Technology

Last year, new vehicles recorded an Australian average of 226.1g of CO2 emissions for every kilometre they travelled.That's down on the 2006 figure of 230.3g, and during the past five years the industry has achieved a reduction of more than 10 per cent in average emissions.By comparison, a Toyota Corolla produces 175g/km and a Holden Commodore 260g/km.In Europe, where strict emissions controls have been in place for longer than Australia, emissions levels have remained almost unchanged.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar said the motoring industry was on track to meet its self-imposed target of 222g/km by 2010.Meanwhile, fuel economy has improved from an average of 10 litres per 100km in 2002 to about 8.8 litre/100km last year, heading toward the FCAI's voluntary 2010 target of 6.7 litre/100km.“These figures demonstrate that the industry is continuing to implement new technology to lower the impact passenger cars have on the environment,” Mr McKellar said.However, Mr McKellar said further improvements would rely on improved fuel quality with lower sulphur content, which was not yet available.The FCAI pointed out that passenger cars accounted for less than 8 per cent of Australia's total carbon emissions, which is about half of the emissions from agriculture.RACQ manager technical services Steve Spalding said that for motorists to reduce their emissions, they should reduce their fuel consumption.“We would suggest motorists buy the smallest car that will still do the job you need and then look for the most fuel efficient car within that category,” he said.He said the FCAI fuel and CO2 figures were reached under test conditions and not real-world driving. He added that if motorists wanted to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, they should also drive and maintain their vehicle correctly. 

Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir says the Malaysian carmaker has turned the corner and is ready for growth. Proton has chosen China, India, Russia and the Middle East for satellite production bases.It is also closing on an alliance with a big carmaker after failed talks with Volkswagen, Peugeot and General Motors.Proton is expected to go with Mitsubishi in an ambitious deal that should increase its products and allow it to reach its sales target of 10,000 cars a year in Australia.“The future looks better today,” says managing director Syed. “We are coming out with a series of models that are priced right and meet market requirements. The future is going to be really good but, at the same time, we are realistic in our approach.”Syed was at the Melbourne motor show to research the Australian car industry and the opposition his brand faces.He knows the company's 1.3- and 1.6-litre engines are small by local standards but hopes the price of fuel will make Proton more attractive.“Australia is very peculiar because of the requirement for large engines,” he says.“We need to be careful that the car fits into what the market needs.”Proton also plans a people mover and larger cars, probably in a deal with Mitsubishi.And it will probably rename the Gen.2 hatch as a second Persona to realign its local line-up and add the compact Saga sedan for $13,990.The first of the newcomers, the Persona sedan, will be here next month.“We have a program that will have a new car every year from now on. Last year we launched the Persona; this year is the Saga,” Syed says.“Next year will be an MPV, then a Waja replacement, then a D-segment car. So, as we go along, at least for the next five years, there will be a new product every year.” 

BMW has combined its diesel expertise with innovative Active Hybrid technology in a concept car that could go into production sooner rather than later.Based on a BMW X5, the concept car demonstrates the potential of technology developed as part of the BMW Efficient Dynamics program.Boasting the worlds first all-aluminium diesel with a specific power output of over 65kW per litre of capacity and a generator as part of a mild hybrid concept, the vehicle uses a frugal 6.5-litres of fuel per 100km and emits 172g of carbon dioxide per kilometre.It has sporty driving dynamics and will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds.The engine features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with variable twin turbo, latest generation common rail injection and all-aluminium gearbox housing.It develops 150kW/400Nm.A compact generator, integrated in the gearbox housing, contributes to vehicle acceleration with 15kW and a maximum torque of 210Nm. The total output of the vehicle is 165kW.

That's because the Rinspeed sQuba can literally dive under the water and continue to operate submerged, just like a submarine.

They are a minority breed now, but they will multiply rapidly in coming years as carmakers adjust to a world without petroleum and technology which provides new solutions.

