Industry News
News for 12th September 2007
MINI Clubman to lift production to new record at Oxford
The start of production of the new MINI Clubman was welcomed by Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Minister for Competitiveness, yesterday. Following a £200 million investment by BMW Group between 2005 and 2007 in its MINI ‘production triangle’ linking the vehicle assembly plant in Oxford, the pressings plant in Swindon and the engine plant in Hams Hall, production capacity is on target to exceed 200,000 vehicles this year and 240,000 in the medium term.
The start of production of the new MINI Clubman was welcomed by Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Minister for Competitiveness, yesterday. Following a £200 million investment by BMW Group between 2005 and 2007 in its MINI ‘production triangle’ linking the vehicle assembly plant in Oxford, the pressings plant in Swindon and the engine plant in Hams Hall, production capacity is on target to exceed 200,000 vehicles this year and 240,000 in the medium term.
The Rt Hon Stephen Timms, MP was at BMW Group’s Oxford plant for the start of production of the new MINI Clubman, along with MD Oliver Zipse and guests from UK industry.
As production levels have risen, 200 new jobs have been created at Oxford and 250 at the Hams Hall engine plant in the past 12 months.
Around 4,000 people across the UK have registered their interest in the MINI Clubman since the first details of the estate version were released.
The Oxford plant received more than £100 million to expand production capacity from the previous record level of 200,000 vehicles in 2005, Plant Swindon received £60 million for MINI body pressings and sub-assembly technologies and Hams Hall nearly £30 million to build a new, advanced family of petrol engines specially for MINI and previously sourced from Brazil.
The Rt Hon Stephen Timms, MP, Minister of State for Competitiveness, said: "Today's launch is a shining example of modern British manufacturing. I am sure the new Clubman will be a great hit. The continuing success of MINI and BMW just goes to show that the UK continues to be a world leader in automotive manufacturing. This is down to our highly-skilled, highly flexible workforce and the excellence of our design engineering base."
Annual production of engines at Hams Hall will rise to over 350,000 engines this year, largely as a result of the additional MINI engines being produced alongside the existing four-cylinder petrol engines supplied for BMW models.
Sixty per cent of MINI parts are now being sourced from UK-based suppliers compared to 40% in previous models.
Launched by BMW Group in 2001, more than 1 million MINIs have so far been produced and sold with 75 per cent of production being exported to more than 70 markets worldwide.
MINI dealers have invested close to £40 million in the last two years in expanding or moving premises.
Daf increases Leyland plant’s production
As expected, Daf has hiked truck production rates for the second time in recent months at its Leyland plant, reported yesterday’s CV Newsbrief newsletter from the SMMT. The rate is now up nearly 20% to 89 trucks a day, comprising two, three and four axle models ranging from 7.5 tonne rigids to 44 tonne tractor units.
"We're doing this on the back of outstanding teamwork," said Jim Sumner, production director at Leyland Trucks. "We believe we're the most efficient truck plant in Europe, with an hours-per-truck figure that few can touch, even on a world scale."
Land Rover MD forecasts over 200,000 sales in 2007
Speaking at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover’s managing director Phil Popham said his week the business was in "excellent shape" with sales continuing to grow and profits “never better”. He forecast sales of over 200,000 for this year, with 30,000 cars being sold in countries where Land Rover sold none five years ago.
Mr Popham confirmed that from early 2009, a stop-start system will be fitted as standard to all Freelander 2 TD4 manual vehicles, which will help to cut CO2 emissions by over 7% from 194 g/km to 179 g/km. This equates to a fuel economy improvement in a combined cycle (NEDC) from 37.7 mpg (7.5/100 km) to 41.5 mpg (6.8/100 km). In the UK, this means the vehicle moves down from VED Band F to Band E.
Land Rover also provided journalists attending the show a preview of its future design and technology direction in the form of a short animated film.
Toyota soon to complete £40m Burnaston plant refurbishment
Toyota is close to completing a £40 million refurbishment of its assembly plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire which was opened almost 15 years ago. Tetsuo Agata, head of Toyota’s European manufacturing operations, said this week, “We are very happy with Burnaston and in the 15 years it has been in operation we have seen many UK people move into top positions within Toyota in Europe.”
