Saab produces world's first fossil-free hybrid

Saab’s stylish and eco-friendly new hybrid.

Making its world premiere at the Stockholm Motor Show last week, the ground-breaking Saab BioPower Hybrid Concept delivers zero fossil CO2 emissions, enhanced performance, and a range of energy-saving features by combining the use of pure bioethanol fuel and electric power generation for the first time.

As the world's first fossil-free hybrid vehicle, the Saab 9-3 convertible show car also becomes the world's first hybrid soft-top.

Packing formidable pulling power from its 260bhp (191kW) 2.0-litre turbo BioPower engine and 53 kW electric motors, the BioPower Hybrid Concept in the Saab 9-3 range of cars can briefly generate torque values three times greater than its petrol-only equivalent. It is a sporty combination that makes for improved performance, as you would expect from Saab, as well as greater fuel economy and an extended driving range.

Saab's modular hybrid system features a maintenance-free, 300-volt battery bank designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle, a 38kW rear-mounted electric motor, a 15kW integrated starter generator, and all-wheel-drive with electric power transmission to the rear wheels. The entire system has been packaged without sacrificing cabin accommodation or trunk space, as demonstrated by its unveiling in the Saab 9-3 convertible.

The all-aluminum 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 100km/h acceleration in just 6.9 seconds, a substantial improvement against 8.8 seconds for the equivalent petrol model. Even more impressive is 80 to 120km/h acceleration in only 5.5 seconds.

The Saab BioPower Hybrid Concept is the first project to be announced under a joint investment programme between General Motors and the Swedish government. This has seen the establishment of a research and development office in Trollhättan, Sweden, focusing on vehicle safety, engine emissions, and advanced manufacturing in collaboration with Swedish universities, research laboratories and suppliers.

Saab is a 100 per cent subsidiary of General Motors which is committed to reducing vehicle emission and improving fuel economy through the implementation of a three-tiered, advanced propulsion technology strategy. The ultimate goal is the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles that emit only water and remove the vehicle from the environmental debate.

In the near to mid-term, hybrid propulsion will bridge the gap between today’s technology and tomorrow’s hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. GM is also focused on introducing alternative fuels and new technologies to improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines and transmissions, further reducing vehicle emissions and increasing fuel economy.