a promotional 85 cents per gallon price.
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2008 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

The 2008 Geneva Motor Show is expected to feature several concept vehicles with diesel hybrid powertrains. To date no manufacturer has built a production light duty vehicle with a diesel hybrid system although buses with such systems are increasingly common.

Filling up the C30 at one of the few E85 stations.

British Volvo owners have always been early adopters of green technology, so Green Fuels Forecast decided to test the small, sporty C30 FFV over 800 miles in England. It proved impossible to use E85 for the entire journey without major diversions, however, and awareness of the fuel among the public was low to nonexistent. No government support, the hard lesson of LPG in the 1990s and a strong rival in diesel, are all adding up to a cool reception for E85 in the United Kingdom.

Peugeot 908 HDi

After a strong showing at a recent test session at Sebring, Peugeot has announced that it will challenge the Audi R10 TDIs in the American Le Mans Series opener next month.

2007 Chevrolet Volt concept

A team from General Motors have completed an electric vehicle study, which used real world driving data to evaluate the benefits of full parallel hybrids, plug-in hybrids and extended range electric vehicles. The technical paper will be presented at this year’s Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit.

Ford ECOnetic badge

In the leadup to the 2008 Geneva Motor Show Ford has outlined it's European Sustainability Strategy.  The company plans to follow a number of paths in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.  The heart of its plans is cost effectiveness.

2009 Honda Accord European model

Honda has released details of the new European market version of the Accord ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The new Accord, which is smaller than the US model of the same name, will be sold in the US branded as the Acura TSX.

Hyundai i-Blue fuel cell concept

Hydrogen Forecast spoke with Hyundai's Todd Suckow at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show about the Korean carmaker's fuel cell efforts and the i-Blue concept that had its North American debut here.

Joel Maguire of General Motors spoke with Green Fuels Forecast following the introduction of the GMC Denali XT concept at the Chicago Auto Show. The Denali XT is car platform based four door pickup truck with a direct injected flex-fuel V-8 paired to GM's two-mode hybrid system.

Nissan Motor Co. begins testing of an E10 version of its Murano cross-over in Japan, part of a broader research effort that may spur the expansion of biofuels across its Japanese market lineup.

2009 Chevrolet HHR flex-fuel

Each of the HHR's engines - the Ecotec 2.2-liter or Ecotec 2.4-liter four-cylinder - will be compatible with E85, the automaker says. Both both of which will be compatible with E85.

The Kelley Blue Book survey may say more about today’s car buyers than tomorrow’s clean diesel. Nevertheless, diesel manufacturers are going to have to do more to turn around decades-old perceptions.

A BP station in the UK

BP, Associated British Foods and DuPont have teamed up to make biobutane – often dubbed “the fuel the world forgot” in the United Kingdom from locally grown wheat. The $400 million scheme starts with the construction of a 92.4 million gallon per year ethanol plant and a 4,400-gallon biobutane pilot plant on BP’s existing petrochemical site near Hull, a major port on the north east coast England.

2008 GMC Denali XT concept

Over the past six months General Motors has introduced or announced six production applications with the new Two-Mode Hybrid system. To date, all use gasoline only engine, just like every other hybrid on the road. The new GMC Denali XT concept is the first from the company to mate flex-fuel and hybrid capability.

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Motors first came to the world's attention in mid-2006 when they publicly announced plans to build an electric sports car with a 250 mile range.  We've now had a chance to drive the Roadster in near production form and it exhibits performance on a par with some of the most expensive exotics in the world with zero direct emissions.  

KL Process Design Group will use waste wood as a feedstock for the fuel, which will flow to the series during the season opener’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 15.

KL Process Design Group will use waste wood as a feedstock for the fuel, which will flow to the series during the season opener’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 15.

Larry Burns, head of R&D at GM

In the second part of a conversation with Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research & development and strategic planning says GM engineers modeled their fifth-generation stack technology within the architecture of the Honda Clarity. As a result, Burns is very confident GM's new stack and electronics compare very well to Honda's.(more)

Audi A8s in Davos in 2007

This year Audi is again supplying transportation for officials attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This time around the fleet is powered by a new fuel making the transition from race track to road.(more)

A GM diesel/hybrid bus during the '06 Superbowl

As the eco-minded Washington, DC Auto Show begins, GM announces it has reeled in orders for its hybrid buses that are nearly double the size of the existing fleet. The automaker says transit groups in DC, Philadelphia and Minneapolis/St. Paul have ordered 1,732 buses.(more)

Ford Expedition

At the Washington, DC Auto Show, Ford announces expanded flex-fuel capability in its full-size truck lineup. The Expedition and E-Series vans, along with the Lincoln Navigator will now be able to run on E85.(more)

In the two days of premieres, the OEMs specifically introduced 9 real-world and future concepts that will run on E85 ethanol and 10 diesel/biodiesel ready models and engines. Read the full story.

With every significant carmaker presenting a biofuel-based powertrain during the North American International Auto Show, the next logical question is: Where’s the fuel supply? Accenture provides a glimpse into that future in a new study assessing the infrastructure and supply of biofuels. (more)

The LRX

The 2.0-liter is being readied for research clinics at this point, and that it is being developed for 50-state and Euro 6 emissions requirements and for biodiesel compatibility(more)

The Corvette C6R with E85 badging

The Corvette C6R has dominated the ALMS GT1 class for several years and the team is targeting the season opening race at Sebring, FL in March to begin running on E85.