Mr. Agata said Toyota did not feel pressured into building more production facilities in cheaper European markets: “They may be cheaper today, but wage rates will rise more quickly in the future until they match those of western Europe. Toyota has made a commitment to the UK and, as with our operations all around the world, we will honour that commitment. It is the company’s policy to build where it sells its vehicles – to pursue the market.”
Mr. Agata added: “The UK factory is now almost as efficient as our plants in Japan.”
Burnaston currently produces 285,000 Auris hatchbacks, Corolla saloons and Avensis annually. The refurbishment work has centred on improvements to the welding, paint and production lines to improve efficiency and quality.
Ricardo forms Defence Systems & Technologies unit
Ricardo yesterday announced the formation of a new Defence Systems & Technologies strategic business unit at a press conference at the Defence Systems & Equipment International Exhibition in London.
This new strategic business unit will be focused on the facilities and expertise of the Ricardo Special Vehicles group, which already has a reputation in military vehicle design and construction. The new unit will source technologies developed throughout the Ricardo group - in areas such as combustion systems, hybrid and electric vehicle powertrains, NVH control, transmission and driveline systems, active safety and control & electronics.
Frankfurt highlights: GM Flextreme diesel hybrid MPV concept
GM’s MPV-style Flextreme show car showcases a development of GM’s ‘E-Flex’ architecture first previewed on the Chevrolet Volt Concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The Flextreme uses the same electric hybrid drive system seen on the Volt, but coupled to a 1.3-litre turbo diesel engine based on the CDTi found in the Corsa and Astra rather than the Volt’s petrol power unit. Using an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery, the Flextreme is capable of a range of up to 55km on electric power alone.
In the series hybrid powertrain the diesel engine is not connected to the wheels. Instead, it charges the batteries when they are empty and no plug-in facility is available.
The Flextreme’s monocab body features lightweight polycarbon panels, optimal aerodynamics and reduced weight alloy wheels. It also features new loading systems including apatented Flexload luggage compartment which allows access through a pair of butterfly-style rear tailgate doors which swing open upwards along the car’s central axis, making the tailgate accessible not just from the rear, but from the side of the vehicle where space is tight. The Flextreme’s other innovation is its Flexload doors. While the front doors open in the conventional fashion, the back ones are hinged at the rear, while there is no central B-Pillar.
Frankfurt highlights: Mercedes shows 19 new models and promises B Class FCV by 2010
At the 2007 IAA International Motor Show Mercedes Benz is displaying 19 new models, among them seven hybrids from five different model series, and an F 700 research vehicle equipped with Mercedes’ ‘DIESOTTO’ homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. Mercedes-Benz is also displaying a number of new series-production models for featuring the BLUETEC diesel emissions control system launched in the United States in 2006, and a modular drive concept, “BLUETEC HYBRID”.
All six BLUETEC models shown in Frankfurt have the potential to meet the European EU6 and the American BIN5 standards, and will be available in Europe from December this year and into 2008. Frankfurt also marks the debut of a Mercedes-Benz B Class passenger car with fuel-cell drive, which DaimlerChrysler says will go into production in 2010.
The F 700 research vehicle features a DIESOTTO engine with a turbocharger that enables the 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit to deliver a rated output of 238 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm; but when coupled with a 20 hp hybrid module the DIESOTTO hybrid drive develops a combined maximum output of 258 hp – yet the F 700 achieves 53.3 mpg. The CO2 emissions of the F 700 – just 127 g/km – equal those of today’s diesel-powered compact models, “making the F 700 a luxury model with the lowest petrol consumption of any saloon in the history of the car,” according to Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG with responsibility for Group Research and Mercedes Car Group Development. The F 700 accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds.
