lv619
22-08-2008, 03:24 AM
Looks like Aussie engineers at Holden will take the lead on global LPG engine design for GM. Hopefully we can expect a dedicated LPG system to be developed for the commodore to compete with the falcons current system (which makes a high percentage of the falcon sales) in the not too distant future.
Good to see GM finally embracing a viable alternative fuel source proven effective here in Australia.
Article in the age
http://www.theage.com.au/national/general-motors-assigns-lpg-research-to-holden-20080820-3yzu.html
GM HOLDEN is to become a global development centre for liquefied petroleum gas engines as its US parent General Motors strives to reduce dependence on petrol.
GMH chairman and managing director Mark Reuss said Australia would take the lead with its experience with LPG engines.
"We have an opportunity to develop LPG in-house, the next generation of LPG technology both in power-train injection and in how we carry it and the fuel tank capacity," he said.
Holden has been making LPG-compatible engines for some time. Until recently they have all been used in cars with both petrol and LPG tanks.
An LPG-only Commodore is being released to compete with the fast-selling LPG Falcon made by Ford. Both cars are cheaper to run than a petrol-powered Toyota Corolla.
LPG is one alternative fuel that will play an increasing role in GM products around the world as the company moves towards all-electric cars, according to visiting GM research and development chief Larry Burns.
He was impressed by the different fuel sources Australia could fall back on.
"I was intrigued by how much natural gas you have and the potential for LPG and CNG (compressed natural gas)," Mr Burns told The Age.
He said he envied Australia because it was one of the few nations that could develop an energy-independence strategy at a time of rising oil prices.
He said LPG would be a good starting point because it was already widely distributed, and then he would advocate embracing CNG and solar technology further down the road.
"I'd really go after solar big time as a longer-term bet because I do think it will be economically viable," he said.
GM Fastlane blog
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2008/07/natural_gas_an_enticing_alternative.html
Natural Gas: An Enticing Alternative
By Larry Burns
GM Vice President, Research & Development
Volatile oil prices have been dominating the news lately, underscoring growing unease about the automobile’s heavy dependence on petroleum. As these concerns reverberate from Main Street to Wall Street, General Motors is working toward new solutions that will answer the growing demand for personal transportation in an affordable and sustainable way.
Because GM believes there is no single technology solution to displace petroleum, we are aggressively pursuing biofuels such as E85 ethanol and leveraging other efficiencies such as advanced engines and hybrids. We also are developing entirely new technology solutions that do not rely on petroleum, such as the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicles.
Another alternative, natural gas, is enticing because it is abundant, affordable and relatively clean. This week in Washington, D.C., the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming listened to testimony on the role natural gas can play in our nation’s transportation sector.
In the near term, we can use compressed natural gas (CNG) in internal combustion engines. Mid term, we can leverage natural gas to create electricity for the Volt and future variants. In the long term, natural gas could be an excellent source for making hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, either at the filling station or in people’s homes.
GM already has extensive experience with natural gas vehicles. Our Opel Zafira CNG is among the leaders in Europe, where gasoline and diesel fuel are costly, and we are exploring a dual-fuel approach with natural gas and gasoline for U.S. customers. While we are not ready to commit to a future production plan, we are taking a serious look at natural gas in the U.S. as yet another way to diversify our portfolio of affordable and sustainable transportation energy solutions.
From our experience with ethanol in Brazil and the U.S., we believe that dual-fuel vehicles provide the kind of flexibility that gives consumers the confidence to purchase them. Just as owners of our flex-fuel ethanol/gasoline vehicles have two fuel choices, purchasers of natural gas/gasoline vehicles could also buy either fuel.
If natural gas is to make a measurable impact, many vehicles need to use it, and it must be readily available. Collaboration with the energy industry and governments is key. Governments will likely need to provide incentives to encourage early adoption of the technology and to jump-start the fueling infrastructure.
