2006 4, Q RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW 100 g/km CO2 Ricardo and PSA develop world-class energy-efficient powertrain Interviews Gilles Michel, PSA technology chief Ulrich Walker, president of Smart China sourcing Don’t miss the opportunities: the mistakes that some western OEMs make Taking it to the MAX Andy Green, Ricardo and JCB clinch the world land speed record for diesel cars The Energy Saving Trust’s green fleet review has provided us with the skills and expertise needed to identify and quantify areas of cost savings, allowing us to develop a significant business case. They helped us identify hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of potential savings on transport costs and at present we are reviewing plans to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles. Ben Ross, Environmental Advisor, Bank of Ireland UK Financial Services Division If they can do it, you can too. Apply for a free green fleet review: call 0845 602 1425 or visit www.est.org.uk/transport TE426B Contents RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEWQ4, 2006 08 17 06 20 news features 04 Industry news 08 World record engineering Paris show majors on grand touring style; Honda In August JCB broke the world land speed record for demonstrates fuel cell car; US green car ranking causes diesel cars with the slender 9-metre Dieselmax controversy streamliner, powered by Ricardo developed engines. Jesse Crosse tells the epic story of intensive 28 Ricardo news development, round the clock teamwork and eventual TVR sports car engines in development deal; major triumph programme targets world’s cleanest diesel; SULEV gasoline co-operation with Bosch; new VP of Control 17 China sourcing and Electronics Too many companies get it wrong, failing to spot opportunities, clinging to outdated ideas and questions and answers misunderstanding other cultures. Andy Chien of Ricardo Strategic Consulting explains how organisations can 06 Gilles Michel, PSA Peugeot Citroën prepare for low-cost sourcing Tony Lewin questions PSA’s technology chief about R&D, hybrids, co-operation and speeding up new model 20 World-class fuel economy introductions Ricardo was quick to respond to the UK government’s call for a family car capable of better than 100 g/km CO2. 26 Ulrich Walker, president, Smart Developed in conjunction with PSA, the Efficient-C diesel Walker is the new broom who promises to put Smart on full-hybrid exceeded all targets to establish world-class track to profitability. We question him as he prepares to fuel economy benchmarks launch the second-generation Fortwo Head office: Conceived and produced for Ricardo by: Ricardo plc, Shoreham-by-Sea, TwoTone Media Ltd West Sussex, BN43 5FG, Editor:Tony Lewin United Kingdom Contributors: Mark Roberts, Anthony Smith, Tel: +44 (0)1273 455611 Jesse Crosse, Andy Chien TwoTone Media Ltd contacts: Ricardo contacts and locations: Anthony Smith: [email protected] www.ricardo.com/contacts Tony Lewin: [email protected] RQ subscriptions: www.ricardo.com/rq RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW Sales enquiries: [email protected] Industry News Paris concepts show luxury theme restige style and high-end high Ptechnology shot into focus at September’s Paris show as France’s three big automakers wheeled out extravagant grand touring prototypes calculated to show off their engineering and design skills. Citroën’s C-Metisse, one of the most technically interesting, marries a V6 HDi diesel engine powering the front transmission sits beneath the engine. Show style: Citroën C-Metisse (above) is a wheels to electric hub motors in the Peak outputs are 515 kW (690 hp) and diesel hybrid with rear hub motors; Peugeot rear wheels to provide over 1200 Nm torque. 908 RC (left) uses Midship V12 diesel from Le acceleration boost, Measuring 5.12 metres in Mans racer. Renault Nepta (bottom) has remarkable door design. length, the 908RC uses a complex carbon and Big Three’s car- vacuum polymerised building dilemma aluminium The North American Big Three honeycomb carmakers, already hurt by significant structure. production cuts in the final quarters of Majoring on 2006, continue to operate at a major style rather than cost disadvantage in relation to their technology was US-based Asian competitors. Renault’s Nepta, a Figures from the 2006 Harbour Consulting survey of automobile plant large and productivity show that Nissan enjoys a kinetic energy recuperation and an luxurious four-seater convertible based cost advantage of between $300 and estimated 3 km zero-emission range on on a rear-drive platform. Particularly $450 per vehicle over the less electric power only. innovative is the gullwing door productive companies; overall, Nissan The 4.7 metre four seater is ultra low mechanism: the whole side of the car continues to lead, but the US majors and features complex hinging opens up and, hinged on points on the are gradually closing the