Green Signs at North American International Auto Show

Green Signs at North American International Auto Show



January 2008  - Clean and green is the buzz at 
this year's North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall with major 
automakers showing their latest greener concept cars, comparisons of fuel 
economy for flex-fuel cars, and the announcement that the American Le Mans 
Series is going an extra green mile on the racing circuit. 
But not everyone is sold. "The green theme at this year's North American 
International Auto Show is window dressing," said Jodie Van Horn of the 
nonprofit Rainforest Action Network. "The environmental rhetoric coming 
out of the last two years of 'eco' auto shows does not reflect true 
vehicle production. The industry's goal has been to fool consumers into 
believing that automakers are producing eco-conscious cars. Nothing could 
be further from the truth." 
The show is open to media and to the industry this week, and members of 
the public will be welcome to judge for themselves starting Saturday 
through January 27. 
Honda is showing the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, which debuted in 
November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The FCX Clarity will be available 
by lease to a limited number of retail consumers in Southern California 
with the first deliveries taking place in summer 2008. 

The FCX Clarity is a zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle 
powered by the new Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. The uses a new compact 
and efficient lithium ion battery pack and a single hydrogen storage tank 
to power the vehicle's electric drive motor. 
Compared to the current-generation FCX, the Clarity features a 20-percent 
increase in fuel economy, a 30-percent increase in vehicle range to 270 
miles; and a 45-percent reduction in the size of the fuel cell powertrain 
- nearly equivalent, in terms of volume, to a modern gas-electric hybrid 
powertrain. 
The FCX Clarity's only emission is water. Carbon dioxide, CO2, emissions 
come only from the production of hydrogen, which varies by source. The 
company says, "Well-to-wheel CO2 emissions using hydrogen reformed from 
natural gas - the most widely used method of production today - are less 
than half that of a conventional gasoline vehicle." With the production of 
hydrogen from water by electrolysis, CO2 emissions can be further reduced 
and ultimately approach zero if the electricity used for electrolysis is 
generated using solar, wind, water or nuclear power. 
"The FCX Clarity is a shining symbol of the progress we've made with fuel 
cell vehicles and of our belief in the promise of this technology," said 
Tetsuo Iwamura, American Honda president and CEO. "Step by step, with 
continuous effort, commitment and focus, we are working to overcome 
obstacles to the mass-market potential of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel 
cell automobiles." 
At a media reception Sunday, Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor 
Corporation, announced the company's new environmental agenda, including a 
new clean diesel V8 engine in both the Tundra and Sequoia "in the near 
future." 

Toyota has attracted environmentally conscious buyers for its hydrid 
Prius, but has also attracted negative attention for these larger, more 
polluting models. 
By 2010, Toyota plans to deliver a global fleet of plug-in hybrid electric 
vehicles, powered by lithium-ion batteries, with many coming to the United 
States, Watanabe said.. 
Toyota has started the planning phase to expand its Panasonic 
joint-venture battery factory with an assembly line to build lithium 
batteries for automotive applications, he said. 
At next year's show, Watanabe said Toyota will stage the world premieres 
of two all-new, dedicated hybrids, one for Toyota and one for Lexus. 
"These two introductions will move us closer to our goal of selling a 
million hybrids per year in the next decade," he said. 
Fueling Breakthroughs 
General Motors caused a stir by announcing a partnership with Coskata Inc. 
to use the Illinois company’s technology that makes ethanol from 
practically any renewable source, including garbage, old tires and plant 
waste. 
The Coskata process uses patented microorganisms and bioreactor designs to 
produce ethanol for less than $1 a gallon, about half of today’s cost of 
producing gasoline. 
"We are very excited about what this breakthrough will mean to the 
viability of biofuels and, more importantly, to our ability to reduce 
dependence on petroleum," GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said. 
Coskata’s process uses less than a gallon of water to make a gallon of 
ethanol compared to three gallons or more for other processes and 
addresses the issues most often raised about grain-based ethanol 
production. According to Argonne National Laboratory, which analyzed 
Coskata’s process, for every unit of energy used, it generates up to 7.7 
times that amount of energy, and it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up 
to 84 percent compared with a "well-to-wheel" analysis of gasoline. 
GM's new partnership with the company that makes the Segway two-wheeled 
personal transporters shows up in the Saturn Flextreme electric concept 
car that integrates an onboard storage and charging system for two 
Segways. Drivers can park in a convenient location and unload a Segway to 
get to their ultimate destination. 