The first 100 smart fortwo equipped with “electric drive” are currently being tested in a pilot scheme in London. The battery-electric derivate has a 41 hp permanent magnet (PM) electric motor, which delivers a maximum torque of 140 Nm right from the moment the engine starts up and a range of up to 71 miles. From next month, the first of three different hybrid solutions exhibited by the Mercedes Car Group at the IAA in Frankfurt will be present in the smart mhd – or “micro hybrid drive”. With this technology, the fuel consumption of the three-cylinder petrol engine, which still develops an output of 71 hp and a maximum torque of 92 Nm, drops from 60.1 mpg to 65.7 mpg, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 103 g/km.
At the IAA smart is also showing a further developed diesel version of the fortwo, the smart cdi mhd, with start-stop technology, offering 97.4 mpg, and 78 g/km CO2 emissions. The smart fortwo cdi mhd features a closed-trap diesel particulate filter, which beats EU5 limit values.
In 2009 Mercedes will launch an ML 450 HYBRID SUV and a petrol-electric hybrid S 400 HYBRID saloon.
A year later in the summer of 2010, Mercedes-Benz will launch the first series-production car with a local zero-emission fuel-cell drive. The small-scale series production of the B-Class F-Cell will begin in early 2010. Its power unit will be the fuel-cell stack which Mercedes-Benz introduced in the F 600 HYGENIUS research vehicle in 2005, but redesigned to be around 40 per cent smaller and producing 30 per cent more power, while using 16 per cent less fuel. Starting under cold conditions has also been improved with the help of innovations such as an electric turbocharger to control the air supply and a new ventilation and dehumidification system.
The B-Class F-Cell electric engine develops 136 hp and a maximum torque of 320 Nm. The consumption of the fuel-cell engine in the car corresponds to 97.4 mpg (diesel equivalent).
- The Johnson Controls-Saft battery joint venture has been selected to supply lithium-ion batteries for the Mercedes S 400 HYBRID, from Saft's site in Nersac, France, where the production line will be operational by 2008. Mercedes’ Dr Thomas Weber itself holds several patents for lithium-ion battery technology.
Biofuels: OECD paper queries whether "cure is worse than disease"
A paper by Richard Doornbosch and Ronald Steenblik submitted as background for a two-day round table discussion at the OECD in Paris yesterday and today suggests that the rush to energy crops threatens to cause food shortages and damage to biodiversity with limited benefits.
The following item presents unedited excerpts from the paper:
Global production of biofuels in 2005 amounted to roughly 1% of total road transport fuel consumption. Technically, up to 11% of total demand for liquid fuels in the transport sector, has been judged possible to obtain from ethanol and biodiesel by 2050. The authors say an expansion on this scale could not be achieved, however, without significant impacts on the wider global economy. In theory there might be enough land available around the globe to feed an ever increasing world population and produce sufficient biomass feedstock simultaneously, but it is more likely that land-use constraints will limit the amount of new land that can be brought into production leading to a “food-versus-fuel” debate.
Moreover, land use will be driven by the net private benefit owners can derive from their land. Any diversion of land from food or feed production to production of energy biomass will influence food prices from the start, as both compete for the same inputs. The effects on farm commodity prices can already be seen today. The rapid growth of the biofuels industry is likely to keep these prices high and rising throughout at least the next decade (OECD/FAO, 2007).
The growth of the biofuels industry is also likely to place pressure on the environment and biodiversity. Biomass feedstocks can be most efficiently produced in tropical regions, where suitable and available land is mostly concentrated, and annual yields are highest. However, as long as environmental values are not adequately priced in the market there will be powerful incentives to replace natural ecosystems such as forests, wetlands and pasture land with dedicated bio-energy crops, thus harming the environmental credentials of biofuels.
Even without taking into account carbon emissions through land-use change, among current technologies only sugarcane-to-ethanol in Brazil, ethanol produced as a by-product of cellulose production (as in Sweden and Switzerland), and manufacture of biodiesel from animal fats and used cooking oil, can substantially reduce GHG compared with gasoline and mineral diesel.
