Brazilian manufacturer Obvio! to develop tri-fuel car
In Brazil 70% of all car owners use biofuels in their vehicles. It was there that so-called flex-fuel or bi-fuel vehicles, which can operate on both gasoline and ethanol or a blend of the two, were first developed. The appearance of these cars was a prerequisite for the country's ethanol program to become a success.
Brazil is also the home of innovative car manufacturer Obvio! Automotoveiculos which has announced that it is developing a tri-fuel vehicle that works on gasoline, ethanol and natural gas and other future fuels (such as compressed biogas). Earlier, Italian auto maker Fiat brought a similar 'trybrid' to the drawing board, which we considered as highly suitable for the megacities of the Global South because it works on easily available biofuels (earlier post). Development of these 'multi-flex' cars is crucial for a global biofuels industry to take off. It strengthens the case for the creation of a diversified fuel portfolio, in which both gaseous and liquid biofuels are brought to the consumer.
Rio de Janeiro based company Obvio! selected British automotive engineering consultancy Lotus Engineering to develop two trybrid high-performance microsports cars for markets across the globe, in a deal potentially worth over £70 (€104/US$137) million.
The lightweight urban microsports cars, designated 828 and 012, are the first products for the new Brazilian OEM. The full engineering programme will include the development of an advanced vehicle safety structure based on aerospace technology (picture), and the integration of ‘trybrid’ engines that will run on gasoline, bio-ethanol or natural gas, and other powertrain variants.
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: trybrid :: tri-fuel :: flex-fuel :: natural gas :: biogas :: ethanol :: Brazil ::
Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive, Group Lotus, said: “I am delighted that Lotus Engineering has been selected by Obvio! to deliver the entire design and development programme for these ground-breaking cars. Lotus Engineering has a very strong heritage in developing innovative solutions for clients and we look forward to working with Obvio! in what we believe will be a radical new approach from a dynamic new automotive player.”
Obvio! is committed to ensuring its highly distinctive and innovative new models are fun to drive and are practical for everyday use. They are configured with the driver and two passengers sitting three-abreast and also feature scissor-opening doors to aid access and parking in tight spaces.
Initially, power will come from a 1.6-litre unit produced by Brazilian engine manufacturer Tritec Motors. Lotus Engineering will develop a new engine management unit, which will give the engine “trybrid” capabilities, running automatically on natural gas, bio-ethanol or gasoline. In parallel, Lotus will develop 170hp and 250hp turbocharged variants for higher performance models in the Obvio! range. Electrically-powered variants of both cars are expected to follow shortly after the trybrid models.
Obvio! has already signed a US$700m pre-paid contract to supply a total of 50,000 units per annum, spread between the 012 and 828 models, to its exclusive North American distributor, California-based ZAP - Zero Air Pollution (OTC BB:ZAAP.OB). Distributors for other major world markets will be appointed over the next 18 months. The Brazilian firm has committed to exceeding all worldwide safety regulations for passenger cars, while exciting performance will be achieved through an impressive power-to-weight ratio and class-leading driving dynamics.
A core Obvio!-Lotus engineering management team will be based in a dedicated project centre at Lotus’ Hethel headquarters. It will manage the engineering programme for the two vehicles, which will be delivered by Lotus Engineering facilities worldwide and for the first time by a group of high-profile Brazilian-based tier one suppliers who will be heavily involved from the very earliest stages. The two vehicles will be built in Brazil, with production expected to start late in 2008.
Mr. Kimberley concluded: “This agreement means a great deal to us – not only are we delivering a very strong technical offering but we will once again have the opportunity to ‘connect’ our iconic Lotus brand to Brazil. Three of the country’s most famous sports personalities, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, played a major role in helping Team Lotus to win 79 Grands Prix and seven Constructors' Championships in Formula One. With this heritage behind us, we are proud to be able to play a leading role in the development of the Brazilian car industry.”
