CleanCarTalk » Daimler

Leading Fuel Cell Vehicle Manufacturers Signed Joint Agreement

Cuong Huynh — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:59:13 +0000

On September 9, 2009, the leading vehicle manufacturers in fuel cell technology – Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation/Opel, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, the alliance Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation – gave a joint statement to the development and market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells with a Letter of Understanding (LoU). These companies have built up remarkable know-how in fuel cell technology and thus, the signing marks a major step towards the serial production of such locally emission-free vehicles.

The signing automobile manufacturers strongly anticipate that from 2015 onwards a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cell could be commercialized. This number is aimed at a few hundred thousand units over life cycle on a worldwide basis. As every vehicle manufacturer will implement its own specific production and commercial strategies as well as timelines, commercialization of electric vehicles with fuel cells may occur earlier than in the above-mentioned expected year.

Road traffic has been steadily increasing in recent years and vehicle ownership is expected to grow. As a result, there will be increased priority on low and zero emission vehicles and an increase in overall CO2 reduction goals. Over the last decade, governments, car manufacturers and the energy sector have given special attention to the introduction of hydrogen as a fuel for road transport as a priority option to reach several goals associated with emission management and CO2 reduction. Current demonstration projects involving fuel retail companies, utility providers and engineering companies have shown that the production, storage, transportation and deployment of efficient equipment for hydrogen as a fuel are technically feasible.

In order to ensure a successful market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells, a hydrogen infrastructure has to be built up with sufficient density. The network is required by 2015 and should be built-up from metropolitan areas via corridors into area-wide coverage. The signing manufacturers strongly support the idea of building-up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as regional starting point and at the same time developing similar concepts for the market penetration of hydrogen infrastructure in other regions of the world, including the USA, Japan and Korea as further starting points.

It’s about time these companies pull together to develop fuel cell vehicle standards and infrastructure. The technology may be ready, but if each company continues on its own development path, commercialization will not happen. So this is encouraging news.

Leading Fuel Cell Vehicle Manufacturers Signed Joint Agreement is a post from: CleanCarTalk

BlueTec SCR Technology Tests Totaling 25 Million Miles

Cuong Huynh — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:46:22 +0000

Detroit Diesel, the engine manufacturer that belongs to Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), has subjected BlueTec SCR technology in trucks to tests totaling 25 million miles. By the time SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology is introduced in January 2010, the test vehicles will have been tested for a total of 28 million miles. This will make SCR technology one of the most thoroughly tested exhaust technologies in the United States as well.

After being extensively tested over a total distance of 25 million miles, SCR technology, which has been established in Europe since 2005, is now ready for use in the NAFTA market. Detroit Diesel engines with SCR technology will be introduced on January 1, 2010, when the U.S. emissions standard EPA10 takes effect.

BlueTec stands for Daimler’s commitment to mastering today’s ecological challenges while also ensuring exemplary performance and savings in terms of fuel consumption. Since the launch of this technology in the spring of 2005, Daimler Trucks has delivered more than 237,000 trucks and buses with BlueTec technology to customers around the world.

The North American version of BlueTec will be used in the DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines recently introduced by Detroit Diesel. “We are delighted that we will be able to offer SCR, the best technology for our customers, starting in 2010. BlueTec will go down as one of the most thoroughly tested exhaust systems in the history of our company,” said David Siler, who is responsible for marketing of Detroit Diesel engines. “We started the tests in Europe ten years ago, so we had lots of time to optimize the design of the system and its performance. We also were able to acquire solid experience during the testing and evaluation,” adds Siler.

According to Siler, the most recent studies show that the benefits of SCR are widely recognized in the truck sector in North America. As soon as the customers investigate the technology and learn all the facts, SCR becomes their first-choice technology for staying competitive under EPA 2010. “It was only a matter of time until the customers were going to demand lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions,” Siler explained. “SCR is the only tried and tested technology that offers both benefits.”

Rakesh Aneja, who is responsible for the EPA 2010 program at Detroit Diesel, also is convinced by BlueTec: “We will fully attain our goals concerning optimization of performance, emissions, fuel consumption, long service life, and reliability. Our current calculations show diesel consumption savings of up to five percent compared to today’s engines,” said Aneja. Together with their vehicle colleagues at DTNA, the engine developers from Detroit Diesel tested the BlueTec system under a range of conditions in terms of use environments, operation, and routes driven. “The results of our validation tests fully meet our expectations and offer our customers fuel efficiency while also reducing emissions and carbon dioxide,” reports Aneja.

Nearly 100 percent of all big diesel engines for the U.S. and Canada produced after January 1, 2010, will be equipped with SCR technology. The BlueTec technology used for Detroit Diesel engines features a modular design and is suitable for road use and various sector-typical applications.

