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| Saab launches BioPower engine at UK motor show |
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| Monday, 24 July 2006 | |
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Car-maker Saab has unveiled it's new 210 bhp 2.3t BioPower 9-5 at the British International Motor Show. The company claims the engine cuts CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent whilst delivering 14 per cent more power and 11 per cent more torque when running on bioethanol E85 than when running on ordinary petrol.
Saab Great Britain (part of Ford Motor Company's 'Premier Automotive Group', along with Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo) unveiled the 210 bhp 2.3t BioPower engine in the new-look Saab 9-5 Saloon and Estate range.
Saab hopes the new engine will extend Saab's leadership of the premium 'flex-fuel' segment.
The new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower model goes on sale in the UK, Ireland and Nordic markets later this year, with other European countries to follow.
Available in a choice of Saloon and Estate body styles with manual or automatic transmission, it is being offered in addition to the current 2.0t BioPower model which is already established as Sweden's best selling environmentally-friendly vehicle.
First deliveries of the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower began in the UK in March 2006, the same time as Morrisons supermarket opened the country’s first bioethanol E85 refuelling pump.
Morrisons now sells bioethanol E85 at several of its sites in the East and South West of England, retailing the eco-friendly fuel for two pence per litre less than petrol.
Both cars combine the benefits of 'going green' through substantially cutting fossil CO2 emissions, with the enjoyment of even sportier driving performance.
A further practical advantage of the BioPower formula allows customers to run on petrol and/or bioethanol E85 fuel in any proportions without any adjustment needed by the driver.
Running on bioethanol E85 the new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower engine delivers maximum power of 210 bhp and 310 Nm of torque, compared to 185 bhp and 280 Nm when using unleaded petrol.
In terms of increased performance, the manual saloon accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds, compared to 8.5 seconds when running only on petrol.
Saab's powerful Trionic engine management system monitors fuel quality after every visit to the filling station and automatically makes any adjustments necessary for running on bioethanol E85 and/or petrol in any combination.
Bioethanol E85 has a much higher octane rating (104 RON) than petrol (95 RON), and turbocharging allows the use of a higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing - giving more engine power than is possible on petrol without risk of harmful 'knocking' or pre-detonation.
The only hardware modifications necessary are more durable valves and valve seats and the use of bioethanol-compatible materials in the fuel system, including the tank, pump, lines and connectors.
Bioethanol fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops, such as corn, grain, sugar beet and sugar cane. Unlike petrol, its consumption does not significantly raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), which some scientific research suggests is a major contributor to global warming.
This is because emissions during driving are balanced by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion are grown.
"The launch of a 2.3 turbo model is the logical next step in the roll-out of our highly-successful BioPower concept," says Jan-Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "It is being offered in response to customer demand for an eco-friendly vehicle that delivers even more performance and is the first in a number of future BioPower initiatives that we have under development."
Ford Focus
Also exhibited at the London International Motor Show this week was Ford's flex-fuel Focus. Researchers at London's Imperial College claim the new Focus boasts lower CO2 emissions than a comparable hybrid vehicle.
They conducted independent analysis of the CO2 output for the flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) when using bio-ethanol.
The 1.8-litre Ford Focus FFV produces 169 grams of CO2 per kilometre from its exhaust, though this equates to just 99.6 grams per kilometre when greenhouse gas absorption by bio-ethanol crops is factored in, the researchers observed.
"Biofuels generally, and bio-ethanol particularly, could provide a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emission from transport," commented Dr Jeremy Woods, government advisor and research fellow at Imperial College's Centre for Environmental Policy.
"I welcome Ford's lead in this area and trust that government policies will encourage greater use of biofuels and the purchase of vehicles operating with high biofuel blends," he added.
Marketed as E85, bio-ethanol fuel in the UK is blended with 15 per cent conventional petrol.
The calculation of CO2 emissions is done on a 'well-to-wheel' basis, considering both the consumption of the harmful gas and its production over the life cycle of the fuel.
Biofuels still produce some emissions subject to emission regulations, but can work well with platinum and pgm catalytic converters as they contain less sulphur, which can block up the converter's filters
Ed: The new Saab 9-5 was reviewed in this weekend's FT
David Smith, Singapore
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