Ultimately, the cost of vehicle technology and fuel will determine whether customers embrace natural gas as an automotive fuel. What we all can agree on is that the future of automotive transportation – and the global economies that depend on it – will not continue to thrive in a petroleum-centric world.
Good to see GM finally embracing a viable alternative fuel source proven effective here in Australia.
Article in the age
http://www.theage.com.au/national/general-motors-assigns-lpg-research-to-holden-20080820-3yzu.html
GM HOLDEN is to become a global development centre for liquefied petroleum gas engines as its US parent General Motors strives to reduce dependence on petrol.
GMH chairman and managing director Mark Reuss said Australia would take the lead with its experience with LPG engines.
"We have an opportunity to develop LPG in-house, the next generation of LPG technology both in power-train injection and in how we carry it and the fuel tank capacity," he said.
Holden has been making LPG-compatible engines for some time. Until recently they have all been used in cars with both petrol and LPG tanks.
An LPG-only Commodore is being released to compete with the fast-selling LPG Falcon made by Ford. Both cars are cheaper to run than a petrol-powered Toyota Corolla.
LPG is one alternative fuel that will play an increasing role in GM products around the world as the company moves towards all-electric cars, according to visiting GM research and development chief Larry Burns.
He was impressed by the different fuel sources Australia could fall back on.
"I was intrigued by how much natural gas you have and the potential for LPG and CNG (compressed natural gas)," Mr Burns told The Age.
He said he envied Australia because it was one of the few nations that could develop an energy-independence strategy at a time of rising oil prices.
He said LPG would be a good starting point because it was already widely distributed, and then he would advocate embracing CNG and solar technology further down the road.
"I'd really go after solar big time as a longer-term bet because I do think it will be economically viable," he said.
GM Fastlane blog
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2008/07/natural_gas_an_enticing_alternative.html
Natural Gas: An Enticing Alternative
By Larry Burns
GM Vice President, Research & Development
Volatile oil prices have been dominating the news lately, underscoring growing unease about the automobile’s heavy dependence on petroleum. As these concerns reverberate from Main Street to Wall Street, General Motors is working toward new solutions that will answer the growing demand for personal transportation in an affordable and sustainable way.
Because GM believes there is no single technology solution to displace petroleum, we are aggressively pursuing biofuels such as E85 ethanol and leveraging other efficiencies such as advanced engines and hybrids. We also are developing entirely new technology solutions that do not rely on petroleum, such as the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicles.
Another alternative, natural gas, is enticing because it is abundant, affordable and relatively clean. This week in Washington, D.C., the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming listened to testimony on the role natural gas can play in our nation’s transportation sector.
In the near term, we can use compressed natural gas (CNG) in internal combustion engines. Mid term, we can leverage natural gas to create electricity for the Volt and future variants. In the long term, natural gas could be an excellent source for making hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, either at the filling station or in people’s homes.
GM already has extensive experience with natural gas vehicles. Our Opel Zafira CNG is among the leaders in Europe, where gasoline and diesel fuel are costly, and we are exploring a dual-fuel approach with natural gas and gasoline for U.S. customers. While we are not ready to commit to a future production plan, we are taking a serious look at natural gas in the U.S. as yet another way to diversify our portfolio of affordable and sustainable transportation energy solutions.
From our experience with ethanol in Brazil and the U.S., we believe that dual-fuel vehicles provide the kind of flexibility that gives consumers the confidence to purchase them. Just as owners of our flex-fuel ethanol/gasoline vehicles have two fuel choices, purchasers of natural gas/gasoline vehicles could also buy either fuel.
If natural gas is to make a measurable impact, many vehicles need to use it, and it must be readily available. Collaboration with the energy industry and governments is key. Governments will likely need to provide incentives to encourage early adoption of the technology and to jump-start the fueling infrastructure.
Ultimately, the cost of vehicle technology and fuel will determine whether customers embrace natural gas as an automotive fuel. What we all can agree on is that the future of automotive transportation – and the global economies that depend on it – will not continue to thrive in a petroleum-centric world.