A company of Daimler Trucks North America, Detroit Diesel is a leading manufacturer of on-highway diesel engines for the commercial vehicles market. The company headquarters are in Redford, Michigan.

More details on Detroit Diesel BlueTec Emissions Technology.

BlueTec SCR Technology Tests Totaling 25 Million Miles is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Daimler Buses North America Receives Major Order for Over 300 Buses

Cuong Huynh — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:20:37 +0000

Daimler Buses North America recently received orders for more than 300 transit buses, motorcoaches, and shuttle buses. The biggest contract was awarded by the mass transit company King County Metro in Seattle, which ordered 93 of the extremely environmentally friendly Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid buses for delivery in 2010. Once the current order is completed, more than 2,500 Orion hybrid buses will be on the road in North America, further expanding Daimler Buses’ position as the world’s leading supplier of hybrid buses.

Daimler Buses North America (DBNA) receives orders for 263 Orion VII transit buses, 30 Setra S 417 motorcoaches, and 15 Sprinter shuttle buses

New order will soon increase the number of Orion hybrid buses on America’s roads to 2,500 units

“We are pleased seeing repeat orders and also seeing new customers joining the Daimler family in our latest wave of bus orders,” says Patrick Scully, Chief Commercial Officer for Daimler Buses North America. “We provide a unique advantage for customers by providing a diverse, full-line product portfolio that allows customers to work with one, solid company.”

Another major contract was awarded by the globally operating transport company Veolia Transportation, which ordered 75 Orion VII clean diesel transit buses. Compass Transportation, a division of Veolia, ordered 30 Setra S 417 motorcoaches and 15 Sprinter shuttle buses. An additional 80 Orion diesel hybrid buses were ordered by OC Transpo, the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario.

The more than 300 orders represent a variety of products, configurations, delivery timeframes, and customers. In addition to orders for Orion VII diesel hybrid buses and clean diesel buses, a contract was also awarded for five natural gas-powered Orion VII CNG transit buses, which will be delivered to CART (Cleveland Area Rapid Transit).

“Daimler remains committed to promoting clean drive technologies,” says Andreas Strecker, President and CEO of Daimler Buses North America. “These additional orders for the Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid bus further maintain Daimler’s position as the world’s hybrid bus leader — a position that we intend to retain through product excellence and continued innovative firsts.” The major contracts were awarded as part of Daimler’s “Shaping Future Transportation” initiative for commercial vehicles. With this initiative, the company aims to use clean and efficient drive systems along with alternative fuels in order to realize zero-emission commercial vehicles for tomorrow’s transportation needs. The initiative includes using resources sparingly and reducing emissions of every kind while at the same time guaranteeing maximum traffic safety.

Daimler Buses North America, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, is part of Daimler Buses and combines three bus brands under one corporate structure: Orion transit buses, Setra motorcoaches, and the Sprinter shuttle bus.

Daimler Buses North America Receives Major Order for Over 300 Buses is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with Electric Drive – 0 to 62 mph in 4 Seconds

Cuong Huynh — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:22:03 +0000

The Mercedes-Benz SLS is not for everyone, but it never fails to turn heads. Add the AMG badge and you know it’s built for performance. Now MB is giving it full electric drive. Powerful and locally emission-free.

Key performance data at a glance:

Max. output: 392 kW
Torque: 880 Nm
0-100 km/h: Approx. 4 s
Rated capacity: 40 Ah (at 400 V)
Energy content: 3x 16 kWh = 48 kWh

From Mercedes-Benz press release:

… forwards (sic) thrust is provided by four electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. The four electric motors are positioned near the wheels, substantially reducing the unsprung masses compared to wheel-hub motors. One transmission per axle transmits the power. This intelligent all-wheel-drive system allows dynamically optimised power transmission without any losses by means of Torque Vectoring – in other words the specifically targeted acceleration of individual wheels. In its first pilot phase, the SLS AMG with electric drive incorporates a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery of modular design with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah. The 400-volt battery is charged by means of targeted recuperation during braking whilst the car is being driven.

… the swing-wing model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds – putting it on the same high level as the SLS AMG with a 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 420 kW/571 hp.

The electrically powered SLS AMG sees Mercedes-Benz and AMGcontinuing to pursue their aim of minimising the amount of time it takes to bring about the electrification of the car. Their strategic involvement in Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG, will provide the battery technology required in future. Daimler has the leading role in this joint venture for the development and production of batteries and battery systems for automotive applications.

A few other highlights:

Wide-opening swing-wing doors for easy entry even in garages …

At the design stage great attention was paid to the widest possible opening angle – it is a full 70 degrees.

… another important criterion for dignified access and egress, two gas-pressure struts positioned next to the door hinges require only very little pressure when opening and closing the doors – even at very low ambient temperatures.

