While the
lurid-green "Hy-Kers" prototype is grabbing all the
headlines, Ferrari has a second initiative at the Geneva
Motor Show which is again aimed at reducing emissions. From
this month in fact the Stop & Start system will be available
on the Ferrari California, reducing fuel consumption and CO2
emissions by 6 per cent in the ECE + EUDC combined cycle.
This means a figure of 280 g/km, one of the most competitive
of any high-performance cars. The Stop & Start cuts in
virtually instantaneously - just 230 milliseconds, a time so
fast that the driver barely notices the engine restarting.
This
solution is a further step in Ferrari’s on-going strategy to
reduce fuel consumption and emissions, even when increasing
performance. One of the principal areas of research has been
dedicated to reducing friction within the engine. The
Ferrari California’s direct-injection V8, for example, has
eliminated the ‘pumping’ losses created by the changes in
pressure below the pistons. Inserting purge valves in the
crankcase below the crank throws allows blow-by gas and oil
compressed during the combustion phase to leave the
crankcase without being drawn back in during the compression
phase. This ensures a direct increase in engine efficiency.
In addition DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coatings on the valve
followers and super-finishing of the cam lobes reduces
friction in the valve train and contributes to the overall
improvement in engine friction.
In keeping
with Ferrari’s 360-degree approach to efficiency and its
commitment to environmental sustainability, new technologies
for its road cars, such as the Stop & Start system, are matched by the considerable
investments already made to reduce the environmental impact
of the company’s production activities in Maranello. After
the inauguration of the photovoltaic installation on the
roof of the Mechanical Machining facility in January 2009,
which reduced the factory’s power requirements by over
210,000 kWh annually, 2009 also saw the opening of Italy’s
biggest trigeneration plant (the simultaneous production of
power, heat and cooling from a single source) – the first of
its kind to be implemented by a sports car manufacturer.
Combined, the two systems reduce CO2 emissions by 30,000
tons a year (40 per cent). Thanks to these ecological
solutions, Ferrari is completely autonomous for its energy
requirements. This reduction also means that Ferrari will
meet the Kyoto protocol objectives a full 10 years ahead of
schedule and with double the figure imposed on Europe. This
represents another significant step forward in the ‘Formula
Uomo’ strategy implemented by Ferrari’s Chairman, Luca di
Montezemolo, at the end of the 1990s and which has
transformed the Maranello production facility into one of
the most advanced in the world. It has also helped create a
unique working environment which, in addition to other
initiatives for the well-being of employees, ensures that
Ferrari has become a model, as demonstrated by the fact that
the factory has, in the past, received the ‘Best Place to
Work in Europe’ award.
