The future’s bright, the future’s green
With nearly every manufacturer flouting its newest green model, what does the future of green motoring look like? Colene McKessick takes a look at some concepts which could become a reality
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THOUGH they may seem the norm now, if you had mentioned a low emissions, high mpg car just a few decades ago, the motoring community would have laughed in your face.
But with environmental friendliness at the top of many manufacturers’ agendas now, what could we be driving in the years to come?
This year alone has seen some wacky concept vehicles displayed at motor shows. While some appear odd and alien, others may have the potential to become the next must-have model.
CITROEN C-CACTUS
The C-Cactus represents a new approach to eco-friendly design. The radical vehicle, with its emphasis on environmental technology, significantly reduces the number of components, leading to a reduction in weight, cost and impact on the environment.
Removing features that are non-essential to the running of the car or the comfort and safety of the occupants – even doing away with the dashboard – has resulted in an interior comprising about half the parts of a similarly sized conventional car.
The stainless-steel door panels are made from just two parts, compared with 12 in a conventional car, and many components are made from recycled materials. The Cactus is built on the Citroen C4 platform.
The project will consider a range of powerplants, including a one-litre sub-100g/km CO petrol; a HYmotion2 diesel–electric hybrid returning nearly 100mpg and CO emissions of just 78g/km, and a 100% electric model, similar to the version which was on display at the Paris Motor Show, which offers zero emissions together with a top speed of almost 70mph and a range of nearly 100 miles.
The C-Cactus has been around for a few months now, but the recyclable hybrid model can still be seen doing the rounds at motor shows.
The eco-message is likely to stay pertinent for some time, and even if the Cactus’s crazy styling isn’t likely to see production any time soon, the recyclable elements, high-economy hybrid diesel-electric engine and low rolling resistance tyres are finding their way on to forecourts in increasing numbers.
RENAULT Z.E. CONCEPT
Z.E. Concept ( Zero Emission) is Renault’s vision of the electric vehicle as an efficient, user-friendly, zero-emissions car.
Based on the new Renault Kangoo be bop, the Z.E. Concept features a fun design which has been adapted to an electric vehicle with the focus on minimising energy consumption while, at the same time, providing core comfort features. The use of heat-reflective paint and insulating bodywork featuring large surface areas contributes to the reduction of temperature fluctuations. Insulation is further optimised by the use of acid green tinted glass for the glazed areas.
The bodywork functions along the same lines as a vacuum flask. It comprises two insulating panels with a sandwich of air. This air limits variations in temperature between the exterior and interior of the car.
Solar panels, positioned on the roof, power a temperature regulation system.
Z.E. Concept is powered by a 70kW electric motor with torque of 226Nm (166lb/ft), with lithium-ion batteries.
A linear display on the outside of the door tells you how much range remains even before the driver gets into the vehicle – like a mobile-phone charge indicator.
If running out of power is a worry with electric cars, you needn’t worry with the Z.E. The MMIs (Man Machine Interfaces) are able to pinpoint the nearest car parks equipped with charging stations as a function of the remaining range, so it not only warns and calculates, but also thinks ahead. Information is relayed from the vehicle to the driver, and vice versa, via a mobile phone which connects directly to the dashboard.
If you ever run out of energy, the Z.E. even has an electric scooter packed into the boot.
NISSAN NUVU
Proving that green cars can still be fun, the Nissan Nuvu is the city car of the future.
It’s just three metres long and sits on a wheelbase of 1,980mm, but is 1,700mm wide and 1,550mm tall to create a large and airy cabin.
Nuvu has two regular seats and a third occasional chair which can be folded down when required. Many of the materials used inside Nuvu reflect an increasing concern for the environment.
The floor is made from wood fibres pressed into laminate sheets and is studded with rubber inserts made from recycled tyres for grip.
To create a light and bright interior, the windscreen and roof merge into one extended panel running almost the entire length of the car.
The most unusual feature of the interior is the “energy tree”, which rises from the luggage compartment floor to the roof behind the driver’s seat. Covering the branches are dozens of small solar panels shaped like leaves.
The panels absorb energy from the sun which is then fed back down the energy tree and used to help recharge the battery and provide an extra power boost for the electric motor.
The Nuvu’s heating and ventilation system filters and cleans the city air as it passes through the vehicle.
Not only does it produce no emissions at source, but Nuvu actually helps clean up the city environment.
The electric motor used in Nuvu is mounted at the rear of the vehicle and drives the back wheels.
Its exact specification and power and torque figures are not being released at this stage, but a driving range of about 78 miles and a top speed of 75mph have been announced.
The batteries used are the latest laminated lithium-ion and have a capacity of 140Wh/kg.
The Nuvu is more than just a fun concept, though. It is a fully working mobile test bed for much of the technology that will be used in Nissan’s production EV, to be launched in 2010.
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