These Segways have retractable handlebars that allow for more compact 
storage, and the car's cargo area has ramps for loading and unloading. 
Inside the cargo space the Segways attach to a docking station where they 
recharge while the Flextreme batteries charge. 
"Saturn has a legacy of environmental responsibility, so products like 
this Flextreme concept with its integrated Segway PTs showcase our 
continued pursuit of consumer-focused, green technologies," said Jill 
Lajdziak, Saturn's general manager. 
General Motors is aiming for a driving range of 444 miles on a single 
charge from the Saturn Flextreme, and the company wants this hybrid to go 
into production by 2010-2011.
Other GM introductions include the HUMMER HX concept, an E85-capable 
vehicle and a bioethanol concept by Saab. 
Cadillac features the 2009 Escalade Hybrid, the world’s first fuel-saving 
hybrid applied to a large luxury SUV that is supposed to deliver more than 
a 50-percent improvement in fuel economy in city driving 
Fisker Automotive is not a household name - yet - but may become one when 
drivers see the company's first production car, a green American premium 
sports car, the Fisker Karma, at the North American International Auto 
Show. The first of its kind four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan 
will have a starting price of $80,000. 
"In creating Fisker Automotive, Inc. we sought to develop a range of 
beautiful, environmentally friendly cars that make environmental sense 
without compromise," said Fisker Automotive CEO Henrik Fisker. "Our hope 
is that the Fisker Karma will be the start of a new trend in the 
automotive business - less concession with more efficiency." 
Initial deliveries of the Karma will begin in the 4th quarter of 2009 with 
annual production projected to reach 15,000 cars. The first 99 cars off 
the assembly line will be individually numbered and signed by Henrik 
Fisker. 
The Fisker Karma will offer partly self-contained climate control, as 
buyers can purchase a full length solar roof that will help charge the car 
and provide cooling for the interior cabin while the car is parked. A set 
of optional solar panels can be fitted to roofs or garages where they can 
generate electricity during the day to charge the car overnight. 
Land Rover raised the curtain on its vision of the future Monday at the 
show with the world debut of the LRX hybrid concept. The LRX is conceived 
as being powered by a 2.0-liter, turbodiesel engine, capable of running on 
bio-diesel. In combination with other Land Rover technologies, this 
powertrain could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent compared 
with other SUVs of comparable size, as well as reduce emissions. 
Interior Innovations 
Ford says its cars are getting greener even though improvements may be 
visible to consumers. Ford is launching soy foam technology in the seat 
cushions and seat backs of the 2008 Mustang and developing a sustainable 
bio-based replacement for the fiberglass now used between the headliner of 
a vehicle and the roof sheet metal. 
Cushions of "green" polyurethane BioFoam made from plant oils, not 
petroleum, are being offered at the show by the Woodbridge Group, a 
Canadian company with 63 facilities operating in 21 countries. 
Woodbridge seat cushions, seat fabric composites, head restraints, arm 
rests, occupant protection components, trim cover laminates and overhead 
systems come from Cargill's engineered plant oil Polyol. 

Cargill's life cycle analysis of Polyol shows this technology reduces 
global warming emissions by 36 percent, non-renewable energy use by 61 
percent, and reduces total energy demand. Several vehicles launching in 
2008 will feature BioFoam products such as the 2009 Ford Escape. 
Johnson Controls is showcasing the Ecobond headliner that uses soy-based 
adhesives, a soy-based urethane core foam, and natural fibers - reducing 
the need for non-renewable resources. Soy-based polyols are blended with 
petroleum polyols to create a foam core. 
Natural materials, including hemp, flax and knaf, replace the fiberglass 
that is traditionally used in headliner production. 
Byron Foster, who leads the North American interiors business of Johnson 
Controls, says, "The Ecobond headliner is made from natural fibers instead 
of glass, making the final product a lightweight, bio-based product, which 
can help increase fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions, and is easier 
to recycle at the end of the vehicle's useful life." 
Le Mans Greens the Race 
The American Le Mans Series wants to make its name as motorsports' global 
leader in alternative fuels. In pursuit of this goal, the racing group is 
partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department 
of Energy and SAE International to incorporate "green racing" principles 
into its 2008 racing season. 
The first motorsports series to meet the criteria for green racing being 
developed by these groups, the American Le Mans Series announced the 
creation of a first-ever, Series-wide Green Racing Challenge. 
This competition will encourage manufacturers to introduce and develop 
their green technologies and will be an incremental element of the Series' 
signature event - the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans race to be held October 4 
at Road Atlanta. 
Protocols and criteria for the Green Racing Challenge award will be 
announced later this spring. 

"The auto manufacturers competing in the American Le Mans Series have made 
it very clear that this is a direction and an overall initiative that is 
important to them," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the Series. 
"The opportunity to formally align with the Environmental Protection 
Agency, Department of Energy and SAE International makes our platform very 
special and unique - to auto manufacturers and ultimately to consumers. 
The Series has more automobile manufacturers competing head-to-head than 
any other series in the world. All race cars in the Series compete on 
alternative fuels. 
Auto marques that currently participate in the American Le Mans Series 
include Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda, 
Panoz, Porsche and Saleen. 
For the last two seasons, Audi has competed with a clean diesel powered 
race car. Last year, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and 
fuel supplier VP Racing Fuels introduced E10 - 10 percent ethanol, 90 
percent gasoline - the same blend that most consumers are able to buy at 
their local service station. 
This season, the Series in conjunction with EPIC will introduce E85 - 85 
percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline - as one of its fuel options. 
American Le Mans Series rules also support the introduction of an electric 
hybrid race car and encourage manufacturers to develop new technologies 
through racing that can be applied to improve the automobiles being built 
for consumers. 
"Since its inception, Corvette has always been a platform for Chevrolet 
and GM to introduce and develop new technology," Chevrolet general manager 
Ed Peper said during today's announcement at the North American 
International Auto Show. 
"Like the Corvette Z06 E85 concept car that will pace the 2008 
Indianapolis 500, the use of E85 ethanol fuel by America's premier 
production sports car racing team in a high-profile, high-tech racing 
series like the American Le Mans Series shows that Chevy is continuing to 
lead by example. 

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