gap. One irony mechanisms for its four doors for centre line of vehicle ahead of the is the fact that the most productive easier passenger access. Weighing a engine and behind the passenger assembly plant of all, Ford’s Atlanta claimed 1400 kg complete with its compartment, the doors rise above the facility, is set to close under the blue centrally mounted batteries, the cabin area to reveal the 3.5 litre gasoline oval’s Way Forward restructuring initiative. carbon-fibre structure C-Metisse is V6 engine too. US producers are being urged by capable of 174 g/km CO2 emissions on Ron Harbour, architect of the study, to the MVEG cycle. give greater consideration to flexible Sister brand Peugeot wheeled out a manufacturing concepts. Correctly diesel with a dramatic difference. conceived, he told Automotive News, a Claimed to be capable of more than flexible plant need not cost much more 300 km/h, the Peugeot 908RC is an to operate than a dedicated line and exotic four-seater supercar using a would provide much better insurance derivative of the 5.5 litre direct injection against the sudden decline of a market V12 diesel with which the company will sector, as happened to the SUV segment in 2006. contest the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours. “I still believe the differentiator is going Unusually, the V12 is mounted to be who is the most creative with transversely and in a central location, doing the most with the least,” Harbour just behind the passenger commented. compartment; the six-speed China may take third place AUTOSAR becomes reality Common parts help cut costs Honda hybrid deal UK’s biggest China is set to overtake Automotive Open Systems Toyota has saved $1000 per The largest ever UK fleet deal Germany as the world’s third Architecture group AUTOSAR is vehicle over the last five years by for hybrids was secured by biggest automobile producer about to embark on its second using common parts, according Honda when the Metropolitan during 2006, according to OICA. phase, standardising electronic to a report by Harbour-Felax. Police ordered 117 Civic Hybrids In the first six months China protocols and leading to a Warranty costs, too, are reduced for its Community Support made 3.6 million cars, behind production vehicle in 2008. New by part sharing; Toyota averages Officers to use as part of the Japan on 5.7 and the US on applications such as safety will $348 per vehicle, while its US Safer Neighbourhoods News in brief 6.1 million. be added in phase 2. competitors are at over $500. initiative. 04 RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW • Q4, 2006 Fuel cell Honda begins RICARDO QUARTERLY demonstrations REVIEW onda offered its second-generation cell vehicle running on hydrogen The task of RQ is to highlight the latest thinking in automotive engineering and fuel cell car, the FCX, for the media generated with solar panels, no carbon H technology worldwide – both within to assess in September. The concept dioxide is emitted either in producing Ricardo and among other leading was first shown publicly at the 2005 the fuel or operating the vehicle,” said companies. By presenting an up-to-date Tokyo motor show and features a new Honda CEO Takeo Fukui. “This is the mix of news, profiles and interviews with design of fuel cell stack which ultimate scenario.” top business leaders we paint an dramatically improves packaging by Fukui also announced that Honda had interesting and exciting picture of R&D adopting a vertical flow of water in brought forward by one year the larger- activity at a world-class automotive engineering services provider. scale user trials of its fuel cell place of the traditional horizontal It is a formula that has certainly been a arrangement. technology. Productionised models hit with the worldwide automotive As well as giving greatly improved based on the FCX concept will now be community: in the five years since RQ water drainage and thus cold start launched in Japan and the US in 2008, was launched we have had to increase performance, claims Honda, the new though details of the demonstrator our print run to 14,000 copies to keep stack is much more compact and can scheme have yet to be made public. No pace with the demand to read about now be packaged longitudinally in the scheme is presently planned for Europe. Ricardo and its activities. Client confidentiality is of the utmost centre of the vehicle in the area where A further innovation from Honda is importance to Ricardo, which means that Fuel cell Honda FCX:Trials we can only report on a small fraction of begin in Japan and the work carried out by the company. So US in 2008 we are especially grateful to those Ricardo customers who have kindly agreed to co-operate with RQ and allow their programmes to be highlighted in print: without such help from customers it would not be possible to present such a fascinating insight into the way vehicles are conceived and developed.