Design Evolution

While forthcoming electric-drive vehicles capture automotive headlines, manufacturers are making more subtle technological improvements to their current offerings of hybrids and conventional vehicles. Toyota’s 2010 Prius, the most efficient gasoline-powered vehicle and number two on ACEEE’s “Greenest” list, shows a 3-mile-per gallon increase in fuel economy, to 51 city / 48 highway. Toyota attributes the gains to an increase in engine size — which allows the engine to operate at lower rpm on the highway, together with a new exhaust gas recirculation system, an electric water pump, a lower coefficient of drag, and lightweighting of several parts, though overall vehicle weight has increased in the bargain. The new Prius also features LED low-beams and taillights, a more efficient A/C system, and solar panels on the optional moon roof.  New hybrid offerings — the Honda Insight and the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan — broke into the year’s top twelve, and several more are slated for arrival later in the year.

The 2010 Ford Fusion appears not only in hybrid form but also as the Fusion S, a conventional model achieving a 17 percent boost in fuel economy over last year’s 4-cylinder automatic using variable cam timing and a six-speed transmission. Ford also added to its roster of vehicles with EcoBoost, an engine package combining turbocharging with direct injection. But while the technology has been touted as offering fuel economy gains up to 20 percent, this year’s Flex and Taurus models use Ecoboost to achieve V8 performance with a V6 engine and leave fuel economy unchanged. The Lincoln MKS with Ecoboost does gain two miles per gallon on the highway and one in the city, however. Other Ford fuel-saving tweaks include a Lincoln MKT featuring a liftgate lightened 40 percent through the use of magnesium and aluminum instead of steel, and electric power steering to replace a hydraulic pump.

More generally, the use of engine refinements such as variable-valve timing continues to rise, and lightweight materials, better aerodynamics, and improved transmissions are all experiencing flurries of activity that demonstrate the large potential still remaining to reduce the fuel consumption of conventional vehicles without compromise in consumer appeal. Yet, in the big picture, these new technologies are not yet moving the needle perceptibly on environmental performance. Indeed, the average Green Score stayed level this year at 32.

2010 Market Trends

Fuel efficiency is in the spotlight as the U.S. auto industry continues its struggle out of the tailspin that began in 2008. New vehicles sales barely surpassed 10 million units in the 2009 calendar year, down over 20 percent from 2008 and 33 percent from 2007 sales. As sales inch back up, consumers’ interest in miles per gallon remains strong. In early 2010, fuel prices are once again well past the $2.50-per-gallon mark, and there is a widespread expectation that economic recovery will only push prices higher.

Reinforcing the trend is the Obama Administration’s announcement of stricter fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, effective beginning in model year 2012. The proposed standards call for an average fleet-wide fuel economy of 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016, a 36 percent increase from 2009 standards. Manufacturers are working on a variety of new technologies to ensure they will be able to comply.

Source:Greencars

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Hyundai UK sees 2011 a "tough year"

With the UK's scrappage scheme now ended and an increase in VAT (sales tax) from 17.5% to 20% scheduled for January 2011, what is the future for scrappage sales leader Hyundai and the new car industry in general?
Managing director Tony Whitehorn said: “The scheme, introduced to incentivise new car sales during the recession, came just at the right time for the brand because we had just introduced new models such as the small i10, the i20 supermini, the i30 family hatch and the iX35 compact crossover SUV, ideal fuel efficient, cost effective scheme models.”
As a result, Hyundai was scheme market leader as about 400,000 new cars and light commercial vehicles were delivered.
Hyundai topped the scheme sales league with 45,700 sales compared with Ford’s 44,457. In third place was affiliate Kia with 33,444 customers.
Whitehorn added: “Our success with the scheme not only increased our sales by over 102% to 56,726 units, it raised our brand’s profile and product awareness. So far this year our UK sales are up again on the same period last year by 138% to 34,611 units and we should achieve 60,000 sales this year – slightly more than last year. Vehicles on the roads are the best form of advertising.”
He said: “Scrappage was also useful for us because people experienced our products for the first time. The brand in the UK had suffered enormous anonymity in the past but 90% of our scheme sales were to conquest customers.  We had one customer who bought an i10 and he introduced 16 other people to the brand.”
“After scrappage customers are still looking for affordable, stylish and reliable vehicles and affordability above all is going to be a key issue in the future because of the economic climate. This is more good news for us as we introducing nine new models in the next 17 months – a real ‘product-fest’.”
“Hyundai is very focussed on reducing CO2 levels and are working on supplying more petrol and diesel engines to meet the sub-120, -110 and -100g/km tax levels. I question whether there will be the infrastructure in the UK to support electric vehicles. Hybrids we can supply but the long-term answer is fuel cell technology. In the meantime, the realistic route is to make current petrol and diesel engines even more fuel efficient.”
“Although we remain a predominately a brand which appeals to retail customers, the fleet and business user-chooser sector is a biggest opportunity for us in the future and we already have the products to meet their requirements especially the new iX35 compact SUV which is creating a lot of interest. We are looking to supply smaller fleets – not major discounted fleet sales. We need to increased our the size of our current 148 strong dealer network and we are looking to add regional dealer groups to our network to bring that number up to 165 by 2011.”
He said, “The proposed VAT increase next January will be a major challenge for the market, everybody knows what is coming in January 2011 so the last quarter of this year, which wasn’t going to be good, will now be good as customers beat the VAT increase.  But 2011 will be a tough year”
“The industry cannot absorb the VAT increase, with the margins we are all working with it is just not possible.”

SRC-interview just auto.