Brazil is also the home of innovative car manufacturer Obvio! Automotoveiculos which has announced that it is developing a tri-fuel vehicle that works on gasoline, ethanol and natural gas and other future fuels (such as compressed biogas). Earlier, Italian auto maker Fiat brought a similar 'trybrid' to the drawing board, which we considered as highly suitable for the megacities of the Global South because it works on easily available biofuels (earlier post). Development of these 'multi-flex' cars is crucial for a global biofuels industry to take off. It strengthens the case for the creation of a diversified fuel portfolio, in which both gaseous and liquid biofuels are brought to the consumer.
Rio de Janeiro based company Obvio! selected British automotive engineering consultancy Lotus Engineering to develop two trybrid high-performance microsports cars for markets across the globe, in a deal potentially worth over £70 (€104/US$137) million.
The lightweight urban microsports cars, designated 828 and 012, are the first products for the new Brazilian OEM. The full engineering programme will include the development of an advanced vehicle safety structure based on aerospace technology (picture), and the integration of ‘trybrid’ engines that will run on gasoline, bio-ethanol or natural gas, and other powertrain variants.
Lotus Engineering was a clear first choice as our engineering consultancy. It has an impressive track record in managing complex engineering projects and in developing exciting, efficient cars; its wide range of expertise will be invaluable to us. We will now move forward together at a fast pace to bring these high performance “ultra-safe urban microsports cars” to the US, European and Japanese markets. -Ricardo Machado, Chief Executive, Obvio!Lotus Engineering will work with a range of Brazilian ‘supplier partners’ to develop two variants of the new chassis concept which will be engineered incorporating Niess Elliptical Survival Rings, already well-proven in the aerospace industry. Providing exceptional chassis performance as well as class-leading safety, the concept also allows for very light structures - target weight for the 012 is 750kg (1,648 lbs) and for the 828 is 600kg (1,318 lbs). This will enable the vehicles to feature exceptionally good performance characteristics while also running with highly efficient and economical power plants:
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: trybrid :: tri-fuel :: flex-fuel :: natural gas :: biogas :: ethanol :: Brazil ::
Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive, Group Lotus, said: “I am delighted that Lotus Engineering has been selected by Obvio! to deliver the entire design and development programme for these ground-breaking cars. Lotus Engineering has a very strong heritage in developing innovative solutions for clients and we look forward to working with Obvio! in what we believe will be a radical new approach from a dynamic new automotive player.”
Obvio! is committed to ensuring its highly distinctive and innovative new models are fun to drive and are practical for everyday use. They are configured with the driver and two passengers sitting three-abreast and also feature scissor-opening doors to aid access and parking in tight spaces.
Initially, power will come from a 1.6-litre unit produced by Brazilian engine manufacturer Tritec Motors. Lotus Engineering will develop a new engine management unit, which will give the engine “trybrid” capabilities, running automatically on natural gas, bio-ethanol or gasoline. In parallel, Lotus will develop 170hp and 250hp turbocharged variants for higher performance models in the Obvio! range. Electrically-powered variants of both cars are expected to follow shortly after the trybrid models.
Obvio! has already signed a US$700m pre-paid contract to supply a total of 50,000 units per annum, spread between the 012 and 828 models, to its exclusive North American distributor, California-based ZAP - Zero Air Pollution (OTC BB:ZAAP.OB). Distributors for other major world markets will be appointed over the next 18 months. The Brazilian firm has committed to exceeding all worldwide safety regulations for passenger cars, while exciting performance will be achieved through an impressive power-to-weight ratio and class-leading driving dynamics.
A core Obvio!-Lotus engineering management team will be based in a dedicated project centre at Lotus’ Hethel headquarters. It will manage the engineering programme for the two vehicles, which will be delivered by Lotus Engineering facilities worldwide and for the first time by a group of high-profile Brazilian-based tier one suppliers who will be heavily involved from the very earliest stages. The two vehicles will be built in Brazil, with production expected to start late in 2008.
Mr. Kimberley concluded: “This agreement means a great deal to us – not only are we delivering a very strong technical offering but we will once again have the opportunity to ‘connect’ our iconic Lotus brand to Brazil. Three of the country’s most famous sports personalities, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, played a major role in helping Team Lotus to win 79 Grands Prix and seven Constructors' Championships in Formula One. With this heritage behind us, we are proud to be able to play a leading role in the development of the Brazilian car industry.”
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