Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
On the occasion of a press event in Bilbao, Spain, I had the opportunity to spend two days with board members of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, a major supplier of powertrain parts, to discuss new product and the industry’s direction. A system that you will soon see in a number of cars is the UniValve valve-lift system. It allows for a seamless operation adjustment of the intake and outlet valves—the valves can remain closed entirely. Efficiency grows significantly, between 5.5 and 8.5 percent even if applied on the intake side only. A vehicle equipped with this system effectively needs no throttle anymore; the engine can be shut down by closing the valves entirely.
Even though Kolbenschmidt Pierburg’s core business is parts for internal-combustion engines, the company hugely profits from the trend towards electrification and increased efficiency. Fuel-saving technologies that the company peddled to carmakers for years with limited success now sell like hot cakes, according to CEO Gerd Kleinert. That includes variable pumps and low-friction products, lightweight components, etc.
The reason: The European bureaucracy is plotting to fine carmakers if they fail to meet pre-set CO2 emissions targets, emulating the statist policies of the EPA. Electric vehicles are counted as producing zero emissions, “even if we know this is nonsense,” Kleinert submits. But “none of the carmakers know for sure if customers will really go for electrics,” he adds. That’s why they rush to increase the efficiency of their conventional engines as well.
Hybrids Bridging the Gap—To What?
KSPG also showed us plans for a gasoline-powered V-2 range extender with about 40 hp, which could use two generators to cancel out resonance effectively. Range extenders are considered to be a “bridge technology,” bridging the gap to electric vehicles. Really? From discussions with top management of suppliers KSPG and Schaeffler, among others, it is unlikely that the final destination of our common road will be the fully electric, battery-powered car, which is hampered by the poor energy storage in batteries. Instead, there is a lot of enthusiasm for internal-combustion engines powered by synthetic or bio-fuel, such as methane.
How much electrification will these cars, powered by CO2-neutral synthetic fuel, have to offer? KPSG’s Gerd Kleinert says that cars powered by those fuels don’t necessarily need hybridization. “This combustion is CO2 neutral, what is the benefit of adding heavy and costly batteries?” he asks rhetorically.
If you care for my personal opinion, the implications are almost too good to be true. Hybrids could go away along with EVs?
Suppliers frequently have a keener view of scientific and technological realities than carmakers, whose corporate headquarters are filled with marketing types and “visionaries.” Grandiose visions notwithstanding, there is a gradual realization behind the scenes that the current E-vehicle hype won’t be “sustainable”. This time around, of course, the political pressure is more intense, and the investment in EVs is heavier than ever. Auto companies are busily lobbying for generous subsides, which would make it easier for them to convince customers of their EV’s merits. Several scenarios are possible—the more electric, the more costly. But just in case subsidies dry up and our broke governments leave things up to the market, the backpedaling has already begun.
The Long Wait
Professor Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of Duisburg-Essen University has compiled a comparative chart of delivery times for cars in Germany. Over here, factory ordering your car is still popular, reflecting how much people care about their cars. Just grabbing whatever your dealer’s got on the lot is not standard procedure. Customers wait longest for their Suzuki (5.9 months on average), Nissan (5.7 months), Hyundai (5.4 months), Audi (5.3 months), and Volkswagen (5.2 months). In the case of Suzuki and Nissan, these figures also reflect the slowed production due to the Japanese tsunami disaster; Hyundai, Audi and VW are simply in extreme demand. But Dudenhöffer also says that VW and Audi’s production and planning system is inflexible. Where, on the other hand, can you get your car new most quickly? At Fiat. Getting your factory-ordered Fiat takes just 1.8 months on average.
Volvo C30 Out?
Rumor has it that Volvo will cancel its C30 three-door hatchback by mid-2012. Its customers are supposed to move up into a new five-door station wagon called V40 or a crossover called XC40. I like the C30, although it annoyed me that Volvo persistently played up its 1800ES heritage and suppressed the 480ES, which was closer in concept to the C30. I owned one of the last 480 Turbos, factory-ordered in the summer of 1995, and enjoyed it immensely. It was quick, luxurious, and handled extremely well.
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