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Saab will showcase its environmental leadership at the Australian International
Motor Show, and prove you don’t have to sacrifice performance to drive with a
green conscience.
This year the Saab stand features the futuristic Aero X performance concept,
an example of Saab’s ethanol 9-5, Saab BioPower, and the very efficient
forthcoming Saab diesel, the 9-3 TiD.
The Aero X Concept is powered by 100 per cent ethanol with a 298 kW
twin-turbo BioPower version of Saab’s 2.8-litre Global V6 engine, highlighting
Saab’s focus on using green power to deliver even better performance.
Saab already makes this green power available to drivers in Europe. The Saab
9-5 BioPower runs on E85 (85 per cent ethanol) and has become the top-selling
environmentally friendly car in Sweden within one year of launch.
Using only one petrol tank, BioPower is also a flex-fuel vehicle with an
advanced Trionic engine management system which means it can run on petrol as
well as ethanol, in any mixture.
Director Saab Australia, Mr Parveen Batish, says Saab intends to real-world
test BioPower locally with a demonstration program in Queensland in December.
“Saab is starting to play an important role in getting renewable fuels, such
as ethanol, on the agenda in Australia, just as it has in Europe,” Mr Batish
said.
“Engineering cars to run on renewable fuels is something we can do today to
make a real difference to the environment – and ethanol is a fuel we can take
advantage of right now.
“A mixture of up to 10 per cent ethanol is acceptable for most cars on the
road today, but vehicles like the Saab BioPower can be designed to run on up to
100 per cent ethanol.
“E85 fuel is not currently available in Australia but because Saab BioPower
is a flex-fuel car it can run on petrol until it is available. As a result, we
can help break the ‘chicken and egg’ situation that a community faces when it
tries to introduce a new fuel,” he said.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel that does not add to atmospheric CO2 levels as it
‘recycles’ CO2 that is already present in the atmosphere.
When crops are grown to produce ethanol, they remove CO2 from the atmosphere
through photosynthesis and the CO2 is released back into the atmosphere during
the combustion process of driving a car.
However, using fossil fuels such as oil and petrol add to atmospheric CO2
because they release (new amounts of) CO2 fixed underground for millions of
years.
“With such a proud history of innovation, it is typical of Saab to deliver
even better performance from ethanol,” Mr Batish said.
“With BioPower you don’t have to sacrifice performance, boot space or the
environment to switch to an alternative to petrol.
“Saab BioPower produces up to 20 per cent more power and 16 per cent more
torque compared to the equivalent petrol powered model – which makes BioPower
even more appealing to Australian drivers.”
Saab 2.3t BioPower engine generates approximately 155 kW and 310 Nm of
torque, and 2.0t BioPower approximately 133 kW and 280 Nm
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