We take an exclusive look at Mercedes new BlueTEC Diesel.
Diesel has been a dirty word in the U.S. for numerous years. Unfortunately for many people, the fuel brings to mind images of black smoke oozing from tailpipes or large trucks with a thirst for power. But times are changing. For decades diesel has been the building block for fuel economy technology, and now it has also shifted into leading the way to cleaner emissions. One prime example of this is the new Mercedes BlueTEC engine, and it has given the TopSpeed Team access to preview the new diesel.
Most diesel fans know that Mercedes has been offering a
low-sulfur enging called BlueTEC since 2006 in the E-Class, but Mercedes has a new innovation for the engine called AdBlue. This additive to the exhaust reduces part of the harmful gasses into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. For more information on the science behind AdBlue, watch the official video below.
The engine will be available in U.S. this fall on ML, GL, and R-Class SUVs. Each car will receive similar V-6 engines, each making 210 bhp and 398 lb.ft. of torque. An example of performance is the GL 320 BlueTEC achieves an estimated 23 mpg (highway), which Mercedes claims is a benefit of approximately 20 to 40 percent over a comparable gasoline engine.
Cars are becoming more efficient inside and out. Engines discharge lower pollutants, transmissions use longer gearing to better fuel economy, and even interiors are being manufactured out of more recyclable materials. The next frontier is utilizing state of the art manufacturing operations that use less energy.
Japanese carmaker Toyota has turned its engineering eye to the paint shop at its Tsutsumi plant in Japan. According to Toyota, because of multiple coats and “drying ovens”, almost a quarter of all energy needed to build a car goes into the painting process. So now it is using a new approach called "3-Wet", which eliminates a “drying oven” and decreases energy usage by 15 percent.
The purpose behind a greener painting process is not difficult to understand. Hybrids and electric vehicles that Toyota is going to mass-manufacture in the future are mild on the environment, and the manufacturing procedures that go into making such vehicles should be eco-friendly as well. Luxury models like the Lexus sedans won’t use the technology since multiple finishes are needed for them, but eco-conscious models like the Prius will utilize the new paint technology.
Toyota feels this new energy-saver technology is necessary because of the nature of manufacturing. "Our production has grown over the last decade so much the energy required to manufacture each and every vehicle has also grown considerable overall," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the executive overseeing production.
When it comes to air quality, Beijing tops the list of the worst. Now that the city will be on worldwide display at this summer’s Olympics, images of hazy skies and athletes wearing facemasks to stay healthy will not look well for the city. So today, in an effort to lift the fog, Chinese authorities started a program that uses license plates to prohibit some passenger cars from the city. During alternate days, only even or odd numbered plates will be allowed on the roads of China’s capital city. Beijing is reported to be home to about 3.5 million total vehicles, and this ban should take about one million passenger vehicles off the road.
Beijing is doing its best to keep its citizens happy while it tries to impress the world. So until the ban is lifted in September, no one will have to pay road and vehicle taxes. This is part of a larger comprehensive plan that has included stopping large construction projects, closing high-polluting factories, and even firing large projectiles into the clouds to encourage rain.
The Fiji Islands bring to mind images gorgeous beaches and fine weather. Utilizing the quiet and humble nature of electric cars is the newest idea to help to ensure this harmony and peace. Korean electric car manufacturer CT and T, is interested in setting up a production plant to serve the island’s personal transportation needs, as well as exporting to nearby New Zealand and Australia.
The CT and T e-zone should fit this plan well. It uses a four wheel independent suspension, a rigid aluminium frame, and meets a few European and American safety standards. It additionally has a few appealing options, including lithium ion power units, an airbag for safety, and even in-wheel motors. Its 60 mile+ radius with the lithium option makes it a competent and clean choice for the citizens and visitors of Fiji.
Sometime in the future, gas stations would switch to selling gas. Gas in the sense, air, which when compressed to an extent, has enough energy to help a specially designed engine, generate power. Big companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, are interested in looking for other ways to run their cars, and might want to take a close look at these air powered engines.
Sure, these things make a lot of noise and don’t coax out enough horsepower, but with time and research, things could change drastically. Just like how electric cars or hybrid cars have evolved and reached a certain stage where the trade-offs are not considerable and offer a number of advantages over the normal cars, soon air powered engines might catch on and small-car manufacturers could use them on a large scale.
Poland is emerging as one of the world’s leading places from where green and fuel efficient engines are born. Toyota’s 1-liter engine which is presently performing duties on the Aygo small car, won the International engine of the year award a while back. That engine was also developed in Poland giving us strong hints that Poland should be one of the best countries for developing and manufacturing small engines.
Italian manufacturer Fiat has put its hand up and decided to manufacture a low emission 900cc gasoline engine in Poland. Unlike any of the engines present in European cars today, this one would be the smallest of the lot with only 2 cylinders. The new engine will give life to Fiat’s new microcar, the Topolino, when launched late next year for European markets.