The all-wheel-drive rival to the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic could be on Australian roads within 18 months if planners at Fishermans Bend can make a successful business case for local customers.General Motors is keen to get the car into Australia as it accelerates a compact hybrid plan built around the Captiva wagon built in Korea and its American clone, the Saturn VUE.There is a mild hybrid VUE, which uses an engine-kill system with an energy recovery system from the brakes, but GM is working flat-out on a two-mode hybrid and then a plug-in model to follow it.The Captiva plan will take precedence over work on a hybrid Commodore, even though Holden began development on its E-Commodore more than five years ago, but there is still work to do before there is a car for showrooms.“It's not definitely coming to Australia, but I would tell you it's something I've been pushing to get done,” the former chairman of GM Holden and now global head of engineering integration in Detroit, Denny Mooney, says.“It shouldn't be that hard to get it done. That's a job for Mark Reuss when he gets to Australia.”Mooney says the plan with the VUE and Captiva is to give GM an advantage over Toyota. The rival group has led the world into the hybrid era with its Prius and petrol-electric versions of the Lexus RX, GS and LS.“It puts us ahead of the Prius on technology,” he says.“The major thing it does do that the Prius does not is to give you a lot more range on electric power. You can drive much further as a pure electric car. The way the electric motors work in tandem gives you more efficiency.”The Captiva-VUE will be the world's first two-mode hybrid with a transverse engine layout, following the larger Tahoe four-wheel drive with an inline powertrain. It has taken more work to package the system into a layout that can also be adapted to GM's front-wheel drive vehicles.“We're in production with the Tahoe right now,” Mooney says.He believes GM is capable of overtaking Toyota with its spread of green hybrids, even though the company has announced a big commitment to ethanol in existing gasoline engines. It has formed a joint venture to produce ethanol from non-feed sources, a breakthrough that could boost the world's petroleum resources and breathe extra life into internal combustion engines.Even so, GM is a convert to hybrid and Mooney is working on a range of plans up to the production version of the futuristic Volt — a pure electric car with a petrol “range extender” engine to charge its onboard batteries — with the emphasis on hybrids.“The volumes might not be that great, yet,” Mooney says.“But we'll get there.”The VUE is a BAS hybrid, that cuts off at idle and gives a boost from standstill. “The two-mode hybrid, which is similar to the Tahoe hybrid, is about a year and a half away,” Mooney says. “That will be big.“Then we're doing a plug-in version of that, with a lithium-ion battery.”Mooney says the production plan could be accelerated and is calling on GM Holden to push for an early introduction of the full hybrid Captiva.“It could be a year away,” he says. “The biggest issue is getting a build program that makes sense. That is probably the biggest rub on getting it to Australia.“We will see it is a Saturn VUE but that is identical to the Captiva and it is built in Mexico for the US.” 

While the world's largest carmaker is convinced ethanol could finally save the world from its reliance on fossil fuels, General Motors has conceded that motoring beyond 2020 will be with electric vehicles that are either plug-in hybrids or run on hydrogen fuel cells.GM used the North American International Automotive Show in Detroit to reveal a new process for producing ethanol, which is far more efficient and removes any conflict with food crops.GM chairman Rick Wagoner said the carmaker believes the process could turn ethanol into the miracle fuel of the 21st century. Developed by Coskata Incorporated, the process allows ethanol to be created from almost any source material, including agricultural waste, municipal waste, discarded plastics and old car tyres.GM is convinced ethanol can provide a more-immediate solution for transportation and wean the world from its 96 per cent reliance on oil for automotive energy.Mr Wagoner was speaking on the opening day of the North American International Auto Show, the first major motoring event of 2008.He touted the potential for ethanol to overcome the world's short-term need for petroleum and stressed that the fuel plan is not just a knee-jerk reaction to soaring oil prices. He said it worked because it could be used in various combinations with gasoline or as pure fuel in existing engines.“Ethanol offers a cleaner alternative to petroleum. It's adaptable to our current refuelling infrastructure, it doesn't have to be imported and it requires little change in consumer behaviour,” Mr Wagoner said.“What's more, Coskata's process is expected to use less than one gallon of water per gallon of ethanol produced.“That's compared to three-to-four gallons of water to make a gallon of grain-based ethanol.“In a well-to-wheels comparison . . . the Coskata process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 84 per cent compared to gasoline.”GM unveiled two concept cars in Detroit: a compact Hummer and a Saab four-wheel drive that have flex-fuel engines, which are ethanol compatible. 

