GM to develop LPG/CNG powered variants of its cars for India

Expect to see a new LPG / CNG variant of the Chevy U-VA soon...

Car manufacturers are currently grappling with the recent hike in fuel prices in the country, and LPG / CNG variants of existing models is being seen as one solution – even if only a partial one.

The latest carmaker to join the LPG / CNG variant bandwagon is General Motors India (GMI), which may soon be introducing CNG and/or LPG powered variants of the Chevy Spark and U-VA hatchbacks, and the Aveo sedan. GMI already sells a CNG version of the Chevrolet Optra sedan in some cities in the country.

A company spokesperson says that GMI has been working on alternative fuel variants for some time, and the recent hike in fuel prices has only served to speed up that process. However, a launch date for the new variants has not yet been set, since the company is still putting the new variants through an extensive testing process.

First among GMI’s new ‘green’ variants is likely to be an LPG-powered model of the Chevrolet Spark, followed by the U-VA. GMI’s new plant, where the Spark will be produced, is coming up at Talegaon near Pune, and is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

Hyundai to build Hybrid LPG Elantra

An LPG-powered Hyundai Elantra for India, by 2010?

The LPG hybrid Elantra is scheduled to go on sale in Korea in 2009. Now, Hyundai Australia is also said to be considering production of the ‘mild hybrid’ Elantra, which would be fitted with an LPG-powered 1.6-litre engine, and a 15kW electric motor powered by LG Chem lithium-ion batteries.

Australia does not import any LPG and has sufficient domestic supplies and 3,200 LPG filling stations spread throughout the country. The hybrid LPG Hyundai Elantra will be substantially cheaper to run that the petrol version, so the car could quite make sense for the Indian market as well.

The Elantra is considered as a ‘luxury car’ in India and the luxury segment in the country has, till now, not seen any usage of LPG and CNG fuels. Still, with the rising costs of petrol and diesel, maybe some Indian buyers would be ready to covert…

Hyundai has major ambitions of leading the ‘green car’ race. The company is hard at work on developing new hybrid cars and may even start limited production of a fuel-cell powered car by 2012.

LPG-powered Maruti 800 Duo launched

After 25 years, the Maruti 800 is still going strong. The car is now available with a factory-fitted kit that'll allow it to run on LPG

With petrol and diesel becoming more and more expensive, India’s smallest, most inexpensive car – the Maruti 800 – is suddenly relevant all over again. After almost 25 years, the M800 refuses to die – Maruti is giving the car a new lease of life by offering an LPG variant, the Maruti 800 Duo.

Priced at Rs 2.05 lakh (non-AC) and Rs 2.26 lakh (AC), ex-showroom Delhi, the Maruti 800 Duo will be capable of running on LPG and petrol. ‘Dual fuel vehicles have always formed a prominent part of our overall product strategy. Besides, the car is economical to drive and [the LPG kit] being factory fitted, it is completely safe,’ said Mayank Pareek, executive officer, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India.

Till date, MSI has sold almost 125,000 cars that are powered by LPG and CNG fuels. Besides the M800 Duo, the company offers Omni and Wagon R in dual fuel options.

Tata Motors introduces the new Indica V2 Xeta LPG

The Indica V2 Xeta LPG - prices start at Rs 3.27 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi

In a bid to provide some relief to car buyers who’re scared of rising petrol prices, Tata Motors has announced the launch of the Indica V2 Xeta LPG. The new Indica runs on LPG, but can also be run on petrol in case a user runs out of gas and/or if LPG is not available.

Tata Motors claim excellent fuel efficiency for the new Indica variant, and also says that running the car on LPG reduces its CO2 emissions by 10 percent. The engine is Tata’s proven 1.2-litre MPFI unit, but with two ECUs instead of the usual one. This, of course, is to allow the car to run on both petrol and LPG.

In LPG mode, the engine makes 62bhp at 5000rpm, while in petrol mode, power is a bit higher at 65bhp@5000rpm. A torque figure of 102Nm@2600rpm means excellent tractability and pulling power at low speeds, with a full load and with the AC switched on.

The LPG Indica’s engine meets BSIII emission norms, and it can be upgraded to meet Euro IV norms. The car will be available in GLE and GLS versions, with prices ranging between Rs 3.27 lakh to Rs 3.42 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

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Airbus also gets on the alternative fuel/biofuel bandwagon!

Bosch: Flexible injection technology for alternative fuels to help conserve resources

When Mumbai is finally ready to move beyond Premier Padmini taxis, Bosch's fuel management systems for alternative fuels will come in handy!

Bosch has started series production of a number of engine management systems and injection components for alternative fuels. Natural gas, ethanol and synthetic plant-based biodiesel are becoming increasingly important as alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and the components being developed are the key to mobility that conserves resources and is environmentally friendly. With CNG and LPG already widely used in India, Bosch's technology developments in this space could have a very significant impact in the country.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) engines produce 25 per cent less CO2 than comparable gasoline engines and Bosch expects to supply more than 100,000 CNG systems worldwide by 2008. However, while natural gas powered vehicles are becoming more popular across Europe the network of filling stations across the continent is not yet dense enough to support fuelled vehicles using CNG alone. The Bosch NG-Motronic flexible engine management system and natural gas injection valves enable the engine to run on either petrol or CNG, automatically switching between fuels when necessary.

Through running internal combustion engines in a way that conserves resources, biofuels can reduce CO2 emissions even further. A reduction of up to 70 per cent in CO2 emissions has already been achieved using the first-generation biofuels – produced using only the oil-bearing seeds of plants. This impressive figure is predicted to increase to nearer 90 per cent using second-generation biofuels and biogas, which could eventually replace natural gas. In contrast to first-generation, second-generation biofuels are produced by processing the entire plant to make ethanol, synthetic biodiesel or biogas.

In addition to reducing CO2 emissions in new vehicles fitted with appropriately modified technology, the newly developed biofuels can also be used in existing vehicles, with biodiesel being increasingly added to conventional diesel across Europe. Bosch is also working on developing injection systems for use with future biofuels allowing an automotive drivetrain that uses renewable energies as well as the existing infrastructure and technology.

Vehicles in Brazil are already running on biofuels - bioethanol - in the form of E24 (petrol with an ethanol content of 24 per cent) and E100 (pure ethanol). The Flex-Fuel engine management system from Bosch has been developed specifically for this market, to automatically adapt ignition and injection patterns precisely to the fuel mixture being used at any given time.

As low temperatures can degrade the chemical properties of ethanol, Bosch has also developed the Flex-Start system ensuring cold starts and drivability are not impaired. The fuel is warmed in a temperature controlled fuel rail, allowing the Flex-Fuel technology to function effectively in all climatic conditions.