Saab's set to unveil a car that runs on pure bioethanol and delivers twice the power of the standard car.
Next month’s Geneva motor show will see what Saab called the first production-based engine to be optimised for pure bioethanol (E100) fuel. The company sees the vehicle as building on the E85 vehicles it's already announced (see links below), with the aim of differentiating itself through cars with added power but lower emissions.
The BioPower 100 consists of a Saab 9-5 Estate with a turbocharged 2.0-litre 9-5 engine that delivers 300bhp -- twice as much as the standard car. This has been possible through modifications to the engine management system and internal components, allowing the use of greater boost pressure with a raised compression ratio. The high specific power output of 150bhp per litre demonstrates scope for future ‘rightsizing’ – using small high output engines that also deliver energy savings, said Saab.
Torque is also up -- it's 295lb-ft -- and the combination means the estate hits 62 mph in 6.6 seconds compared to the 2.0-litre estate's sluggish 11.7 seconds.
The concept also gets a tweaked exterior and interior supervised by GME director of advanced design, Anthony Lo, who penned Saab’s award-winning Aero X Concept.
“Bioethanol is a potent, high quality fuel which opens up exciting possibilities in helping to meet the environmental challenges that face us,” said GM Powertrain head Kjell ac Bergström in Sweden, who leads the BioPower 100 engine development team.
“As the need to reduce energy consumption increases, we are exploring ways to run smaller engines that give relatively high power, with and without hybrid technology. This concept car shows that bioethanol can play a key role in this ‘rightsizing’ process, while also minimising fossil fuel emissions.”
Saab already sells two BioPower engines in the 9-5, the 2.0t BioPower and the 2.3t BioPower; both run on bioethanol E85. Bioethanol delivers more oxgen to the cylinders, so engines deliver more power than they do when burning only petrol.
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