The other conventional biofuel technologies typically deliver GHG reductions of less than 40% compared with their fossil-fuel alternatives. When such impacts as soil acidification, fertilizer use, biodiversity loss and toxicity of agricultural pesticides are taken into account, the overall environmental impacts of ethanol and biodiesel can very easily exceed those of petrol and mineral diesel.
In only a very few countries do biofuels have the potential to make a significant dent in dependence on imported oils. The amount of fossil fuels that can be displaced by domestic production of biofuels will be small in the great majority of countries. What’s more, an augmented biofuels market will tend to increase the positive relation between oil prices and biofuel costs. Higher oil prices will both raise the production cost of biofuels (as fossil fuels are an important input in the production process) and exert upward pressure on agricultural commodity prices as a result of the increased demand for them.
This limits the possibility for biofuels to reduce transport fuel prices. The conclusion must be that the potential of the current technologies of choice — ethanol and biodiesel — to deliver a major contribution to the energy demands of the transport sector without compromising food prices and the environment is very limited. Second-generation technologies hold promise but depend on technological breakthroughs.
The OECD authors observe that regulations mandating usage or blending percentages and fuel-tax preferences to stimulate production are used by many countries. In most cases these policy measures do not distinguish among biofuels according to their feedstocks or production methods, despite wide differences in environmental costs and benefits. This implies that governments could end up supporting a fuel that is more expensive and has a higher negative environmental impact than its corresponding petroleum product.
Neither should current biofuel support policies be championed for their supposed capacity to
reduce GHGs or improve energy security. The cost of obtaining a unit of CO2-equivalent reduction through subsidies to biofuels is extremely high, well over $500 per tonne of CO2-equivalent avoided for corn-based ethanol in the United States, for example, with other researched countries not performing much better. The score is also not very favourable in terms of displacing fossil fuels. In most cases the use of biofuels roughly doubles the cost of transportation energy for consumers and taxpayers together.
(www.oecd.org)
- UK coach operator National Express is reported by Ethical Corporation magazine (September 2007) to have suspended a trial of biofuels on grounds reflecting the self-same issues raised by the OECD.
Frankfurt highlights: Honda presents Accord Tourer concept and improved diesel
The Accord Tourer Concept on show at Frankfurt, longer, wider and lower than the current model, gives an indication of the design direction for the next generation Accord – on sale in the UK from mid-2008. The new Accord will be powered by a range of entirely Euro 5-compliant engines - two petrol engines of 2.0 and 2.4-litre capacities and a 2.2-litre diesel engine mirror those in the current Accord range, but power output will be boosted and emissions and fuel economy “significantly” improved. Production versions of the new Accord will debut in Saloon and Tourer forms at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
Also making its Motor Show debut is Honda’s next generation clean diesel engine - the i-DTEC. Phase one of Honda’s development programme for the i-DTEC engine – which uses world-first technology to reduce emissions to a level equal to that of a petrol engine - has already been achieved. The engine, which will make its debut appearance in the new Accord range, is shown on the stand at Frankfurt.
Using a combination of the latest injection technology, more efficient exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel particulate filter, the 2.2-litre engine exceeds Euro 5 requirements, while both power and torque levels have been increased and fuel economy improved compared to the current 140 PS engine.
Frankfurt highlights: BMW unveils Concept X6 hybrid
The IAA Frankfurt marks the unveiling of the BMW Concept X6 ‘Sports Activity Coupé’ with ActiveHybrid technology and the global debuts of the new 1 Series Coupé and revised 6 Series, led by the all new 635d.
Working alongside Global Hybrid Cooperation partners General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, the BMW ActiveHybrid combines two compact, high-performance electric motors connected to one another by three planetary gear sets, a fixed-transmission ratio gearbox and a high-performance battery to deliver benefits over low and high speed ranges. The result is a reduction in fuel consumption by up to 20% compared with a comparable BMW running on a combustion engine alone.
The two-mode active transmission is based on an ECVT (Electrical Continuously Variable Transmission). The two operating modes, optimised for low and high speeds, are supplemented by fixed transmission ratios. The two power-split ECVT sections allow the drivetrain to run at continuously variable speeds and ensure full, highly-efficient hybrid functions throughout the entire operating range of the car.
The BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid can be driven on electric power only, on the combustion engine alone, or with a combination of both power units. Depending on driving conditions, the electric motors can also be used for both accelerating and regenerative braking. When the driver needs all available performance to accelerate, one of the two electric motors acts as a generator, converting some of the engine’s power into electrical current that is subsequently fed to the battery or the second electric motor. The second electric motor then converts the power coming from the first electric motor or from the battery back into mechanical power for the output drive shaft on the transmission.
The Concept X6 is the first car to be fitted with Dynamic Performance Control, which linked to BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive system, spreads drive forces as required in all situations, feeding a varying degree of power when required to the two wheels at the rear. BMW says Dynamic Performance Control is the only system of its kind in the world able to provide its stabilising effect both under power and with the engine on overrun.
The new BMW 1 Series Coupé makes its world debut at the IAA Frankfurt before going on sale in the UK in November and will be available in 120d, 123d and 135i guises. The 3.0 litre 135i marks the first time a twin-turbo petrol engine has powered a 1 Series, while the 123d heralds the introduction of the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder diesel engine. The 1,995cc unit is the world’s first all-aluminium diesel to have an output-per-litre figure in excess of 100hp, and the first four-cylinder production diesel with twin-turbo technology.
Peak torque is 400Nm from 2,000rpm, while the engine revs to in excess of 4,400rpm where peak power is attained. This performance equates to a zero to 62mph time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 148mph. For comparison, BMW says the output of the four-cylinder BMW 123d betters that of established six-cylinder diesel engines from both Audi and Mercedes. Its 138g/km emissions figure puts it in the Band C Vehicle Excise Duty tier while the fuel consumption figure on the combined cycle is 54.3mpg.
Elements from BMW’s EfficientDynamics programme in the car include Auto Start-Stop technology, Brake Energy Regeneration, third-generation common-rail fuel injection, a diesel particulate filter, active aerodynamics, electric power steering and low rolling resistance tyres.
The 635d shown at the IAA marks the first diesel option in BMW's 6 Series to date.
Frankfurt highlights: Toyota unveils iQ shorter-than-Aygo city car concept
The Toyota iQ concept, unveiled this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show is said to mark a step change in small car design. It was created at ED2, Toyota’s European design studio in the South of France. Two centimetres shy of 3m in length, the iQ concept can accommodate three adults, plus luggage space or seating for a fourth, child passenger, making it the world’s smallest four-seat passenger concept car. At 2,980mm long, it is 425mm shorter than Toyota’s Aygo, but comparable to the Yaris in width and height (1,680 x 1,480mm). In regular use, driver and passenger sit side by side, but sliding the passenger seat further forward makes room for an extra adult and child in the rear.
Frankfurt highlights: VW shows Up! rear-engined city car
VW’s Up! rear-engined four-seater city car shown at Frankfurt is said by media to point the way to a new entry-level model which may replace the Brazil-built Fox within three years’ time, though VW has yet to publish details of the car. VW is also using Frankfurt to publicise the extension of its BlueMotion low fuel consumption/emissions sub-brand.
Global Insight sees confusion in polarised 2007 Frankfurt show exhibits
Global Insight’s automotive analyst Paul Newton wrote yesterday to newsletter subscribers, “The Frankfurt Motor Show this year more than ever is a fantastic showcase for the cutting-edge technologies the industry can offer and is working on for the future, but also appears to highlight the crisis of confidence that the industry is facing. The industry is caught in the struggle to supply vehicles that consumers want, trying to support a profitable business, whilst managing the glare of the environmental spotlight, which appears permanently fixed on personal transport as the root cause of man-made C02.”
