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Amid soaring oil prices and a craze for gas-guzzling vehicles, the top three US automakers unveiled new fuel-efficient cars that produce lower climate-altering pollutants.
The models are the fruit of the seven-year-old Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) funded by a $130 million annual federal government grant and nearly a billion dollars a year from the automakers.
The Big Three (DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp.) introduced the three family sedan prototypes that run on hybrid diesel/electric engines and can get up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) per gallon (3.8 liters).
The Ford Prodigy, GM Precept and Dodge ESX 3 are made with lightweight materials – reducing weight by as much as 46% – and have energy saving devices such as seats that heat and cool the passenger. Along with those features, the energy efficient cars come with a price tag estimated at some $3,000 more than cars similar to them that are already on the market.
The Prodigy, Ford Motor Co.’s contribution to the PNGV, combines two separate propulsion systems: an internal combustion (IC) engine and a three-phase, AC electric drive system. The electric system will assist the IC engine when extra power is needed, such as during acceleration. In addition, the electric system will recapture energy normally lost during deceleration - called regenerative braking.
"The hybrid electric powertrain system we are developing is designed to work in a variety of vehicle configurations and will be available in vehicles that most meet consumers' needs for space and versatility," Prabhakar Patil, chief program engineer, says. The GM Precept and Dodge ESX 3 offer technology similar to that.
The merger of the Big Three automakers in producing these "supercars" marks another joint effort in recent months. At the beginning of February, the American automotive giants called a truce and joined forces to make one of the most important breakthroughs in automotive technology with a new online in-vehicle diagnostic system.
The system will enable car owners to communicate with auto dealerships and automakers when they need to have their car serviced or when the dealership/company wants to inform its consumers about factory recalls. When the option becomes available, in 2003, according to industry sources, it will be cheaper than the cheapest online in-vehicle device, such as the Global Positioning System available in some cars today. GPS can cost between $1,000 and $2,000 these days. The new service and device is expected to cost between $300 and $500.
In the past, the Big Three have competed with one another for dominance of the domestic automotive industry. However, they have joined forced with the hopes of warding off what they deem to be a big threat to their existence: automotive dot.com websites.
These websites have become extremely convenient and cost effective for consumers, offering new and used automobiles at dirt-cheap prices. By doing this, major auto companies have had their profit decline with the added competition.
However, these fuel-efficient cars should have a huge impact on the domestic market, especially considering the recent inflation in gasoline prices. Even when western countries and OPEC work out their differences and come up with a standard price for fuel, it will still be more expensive than it ever was in the past.
Electric cars like these may become more of a reality under the conditions that exist for gasoline/oil prices. By producing these PNGV electric vehicles, Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler have jumped a step ahead of the competition. Let’s hope that all the major competitors start developing their own versions of the PNGV’s…the results may be electrifying!
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