The world’s first fossil fuel free hybrid, the Saab 9-3 Convertible BioPower Hybrid Concept Car, will be shown for the first time outside of Sweden at the London Motor Show next month.
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The car combines bioethanol with electric power and Saab also says the car is the world’s first hybrid soft-top.
The all-aluminium 2.0-litre BioPower engine is modified to run on pure E100 bioethanol fuel, giving zero fossil CO2 exhaust emissions, and operates in tandem with the electrical power system. This offers fuel-saving stop/start functionality, torque boosting electric power assistance on demand, an electric-only ‘Zero Mode’ for city driving and regenerative braking.
The BioPower Hybrid Concept prototype car, a 9-3 Convertible with automatic transmission, is expected to achieve zero to 62 mph acceleration in just 6.9 seconds, a substantial improvement against 8.8 seconds for the equivalent petrol model.
Saab has also announced that London will host the world premiere of the 210 bhp 2.3t BioPower engine in the Saab 9-5 range.
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By GlobalDataSaab says the 2.3 litre turbocharged flex-fuel engine has the possibility of cutting fossil CO2 emissions by between 50 and 70% compared to the equivalent petrol engine, due to its ability to run on bioethanol E85, which is a blend of 85% bioethanol and 15% petrol.
When running on bioethanol E85, the BioPower engine delivers 210 bhp and 310 Nm of torque, compared to 185 bhp and 280 Nm when using unleaded petrol.
The 9-5 2.3t BioPower will go on sale in the UK and other selected European markets later this year.
The Aero X Concept Car also makes its London debut on the Saab stand. Thrust for the all-wheel drive Saab Aero X comes from a 400 bhp twin-turbo BioPower V6 engine fuelled by pure bioethanol.
Saab launched Saab BioPower flex-fuel technology in Sweden last year and says that it expects over 10,000 9-5 BioPowers to be sold in Sweden in 2006.
