Auto makers vying for the hearts of consumers are hard at work on clean-vehicle technologies, but are looking for agreement on many fronts
The auto industry is hard at work developing "green" vehicle technologies such as gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, clean diesels, ethanol/E85 vehicles and others that are good for the environment - including hydrogen-powered cars which for some automakers are literally just around the corner, albeit in very limited numbers.
Make no mistake, the world's leading automakers are prepared to bring them to Canadian showrooms if the regulatory and economic environments make sense, and if consumer demand warrants their introduction.
But there are challenges. A patchwork of regulations across Canada, the United States and indeed the world, combined with different consumer wants and needs, make it extremely difficult for global automakers to develop and market technologies that meet an array of federal, provincial and state demands. In a nutshell, a car that can be sold in Ontario is not necessarily legal in California.
Another issue for automakers is the state of fuel in Canada. It could be cleaner. While new regulations have gone a long way towards removing sulfur, a number of other impurities clog up advanced emissions control devices. Thus, if fuel quality were improved and if vehicle emissions regulations were harmonized and consistent across North America, automakers would be in a position to bring to market even more clean, fuel-efficient models.
The truth is, clean vehicle technologies exist and are being advanced dramatically by automakers who recognize the importance of winning the so-called "green" race for the hearts and wallets of consumers. The proof is in the products already available in Canadian dealer showrooms. Indeed, more than 70 new fuel-saving technologies have come into the Canadian market just since 2005.
And it is worth noting that a vehicle produced today is 12 times cleaner than one produced in 1993 and 37 times cleaner than one produced in 1987. Today, less than one per cent of Canada's smog and greenhouse gas emissions come from this year's new cars and light duty trucks. The 19 million passenger vehicles Canadians drive today account for less than 13 per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions and less than 10 per cent of smog-causing emissions.
Still, automakers feel government can do more and better at encouraging "green" technologies. Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corp., recently told Automotive News that "a national government should have a strategy… so that not only industry, but also government and academia can work together to make a difference."
Echoing the sentiments of other automakers, Watanabe suggests government can do three major things when it comes to addressing global warming: 1) Do the analysis. "Come up with a clear idea of what is causing what." 2) Decide on a technical solution. "Government, industry and academia should work closely together to come up with those technical solutions." 3) "Use laws and regulations to mobilize not only industry but the public in general."
In truth, determining the ideal technical solution, the one and only vehicle drive system that is perfectly clean, reliable, serviceable and thoroughly attractive to consumers, is no easy task. Which green car technology is best? In truth, carmakers are turning to a range of different technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce emission. That fact begs the question: Why can't they agree on just one?
Different consumer needs and that patchwork of regulations across markets explain much of the difficulty. That said, hyper-efficient compacts, cleaner diesels, low-emission ethanol/E85 vehicles and innovative gas-electric hybrids are now making their way into dealer showrooms in increasing numbers, with more planned. Indeed, nearly every major automaker has extensive plans to broaden its array of clean, fuel-efficient offerings.
At BMW AG, chief executive Norbert Reithofer pinpoints a new generation of fuel-efficient engines and a new diesel-powered Mini that will get 4.4 litres per 100 km, as evidence of BMW's commitment to combat global warming. BMW Canada has no official plans for the diesel Mini in Canada, although anything is possible.
"The auto industry is facing a fundamental paradigm shift," said Reithofer at this spring's Geneva Auto Show. "It cannot be overlooked any longer that the global climate is changing."
BMW, the world's largest premium automaker, prides itself on the performance of its vehicles, but at the same time the company reduced fleet fuel consumption by 30% between 1990 and 2005, he said. BMW aims to introduce other fuel-saving technologies throughout all its models, including brake-energy regeneration, lightweight construction, and automatic stop-start functions.
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