In about three years, the new EcoBoost 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine from Ford Motor Co. will enter global production. But according to an insider source familiar with the engine, there is still no timetable for a US version.

The source added that it isn’t happening yet for North America. The source added that the subject is certainly being discussed but there’s still no vehicle planned for it yet. There are talks for the next-generation Ka, a front-drive car that is even smaller than the 2011 Fiesta, to make it to the US market.

The Ka is currently being sold in Europe. The three-cylinder engine and the Ford Start concept are displayed at the 2010 Beijing auto show. But at the show, there was no mention of the timetable for this engine.

The Start, a stylish two-passenger concept, has exterior body panels that are made from deformable, pre-colored recyclable materials. On the other hand, the interior panels are made of natural sisal fiber. During the unveiling in the Beijing show, Ford revealed that its horsepower and torque are similar to what a normally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine could produce.

The exact ratings were not provided however. The 1.0-liter engine will utilize a cast iron block, cast aluminum cylinder head and cast aluminum sump. A 10:1 compression ratio is anticipated. Ford stated that the engine is intended for small vehicles like the Start concept.

[Via: Autonews]

The rumored extended range electric crossover we saw revealed in General Motors’ design patent drawings is now a reality. The Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept will make its debut tomorrow at the Beijing Motor Show, and just as we suspected from seeing Volt design chief Bob Boniface’s name on the patent, this five-passenger crossover rides on the same Voltec architecture as the Volt.

The new Chevrolet concept integrates design elements from the Volt, including the headlight, taillamps and grille, with a five-door hatch body style very similar to the larger Orlando and a length about four inches longer than the current HHR.

Propulsion comes from the same 150 horsepower engine and 16 kilowatt-hour battery used in the Volt. However, its larger frontal area and increased drag mean that this one only has a 32-mile electric range as opposed to the Volt’s 40 miles. The Crossover has full seating for five and 30.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats. The dashboard appears to be lifted directly from the Volt, including the dual LCD displays. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this as the second Voltec product in the GM North American lineup. If built, this would likely be classed as a light truck and do wonders for GM’s CAFE numbers on that side of the business.

[Via: GreenAutoblog]

More than 2,100 exhibitors from 16 countries will attend the 11th Beijing International Auto Show that starts on April 23. The event will feature the latest designs for alternative-energy cars, according to People’s Daily.

The 200,000 square-meter exhibition area will showcase 990 cars, of which 89 will have their world premiere. Stiff competition will come from Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche, Ford, General Motors and other global automakers. Over 700,000 visitors are expected to arrive at the event. On display would be 95 new alternative-energy cars, accounting for almost 10% of the total number of participating vehicles, the largest number in the show’s history. Toyota will bring in its new new-energy vehicles such as the FT-E V, which features the lithium-ion battery; the FCH V, using the high-performance fuel cell “Toyota FCStack,” and the new Prius, powered by lithium-ion battery and using external plug-in rechargeable hybrid technology. BMW will be introducing the hybrid 7 Series and X6. Audi will display its new hybrid Audi A8, a four-wheel drive e-tron electric sports car and the A1 e-tron electric cars. BYD will have the F3DM electric car and e6 prepared. Chery will also be showing off the pure electric QQ. FAW Group will introduce two electric bionic concept cars: the E-wing and E-coo. Soueast Motors will promote its Delica electric vehicles.

[Via: Autonews - sub. required]

From the racetrack to the road, this might be the story of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car that was unveiled back in March at the Geneva Motor Show.

And this is not just another rumor, as the spies caught a prototype near Nurburgring, in Germany, that had a number of telltale signs that under its body it is not an ordinary 911. Regarding the 911 GT3 Hybrid R, this race car already showed that it can write a page of history, as it scored a podium finish in its second appearance in the Nurburgring Endurance Series. Regarding its engine, the car uses a newly-developed 480 hp 4.0-liter flat-six engine but also two electric motors (60 kW each) featured on the front axle. It is expected that the road version car will carry the same technology becoming one of the fastest Porsche cars but also the most fuel-efficient then it will hit the dealerships in 2012.

[Via: 4WheelsNews]

Hyundai and Kia announced that they will offer stop-start technology as a fuel-saving feature on many North American vehicles within 2 years.

