Ferrari Thinks Green
The Age
Saturday July 5, 2008
But the prancing horse faces hurdles on emissions, writes Jez Spinks.
FERRARI is experimenting with a number of ways to make its sports cars cleaner and greener and has begun developing its next-generation engines, which are expected in 2013. Potential green solutions include a return to turbocharged engines - the first since the 1987 F40 - and electric power.The company's technical director for GT cars Roberto Fedeli says building petrol-electric supercars might be necessary even though he's not convinced the technology is appropriate for Ferrari. He was speaking at last week's opening of Ferrari's new high-tech vehicle assembly line in Maranello. "In terms of ecology and CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, are we sure that the only way to approach this kind of issue is to build a (hybrid) car according to the regulations (for the fuel consumption and emissions test cycle)?" Mr Fedeli says. "I don't know. For road cars, (petrol-)electric engines are important for approaching the (emissions test) regulations in a good (clever) way. If driving a car in the (test cycle), you can have a very big gain with this (hybrid) technology."It is a philosophical approach (that Ferrari takes to building cars). (But) from a practical approach we have to meet the emissions regulations. Perhaps in the future the (hybrid) technology could be a good solution (to ensure Ferrari meets the emissions targets)."The EU has proposed financial penalties from 2012 for car makers that do not reduce their model fleet's average carbon dioxide emissions to 130 grams a kilometre, or lower.Ferrari is aiming for a 40% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions for its cars by 2012, although it's coming from a high base.Ferrari's average carbon dioxide figure of 433 grams a kilometre for its range of five models is well short of that target, although it says it's uncertain whether it will be included under the umbrella of owner and small-car builder Fiat should the new regulations be approved.The EU proposal says car makers would be allowed to form a pool to help meet emissions targets while production numbers would also be taken into account. (Ferrari built 6465 cars in 2007.)Ferrari argues that current emissions testing favours hybrid cars more than its supercars because it is biased towards city driving where it claims supercars are seldom used.In 2007, the EU introduced the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) that evaluates vehicle fuel consumption and emissions in a two-part test.The first, "urban cycle" test aims to mimic rush-hour traffic with a series of starts and stops that never exceed 50 km/h. The second, "extra urban" test features a faster, single sequence of acceleration and deceleration, though speeds never exceed 120 km/h."If you drive outside the regulation cycle, the gain you can have today (with hybrids) is not so high," Mr Fedeli says. "The NEDC tests cover only a few kinds of usage of a car. Driving on the highway, for instance, is not covered in the regulation."For our kind of cars, it's up to our customers to decide whether the city cycle is important or not. Our statistics show our customers drive in the city for a very small time."The urban cycle fuel-consumption figures for Ferraris are significantly higher than in the extra-urban test, which the company says is more relevant to the typical usage of its supercars.Ferrari's 599 GTB, for example, uses 32.7 L/100 km in the "rush-hour" test but a far more respectable 14.7 L/100 km in the "suburban/country road" type test. Emissions figures are based on combined fuel consumption, however.In 2007, Ferrari presented a concept car called the FXX Mille Chile, which provides an insight into how the company might focus on weight reduction and clever aerodynamics to improve the fuel efficiency and performance of its future models.The Mille Chile even uses an electric motor, although it is hybrid technology that differs to Toyota's Prius, for example, because it is mated to the car's gearbox rather than the engine.Mr Fedeli says Ferrari is aiming to reduce its emissions by about a quarter with its new-generation engines, which will be finalised by 2010. Direct injection is a certainty for future engines after being introduced on a Ferrari for the first time with the new California. Ferrari also looks set to include turbocharger technology. The 1987 F40 (pictured) was powered by a 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V8. Mr Fedeli says the company is experimenting with turbochargers and superchargers and suggests the F40's engine is a good benchmark for size."If we build a turbocharged engine, we can't build a normal turbocharged engine," he says. "We have to push a lot with the specific power output (kilowatts per litre). But if we want to push up the specific output of the (turbo) engine, the dimensions of the engine can't be very big. You can't put on a car one thousand horsepower (735 kW). It's not safe."The F40 delivered 352 kW of power from a relatively small-capacity engine - just 2.9 litres. That's an impressive, specific output of 122 kW a litre. The bigger, 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated V8 in BMW's new M3 has an equivalent figure of only 77 kW a litre.Reducing an engine's capacity is good for improving fuel efficiency, while lifting a turbo's boost pressure and the engine's compression ratio fairly high can help to deliver the performance expected from a Ferrari.Ferrari says the technology transfer between its formula one racing cars and GT road cars continues to be a fundamental aspect of the company - one it says makes it different to other car makers.As a result, Ferrari is also exploring kinetic energy recovery for future models and and is building a 599 using the same components from the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to be introduced in the 2009 formula one season. The car will be a concept study only to see how the technology can be applied to a road car.KERS uses a continuously variable transmission linked to a fast-spinning mechanical flywheel that stores the energy generated during braking. A formula one racing driver will be able to press a button to temporarily access a 60 kW power boost for faster cornering or overtaking.The system has been introduced as part of a program by the Federation de l'International Automobile to make formula one more environmentally friendly as well as more relevant to road cars.Mr Fedeli says the company has an open mind on technologies such as KERS that might help improve the fuel efficiency and performance of its future models."We are looking at a lot of solutions and let's say it's a lot of fun in this stage for development."Jez Spinks travelled to Italy as a guest of Ateco Australia.
© 2008 The Age
