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The Frankfurt Motor Show will host the
world debut of the Panda Aria concept car, which illustrates
Fiat’s viewpoint of cars with a low environmental impact.
This concept car represents the last frontier achievable in
terms of emissions and consumption, by synergetically
associating sustainable technologies already in existence or
soon to be industrialised, a practical demonstration of
Fiat’s commitment to the environment.
The concept car combines an innovative
powertrain architecture – represented by the new SGE 900 cc
Turbo twin-cylinder engine, equipped with the Multiair
system for dual petrol/methane-hydrogen fuel management, MTA
gearbox and Stop&Start device – with the adoption of
eco-compatible materials (recycled, recyclable or of natural
origin) both outside and inside. The interior is upholstered
with natural fibres (cotton and linen), woven coconut fibre
and biodegradable elements, while the exterior panelling is
made of semi-transparent eco-resin and the structure is
treated with opaque ‘totouch’ paint.
It is all made even more interesting by
the minimisation of the energy absorbed by the auxiliary
units on the vehicle and engine (for example the low
consumption climate control unit), by a reduction in the
vehicle’s weight (downsizing of the engine, the use of new
generation, high tensile steel, methane storage cylinders
made of high performance steel and carbon fibre) and the
adoption of experimental Pirelli ‘ultra-green’ tyres with
new compounds and new AOF (Aromatic Oil Free) textile weaves
which guarantee limited drag but do not detract from dynamic
safety performance (stopping distances and good handling on
wet and dry roads).
And finally, the Panda Aria is fitted
with a telematic system, based on the Blue&Me architecture,
that is wired to adapt to new infomobility services. It also
incorporates original software which allows the consumption
and emissions of each trip to be recorded on a USB pen
drive, through the USB port of the Blue&Me system, so that
the customer’s driving style can later be analysed on a
computer, and he can learn how to make his driving more
‘eco-friendly’.
The Panda Aria is equipped with the new
twin-cylinder 80 bhp turbo engine from the SGE family, in
this version with Multiair petrol-methane fuel supply
system. This sophisticated fuel management system is already
designed to operate with a mixture of methane (70%) and
hydrogen (30%). The twin-cylinder engine is combined with a
Stop&Start device and the innovative MTA (Manual
Transmission Automated) gearbox. The innovative
twin-cylinder engine developed by Fiat Powertrain
Technologies is the outcome of a philosophy that focused on
reducing fuel consumption and, as a consequence, CO2
emissions, in respect of future Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions
standard, with the same performance as a large engine.
The concept behind this new engine is the
downsizing from a conventional 4-cylinder engine to a
2-cylinder turbocharged engine that incorporates the
innovative Multiair electronic inlet valve control system.
In addition to advantages in terms of consumption, the
twin-cylinder engine also results in a 20% reduction in
weight and 25% in volume inside the engine bay compared to a
4-cylinder engine with the same power output.
The maximum output achievable by the new
twin-cylinder engine, in the Mono Fuel petrol version is 105
bhp (a 65 bhp aspirated version, also equipped with the
Multiair system, is now under development). The SGE engine
family adopts a crankshaft balancing system that
significantly reduces vibration and noise levels compared to
other two and three cylinder engines.
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The interior is upholstered with
natural fibres (cotton and linen), woven coconut
fibre and biodegradable elements, while the exterior
panelling is made of semi-transparent eco-resin and
the structure is treated with opaque ‘totouch’
paint. |
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Frankfurt see
the debut of the Panda Aria concept fitted with the new SGE 900 cc Turbo twin-cylinder engine
equipped with the Multiair system for dual
petrol/methane-hydrogen fuel management. |
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The innovative Multiair system controls the air in
controlled-ignition petrol engines without the usual
throttle valve, and therefore with a greater degree of
flexibility than mechanical timing systems.
This electrohydraulic valve activation technology is based
on the insertion, between the camshaft and the engine inlet
valve, of an amount of oil (high pressure chamber) that can
be varied by a valve, which in turn is controlled by a
specific electronic control unit. This allows the raising
profile of the valve to be modified in response to the
request for air from the engine and to the running speed.
Different strategies can be employed (Early inlet valve
closing – EIVC, Late inlet valve opening – LIVO, or
Multi-Lift) to optimise combustion efficiency, with
considerable benefits in terms of power output, torque,
consumption and emissions. Another advantage of this system
is the fact that the air pressure upstream of the valves is
always constant. This characteristic, combined with the high
system activation dynamics (from partial load to full load
in one engine cycle) allows the torque response of the
engine to be increased without any delay, on both an
aspirated and a turbocharged engine, increasing the ‘fun to
drive’ factor.
On the Panda Aria the new twin-cylinder
engine is combined with a dual fuel management system, with
petrol and a mixture of methane (70%) and hydrogen (30%);
this solution also helps to reduce polluting emissions by
guaranteeing more efficient, complete combustion. It also
makes it possible to increase the engine’s thermodynamic
efficiency and to achieve combustion stability values that
are better than those possible with methane alone, in
certain operating conditions. This means that
methane-hydrogen vehicles represent a step forward for an
existing technology that is open to further refinement and
new applications. Methane-hydrogen mixes can thus represent
a ‘bridge’ solution in the medium term, while infrastructure
is developed to guarantee hydrogen supplies in the future.
The Panda Aria is equipped with the
‘Stop&Start’ system that turns the engine off temporarily
and starts it again, when the engine is idling and the
vehicle is stationary: in this situation, typical of
congested town traffic and queues at red lights, and when
control logics allow it, the system automatically turns the
engine off thus saving a considerable amount of fuel (a 10%
reduction in consumption in the urban cycle). The instant
the brake pedal is released or a gear is engaged, the system
immediately re-starts the engine, which responds promptly to
the driver’s demands.
The Stop&Start system combined with the
MTA gearbox ensures optimal management of gear changes, and
excellent mechanical efficiency. The automated transmission
lays the foundations of the ‘intelligent’ management of the
on/off status of the engine. By controlling the clutch, the
system allows the internal combustion engine to be cut off
from the transmission whenever traction is not needed and
the engine can be turned off.
The combination of these solutions, which
have been developed by the Fiat Group (Fiat Group
Automobiles, Fiat Powertrain Technologies and Centro
Ricerche Fiat), are already in existence or will soon be
available on regular and future production models,
guaranteeing a drastic reduction in emissions. For example,
CO2 emissions on the Panda Aria concept car have been cut to
a record low of 69 g/km.
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