The Ferrari F430 Spider

The automaker notes that the F430 shows it can develop vehicles that can perform at the highest, and greenest, levels. In fact, the engineering team reports the F430 has achieved a 10hp increase at the same RPM and a 4 percent torque boost.

The BMW X5 Diesel

BMW USA Chief Executive Tom Purves spoke with DieselForecast before the unveiling of their first US market diesel engines in more than two decades. Later in the day the company announced that the new 335d and X5 xDrive35d would go on sale later this year. (more)

The CTS Coupe Concept

On stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit today Ed Welburn, GM's chief designer, VP Design unveiled a new coupe edition of the CTS. Currently the CTS coupe is labeled only as a concept altough such a car could appear in production in the next few years.(more)

The Lincoln MKT concept

Lincoln unveiled a new Crossover concept at the Detroit Auto Show powered an E85 optimized EcoBoost V-6 with 415hp and 400lb-ft of torque. The Lincoln MKT is based on the architecture of the upcoming Ford Flex.(more)

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe

Toyota Motor Co. President Katsuaki Watanabe confirms that a new diesel V-8 will propel the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV, while indicating the automaker will increase research into making ethanol from wood waste. Still, Toyota is taking a wait and see approach on E85 in the US.(more)

The R8 brings a "revolution" in diesel.

Audi has unveiled a new concept version of it's R8 sports car at the North American International Auto Show powered by the 6.0L V-12 TDI shown in the Q7 concept at the 2007 show.(more)

The F-150 revealed

With the introduction of the 2009 F-150 pickup truck today at the Detroit Auto Show, Ford is making a push on efficiency. Starting in 2010, Ford will offer both diesel and EcoBoost engines in the best selling trucks.(more)

Jeep Renegade diesel RE-EV concept

At the 2008 Detroit Auto Show Chrysler has taken electric drive-trains off-road with the new Jeep Renegade concept. The Renegade is a compact open-air range-extended electric vehicle with BlueTec equipped diesel engine. (more)

Scientists in Coskata’s suburban Chicago laboratories.

Eager to push cellulosic ethanol toward the pump, General Motors is buying a stake in an 18-month-old biomass to ethanol company, which lays claim to a new production process that’s cheaper, uses less water and emits less CO2 than conventional corn-based ethanol production.

The Vision GLK is revealed in Detroit.

The Vision GLK compact SUV is powered by the fourth-generation common rail diesel engine(more)

HUMMER HX concept

The HUMMER HX concept being unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show is the smallest vehicle yet from the brand and the first capable of running on biofuels. The HX has been designed by a trio of young designers as the first of a new generation of more environmentally sensitive vehicles from GM's youngest brand. (more)

2008 Saab 9-4x BioPower Concept

Saab is bringing its latest flex-fuel engine to the 2008 North American International Auto Show in the shape of a new crossover called the 9-4X BioPower concept. The 9-4X engine has been optimized for maximum performance and efficiency when running on E85.(more)

With the explosion of alternative fuels, the rocketlike rise of oil above $100 a barrel and fears of climate change, automakers are re-thinking their fuel strategies and the marketing plans around them - even if those vehicles have yet to hit the road. Case in point is General Motors, which is launching the "Fuel Solutions" campaign for its highest-volume brand, Chevrolet.(more)

2008 Ford Explorer America Concept

Ford is giving the world the first glimpse of the next-generation Explorer SUV at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The new model will abandon the traditional body-on-frame layout and V-8 engines, in favor of lighter weight and more efficient powertrains.(more)

European Union flag

The European Commission this week published a regulatory proposal for limiting carbon dioxide emissions from passenger vehicles. The new regulation requires automakers to meet a fleet emissions average of 130 g/km by 2012.(more)

Defining what is a green fuel is a tricky business. Questions of how much CO2 is emitted to make a particular fuel, the repercussions on food crops, or the impact increased farming and fertilizers may have on the environment all must be reconciled in this complex equation before the public may confidently switch from petroleum products to renewables.(more)

The average fuel consumption for the petroleum diesel test group was 6.29mpg compared with 6.15mpg for the B20 group, or a 2.2 percent reduction. The two-year study compares the engine efficiency for commercial trucks running on petroleum diesel compared with trucks using B20. (more)

2009 GM LS9 Supercharged 6.2L V-8

General Motors has announced the new LS9 V-8, the most powerful production engine for a passenger car the company has ever built. At a minimum output of 620hp, the supercharged engine would seem to be an ideal candidate for flex fuel capability. However, GM has chosen to make the engine run on premium gasoline only. (more)

2008 Nissan Forum Concept

The Nissan Forum concept is described as a Family Transportation Vehicle that's designed around the new 3.0L clean diesel V-6 currently under development for the 2011 Maxima sedan. The concept will be displayed publicly for the first time at the 2008 North American International Auto show. (more)

US Capitol Building

The Senate legislation calls for the production of 20.5 billion gallons of biofuels annually by 2015 - with 15 billion of that supplied by corn ethanol, 1 billion gallons of biodiesel and the rest coming from non-food sources.By 2022 the non-corn based fuel production mandate rises to 21 billion gallons per year.(more)

Sketch of HUMMER HX concept

By 2010 every vehicle that Hummer sells will capable of running on some kind of biofuel.(more)

A canola field.

Chrysler, Michigan State University and the Environmental Protection Agency are evaluating the potential use of a contaminated brownfield site for growing biofuel feedstock crops.(more)

Researchers are exploring termite termite intestines for the enzyme that breaks down cellulose in wood.

Cellulosic ethanol is the Holy Grail of all biofuels. But unlocking the energy inside plant material is just the first step. (more)