Emissions Update From Paris

PARIS, Sept 23 Reuters reported that this week sees the start of the Paris car show, where the world's automakers will show off not only their latest designs but also their achievements in the area of fuel economy and pollution reduction.

Below are some details of what the top manufacturers have accomplished so far:

GENERAL MOTORS CORP (U.S.)

The low cost of petrol in the U.S. has discouraged efforts to cut fuel consumption and led GM to scrap its most efficient U.S. gasoline models, the Chevrolet Metro and Chevrolet Prizm.

The world's biggest automaker was a ecological pioneer in the 1990s with its EV1, the world's first mass-produced electric car, though it proved a flop, costing it over $1 billion.

GM says it spends more than $1 billion annually on fuel-cell technology, partly through a host of joint ventures, but does not expect many fuel-cell cars to reach highways before 2010.

In Paris, GM will display the Hy-Wire fuel-cell prototype, which uses electronics to operate the car instead of cables.

The U.S. firm aims to bring out a hybrid electric-petrol full-size pick-up truck in its domestic market in 2004, which will cut fuel consumption by 10 to 15 percent. FORD MOTOR CO (U.S.)

Ford's Fiesta model in Europe, with a direct injection engine developed with Peugeot, gets 27 kilometres out of a litre of diesel out of town, putting it in the top flight of fuel-efficient carmakers.

But a cost cutting drive aimed at ending hefty losses at the number-two automaker has prompted Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr to say that further efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions "will be tempered by our near-term business realities."

Ford is closing its Think Norwegian electric car venture, in which it had invested $100 million, due to disappointing sales.

It has brought out several fuel-cell concepts in the last two years and is working with Ballard Power Systems on further ones, though it sees production vehicles as a long way off.

A hybrid version of its Escape compact SUV is due out late next year.

TOYOTA MOTOR CORP (Japan)

Most analysts view Toyota as the leader in environmentally friendly car technology. Its Prius hybrid, which went on sale in 1997, travels 31 kilometres per litre of fuel, making it possibly the world's most efficient five-seat car in production.

Toyota and Honda are both racing to be the first automakers to put a fuel-cell passenger car on the market by the end of the year, though only a few would be sold, on a lease basis, to government bodies, research institutions and energy companies.

Toyota says it does not expect full commercialisation of fuel-cell cars until 2010 at the earliest.

RENAULT SA , NISSAN MOTOR CO (France, Japan)

Renault's most fuel-efficient car is the Clio 1.5-litre DCi, which can travel 23.8 kilometres on one litre of fuel.

At the Paris show, Renault will display hybrid and pure electric versions of its Kangoo minivan, which will go on sale in October and is produced in relatively small volume.

In 2000, Renault and Nissan launched an 800-million-euro joint fuel-cell programme. Nissan has brought forward its goal of selling fuel-cell cars to 2003 from 2005. Renault says it hopes to industrialise them in 2010.

Nissan lost a lot of face recently when it asked Toyota to supply it with hybrid systems for at least 10 years for an undisclosed fee. DAIMLERCHRYSLER AG <DCXGn.DE> (Germany, U.S.)

Its most fuel-efficient car is the Smart CDI, which travels 29.4 kilometres on a litre of fuel.

The company estimates it will have spent $1 billion in the 14 years to 2004 on developing fuel-cell technology. It has produced five "Necars" (New Electric Cars) since 1994 using various fuel-cell technologies.

Its Chrysler arm has developed a "Natrium" fuel-cell car which stores hydrogen as sodium borohydride, a non-toxic solution similar to soap.

The company will produce a limited number of fuel-cell buses from next year and wants to be selling cars using the technology from 2004 but company officials say they expect the traditional internal combustion engine to be with us for another 30 years.

VOLKSWAGEN AG (Germany)

A pioneer in fuel-efficient direct-injection diesel engines. Its Lupo 3L can travel 33 kilometres on one litre of fuel. The company has also demonstrated a prototype bullet-shaped car which can travel 100 kilometres on just one litre of fuel, though the car will not go into production.

A fuel-cell-powered VW Bora crossed the Alps in January, but the firm says fuel-cell cars probably won't hit the market before 15 to 20 years. The company does not have its own fuel cells, but uses those developed by a Swiss research institute.

VW is concentrating on intermediate solutions first, such as synthetic fuel and biomass, which is vegetation, or agricultural waste converted into fuel.

PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN (France)

PSA's least-polluting mass-produced car is the Citroen C3 equipped with the same 1.4-litre diesel engine as Ford's Fiesta. The vehicle emits 110 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre. European industry target is a maximum 140 grammes by 2008.

Europe's number-two automaker aims to be selling socalled "minihybrid" cars early next year, using an electric motor to accelerate from standing in crowded town centres, cutting fuel use by between seven and ten percent.

In Paris PSA will show off its latest fuel-cell ideas with the H2O, a concept spin-off of its Peugeot 206, adapted for fire brigades, which makes hydrogen chemically on board.

HONDA MOTOR CO LTD (Japan)

Leads the race among large automakers for fuel economy in mass produced cars. The aerodynamic Insight two-seater hybrid boasts 35 kilometres per litre. Also sells a hybrid version of its Civic model, which can travel 29.5 kilometres per litre.

Honda's fuel-cell car to be released soon will use a fuel-cell stack developed by Ballard Power Systems, though it hopes to have its own stack ready before long.

BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (Germany)

BMW believes that hydrogen powered internal combustion engines are, for now, more practical than electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

It has developed a prototype of its 7-Series using that technology and hopes to introduce a limited number of cars using it in five years' time. Further production would depend on how quickly a hydrogen filling station network is developed.