“Perhaps, he went on, “that glare merely reflects the growing disparity in the world and disparity appears to be a theme that runs through much of the offerings at Frankfurt. VW on the one hand is launching a rear-engined, low-cost city car, and a 572 bhp estate in the Audi RS6 on the other—although the press talk is of hybrids and clean diesel for Audi. BMW touts low CO2 emissions from a large number of its models, whilst launching the X6, another SUV aimed squarely at the wealthy elite, although the hybrid drive concept version will be available by 2009, probably at a substantial cost. Mercedes will espouse the credentials of its advanced Bluetec range, new hybrid drive systems, yet has unveiled the C63 AMG estate.
“These models will not only serve to polarise opinion, but also highlight and reflect the increasingly polarised world in which the auto industry operates in. For all the talk and attention on CO2, fuel economy and general environmental concern, there are plenty of new extravagant, extremely powerful machines on display for those rich enough to be able to afford extensive carbon offsetting schemes.
"Whilst the 62nd IAA is attempting to paint an environmentally aware and improving industry, with the theme "see what's driving the future", disparity and confusion appears to be the message to be drawn here. A message that, sadly, will not be lost on European legislators either.”
EC clears AA and SAGA acquisition by CVC, Charterhouse and Permira
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed take-over of the AA and Saga by CVC, Charterhouse and Permira; of the three, only Charterhouse is not registered in the Channel Islands.
The Commission has concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition; there is overlap between the AA and Saga for the provision of breakdown services in the UK, but given the very modest presence of Saga in the market for breakdown services, the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not risk impeding effective competition.
U.S. auto industry associations launch AutoChoice.org website to provide vehicle registration data by Congressional district
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (representing GM, Ford and Chrysler) and the National Automobile Dealers Association today launched a new website aimed at informing Congress about the types of vehicles consumers in their states and districts are purchasing, in an effort to persuade politicians against treating ‘light trucks’ and cars as a single type in forthcoming CAFE fuel economy legislation.
Using 2006 sales figures from R.L. Polk & Co., the website, www.AutoChoice.org allows users to view new vehicle registrations by Congressional District using their zip code.
"The data shows that consumers demand a wide range of vehicle types," said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "In 70% of Congressional Districts consumers purchased more light trucks than passenger cars."
Minivans, Vans, SUVs and Pickups are considered light trucks by the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration.
Of the 16.4 million new vehicle registrations in 2006, 8.6 million were light trucks. SUVs were the most popular light trucks with more than 4.6 million new registrations, followed by pickups with 2.8 million and minivans and vans with nearly 1 million and 275,000 respectively. Additionally, 7.7 million new passenger cars were registered in 2006.
"Continuing to meet the vehicle needs of recreation enthusiasts and American family vacations is a paramount concern of automakers. Pick-ups, SUVs and crossover vehicles are instrumental in meeting those needs," added McCurdy. "One of the key elements of the Hill-Terry bill (H.R. 2927) is that it maintains the longstanding distinction between cars and light trucks. That difference ensures that as fuel economy increases, the full range of vehicles Americans want will continue to be available. That is good for consumers, but it is also good for the environment, because it means people will continue to buy newer, more fuel efficient vehicles, instead of holding on to their older pickups and SUVs longer."
The Senate energy bill and H.R. 1506 would eliminate the distinction between the car and light truck fleets. According to the lobbying associations, the attributes American consumers need in light trucks, including towing ability, cargo capacity and engine power, are the very features that make it impossible to consider (and regulate) light trucks in the same category as passenger cars.
Johnson Controls showcases two new interior surface technologies at Frankfurt
Johnson Controls is exhibiting at the Frankfurt IAA show two alternative ways of creating surfaces that would improve vehicle interior components' scratch resistance and matte appearance: PP Thin Film and the 'RIM alpha process'.
The PP Thin Film method consists of a composite foil comprising multiple, primarily polypropylene (PP) layers in a direct mould-behind process. Unlike enamel-painted surface parts, these films are highly scratch-resistant. As the degree of glossiness can be varied, they also can be adapted to match the finish of adjacent parts.
In its RIM alpha surface technology, Johnson Controls has introduced advances in materials processing to achieve cost-reductions. Unlike previous methods, only a one-step process is now required, reducing the processing time by about half. It also enables the production team to monitor wall thickness and reduce material consumption in the process.