Sufficient engine options will be on offer for the Topolino, ranging from a 65hp normally aspirated version to a turbcharged 110hp version equipped with Fiat’s Multiair adjustable valve timing (110hp from a 900 c.c engine?!) which promises to be powerful yet frugal. I guess there are more reasons for Mercedes and Toyota to worry about as the Topolino is likely to be another massive hit.
One can expect to see this engine in cars like the 500, Grande Punto and Panda a few years from now on, especially with the emission norms getting tougher, the idea of a 2-cylinder and sub-100 gram per kilometer of CO2 emission engine is definitely a bright one.
The Tata Nano continues to make headlines both for the right and wrong reasons since its unveiling at the Delhi AutoExpo in January this year. Land acquisition trouble and rising inflation which has past well over 11% in the country has created a new set of problems for Tata, although the manufacturer is hell-bent on retailing the base model at $2,500 and more importantly on the previously decided dead line of anytime between September and October.
The good news is that Tata is working on multiple variants of the Nano. No, not bumper colors or alloy wheels, by variants, we mean powertrain options. Sources say a battery powered Nano might roll out of the Singur plant in West Bengal very shortly along with air-powered and micro-hybrid (start-stop technology) models.
The compressed air technology would be borrowed from French company MDI, which uses compressed air to push the piston. An onboard compressor pressurizes air which is stored in a tank for use, a technology which works pretty well, and is one of the best alternatives to an electric car.
Otherwise, the Tata Nano uses a 2-cylinder 624 cc engine that produces a little over 30 hp. The tailpipe emissions are minimal and is less than what an average motorcycle in India would emit.
Take that GM. Toyota is one of the global leaders in the field of Automobiles. Their commitment to make fuel-efficient and clean engines has fetched them an award at the prestigious International Engine of the Year Awards this year.
But don’t assume it’s because of the Prius and veer away from the rest of this article. Toyota’s Polish-made, 1-litre three-cylinder 67bhp gasoline unit as found in the Toyota’s own Aygo, Yaris, Echo and Vitz and in the Citroën’s C1, Peugeot’s 107 and Subaru’s Justy came out successful but not without some tough competition.
In the sub-one litre category things couldn’t have been any better. The final contestants were Mitsubishi’s 84bhp 999cc three-cylinder turbo and Daimler’s 45bhp 799cc diesel unit, which is recognized as the world’s smallest direct injection diesel engine. Interestingly both those engines at present serve the Smart Fortwo city car.
But that didn’t bother our winner. The main reasons behind its success was its feather like weight, tipping the scales at 67 kg, it is no wonder this is the world’s lightest internal combustion engine.
The technology that goes into making such a light package isn’t rocket science. The use of a light weight material like aluminium to construct it helps achieve this feat. Aiding the cause futher is its extra-small cylinder bore-to-bore distance (wall thickness between bores is just 7mm), and the use of a light weight resin throttle body and fuel delivery pipe. The air intake system and engine cover is an integral piece, a design first for Toyota, a weight-saving initiative.
The panel was also impressed with its Variable Valve Timing system (VVT-i) technology, which holds responsibility for the smooth acceleration, a crucial factor that won this award for Toyota.
This engine is literally a fuel-sipper. 4L/100km on a combined cycle is as good as its gets, giving it another entry in the record books as one of the most fuel efficient engines in today’s cars. A figure of 109g/km of CO2 emissions speaks for itself and strengthens the point that this victory is a well deserved one.
According to Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell and US bioscience firm Virent Energy Systems, are to research a gasoline alternative from non-food crops. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions without increasing food prices.
Shell said that unlike ethanol, the fuel it aims to develop with Virent will be able to run in existing vehicles without the need to modify their engines. Current gasoline engines can usually only run on small amounts of ethanol blended with gasoline, typically 5%. Much higher percentages can be used with modification.
The project follows a trend of major oil companies investing in plans to produce motor fuels from crops. The focus is mainly on second-generation biofuels, which will be produced from non-food crops. These can be grown on land not suitable for wheat or sugar cane.
Shell and Virent have not disclosed the amount they are investing in the project and produced no targets for achieving commercial production of the new fuel.
Last year, Shell and Virent announced a partnership to develop processes to manufacture hydrogen from biomass, using the same technology. The companies hope this will now produce "biogasoline".
Due to the pressure in producing cars with lower CO2 emissions, Mercedes-Benz announced that is taking in consideration building a four-cylinder power plant that will be used especially to power the cars sold on the U.S. market.
Mercedes executives said that a supercharged 1.4-liter engine is already in testing. Although the engine will not be very powerfull, the manufacturer declared that the car will feature a louder exhaust and a better acceleration in order to give the driver the „perception of performance”.
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Due to the pressure in producing cars with lower CO2 emissions, Mercedes-Benz announced that is taking in consideration building a four-cylinder power plant that will be used especially to power the cars sold on the U.S. market.
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