Geneva Auto Show 2014: Fuel Cells & Hybrids

DonCorson · 2014-03-09T14:43:00Z

DonCorson's 2014 Geneva Auto Show report: Hyundai fuel cell cars, GM's European strategy, and the VW XL1 diesel hybrid. Explore automotive innovation.

Let's continue our visit of the Geneva Auto Salon 2014.
Although there is still lots of talk about alternative fuels for mobility only Hyundei showed a fuel cell car. We can see that they have been working on this for many years.

Along with the iX35 they showed a fuel cell concept with carbon fiber frame.

The hydrogen tank always causes problems as it can not be made in arbitrary shape as a gasoline tank can. Here we can see that about 8cm height gets lost in the trunk.

What do we find right next to Hyundei?
This is the rest of GM now that they have decided to stop selling Chevrolet in Europe. (Although the cars where cheap and not bad, Korean rebadged Chevrolet, somehow Europeans preferred to buy Korean cars from a Korean company, not from GM. From what I have heard they only sold well in Switzerland. Chevrolet was Swiss, born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, who went to the US to make his fortune as a race driver.)

Can't even get a good picture of the wheels.

This could be a good looking car. Unfortunately there is also the view from the front where the designers had a blackout.

GM also showed the Camero althought it is not certain that they will continue to sell it here.

How can we tell we are at GM ?

But GM is not the only company that has problems with the front grill design.

Looking for a 0.9liter/100km (261miles per gallon) car for your daily commute? VW made 200 of these XL1 diesel hybrids and some can still be had.

The Salon was very well visited on this first day.

At Renault the electric era has really set in. Everyone knows the Zoe in the mean time...

Even the autonomy figures are getting realistic.

The Twizy looks like fun, but as I have heard drives like a fork lift. At least it has scissor doors.

The biggest success these days is the Tesla S.

Here we see the Tesla S chassis. Do you see the battery pack?

After the Tesla Roadster battery pack which took up most of the car the Tesla S has a large flat battery pack which forms the floor of the entire surface between the frame members of the car. Thus no useful space is wasted, although it is not recommended to drive packed like this.

With those 2 seats in the front these make a total of 9.

The Quant with its Nanoflowcell batteries somehow looks suspicious.

Each year we need an "Ugliest Car of the Fair". This Jeep Cherokee was unsurpassed this year.

This new Jeep Renegade looks much better. The Renegade is built on the Fiat 500L platform.

This is the original 500L in "Surf's up" get-up. (Oops I see those are skate boards.)

Let's hope that Volvo can get out of their recent design doldrums. This concept could be a help.

Rolls Royce, impress with mass.

I don't know what this poor car did to the Citröen designers or what they were smoking.

Automotive skin disease.

AKKA is one of the many now working on autonomously driving cars. That has the advantage that you can arrange the seats like this.

While the i3 is of a certain, let's say, dubious styling...

the i8 is very good looking and a convincing design.

Let's now forget all those serious means of conveyance.

You have seen the Segway, now the Toyota FV2 which works like a Segway in which one sits instead of standing.

I was very surprised when I first read of this new Twingo. A four seater based on the Smart platform with rear drive and a transversal motor at the rear. That is something that Smart themselves didn't do when they introduced the, in-the-meantime out of production, 4four Smart 4 seater. This Twingo is the first product of the recently started cooperation between Renault and Daimler.

I hope that you have enjoyed this roam around the Auto Salon with me.
Part 3 will be a look at the Lemans exhibition at the Salon.
Don

Be sure and see the other parts of this report from the 2014 Auto Salon in Geneva

Part 1
automotive.watchprosite.com

Part 2
automotive.watchprosite.com

Part 3 - Le Mans
automotive.watchprosite.com
This message has been edited by DonCorson on 2014-03-10 10:00:21

The Discussion

amanico

Mar 9, 2014

Thanks a lot for this report, and for these first live pictures of the Volvo Concept! Best, Nicolas

bimbeano

Mar 10, 2014

I 'inspected' :-) the Tesla chassis in Brussels this weekend, quite a high-tech feat i must say. About the Twingo , did you get to spot the engine bay ? On the last pic i see two black grilles on both sides of the numberplate, i suppose those are air-outlest for the heat? Your second pic of the Twingo gives a good impression on the proportions of the car .... i can see myself driving one .. 900 cc, ECU remapped to 140 hp, Bilstein suspension, OZ Ultraleggera wheels ... or if possible a RS-versio

patrick_y

Mar 10, 2014

The Volvo did look good. Certainly worth considering if it drives well! A friend of mine recently procured a C70. I've still yet to get a ride in it.

Geneva Auto Show 2014: Fuel Cells & Hybrids

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