The swing-wing doors require less opening space than conventional coupé doors, and can be fully opened in a normal garage.

By the way, I like MB’s description of this electric car as “locally emission-free.” A very responsible marketing and PR step. The other manufacturers should do the same.

All graphics courtesy Daimler.com.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with Electric Drive – 0 to 62 mph in 4 Seconds is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Clean Cars Made in Germany: Latest From German Car Manufacturers

Cuong Huynh — Sat, 23 May 2009 04:27:53 +0000

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles peeking into clean car industries and car manufacturers of China, India, South Korea and Germany. Please send comments and suggestions using our Contact page or by leaving a comment at the end of this article.

Germany’s automobile industry is an important industry in the country. It currently offers almost a million jobs to the German working population. In fact, Germany’s industry dominates over 29% of the production of passenger cars in Europe. It is the source of several iconic automobile brands and various highly notable car models. The industry suffered a temporary downfall back in 1930, during the time of the Great Depression.

The momentary fall of the industry proved to be somewhat positive as it weeded out the weaker car companies in the country. At the end, around only twelve car companies survived, including Daimler-Benz, Ford, Opel, Audi, among some others. These companies made the German car industry flourish, and several of the world’s greatest automobiles were born.

Fast forward to the present, and the German car industry is booming. Enjoying worldwide popularity thanks to the exceptional models and performance of the top German car brands, the industry is responsible for the creation of some of the most notable cars in history. Now, six companies dominate the German automobile industry.

These companies include Audi, Daimler AG, BMW, Porsche, and Opel. Volkswagen, one of the largest automotive companies in the world, is part of the list. Opel, though owned by General Motors, is originally a German company and still focuses its operations on the German car industry. Now, what used to be just 900 cars built in 1901 has elevated to a total number of about six million cars produced annually in recent years. The German brands have also taken over worldwide markets, producing more than half of the total number of cars manufactured in other countries. Running alongside two other car industry giants Japan and United States, the automobile industry of Germany is enjoying its peak.

World-Class Cars, Not Yet on the Hybrid Bandwagon

Germany is also well-known for world-class luxury cars such as sleek and shiny Audi cars, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, bearing the familiar globally-popular insignia of the brands. In recent years, German’s exports suffered a decline due to the economic crisis. Aside from that, times are changing, and consumers are now paying more attention to developments regarding fuel-efficient and clean cars. The sales of German cars have been predicted to fall, but German car manufacturers are countering the trend by releasing new models and accelerating their production of clean cars such as hybrid cars and electric cars.

The German car manufacturers were not big fans of hybrid cars, despite some hybrid cars they have revealed at car shows in recent years. Most German car companies recognized at first that hybrids will not match up to the quality of diesel and next-generation gasoline vehicles. Instead of plunging head first into the trend of hybrid cars, German car manufacturers analyzed not just production costs and prices but also the overall expense of building and operating a car with a full hybrid system. The companies considered that despite the high improvements in fuel emissions, full hybrid cars cost around 18 times for every 3% to 5% increase in fuel efficiency. With this in mind, German car makers are taking the hybrid power train one step at a time.

Advanced Concepts Already in Work

This, however, did not keep the German manufacturers from toying with concept cars such as the 70-mpg full hybrid Golf from Volkswagen, a diesel-electric model. BMW also has not yet released any hybrids for real, though the company has also looked into the concept and has developed a sample gas-electric hybrid edition of the existing X6 SUV.

Porsche, however, takes on a different view. Despite its knowledge of the consequences of using hybrids, the company hopes to maintain its dominance in the industry in case the industry swerves to the hybrid course. Thus, the company hopes that if it goes ahead in the release of hybrid cars, they will do so in quality. The company currently maintains a power train development project for two hybrid concept cars, the Panamera Hybrid and the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid.

Mercedes-Benz, however, had other plans in mind. They are also active in the development of eco-friendly vehicles, but seem to be taking things one step at a time. The company uses a unique modular design for their new vehicles so that hybrid systems can be easily applied at later time. On the side, studies and developments on hybrid cars continue. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a hybrid set for release in the near future, the S400 BlueHYBRID. Mercedes-Benz is showing strong eagerness for the move to the hybrid cars. Here’s a peak under the hood of the S400 BlueHYBRID (courtesy emercedesbenz.com.)

The S 400 HYBRID is the first passenger car model with hybrid drive to be introduced by Mercedes-Benz. Its combination of a further developed V6 petrol engine and a compact hybrid module makes the S 400 HYBRID the world’s most efficient luxury saloon with a petrol engine. In the New European Driving Cycle, the combined fuel consumption is only 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres. This produces the world’s lowest CO2 emissions in this vehicle and output class – just 186 grams per kilometre.

