The world's automakers sought to out-green each other Tuesday at the International Auto Show, unveiling new models with improved fuel efficiency and engines that run on batteries or hydrogen _ while boasting of improved sales and profit amid the strong European and world economies, according to AP. Whether it's the threat of government regulation on both sides of the Atlantic or growing consumer interest, auto companies have given the show an environmentally conscious flavor, even when it comes to larger vehicles such as BMW's X6 SUV-car crossover. «We're not just talking about cutting CO2 emissions, we're doing it,» BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said, after his company unveiled the X6, a «sport activity» vehicle with a hybrid engine that will be on sale in 2009. «This isn't just a quick, halfhearted effort. We've been leading the way for years. We got an early start and it's not at all the case that we're being pushed into this by politicians.» For other automakers, the idea is taking root deeper into future planning and execution. Bob Lutz, vice chairman of General Motors Corp., said the American automaker aims to develop an entire line of electric cars that could share parts used by gasoline-powered counterparts. Lutz said GM would likely have its E-Flex platform serve as a base for future development. The system, used in its just-debuted Flextreme concept car, has a small diesel engine generator to charge a lithium-ion battery pack. Current GM-made hybrids _ the Saturn Vue, Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu _ are expected to reach 10,000 sales by the end of the year and will continue to play a role in new development. Lutz singled out the Opel Corsa hybrid on display, a small but sporty car that has a 1.3-litre gas engine with a part-time electric motor that can get up to 62 miles per gallon and emits just 99 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. «The system that you see in the Corsa is basically an evolution of the system that we're offering in the Aura and Malibu and Saturn Vue hybrid, a low-cost system with a limited amount of electric drive, which I said, is easily affordable,» he said. Looking ahead, Lutz said a belt-assisted starting system, coupled with lithium-ion batteries will «wind up being the killer application for hybrid technology because it's much, much lower cost than the two-mode system, the Toyota Prius system, because it's got a lot fewer parts.» The Toyota two-mode has both a gas engine and a battery-powered motor. Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Irvine, California-based Kelley Blue Book, said the Frankfurt show was seeing «a lot of green, environmentally friendly things being introduced.» «There is a strong green movement in Europe, but at the same time they really haven't embraced hybrids the way we have,» he said. «I think we are seeing from them an increased awareness of various technologies that can address CO2.» Ford Motor Co. chose not to focus on hybrids at the show but on improving emissions. The company said Tuesday it will have three models with lower CO2 emissions available in Europe by the end of 2008. The automaker is outfitting diesel versions of the Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo and a new subcompact with additional technology to lower emissions. All three vehicles will carry the ECOnetic badge, signifying that they have technology to reduce CO2 emissions. The Focus will be on the market later this year, while the other two will go on sale next year. «We believe that whether customers want a larger or smaller vehicle, they should have the opportunity to choose an affordable low-CO2 model,» Ford of Europe President and CEO John Fleming said. Ford didn't reveal pricing Tuesday but customers will probably have to pay a small premium. Renault SA Vice President Michel Gornet, however, said consumers have a limited appetite for paying extra for environmentally friendly technology. «The consciousness is there,» he said, adding, «I'm not sure if today people are ready to put a lot of money» into new propulsion systems. Instead, Renault is focusing on designing more environmentally efficient engines across all its models. Nissan Vice President Carlos Tavares said the Japanese carmaker, allied with Renault since 1999, is not concentrating on any specific environmental system. «We won't bet the future of the company on a single technology,» he said in an interview. PSA Peugeot-Citroen presented its 308 BioFlex compact which uses biofuels, or fuel obtained from crops. CEO Christian Streiff said biofuels «won't solve all the problems» of the environment and are only part of the group's overall green strategy. «It's a set of solutions that is being adopted,» he said. Amid the environmental push, automakers also touted stronger outlooks and improved sales. DaimlerChrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told reporters that the chance of a fatter shareholder dividend was better than before, given its sale last month of a majority stake in Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP. GM's European division said that August sales rose more than 19 percent to 138,200, driven by demand for its Opel and Vauxhall brands. Audi AG, the luxury arm of Volkswagen, said it hopes to sell a record 950,000 cars this year and also hopes to beat last year's net profit. Porsche AG said its sales rose 3.4 percent during its recently ended fiscal year, pushed up by rising demand for its luxury cars. The Stuttgart-based company said sales totaled ¤7.4 billion (US$10.21 billion) in the year that ended July 31 and sold 97,515 cars during the year.
