Volvo has developed a new Multi-Fuel prototype car, optimized for running on five different fuel types. The Volvo Multi-Fuel is a five-cylinder, 2.0-litre prototype car (200 bhp) that runs on: hythane (10% hydrogen and 90% methane), biomethane, natural gas (CNG), bioethanol E85 (85% bioethanol and 15% petrol) and regular gasoline. The new concept is introduced at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006 and is one of its kind.
“Volvo believes that the road to the future is not one but many,” the automaker explained. “No renewable fuel type can alone replace the fossil fuels of today. Since local conditions vary, different markets need engines for different alternative fuels, together with cleaner conventional ones. With this in mind, Volvo Car Corporation has developed the Multi-Fuel, a prototype car that can be powered by five different fuel types, thus be driven on the energy source at hand – anywhere in the world.”
The Multi-Fuel vehicle contains one large and two smaller tanks of totally 98 litres for gaseous fuels (hythane, biomethane and CNG), and one 29-litre tank for liquid fuels (bioethanol E85 and petrol).
The fuel tanks are fitted neatly under the luggage compartment floor, which means that full loading capacity is preserved. Two fuel fillers are used to fill up all five fuel types, one for gaseous and one for liquid fuels. The engine automatically adjusts itself to the right blend of gaseous or liquid fuels. To switch between fuel types, the driver simply presses a button.
The Multi-Fuel has a motor effect of 200 bhp and accelerates quickly up to speed, 0–100 km/h in 8.7 seconds. This makes the car more responsive and smooth to drive. – The Multi-Fuel is turbo charged to achieve performance on any of the five different fuel types.
The Multi-Fuel is remarkably clean and meets the emission standards for Euro 4 and the proposed levels for Euro 5. An alternative catalyst system has also been developed to meet the tough demands on extremely low tailpipe emissions for PZEV/SULEV on the US market. The vehicle has two catalysts, one close coupled to the engine that lowers initial start emissions, and one under the floor for reduced high-speed emissions. The double catalysts and advanced engine control system lead to very low emissions. High-temperature materials in the exhaust manifold and turbo allow extremely high exhaust gas temperatures of up to 1050 °C. This enables the car to run cleaner, accelerate quicker and operate smoother at higher speed.
07/06, 9:13 AM
posted by:
DaveO
With six you get hybrid!
07/06, 9:40 AM
posted by:
Jae
Very impressive. I’m afraid of that exhaust though. Now lets get it collision tested and on the road.
Oh and what is the range? By fuel type?
07/06, 10:10 AM
posted by:
JS
Too bad it doesn´t work with trash like in “back to future”. And it seems it wouldn´t be a good idea to park that car on a dry vegetation place because of the exhaust temperatures. If that car eventually burns, it´s going to be a show with all these hydrogen, methane, bioethanol, natural gas and petrol. However I trust Volvo when talking about security.
07/06, 10:30 AM
posted by:
Piablo
“Multi-Fuel” and all of the other marketing pitches is all fine and dandy but it really does nothing for the situation. If companies really wanted to solve this alternative fuel situation, why not come to a consensus and stop wasting money on stupid marketing gimmicks like ‘multi-fuel’.
I look at this situation like I look at fat people. If a fat person doesn’t like being fat, well they need to eat less and excersize. If society realllly wants to burn less gas and save money, then they need to lose weight and excersize by by buying a smaller car. That’s it. But society still enjoys being fat, and to be honest, I love driving my XTerra.
07/06, 10:47 AM
posted by:
Jon
Piablo,
So in other words, in automotive sense you are acting like a hypocrite.
Jon.
07/06, 1:38 PM
posted by:
Piablo
No, not at all. Personally, I don’t subscribe to the idea that we are burning too much gas. Gasoline and deisal are only a small percentage of what crude is refined into. Plastics make up more than 2/3 of refined crude. I find the idea of making people drive smaller cars rediculous. Why not buy less platic? But if people want to burn less gas, then the simple logic is to drive a vehicle that requires less energy to move. My point was, that society is not willing to do so. Even Al Gore, who burns 700,000 gallons of jet fuel in the very same atmosphere he is trying to save in order to attend a global warming summit.
The real solution to any energy problem, real or imagined, is to focus on a common solution and develop the technology into a viable scenario. Instead what we have is a Volvo with the automotive equivelent of a single machine offering Betamax, VHS, and Laser-Disc. Where is the innovation??
07/06, 10:34 PM
posted by:
manny
jae, it is collision tested… the car is just a normal v70, just a new engine…
but… what the hell is with that paint color?
and piablo, the advantage of having the car capable of running on multiple fuels is it wont be useless when one fuel doesnt catch on, and you arent stuck with an expensive betamax machine…