The system uses satellite technology to track changing speed limits and click into action when a driver goes too fast.The Government has been in talks with all states and territories and the New Zealand Government about the device, which is seen as another way of tackling the road toll.It's believed a trial of the technology will soon be held in Victoria, with several ministers, Chief Commissioner of Police Christine Nixon, a former state coroner and 45 others likely to have devices fitted to their cars.The device could be fitted to the cars of serial speed offenders to stop them breaking the law.Western Australia and New South Wales are also believed to be planning trials this year.The Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation Initiative has largely remained out of the public gaze, with governments worried it would attract strong criticism.The technology can be fitted in three levels, and works off a GPS and a road speed database that identifies speed limits.At the first level a beep warns the driver to slow down if they are speeding.Level two prevents the driver from speeding by cutting power to the engine, but the system can be turned off or adjusted.The most extreme level stops all speeding and cannot be switched off or adjusted.A driver can put their foot flat to the floor if they need extra power for merging or overtaking.Premier John Brumby has identified technology as the next frontier in cutting the road toll.A government website claims road deaths could fall by up to 24 per cent if the device were fitted to all cars in its most basic form.If all cars were fitted, the fatal crashes could be reduced by almost 60 per cent, the site claims.The Government's five year road safety strategy, Arrive Alive, expires within weeks, and it is finalising plans for the campaign's next phase.Mr Brumby is believed to be considering discounts on registration costs for cars with electronic stability control technology and side air bags.Roads Minister Tim Pallas's spokeswoman, Fiona Macrae, would only say that the Government was looking at several options.While the Government would not comment, Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel confirmed his state was involved in the talks.“Technology is evolving all the time with these things, and my view with road safety is to see what the latest technology is and see if it can improve safety,” Mr Mickel said.Michael Paine, a vehicle safety consultant for Queensland Transport and other states, said ISA could reduce serious accidents by up to 20 per cent.The biggest hurdle was mapping every street with their speed limits, Mr Paine said.The systems cost between $700 and $2000 and their most likely early use would be in fleet cars.Victorian roads claimed 333 lives last year.Would you want a piece of technology controlling your vehicle's speed? 

In days gone by, finding your way to that great holiday location involved getting the right map, making sure someone could read it and avoiding those front-seat arguments as you head down a dead-end s

The NRMA Insurance reversing visibility index shows 12 vehicles, including the Toyota Corolla and Holden Commodore, fail to receive any stars in testing.The test, established because of the deaths of 17 children killed by reversing cars in driveways, measures how well a driver can see out of the back of the vehicle.Of the 12 vehicles with a zero rating, five fit into the small-to-medium segment.The result has prompted the NRMA to call on manufacturers to consider installing reversing camera technology in all cars, not just bigger vehicles.“Without a camera, blind space can range from 3m to 15m,” NRMA Insurance road safety manager Pam Leicester said.“That's a large range for children to be hidden from a driver's view.” With an average of one child run over in their own driveway every week, Ms Leicester said it was time to start focusing on improving visibility in all models.“There has been a focus on four-wheel-drives and reversing but as our results show, that's an issue for all types of vehicles right down to small cars,” Ms Leicester said.“This is a real concern because many of these vehicles have hazardous reversing blind areas, usually caused by high rear window lines and boots.”Vehicles that received a zero rating included the Holden Commodore (Epica and Viva), the Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi's Lancer and 380, Toyota's Corolla, Prado and RAV4, the Honda Civic and the Odyssey, as well as the Hummer H3.Overall, however, the results have improved from last year with more manufacturers adopting reversing cameras.This is especially the case in the four-wheel-drive and luxury segments. Only five vehicles offered reversing cameras either standard or as an option last year.The technology was available on 15 vehicles this year. They gained either a 4 1/2 or 5-star rating.Ms Leicester said they were particularly impressed with the new Toyota Kluger, which has a reversing camera as standard on all models.The top performers given a five-star rating were the BMW X5, Ford Territory, Honda Legend, Lexus GS430, IS250 and LS460, and the Toyota Kluger; all offering a camera as standard or as an option.“We encourage all manufacturers to start thinking about putting reverse cameras in their vehicles,” Ms Leicester said.“At the time of manufacture, it's a very small cost.”Ms Leicester said after-market reversing cameras also could improve visibility and were available for between $200 and $300. How they rated NRMA insurance reversing visibility indexBest: BMW x5, Ford Territory, Honda, Legend, Lexus GS430, Lexus IS250, Lexus LS460, Toyota KlugerWorst: Holden Commodore, Honda Civic, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Prado, Toyota Corolla