These exemplary figures go hand in hand with outstanding performance potential: the 3.5-litre petrol engine develops 205 kW/279 hp, while the electric motor adds another 15 kW/20 hp and a starting torque of 160 Nm. The combined output is therefore 220 kW/299 hp, with a combined maximum torque of 385 newton metres. Moreover, the new S 400 HYBRID is the first series-production model to be equipped with a particularly powerful lithium-ion battery specifically designed for automotive use. This is another pioneering step by Mercedes-Benz towards the electrification of the automobile. 

Although at first glance, it seems that the German car industry is falling behind of other automakers, such as Japan’s, which has already released the iconic Toyota Prius, the saying “better sure than sorry” seems to apply to Germany’s case. The entire industry seems to be taking precautions but at the same time, actively pursuing hybrid technologies. So whatever direction the automobile industry goes, the German car manufacturers will surely still come out as strong contenders.

The German Diesels

Despite the hesitations to release full hybrid cars, the German car manufacturers saw fit to improve the fuel efficiency of their existing car offers. Volkswagen has introduced its Blue Motion line, a line of cars with ultra low emission and improved efficiency. The cars include the Polo, Passat, Estate wagon and Golf, with more to be announced. The VW Golf was actually named “2009 World Car of the Year” at the recent New York International Auto Show. The Golf features a 1.6L diesel engine with impressive rated mileage of 70 miles per gallon. It emits just 99 grams of CO2 with every kilometer traveled, which beats the specifications of the 2009 Prius hybrid car (104 g/km of CO2). The company has also entered into a collaborative project with Porsche for the production of eco-friendly cars. And don’t forget the 2009 Jetta TDI diesel, which is rated at 41 mpg but is already racking up praises from fans who have exceeded 50 mpg.

VW Gold BlueMotion Diesel Car

VW Jetta TDI Diesel Car

When Toyota and Honda both came out with hybrid cars, the world’s attention was captured. With the release came the speculations that it would only be a matter of time for the other automobile industry giants to follow suit. However, many years after the Toyota Prius was released, people were still waiting for the German hybrids. The first impression was that the German giants were lagging behind, but with new offers in the market from these German giants such as the VW Jetta Wagon and the E320 from Mercedes-Benz that offer excellent mileage and impressive fuel efficiency on diesel, German car manufacturers seemed to say to the world that the costly full hybrid cars are not necessary the best or only solution for the environment.

Taking German Hybrids to Market

Today, while the German car manufacturers are indeed looking more closely into hybrid cars, they are not racing ahead like Chinese and Japanese car manufacturers. Given the careful planning and meticulous studies that the German car makers put into the direction they want to take the industry towards, when the time comes for the hybrids to take over, German car makers such as VW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and many others will be expected to play the game competitively.

Three hybrid cars are lined up for release from German manufacturers, though the release dates are still fuzzy as of press time. The cars are the Audi Q7, the Porsche Cayenne, and the VW Touareg. All cars are still in the development stage and it will be several more years before completion. With reputation and brand name at risk, the German car manufacturers are surely developing ways to ensure their hybrid cars as high in quality as possible. Some companies, such as Daimler as well as BMW have also entered into agreements with companies from Japan and the United States. Even BMW and Mercedes-Benz, two rivals, are now collaborating on concepts for the future hybrid car.

Euro 6 emission standards set for implementation in 2015 will be produce interesting clean cars, including hybrids, coming out of Germany. With quality, performance and reputation on the line, top German car brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Daimler AG, and VW will come to market with full force in due time. The bottom line: the German hybrids will certainly be worth the wait.

Clean Cars Made in Germany: Latest From German Car Manufacturers is a post from: CleanCarTalk

A collection of YouTube videos of smart fortwo cdi cars

Cuong Huynh — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:11:36 +0000

This is a collection of interesting smart fortwo cdi diesel cars on YouTube. New videos will be added as I find them.

E-Mobility Brings Electric Cars to Berlin. (2:33)
Sept 08 -- With e-mobility Berlin, Daimler AG and RWE AG launched the worlds largest joint project for environmentally friendly electric cars.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyYn9qH_Nd0

Very cold start Smart CDI turbodiesel. (2:18)
3 January 2008, -26°c. The car is stop in the yard since 2 days. CDI diesel technologie is so “Smart”!!!

1000 Km in the Smart fortwo CDI. (4:14)
The Smart fortwo needs only 33 liter in 1000 Km. Driving 15000 km a year, the Smart driver only has to visit the pumps 15 times.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VAXWrNojlw

SMART ForTwo CDI -- Auto Video. (1:57)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Wb14jnBYY

200 000 km. (2:29)
Reflecting on the first few years of owning a smart fortwo cdi, just before rolling over 200 000 km. Amazing machine.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MBFdHiQeMQ

A collection of YouTube videos of smart fortwo cdi cars is a post from: CleanCarTalk