“Start-stop will be a key part of our development activity in the next two product cycles,” in 2012 and 2016, said Timothy White, Hyundai-Kia’s senior powertrain manager. The new technology is expected to provide a 3% increase in fuel economy. As you may know already Stop-start engine technology is being adopted by more automakers in order to improve their fuel economy as well as to meet tougher requirements. Ford will also offer similar technology on 20 percent of its global nameplates by 2014. Regarding Hyundai, they already revealed the 2011 Sonata Hybrid which represents the first step in producing hybrid vehicles. Kia is already working on a hybrid version of the 2011 Magentis, as it announced this at the New York Auto Show.  

[Via: Autospies]

The media previews for the 2010 Beijing Motor Show are happening at the end of this week and, assuming a certain Icelandic volcano doesn’t upset the atmosphere further, we expect to be on hand. One of the possible debuts is a new Chevrolet-badged MPV concept. What makes this vehicle particularly interesting is that it may be propelled by the same Voltec extended range EV powertrain used in the Volt.

On the design patent that was issued last week, one of the credits is given to Bob Boniface, the design manager that led the development of the original Volt concept as well as the production Volt and Opel Ampera. The association with Boniface as well as some of the design details imply that this new vehicle will be an ER-EV. The shape of the headlamps and tail-lamps as well as other elements of the front fascia seem to be lifted directly from the Volt. A very similar looking vehicle appeared briefly in a GM video released last summer alongside the production Chevrolet Orlando and featured the same blocked off grille used on the Volt. This vehicle is smaller than the Orlando and would likely be a roomier five-seat alternative to the Volt.

[Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, via GM Inside News]

We’ve been hearing the rumors for over a year, and it’s now looking increasingly likely that Toyota is getting ready to launch a new hybrid minivan that will wear the Prius nameplate. If true, this would be the first completely new vehicle added to the Prius stable, where it would join the well-known hatchback sometime in 2011.

According to Reuters (which is citing the Japanese Nikkei), this new Prius hybrid minivan may very well be the first such vehicle from Toyota equipped with an in-house developed lithium ion battery pack. The three-row vehicle, which we can only presume would also have sliding doors, would potentially seat up to seven people, expanding Toyota’s hybrid technology further into the family-use market.

No other details are available other than the notion that Toyota would like to keep the price close to that of standard minivans currently on the market. Stay tuned for more as we hear it.

[Via: Autoblog Green]

This is the first clear look that have been released of the production version of the electric Renault Fluence saloon. This car, which will go on sale in in Europe this year and in the UK in 2011, is based on the Megane saloon.

It boasts a theoretical range of 99 miles, a top speed of 84mph and 167lb ft of torque. The Fluence saloon will be joined in the electric vehicle lineup by an electric Kangoo van, which will go on sale sometime in the first six months of 2011. This van will have the same capacity as the standard Kangoo, which has a theoretical range of 99 miles, top speed of 81mph and 167lb ft of torque. Renault is already accepting expressions of interest. Renault has plans to lease both vehicles, but it has yet to disclose if it will offer these vans for sale too.

According to our sources from Lexus, it appears that the petrol versions of the GS range the GS 300 and GS 460 will no longer be produced and the customers who want one will have to choose the remaining GS 450h. This decision came after Lexus registered poor sales of the petrol versions of the GS. For those who don’t know, the Lexus GS 450h is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine but also by an electric motor and has a total output of 345 hp. The price tag will remain the same, €67,000.

By the end of the year, Ford Motor Co. is expected to expand its EcoBoost fuel-saving technology to three additional engines.

We’ll know more soon this Tuesday at the SAE World Congress in Detroit from Barb Samardzich, Ford’s vice president of powertrain engineering, who is slated to provide more details about EcoBoost production plans. To reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the technology combines direct fuel injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging. In a statement, Samardzich said that Ford intends to truly make a difference by focusing on sustainable technology solutions that can be used for millions of cars. She will also be talking about Ford’s plans to offer a start/stop engine feature on as many as 20% of Ford’s global nameplates by 2014. Ford said that the feature is seen to lower fuel consumption and emissions by about 5%, depending on conditions. Ford’s next three EcoBoost engines will be: (1) a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that will be offered in the European version of the C-Max compact minivan; (2) a 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the next-generation Ford Explorer and Edge; and (3) a 3.5-liter V-6 for rear-drive F-150 applications. Information on hp and torque has yet to be released but Ford asserts that the engine has the power and towing capability of a V-8.