I was browsing the internet the other day when I came across this interesting advertisement by Fiat concerning its new Panda model. Usually these sorts of commercials get unconsciously blocked out but what drew my attention to this particular one was the combination of lower CO2 emissions with lower costs. This concept is referred to in environmental circles as the “Low Hanging Fruit” and is the topic of many bogus green business books often titled “How to Win Big by Going Green” or “Guaranteed Financial Success with the Environment”. Having said that I don’t believe this concept is bogus, just because it is used a little over exuberantly in some books. Win-Win opportunities are always out there for those of us who are smart or fortunate enough to spot them.
As the advert perked my interest I decided to take a closer look at the technical statistics of the Panda to see if there claims are legitimate or are another example of corporate green washing. Fiat has indeed been busy and has revealed numerous Panda concepts aimed at reducing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency. I try not to take too much notice regarding concept models unless they’re truly groundbreaking, after all its the road models that will be the ones making the difference. The Active Eco and Dynamic Eco models of the Panda were released in 2009 featuring engines that offer CO2 emissions as low as 119grams per km meaning they’ll qualify for the low £35 road tax band.
This development by Fiat highlights the potential role for Advanced Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles can play as a transition technology. ICE has been almost criminalised in the recent past as a dirty technology that is damaging our environment and our health. Few people nowadays acknowledge the role ICE has played in enhancing our society and powering our economic advancement. The technology itself is perhaps one of the greatest feats of human engineering and innovation. After 100 years of progress you might be surprised to hear that there are still improvements that can be made with ICE. Over the last few decades efficiency gains in the technology have been eaten up by more powerful performance, increased vehicle weight and more onboard gadgets. Automotive manufacturers are now turning their intellect towards steering the ICE towards providing more distance travelled per metric of fuel. Engine innovations such as turbo charging and fuel injection mean there is plenty of improvement that can still be attained.
Five years ago industry experts were singing to the heavens about the potential of hydrogen not only to fuel our vehicles but to energize our entire economies in the future. Today the electric powertrain is being declared the saviour to our personal automotive problems. We seem to have forgotten the role that advanced ICE has to play over the coming decade, not only in its combination with hybrid technologies, but as a standalone option for increasing to fuel efficiency of our vehicles. There is even potential to retrofit some of these innovations onto our current vehicle stock to make a difference now. Auto manufacturers would do well not to place all their eggs in the electric basket. No doubt electric vehicles are likely (as it stands) to play a big part in decarbonising personal transport in the next 25 years. Perhaps the most cost effective option for the next generation personal vehicles will be to combine advanced ICE with some of the more market ready innovations (such as mild hybrids, aerodynamic improvements, low-rolling tyres and low-weight materials) to make a marked difference now whilst we weight for battery technology to decrease in price, the electric infrastructure to be built and for electricity generation to be further decarbonised.
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